Thursday, May 21, 2020

Facts and Figures About the Cave Lion

The Eurasian cave lion (Panthera spelaea) is a species of lion that went extinct around 12,000 years ago. It was one of the largest species of a lion to have ever lived. Only its North American cousin, the extinct American lion (Panthera atrox), was bigger. Scientists believe the Eurasian cave lion was as much as 10% larger than the modern lion (Panthera leo). It was often depicted in cave paintings as having some kind of collar fluff and possibly stripes. Eurasian Cave Lion Basics Scientific Name:  Panthera leo spelaeaHabitat: Woodlands and mountains of EurasiaHistorical Period: Middle to late Pleistocene (approximately 700,000-12,000 years ago)Size and Weight: Up to 7 feet long (excluding the tail) and 700-800 poundsDiet: MeatDistinguishing Characteristics: Large size; powerful limbs; possibly manes and stripes Where Did It Live? One of the most ferocious predators of the late Pleistocene epoch, the Eurasian cave lion was a plus-sized cat that roamed a vast expanse of territory in Eurasia, Alaska, and part of northwestern Canada. It feasted on a wide array of mammalian megafauna, including prehistoric horses and prehistoric elephants. Why Is It Called a Cave Lion? The Eurasian cave lion was also a voracious predator of the cave bear (Ursus spelaeus); in fact, this cat received its name not because it lived in caves, but because numerous intact skeletons have been found in cave bear habitats. Eurasian cave lions preyed opportunistically on hibernating cave bears, which must have seemed like a good idea until their intended victims woke up. Why Did It Go Extinct? As is the case with many prehistoric predators, its unclear why the Eurasian cave lion vanished off the face of the Earth about 12,000 years ago. The cave lion population might have suffered due to the severe reduction of species it preyed upon. As the climate warmed, the cave lion’s habitat of wide-open spaces was shrinking as forest areas increased, putting severe pressure on the species. Human migration into Europe could also have played a role, as they would likely  have been competing with lions for the same prey.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Noteworthy Discoveries In 2015, researchers in Siberia made the astonishing discovery of two frozen Eurasian cave lion cubs. The cubs were determined to be up to 55,000 years old and were named Uyan and Dina. Another cub was discovered in 2017 in the same area of Siberia; it was about 8 weeks old when it died, and it is perfectly preserved. In 2018, a fourth cave lion cub was discovered in the Siberian permafrost, this one estimated to be about 30,000 years old. The cub’s body was well preserved with muscles and internal organs, including its heart, brain, and lungs, still intact. While its not uncommon for explorers to stumble across quick-frozen woolly mammoths, these are the first instances of prehistoric cats being found in permafrost. It may be possible to recover fragments of DNA from the cave cubs soft tissues to clone them, and that could one day facilitate the de-extinction of Panthera spelaea.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Search for Destiny in The Epic of Gilgamesh, The...

The Search for Destiny in The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, and The Aeneid The search for destiny is reflected in the literary works such as The Epic of Gilgamesh, Homers The Odyssey, and Virgils The Aeneid. The hero of each story travels to the land of the dead in order to satisfy their individual needs. And even though each one has a different motive for the journey, they share two things in common. First, each hero seeks to know something about his future or destiny. And second, their finds are not exactly what they were looking for. The nature of the quests into the underworld by the heroes Gilgamesh, Odysseus, and Aeneas range from immortality, happiness, and the need to know he is doing the right things in life but†¦show more content†¦This courage to continue helps define Gilgamesh as a hero. After all Gilgamesh is a visionary and must continue his journey heroically (Norman, 213). Once in the far off underworld, Gilgamesh finds only Utnapishtim and his wife. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh about the flood and one time gift of immortality. Gilgamesh sleeps for six days and seven nights in Utnapistims residence. It is after this sleep that Gilgamesh sees the relationship between his dreamless sleep and death. He finally comes to realize there is no life after death. There is nothing. Even though Gilgamesh doesnt find exactly what he was looking for he does find and come to accept a different kind of immortality. Gilgamesh cant do anything about death but he can live his life to the fullest and be remembered as a great king. In other words, Gilgamesh has the continuation of fame as a legendary king(Thompson). He has the power to go back to his people to be a great role model and share his rebirthing experience. He learns that without death life is meaningless. On the other hand, the hero Odysseus travels to the underworld in search of happiness but instead finds grief. For Odysseus, happiness is his wife, Penelope, his son, Telemakhos, and his kingdom, Ithaca. And he believes the prophet, Teiresias, who like Utanpishtim resides in the underworld, can show him the way home. Like Gilgamesh, Odysseus journey into the underworld helps define him as a hero.Show MoreRelatedWhat Makes an Epic Hero Essay1823 Words   |  8 PagesWhat is an epic hero? Although we would like to believe that a hero would always be there to save us as needed, that is not always the case. All heroes are different, but what makes them epic? Many would answer that question by saying because they are in an epic poem or story; however, that answer isn’t true. An epic hero, of course is in an epic narrative, but it is what they accomplish in that specific text. First, an epic hero has to make a grand journey and be in the Gods favor or shall we sayRead MoreJohn Milton s Paradise Lost2283 Words   |  10 Pageshumanity since time immemorial, and has been the only way of passing culture on to future generations for millennia. From this tradition, the Epic arose, tales of mighty heroes, gods, and monsters, told in the form of poems to convey ideals, beliefs, and traditions. Hundre ds of Epics have been written, and among them, many stand out, especially Virgil’s The Aeneid, Beowulf, and John Milton’s Paradise Lost, as they prove to be impactful and useful in the analysis of changes in the relationship between

Payroll Free Essays

Payroll In a company, payroll is the sum of all financial records of salaries for an employee, wages, bonuses and deductions. In accounting, payroll refers to the amount paid to employees for services they provided during a certain period of time. Payroll plays a major role in a company for several reasons. We will write a custom essay sample on Payroll or any similar topic only for you Order Now From an accounting perspective, payroll is crucial because payroll and payroll taxes considerably affect the net income of most companies and they are subject to laws and regulations. Definition of ‘Payroll’ The sum total of all compensation that a business must pay to its employees for a set period of time or on a given date. Payroll is usually managed by the accounting department of a business. Small-business payrolls may be handled directly by the owner or an associate. Investopedia explains ‘Payroll’ Payroll can also refer to the list of employees of a business and the amount of compensation that is due to each of them. Payroll Is a major expense for most businesses and Is almost always deductible as such. Payroll can differ from one pay period to another due to overtime, sick pay and other variables. The primary mission of the payroll department Is to ensure that all employees are paid accurately and timely with the correct withholdings and deductions, and to ensure the withholdings and deductions are remitted In a timely manner. This includes salary payments, tax withholdings, and deductions from a paycheck. Companies typically generate their payrolls at regular Intervals, for the enefit of regular Income to their employees. The regularity of the Intervals varies from company to company, and sometimes between Job grades within a given company. Common payroll frequencies Include: dally, weekly, bl-weekly/fortnlghtly (once every two weeks), semi-monthly (twice per month), and to a somewhat lesser extent, monthly. Less common payroll frequencies Include: 4-weekly (13 times per year), bl-monthly (once every two months), quarterly (once every 13 weeks), semi- annually (twice per year), and annually. How to cite Payroll, Papers