Got Bite? Prehistoric Fish Weilded Some Powerful Jaws

The armor-plated Dunkleosteus jagged jaws might have put primitive sharks to shame back in prehistoric days. Scientists tested the fish's jaw strength at the Field Museum in Chicago and the University of Chicago using a biomechanical model to simulate it's jaws.

The thirty three feet long, four-ton monster terrorized other marine life in the Devonian Period spanning 415 million to 360 million years ago. Using two long, bony blades in its mouth Dunkleosteus snapped and crushed nearly any creature in its path.

Seems like this prehistoric wonder gave JAWS a whole new meaning.

READ STORY HERE

The Next Cathy Church?

I was browsing Flickr for my Photo of the Day over on Shutter Gypsy and I found Kayla's site. This kid is only 18 and has some fabulous underwater work. According to Kayla, "anything related to water" catches her interest and she enjoys using her photography to express herself. Divester needs to get this girl on their "This Is Why We Dive" photo pool (I didn't see it in her list already.) Maybe I am wrong, but her Flickr site seems to imply this chick dives a lot.....I am soooo jealous!!

Be sure to check out all of her sets. She has some excellent work like the clown fish here and the porcelain crab that made the cover of Reefkeeping Magazine here.

L'Oceanogràfic: Europe's Largest Aquarium

Thanks to Bill Frist and his Illegal Internet Gambling Enforcement Act our President signed last week, I am not headed off to South Africa for PartyPoker.com this week. Instead I am sitting in chilly Dallas watching the Travel Channel who is featuring the construction of the aquarium in Valencia, Spain. It's pretty amazing watching how engineers, botanist, zoologists, and architects created a safe environment for the 100,000 marine life who now inhabit The Oceanographic Marine Park.

The aquarium features three Beluga Whales who were raised in captivity. Belugas are endangered and aquarium scientists took great care transporting the whales. Transporting the Belugas is challenging. Flight patterns were carefully selected so turbulence could be avoided.

One part of the show featured scientists looking for sharks along South Africa's Natal Coast (...and yes I was pouting profusely as I watched them dive). They were experimenting with tonic immobility on Bull Sharks. As I watched the scientists put the sharks in a trance, the narrator said "they [Bull sharks] are not usually agressive, but you never know"....um...??? They did look pretty relaxed in their tonic state....and then I thought, maybe Mr. Frist, now that he has left the senate, needs a little South African vacation of his own. He should go play with some Great Whites. OK so I am changing subjects...

I still recommend the Travel Channel's feature on the aquarium to Republicans, Democrats, poker players, and scuba enthusiast alike.