Thursday, January 12, 2006

Polly want a AARGH!!

Like a lot of comics and movies geek, I'm also a science geek. I've probably been a science geek almost as long as I've been into comics, and that's a loooong time. And like a lot of kids, I was all about the dinosaurs (ankylosaurs kick ass!) and prehistory. So you can imagine what a kick I get out of the idea that prehistoric man was hunted by GIANT FRIGGIN' BIRDS!

The Ohio State study determined that eagles would swoop down, pierce monkey skulls with their thumb-like back talons, then hover while their prey died before returning to tear at the skull. Examination of thousands of monkey remains produced a pattern of damage done by birds, including holes and ragged cuts in the shallow bones behind the eye sockets ... Berger went back to the Taung skull, and found traces of the ragged cuts behind the eye sockets.

Oh, holy crap. That's so metal.

photo: AP

3 comments:

Eric said...

I always wondered what was in it for the eagles in Middle Earth, they always came swooping in to the rescue. Now we know, they were keeping their tasty snacks alive. Yummy little hobbitses.

Eric said...

Because nobody, I mean nobody, wants to eat an orc (that's what the orc's husband told her too).

Fred said...

Roc on!