Nacen treinta tortugas boba en la playa Llarga de Tarragona

Unas treinta tortugas boba (Careta careta) nacieron este pasado lunes en la 

playa Llarga de Tarragona, un episodio del que se tuvo conocimiento gracias a 

dos testigos que incluso las ayudaron a entrar en el mar, mientras que este 

martes, agentes rurales revistan la zona para intentar localizar el nido.

Los agentes y técnicos de la Red de Rescate de Animales Marinos intentan 

localizar el nido para comprobar si eclosiona algún otro huevo ya que el proceso 

puede durar hasta tres días.

La tortuga boba es un animal protegido, por lo que la Guardia Urbana ha 

acordonado una zona de la playa para proteger el nido, ya que hasta este lugar 

se han acercado muchos curiosos, para ver el rastro de las tortugas para llegar 

al mar.

La puesta había pasado totalmente inadvertida hasta ayer, a diferencia del 

episodio de nidificación del pasado 25 de agosto en la playa de la Arrabassada, 

donde otra tortuga boba puso 89 huevos muy cerca del rompiente de las olas y 

a la vista de los clientes de un chiringuito.

Los testigos alertaron enseguida al teléfono de emergencias 112 y también 

entonces la Guardia Urbana acordonó la zona para proteger el nido.

La tortuga boba es, aún, una especie llena de incógnitas para los biólogos 

marinos y no hay una teoría principal sobre qué criterios sigue para nidificar, ya 

que su área de reproducción se sitúa en Florida (Estados Unidos) y en el 

Mediterráneo, entre Turquía, Grecia y el norte de África.

El técnico de Fauna Marina de la Generalitat, Ángel Gutiérrez, considera que las 

puestas de tortuga boba serán "una futura normalidad" por el calentamiento del 

agua del mar a causa del cambio climático global.

Tiny piece of ancient Australia found beneath Vanuatu

The discovery of a fragment of crust, carried up in magma in Vanuatu, raises new questions about how continents are formed

A tiny piece of ancient Australia has been found under Vanuatu, raising new questions about how continents are made.

Geologists thought the volcanic Vanuatu islands, about 2,200km east of Townsville, were isolated from continental influences.

But a research team from James Cook University believes Vanuatu’s geological basement contains ancient material from northern Australia.

They discovered volcanic rocks from Vanuatu contained tiny crystals of zircon, carried up in magma from the depths by the volcanic plumbing systems.

Using radiometric dating techniques, the crystals were dated at up to three billion years old.

The range of ages of the zircon crystals closely matches the age of the rocks that make up northern Australia.

Carl Spandler, one of the study’s authors, says the the zircon “shouldn’t be there” and its presence has major implications for how scientists understand continents are made.

“There is nothing else like it in the south-west Pacific,” Spandler said in a statement.

“Just because island chains or land masses may be far removed from each other today, doesn’t mean that they always were. This calls for a rethink of how we calculate the rates and processes of generating new crust on Earth,” he said.

The fragment of Australian crust now under Vanuatu is thought to have separated from the mainland prior to the Cenozoic era, around 100m years ago.

Geologists previously thought Vanuatu, about 2,200km east of Townsville, was isolated from continental influences. 

BLOOD : MyType

In MyType, visitors can find out what blood group they belong to. All humans and many other primates can be typed for their ABO and Rhesus (Rh) blood groups using just four drops of blood.

There are eight possible blood groups, classified using two systems: ABO and Rhesus. A person can be grouped as A, B, AB or O, and either Rh positive or negative. Individuals with type O blood do not produce ABO antigens and are consequently known as ‘universal donors’ for transfusions. However, they can only receive type O blood. Those who have type AB blood do not make any ABO antibodies and so are considered ‘universal receivers’ for transfusions. The Rh blood group (named after the Rhesus monkey that was used in early blood group testing) was discovered over sixty years ago and has remained of primary importance in obstetrics, as it is the main cause of haemolytic disease of the newborn.

ABO antigens are determined by genes on chromosome 9, with an individual’s ABO type resulting from the inheritance of one of three alleles (A, B, or O) from each parent. Both A and B alleles are dominant over O.

BLOOD: Intrauterine Transfusion

Prior to 1970, haemolytic disease of the newborn was a significant cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity due to the development of anti-D antibodies in the blood of Rhesus (Rh) D negative women carrying a Rh D positive foetus. The introduction of post-natal anti-D immunoglobulin to the mother has significantly reduced the number of such foetal deaths, as well as halting the development of anti-D antibodies in the blood of these women for any potential subsequent pregnancies.

It does still occur in a small proportion of cases and in such circumstances, an intrauterine blood transfusion may be given to replace foetal red blood cells that are being destroyed by anti-D crossing over to the foetus from the mother’s immune system.

A needle is inserted through the mother’s womb into the umbilical cord while the baby is monitored by a MCA Doppler, a scan that measures the speed of blood flow as it pulses through an artery in the foetal brain. The speed of blood flow shows how anaemic the foetus is and whether they need a blood transfusion.

BLOOD: Black Market Pudding

Black Market Pudding is a twist on the traditional Irish blood sausage. It represents a completely novel, ethically-conscious food product, combining congealed pig blood with fats, cereals and spices. Black Market Pudding is manufactured using blood taken from a living pig. It proposes a cyclical business model to ensure a uniquely fair deal for farmer, animal and consumer.

Through a routine veterinary procedure, blood is obtained from the animal in a humane, healthy and safe way. Producers are then compensated for costs associated with breeding and maintaining the animals that are kept outside of the traditional food chain. Consumers pay a premium market price for the pudding and the reassurance that no animals are harmed in the making of this product.

Black Market Pudding was produced and consumed legally in the Netherlands and Poland in 2012.