Giant Ground Sloth (Megalonyx) Facts and Figures

The prototypical prehistoric sloth, the Giant Ground Sloth (genus name Megalonyx, pronounced MEG-ah-LAH-nix) was named by future American president Thomas Jefferson in 1797, after he examined some bones forwarded to him from a cave in West Virginia. Honoring the man who described it, the most famous species is today known as Megalonyx jeffersoni, and is the state fossil of West Virginia, even though the original, bones currently reside at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. Its important to realize that the Giant Ground Sloth ranged across the expanse of Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene North America; its fossils have since been discovered as far afield as Washington state, Texas and Florida. Early Misconceptions While we often hear about how Thomas Jefferson named Megalonyx, the history books arent quite as forthcoming when it comes to everything he got wrong about this prehistoric mammal. At least 50 years before the publication of Charles Darwins On the Origin of Species, Jefferson (along with most other naturalists of the time) had no idea that animals could go extinct, and believed packs of Megalonyx were still prowling the American west; he even went as far as to ask the famous pioneering duo Lewis and Clark to keep an eye out for any sightings!  Perhaps more egregiously, Jefferson also had no idea that he was dealing with a creature as exotic as a sloth; the name he bestowed, Greek for giant claw, was meant to honor what he thought was an unusually large lion. Characteristics As with other megafauna mammals of the later Cenozoic Era, its still a mystery (though there are plenty of theories) why the Giant Ground Sloth grew to such enormous sizes, some individuals were up to 10 feet long, weighing as much as 2,000 pounds. Aside from its bulk, this sloth was distinguished by its significantly longer front than hind legs, a clue that it used its long front claws to rope in copious amounts of vegetation; in fact, its build was reminiscent of the long-extinct dinosaur Therizinosaurus, a classic example of convergent evolution. As big as it was, though, Megalonyx wasnt the largest prehistoric sloth that ever lived; that honor belongs to the three-ton Megatherium of contemporaneous South America. (Its believed that the ancestors of Megalonyx lived in South America, and island-hopped their way north millions of years before the emergence of the Central American isthmus.) Like its fellow megafauna mammals, the Giant Ground Sloth went extinct at the cusp of the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, likely succumbing to a combination of predation by early humans, the gradual erosion of its natural habitat, and the loss of its accustomed sources of food.

Women Of Ancient Greek Mythology Essay - 1535 Words

Gender inequality has been a controversial topic for numerous religions and cultures throughout history. Women were commonly regarded as the subservient gender, an idea that was no different in Ancient Greece. Throughout Greek mythology, women were considered inferior and troublesome symbols, while men were known for courage, leadership, and strength. While there is no argument of the flagrant sexism that is illustrated in Greek mythology, it can also be claimed that women were given a situated position of freedom, necessity, and power as well. Many popular Greek plays and myths contain several complexes and well described female characters. These goddesses themselves, partook the role of victim, heroine, and villain as it illustrated the diversity of characters in which women were portrayed and seen in both Ancient Greek society and mythology, allowing us to question â€Å"Were the women of Ancient Greek mythology equally represented as free and superior?† The creation of the Greek mythological universe, the creation of multi-gendered goddesses or deities, and the free and superior personalities accredited to women in Ancient Greek mythology to answer the question that women were fairly represented as powerful in Ancient Greek mythology. Because the Greek culture and places a large emphasis on heritage and history, including women with essential positions in creation myths, allowed them to prove their free and powerful status in Greek mythology. One essential characterShow MoreRelatedGreek Mythology And Its Impact On Modern Culture1055 Words   |  5 Pagesfrom Greek Mythology and has had a significant impact on our history and mythology helped shed light to it’s culture, religion, and government of ancient Greece. The Mediterranean has served as a vessel for the early civilizations., Greek mythology has influenced the life style and religion of the Greeks, especially because Greek mythology served as the primary basis of Greek belief, it became the nearest thing the Greeks had to a holy bible.1 These mythologies served as the center of Greek lifeRead More Equality Between Men and Women in Modern Society vs. Ancient Greek Society625 Words   |  3 PagesIn todays society, women hold a position equa l to that of a man. However, this has not always been the case especially in the Ancient Greek society. In the society there were many rules and regulations for all, but in particular the women had it the hardest. 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Equality Essay Example For Students

Equality Essay EqualityIn 1890, less then one half of one percent of women were employed gainfullyoutside of the home. Over the next hundred years, women have not only gainedaccess to jobs outside of the home, but also fought for equality in the workplace. These struggles have not been easy by any means. Women have overcomemany obstacles in there journey into the work force, none grater then the viewsof their male piers. Many males thought and continue to think that there is noplace for women in the work place. Women made there strides into the work forceby not only following examples of their courageous pioneers, but also by bandingtogether to show their strength. During the mid 1800s a small number of women begin their assault on, whatwere at the time considered, male-only jobs. Fields such as teaching, preaching,medicine, and law were all jobs domenated by men. Women had made some progressin the work force before the 1850s. In the mid nineteenth century women werethe majority for grade school teachers, up from the ten percent of elementaryteachers, that were teachers in the colonial period. This can be largelyattributed not to the fact that men were more accepting of the idea that womenbelonged in the work place, but rather men were drown to the higher paying andmore socially appreciated managerial jobs brought on by the industrialrevolution. School boards did not mind these talented leaving because theycould higher a less qualified women for as low as one fifth of males salaryfor the same job. Susan B. Anthony was the first women to publicly speak out against thisgross injustice towards women. After being fired to replace a male teacherfired for incompetence,she was paid one third of the salary he hadreceived,(Reifert 74)she went to the state teachers convention of 1853 toregister a protest. After being hushed once and a half hour of debate she wasfinally allowed to speak her peace. Although nothing became of her firstencounter with the womens movement, she quit teaching and went on to become oneof the great leaders of the womens movement. Antoinette Brown was anther women that was not happy with the statusquo of women in society. She started, in 1846, by attending Oberlin college,which only nine years before had become the first co-educational college. Oberlin, although being very receptive of women in their womens department,they did not let women take any courses besides the ones offered in the womendepartment. This lead to a conflict when Brown made her intentions of obtaininga theology degree known. Brown won the battle to attend the classes she neededfor her degree, but this was by far not the last battle for equality she wouldhave to fight. Oberlan refused to grant her a students license to preach.,and after her course work was completed Oberlan would not allow her to takepart in the graduation ceremony, be licensed, ordained, or even have her nameregistered on the class roll.(Reifert 76) It took three years, of hard lookingfor Brown to find a Protestant Church that would allow her to be ordained. Finally after all of her struggles Antoinette Brown was ordained the firstprotestant female minister in America. Women in the early 1800s were discriminated against both as practitionerand as patient.(Reifert 77) Women were thought that it was wrong for them toseek help from doctors for any problems that had anything remotely to do withtheir reproductive system. It was also thought that Women were to fragile todeal with the work that goes with being a doctor. Elizabeth Blackwell saw firsthand the effects of the first problem mentioned. She watched a family frienddie because she was embarrassed to bring her problem to the attention of hermale doctor. Blackwell was not detoured by the Idea that no medical schoolwould take her, because she could not compete with males. After all almosteveryone at the time believed that the female brain was different then the malebrain.(Reifert 78) Blackwell finally gained admittance to Geneva College aftera unanimous vote of the student body to let her in. This vote should not betaken as a sign that men were becoming more accepting of women infiltrating whatwas fo rmally known as male only territory. It should be noted that most of thestudents believed that either the vote was a joke or that Blackwell would notstay around long. Blackwell proved all the skeptics wrong by graduating in thetop of her class, but still no hospital in the United States would allow her tointern. For her internship Blackwell went to Paris. When She got back to theUnited States Blackwell found that no hospital would allow her to use theirfacilities. In 1857 she secured enough money to turn facility into a hospital. .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a , .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a .postImageUrl , .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a , .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a:hover , .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a:visited , .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a:active { border:0!important; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a:active , .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u765575b94a0e902fcf85eb4ed117c31a:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Teen Suicide EssaySimilar to doctors, nurses were largely male until the 1850s. Nursing followeda similar path as elementary teachers, as more higher paid jobs opened up, itleft room for women to take over less glamorous jobs. In the early nineteenthcentury lawyers were thought by apprenticeship. This was a very big problem forwomen that had an interest in this field, because no men lawyers would everdream of having a female apprentice. The emergence of law schools made the jobof a lawyer remotely accessible, but by no means easy. Such is the case of MyraBradwell, who graduated from Chicago School of law, but was refused a license topractice law by the Illinois State Bar. She took her battle to the SupremeCourt, by was ruled against. After her ruling was overturned in 1890 at the ageof 59, she became a licensed lawyer and two years latter practiced law in frontof the same court that had refused her rights 23 years earlier. Before these women had broken into these previously all male jobs womensjobs four general limitations. They are (1) that women perform work similar tothat of the home; (2) that no great skill be involved; (3) that no greatphysical strength be required; (4) that the work should not involve contactswith the rougher male sex(Riegel 135) Contrary to the Desires of theiremployers to maintain their workers femininity, the women, they provided theiremployees with very adverse working conditions. The conditions under whichmost women were described by an on looker : girls take off their street suits and put on an old skirts and waists matted with glue dirt, in which the spend ten hours a day scorning, cutting and sniping, wetting great sheets of paper and paste at a few cents a day(Cantarow xxvii)Women at time made around half of what their male counterparts made. While maleunions were proving very successful in the advancement in working conditions formen, but most unions had little interest in helping womens causes. For thisreason,in 1903 the WTUL (Womens trade Union league) was launched. This helpedWomen unite to achieve better working conditions. The WTUL was very influentialin the organization and support of the major womens strikes. Women fought many hard battles to gain access to areas that were at on timestrictly off limits to them and fought hard to improve their working conditions. With out the struggles of these women other women might not have the rights theyhave today. Social Issues