| Cyrus cylinder, world's oldest human rights charter, returns to Iran on loan Deal agreed after Tehran threatens to cut cultural ties with British MuseumA Babylonian artefact sometimes described as the world's first human rights charter is to go on display in Iran after Tehran threatened to cut ties with the British Museum if it did not lend the object.The Cyrus cylinder is a 6th century BC clay object inscribed with an account in cuneiform of the conquest of Babylon by the Persian king Cyrus the Great. It arrived in Iran today and will go on display soon at Iran's national museum for four months, state TV reported.Iran said it was in a dispute with the British Museum for months over its request for a loan of the object and had repeatedly threatened to cut ties with the institution. At one point, a senior Iranian cultural official accused the museum of turning a cultural issue into a political issue.The loan discussions, which began last October, took place during a time of tension between the two countries. Tehran is under pressure from the west over its nuclear programme, and it has accused Britain and other foreign governments of interfering in its domestic policies by stoking the street protests that followed the disputed presidential election in June 2009.The British Museum said it acted in good faith throughout the negotiations and has a policy of cultural exchanges with other nations independent of political considerations.The object's inscription describes how Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539BC and captured the last Babylonian king. It also tells of how he then freed many people held captive by the Babylonians and arranged for them to return to their homelands. It does not mention the Jews brought to Babylon as slaves by Nebuchadnezzar, but their freedom was also part of that policy.State TV said a delegation from the British Museum accompanied the artefact and another British expert would soon arrive to arrange its display.The Cyrus cylinder is often called the world's oldest human rights document, but it was common in Mesopotamia for kings to begin their rule with such reform declarations, according to the British Museum.IranMiddle EastArchaeologyHistory and history of artguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Today's mystery bird for you to identify This North American mystery bird is a spectacular example of convergent evolution because it is very similar in appearance to another (not closely related) species with an overlapping range. Can you name this species and the species it closely resembles?Mystery Bird photographed in southern California, USA. [I will identify this bird for you in 48 hours]Image: Steve Duncan, 2010 [larger view].Question: This North American mystery bird is a spectacular example of convergent evolution because it is very similar in appearance to another (not closely related) species with an overlapping range. Can you name this species and the species it closely resembles?Daily Mystery Bird Rules: 1. Please name at least one field mark that supports your identification, keeping in mind that more than one field mark is often necessary to distinguish between species. IDs without any supporting information are not valid and may be deleted by the moderators. 2. Expert and intermediate level birders: do NOT try to be the first to blurt out the mystery bird's ID. Instead, please provide helpful hints, such as descriptions, literary references, puns, personal anecdotes, and other forms of discussion and assistance for beginning birders and for those following on their iPhones without naming the species. Expert and intermediate birders are free to name the bird species 24 or more hours after it was first published.3. Each mystery bird is usually accompanied by a question or two. These questions can be useful for identifying the pictured species, but may instead be used to illustrate an interesting aspect of avian biology, behaviour or evolution, or may be intended to generate conversation on other topics, such as conservation. 4. Each bird species will be demystified 48 hours after publication. If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and appreciative audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.GrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Arctic sea ice tipped to disappear Scientists in the US are predicting that within 30 years there will no longer be summer sea ice in the Arctic. abc.net.au |
UN meeting on saving species opens in Japan By MALCOLM FOSTER 2010-10-18T14:42:11ZTOKYO (AP) -- Delegates from more than 190 nations kicked off a U.N. conference Monday aimed at ensuring the survival of diverse species and ecosystems threatened by pollution, exploitation and habitat encroachment.... hosted.ap.org |
Mystery bird: yellow-throated longclaw, Macronyx croceus This beautiful African mystery bird closely resembles the Meadowlarks which are found in North America due to a phenomenon known as convergent evolutionYellow-throated longclaw, Macronyx croceus, photographed at Mikumi National Park, Tanzania, Africa. Image: Dan Logen, 8 January 2010 [velociraptorize].Nikon D300s, 600 mm lens with 1.4 x extender ISO 500, f/7.1, 1/500 sec.Question: If you compare this African mystery bird to yesterday's North American mystery bird, you will notice that they look almost the same. Can you identify these two birds and tell me why they look so similar? Response: This is a yellow-throated longclaw, Macronyx croceus. This beautiful African mystery bird closely resembles the Meadowlarks which are found in North America due to a phenomenon known as convergent evolution, a situation where two distantly related species independently develop a very similar trait. In this case, the markings of the meadowlarks and the yellow-throated longclaw are very similar despite the fact that these birds evolved on different continents on opposite sides of the earth. But these similarly-coloured and patterned birds live in remarkably similar habitats -- dry savanna, semi-arid prairies and grasslands -- and have similar life histories -- they consume insects and nest on the ground. If you have bird images, video or mp3 files that you'd like to share with a large and (mostly) appreciative audience, feel free to email them to me for consideration.GrrlScientistguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |