Colorado Star
ColoradoStar.com Saturday 4th September 2010 Edition 2915
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"This historic moment comes at a time of great uncertainty for many Americans. We have now been through nearly a decade of war. We have endured a long and painful recession. And sometimes in the midst of these storms, the future that we are trying to build for our nation - a future of lasting peace and long-term prosperity - may seem beyond our reach"
Barack Obama
US President Obama was making a national address Tuesday to mark the end of the combat mission in Iraq

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$£€ United States, Dollar Euro Canada, Dollar United Kingdom, Pound Japan, Yen
United States, Dollar - 0.775 1.038 0.647 84.38
Euro 1.289 - 1.339 0.834 108.8
Canada, Dollar 0.962 0.746 - 0.623 81.22
United Kingdom, Pound 1.544 1.198 1.604 - 130.3
Japan, Yen 0.011 0.009 0.012 0.007 -

bullet More Colorado News corner
Solis announces Dusti Gurule appointment
Forest Service warns of beetle-weakened trees
SEC reaches settlement with ex-Qwest CEO Nacchio

bullet Denver corner
Reynolds takes first homer allowed in stride
Rockies' path to playoffs may lie in West
SEC Reaches Settlement With Ex-Qwest CEO Nacchio
Colorado Children’s Campaign chief ‘deeply concerned’ over DBJ report on insurers dropping child health plans

bullet Health corner
Coming soon: Single-dose malaria drug
Malay court tells doctors to get female patients' consent before taking pictures of private parts
Michael Douglas says smoking and booze game him throat cancer
Hugh Jackman makes cameo appearance in cancer patient's moving video

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"What if" scenario actually was the case for concerned Springs parents
Posted : Sep 3, 2010 10:46 PM Clifton Morgan has been upset since Wednesday, when he found out his child's legs were bound together by a teacher while in class at Bates Elementary School Monday. ...

Funeral planned for girl found dead in Monument
Next week family and friends will say goodbye to Genesis Sims. Sims was the little girl found dead in the crawlspace of a Monument home back in May.The little girl's mother Jopetia Garretson has made...
Scout Project: New Foot Bridge for Students
A foot bridge used by dozens of elementary kids and their parents was a worry for a Colorado Springs neighborhood. "It truly was a safety hazard, the boards were just eaten away and rotted away,"...
More breaking stories
Food shortage crisis building in many developing countriesFood shortage crisis building in many developing countries
As natural disaster batter the world's agricultural industry, fears are growing that we may be heading into the dark food crisis days of 2007 and...

UN struggling to protect women and children in DRC from rapeUN struggling to protect women and children in DRC from rape
Over 200 women and children have been raped by rebels in the Congo in recent weeks, according to UN...
Plane goes down in UAEPlane goes down in UAE
A plane has crashed in the United Arab Emirates in the city of Dubai, it is unknown how many...
More international stories
Wall Street continues upward trendWall Street continues upward trend
The Dow Jones rose more than 100 points Friday, the third day of gains for the key...

Sexual harassment claims lead to big settlement in USSexual harassment claims lead to big settlement in US
A $5.8 million sexual harassment settlement will be paid by a building maintenance firm in the...
Large-sized Mini to hit the streetsLarge-sized Mini to hit the streets
The Mini family is about to get a new member with the upsized Countryman...
More business stories

bullet How giant tortoises, alligators thrived in High Arctic 50m years ago corner

University of Colorado researchers have conducted a study that explains how ancient alligators and giant tortoises were able to thrive on Ellesmere Island well above the Arctic Circle, despite six months of darkness each year.

The study has implications for the impacts of future climate change as Arctic temperatures continue to rise, said Professor Jaelyn Eberle.

The team concluded the average temperatures of the warmest month on Ellesmere Island during the early Eocene were from 66 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (19-20 degrees C), while the coldest month temperature was about 32 to 38 degrees F (0-3.5 degrees C).

"We use the water that the animals were drinking as a proxy for paleotemperature," said Eberle.

The team looked at teeth from a large, hippo-like mammal known as Coryphodon, as well as bones from bowfin fish and shells and bones from aquatic turtles from the Emydidae family, the largest and most diverse family of contemporary pond turtles.

"By looking at a host of animals with different physiologies, we were better able to pin down warm- and cold-month temperatures," she said.

The new study showed that Eocene alligators could withstand slightly cooler winters than their present-day counterparts, although data from captive alligators show they are heartier than other members of the crocodilian family and can survive short intervals of subfreezing temperatures by submerging themselves in the water.

However, the case of large land tortoises is puzzling, since today's large tortoises inhabit places like the Galapagos Islands where the cold-month average temperature is about 50 degrees F (10 degrees C.), said Eberle.

She added that the tortoises' present range in the Americas does not represent their fullest geographic range as allowed by climate. Factors like hunting by early Native Americans and the past extent of glaciers probably are playing a role in today's distribution of giant tortoises, she said.

The new study highlights the impacts of continuing global warming on Arctic plants and animals, Eberle said.

And increasing human activities in the area are causing temperatures in the Arctic to rise twice as fast as those at mid-latitudes as greenhouse gases build up in Earth's atmosphere, according to scientists.

The study was published in this month's issue of Earth and Planetary Science Letters. (ANI)


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The Colorado Star is essentially a local Colorado newspaper, but with a national and international perspective, designed to provide readers with a one-stop shop for Colorado, national US, regional, and world news coverage, weather and sports information, with live updates on breaking business stories, and what's happening in the financial markets.

The biggest advantage we have is that we are an online newspaper, which means we are constantly refreshing our stories as more and more information comes to hand. Often when a story breaks the initial details are sketchy.

We and our sources around the world work hard to gather more information, verify facts, and provide a perspective of the major stories. Expert opinion often accompanies our articles to better inform readers, and provide a more complete understanding
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Financial markets and business reports are regular features as we pin down what's happening, and constantly refresh stock market indice readings, dollar currency rates, and breaking business news reports. Our world sports coverage is a priority, as is our regional news.

We like to think if you're looking for breaking news out of Colorado, Colorado, the United States, or the world, you'll look for it first at the Colorado Star.

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    bullet Colorado Weather corner
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    bullet Movie Review corner

    bullet National News corner
    Gandhi's grandson pitches in for Pakistan flood aid
    Tony Blair explains why Bill Clinton cheated
    White House gatecrasher hands over red party dress for auction
    Dentist buys ad asking Hillary Clinton to run again
    US loses 54,000 jobs, Obama promises new package
    Tiger Woods' 'mistress' Rachel Uchitel purchases $2m NY apartment
    A musical on 9/11 released

    bullet Travel corner
    Australian envoy launches luxury guide to Delhi
    Erin Andrews gets no-peep service at hotels after stalker ordeal
    Edinburgh 'best place to visit in UK'
    Walk on the wild side in Wales

    bullet News Survey corner
    With the departure of US combat troops from Iraq, is the Iraq war now over?


    bullet Hotel Review corner
    Paihia Beach Resort And Spa, Bay of Islands, New Zealand
    Paihia Beach Resort And Spa, Bay of Islands, New Zealand

    Driving along the main coastal highway, on the edge of the main township of Paihia, in the heart of the Bay of Islands, lay the...


    bullet Colorado Springs corner
    Funeral Planned for Genesis Sims
    Woman killed as jeep falls more than 1,000 feet
    Republican Chairman 'disappointed' Maes won't quit