Learned a -to me- amazing new thing tonight. PBS show about the dinosaurs of the arctic; the appearance, or lack thereof, of serrations, or 'teeth' on the edges of leaves is an almost perfect indicator of how cold or temperate the climate during a particular period . " fewer teeth, smaller tooth area, and lower degree of blade dissection in warmer environments." . A complicated water exchange mechanism. This was my paradigm shift moment. the rest follows nicely. So, the North coast of Alaska was far more temperate 70 million years ago. But the high latitude also made for a greater swing in high and low temps, leading to the conclusion that the 'arctic' dinos were far more adaptable than the southern cousins. Diversity was enormous then, but was already shrinking by the time the 65 million year ago asteroid climate disaster happened. Then the planet wide long winter that arose wouldn't necessarily be the extinction triggering event, since the ''arctic' dinos proved they could survive much cooler climes. Lack of diversity seems to be a species killer. We are now spiraling down that very path.
Another amazing PBS thing: The Raleigh Ringers: hand bell ensemble, with holiday music. I recently read a book in which 'ringers' appeared in a subplot. I understood the concept, but never pictured the intricacies of music they could perform. They're just a treat to watch and marvel over. "English hand bell ringing" The book, scifi alt future, was set in England. I'll remember the name of it soon.
