Dimorphodon Facts and Figures

Dimorphodon Facts and Figures Name: Dimorphodon (Greek for two-formed tooth); pronounced die-MORE-foe-don Habitat: Shores of Europe and Central America Historical Period: Middle-late Jurassic (175-160 million years ago) Size and Weight: Wingspan of four feet and a few pounds Diet: Unknown; possibly insects rather than fish Distinguishing Characteristics: Large head; long tail; two different types of teeth in jaws About Dimorphodon Dimorphodon is one of those animals that looks like it was assembled wrong out of the box: its head was much bigger than that of other pterosaurs, even near-contemporaries like Pterodactylus, and seems to have been borrowed from a larger, terrestrial theropod dinosaur and planted on the end of its small, slender body. Of equal interest to paleontologists, this middle- to late Jurassic pterosaur had two types of teeth in its beaked jaws, longer ones in front (presumably intended for snagging its prey) and shorter, flatter ones in back (presumably for grinding this prey up into an easily swallowed mush)- hence its name, Greek for two shapes of tooth. Discovered relatively early in paleontological history- in early 19th century England by the amateur fossil-hunter Mary Anning- Dimorphodon has occasioned its share of controversy, since scientists didnt have a framework of evolution within which to understand it. For example, the famous (and notoriously cranky) English naturalist Richard Owen insisted that Dimorphodon was a terrestrial four-footed reptile, while his rival Harry Seeley was a bit closer to the mark, speculating that Dimorphodon might have run on two legs. It took years for scientists to realize that they were dealing with a winged reptile. Ironically, according to the latest research, it may be the case that Owen was right after all. The big-headed Dimorphodon simply doesnt appear to have been built for sustained flight; at most, it may have been capable of fluttering clumsily from tree to tree, or briefly flapping its wings to escape larger predators. This may have been an early case of secondary flightlessness, since a pterosaur that lived tens of millions of years before Dimorphodon, Preondactylus, was an accomplished flyer. Almost certainly, to judge by its anatomy, Dimorphodon was more accomplished at climbing trees than gliding through the air, which would make it the Jurassic equivalent of the contemporary flying squirrel. For this reason, many experts now believe that Dimorphodon subsisted on terrestrial insects, rather than being a pelagic (ocean-flying) hunter of small fish.

A Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) Research Paper

A Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) - Research Paper Example Different kinds of people study a language other than their own for different purposes. Some study to satisfy their need for knowledge. Others just want to be able to converse when traveling, studying or living in another country. Still there are others, like in South Korea, where learning another language, specifically English, is a means to have a job or get into a top university. â€Å"All one has to do is just take a walk in any bookstore and see just how big learning English is†¦. with the profusion of English language books, tapes, and test study guides  (Miller, J., 2006).† The acquisition of a new language, especially English, has led into a thriving business. Individuals and companies have come up and are continuously developing new educational materials to help people have better communication skills. As a result of the increasing demand, the techniques and modes have evolved from simple books and listening tapes to CDs/DVDs, computer software and websites on the Internet. Computer Assisted Language Learning or CALL has become a common method of acquiring another language. â€Å"The history of CALL suggests that the computer can serve a variety of uses for language teaching (Warschauer, M., 1996).† Not only do they enhance the users’ listening, speaking, writing and reading skills, but CALL programs also provide a variety of interesting materials and ways of learning. Since its advent, CALL programs have been used by schools, businesses, governments and individuals for different purposes. For those studying the English language, one use of CALL, for example, is as a medium in preparing students for English proficiency exams like IELTS. The Tell Me More English program is one of the many tools in the market that uses computer-based technology as a means of teaching the English language. The software was created by awarded CALL software developer Auralog and has been released in three versions since its introduction in the ma rket. Among its various functions, educational facilities utilize the Tell Me More English program to aid students entering college get a high score on English proficiency examinations such as that of the International English Language Testing System, better known as IELTS. Literature Review â€Å"The Tell Me More English program is the only English software that truly covers all of the skills used in learning English: not only reading, writing, listening, and speaking, but also grammar, vocabulary and culture (TellMeMore, nd.).† For learners of the English language, excelling in these skills is the key to becoming good speakers. It has been argued that although computers can be a tool in language learning, there are still questionable aspects of language acquisition through CALL programs that need to be addressed. Furthermore, it is yet to be realized how CALL materials can effectively impart learning of each basic communication skill. â€Å"Computer assisted language learn ing has developed over the last 30 years (Warschauer, M., 1996)†. CALL has three stages: behavioristic, communicative and integrative. The first stage, implemented in the 1960s-70s, was practicing by drills. The next stage, communicative, focused more on how the students interacted with each other while working on the computer rather than developing a more in-depth role for computers in the field of language learning. (Warschauer, M., 1996) Criticisms that surfaced from this aspect of communicative CALL gave rise to the third stage, integrative CALL. With integrative CALL, â€Å"students are challenged to construct their own knowledge with guidance from a teacher (Nerbonne, J., et.al., n.d.).† Although CALL has grown to be a popular medium for education, there are still

The Evaluation of the Hiring Process Used By the Firm Case Study - 1

The Evaluation of the Hiring Process Used By the Firm - Case Study Example This reflects a well thought out approach to hiring process which might yield undesirable results if conducted haphazardly or in a hurry or if started late as that would leave the firm to choose from only the leftovers that have been rejected by all prospective employers that have commenced and completed their entire recruitment process even before S. G. Cowen had made any moves. S.G. Cowen already has with them associates who had joined the firm as interns when they were in their first or second year in a business school. These associates had joined the firm in the break between their first and second years in their business schools and were offered full-time employment as they completed their internship that started the following summer. Some other associates had never been to a business school but had served as interns in the firm for three years and were promoted as first-year associates after they completed their internship. Very often officials of S.G. Cowen conduct ‘informational interviews’ prior to the actual formal process to gauge the level of seriousness and intent of the prospective candidates. Though this is essentially an informal process it helps the firm to focus on serious candidates and thus reduces unnecessary efforts on those that are genuinely not interested and have appeared just for the sake of appearing. It must be mentioned that prospective candidates have to appear for these informal interviews at their own expense thus automatically segregating those that were seriously interested from those that are rather casual about the whole process. S.G. Cowen also appointed ‘group captains’ or contact persons at every core business school to ensure students always had someone through whom they would be able to remain in constant contact with the firm. These contact persons are seldom ever from the human resource department. Rather, they are professional investment bankers with long years of service with the firm. These people served the twin purposes of locating the best possible candidates who would be able to seamlessly merge with the company and also attracting students who though interested in investment banking but are not quite sure as to which firm they would join.  Ã‚  

Ontology Concept Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ontology Concept - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that ontology concept discusses the existence of cabbages and apples. For example, Douglas Adams uses his Madagascar experiences to explain how the concept of evolution. Further, ontology focuses on why the above categories exist. Specifically, ontology delves into the reasons why dogs, cats, humans and other animals were placed into our material world. Next, the study of ontology includes determining the significant purpose of the existence of vegetables, fruits, and other plants. Answering the first ontology topic, the person’s describing the physical features and actions shows the existence of the dog, cat, human or other animals. Hearing an animal that barks definitely shows the dog exists. Seeing the animal’s long hair Seeing an animal that has two arms, two legs and speaks Spanish shows a human exists. Seeing an animal gallop indicates the existence of the horse. Next, ontology zeroes in on the reasons for the existence of the above living things. Observing the dog will show that the dog exists to ward off the cat’s intrusion into the dog owner’s home. Likewise, the dog exists to safeguard the dog owner’s car from trespassing thieves. Observing the cat in its own free environment shows the cat exists to eat rats and mice. Eating the rats and mice reduces the pests’ population. With lesser population, people are assured of lesser rodent attacks. Delving into ontology’s existence topic, authentic thinker Albert Camus espoused the philosophical concept of Existentialism. Existentialism states that each individual uses his or her existence or experiences as the basis for generating the individual’s own philosophies, values, and concepts. People use their preferred philosophies, values, and concepts to add meaning to their existence. Further, different individuals go through different paths add meaning to their lives. A hungry individual can generate meaning in hi s life. First, the individual observes how another person cooks food. Next, the individual uses the observation to cook the individual’s food.

Racism in the Counselling Relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Racism in the Counselling Relationship - Essay Example The essay "Racism in the Counselling Relationship" discusses the racism in regarding the intercultural counseling. The race is a 19th-century pseudo-scientific construction that has been discredited since the human species could not be genetically thus compartmentalized. Though racism is not the same as ethnocentrism. Recognition - that monocultural model of counseling and therapy that prevailed until the mid-20th century to deal with problems presented by today’s racial and ethnic diversity in most nation states was inadequate - led to rethinking in favor of a multicultural approach. Hitherto, counselors and therapists had been trained in the psychodynamic, person-centred, and cognitive behavior therapy models, to name but a salient few. Sue and Sue were the first to propose a theory of multicultural counseling and therapy. The hitherto ’invisible other’ became aggressively visible with the Black Civil Rights Movement and compelled counselors to explore the impa ct of cultural identity and diversity in the counseling relationship. The aim of counseling was no longer to encourage and enforce ‘assimilation’ of the ’other’ into the dominant culture but to empathize and explore the assumptive world of the client from whatever background he/she came from. Integration, rather than assimilation, where individuals belonging to a minority culture could preserve their cultural identity began to be valued. It was soon evident that counselors could no longer ignore their own cultural background.

Analysis of McClearns Closed for Business Essay

Analysis of McClearns Closed for Business - Essay Example The core argument or the thesis is that the Canadian government has been causing confusing amongst investors by blocking some bids from foreign investors without clear explanations. The author concludes that Canada could be closed for foreign business. The author has supported the argument using evidence of various companies that have been prevented from investing in Canada without any explanations from the government. Moreover, the author argues that Prime Minister Visit to china to encourage investors from china to invest in Canada has been received as a threat by American investors. Additionally, the Canadian government appears to be contradicting the prime ministers statement by rejecting bids from foreign companies wanting to invest in Canada. Another argument to support the thesis statement is that the Canadian government under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau introduced Foreign Investment Review Act (FIRA) in 1973 and the Investment Canada Act (ICA) in 1985. The two acts were sup posed to aid in setting up guidelines to be followed by foreign investors. However, there were no changes in the application and endorsement process. This has added to the confusion since the Canadian government is not clear on the requirements that foreign companies should meet in order to be allowed to invest in Canada. Although the author argues that Canada has been blocking investors, some parts of the article, arguments, and examples appear to contradict the main  argument while others do not contribute to the argument. For example, the author argues that foreign investors are being blocked from investing but still claims that 90% of foreign applications for takeover were rubberstamped. This is considerably high and does not show presence of any obstacle. On the contrary, the argument depict that Canada is still open for foreign investments (McClearn 34-36) Summary According to McClearn Canada was built using money obtained through the foreign investors. British investors fin anced the building of railways, buildings, canals and most of the infrastructures while American Industrialist was responsible of building most industries and manufacturing plants. Over the past, Canada has always been open and allowed foreign companies to invest. Around February, the Canadian prime minister personally visited China to inform the Chinese government that Canada was open for foreign investment. However, things have changed rapidly, Canada has been vetting foreign company, and a considerable number of foreign companies have been prevented from Investing in Canada. Such companies include Malaysia Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) and Lowe’s. Furthermore, there is fear that the Canadian government will reject the offer for Nexen by China National Offshore Oil Corp. Moreover, the Canadian Government has been showing mixed signals. McClearn views such moves as a threat to foreign investors since it appears like the Prime minister, Stephen Harper is contradicting himself (McClearn 34-38). Although Canada argues that it is open for investors from various countries including the upcoming China and Malaysia, investors from the two countries have been treated coldly through rejection of their bids. Moreover, the Canadian government has not given any explanations for the rejections which has created a chill amongst the investors (McClearn 35-36) Analysis of the Arguments   The statements and the evidence are sufficient to persuade the reader that the argument is sound. Almost all the arguments and statements made are followed by examples. For example, the argument that Canadian government is not giving enough explanations for rejection of investments by most companies has been supported by examples of several companies. Such

Basket of currency and the economy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Basket of currency and the economy - Term Paper Example Every country has its own accepted currency. They have unique ways of identifying the currencies; for example, the American Dollar ($) and the Swiss Franc and so on. Basket of currency can be defined as the weighted average of a group of currencies that can be used as a measure of its value. What makes up the basket of currency and the weighting is highly depends on the purpose intended. It serves as a way to tell the movements of regional currency. As Investopedia asserts, countries sign contracts to avoid the fluctuations of currencies. The best examples are the Asian and European currency unit but, the Euro replaced the European Currency Unit. The basket of currency helps countries' currencies not to collapse. In 1997, Asia experienced a currency crisis and this has led to the discussion on how the Asian countries can have a desirable exchange rate. The crisis major cause was the adoption and use of the dollar peg system. It is said that the dollar peg system led to huge capital inflow in to the Asian countries thus led to the crisis (Ogawa & Sasaki, 2002). Huge capital inflows are dangerous to the economy as it can lead to a reverse of the capital flow direction. This led to the Asian economies adopting the currency basket system which included a more flexible exchange rate. The main currencies which show a strong economic relationship are included in the currency basket. The strong relationships are in terms of international finance and trade and foreign direct investment. The main currencies are: the Japanese Yen, the Euro and the US dollar. An analysis of the Asian countries interest and exchange rates, foreign reserves and monetary base was done and it revealed that the Asian currenc ies and the US dollar exhibited a strong link and the exchange rates were not floating freely as expected (Calvo& Reinhart, 2002). The Asian countries saw that by acquiring the intermediate exchange rate, it would lead to overvaluation or undervaluation of their currencies. Undervaluation would yield import inflation while overvaluation would make goods for trade to be less competitive. Therefore, currency of basket was the only significant way for Asian countries to avoid the crisis but they must have been export-oriented. Currency swap A currency swap occurs when two parties agree to exchange a specific amount of different types of currencies. At the initial stage of the exchange there are interest payments that are done. The deal can be either of the parties to pay floating exchange or fixed interest rate. Agreements can be made to ensure that both parties use both at the same time. The principal amounts are always exchanged back as the currency swap matures. It must be noted that in a currency swap, both the principal and the interest are exchanged in full amounts. After the Asian countries currency crisis, the monetary authorities have come up with a new initiative, Chiang Mai Initiative, which is a regional monetary cooperation. The initiative comprises of many currency swaps to help manage the currency crisis. More so it acts as a tool of surveillance and helps in the preventing currency crisis. It helps the Deputy finance Ministers to mainly observe the macroeconomic domestic variables, inflation rates and GD P, at any policy making meetings and economic