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a-dinosaur-a-day · 6 years ago

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Namibiavis senutae

By José Carlos Cortés

Etymology: Bird from Namibia

First Described By: Mourer-Chauviré, 2003

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Inopinaves, Opisthocomiformes, Opisthocomidae

Status: Extinct

Time and Place: About 16 million years ago, in the Burdigalian age of the Miocene of the Neogene

Namibiavis is known from Arrisdrift in Karas, Namibia

Physical Description: Namibiavis was a primitive Hoatzin - a group of weirdo birds that only have one living representative, distinctive for its frugivorous diet, smelly farts, visible baby claws, and weird plumage. However, despite showing the extent of Hoatzins in terms of range and their earliest evolution, Namibiavis hasn’t been very thoroughly studied. Still, there are some things to say about it. It had longer and straighter wing bones than later forms, and it had a more splayed apart shoulder area. Otherwise, it seems to have been similarly stocky and chicken-like, as in other Hoatzins. It probably had bright coloration like the living species and similar weird body traits.

Diet: It is reasonable to suppose that Namibiavis also ate fruit and plants, like the living Hoatzin, though without more fossils it is difficult to say.

Behavior: Given that Namibiavis is known from partial remains that are poorly described, it’s difficult to determine what it’s behavior would have been, beyond similar to the living Hoatzin. Given its stronger wing bones than the living type, it’s possible that Namibiavis was still a decent flyer - a condition supported by the fact that it is basal on the Hoatzin family tree. It probably was a noisy bird though, like the living Hoatzin. Beyond that, it’s a guessing game.

By Scott Reid

Ecosystem: As of now, the environment of Namibiavis is not well known; it seems likely that it lived in a tropical and wet environment, such as a wet forest associated with a river system. It is not known to have lived with any other animals.

Other: Namibiavis is of vital scientific significance - it’s one of the earliest confirmed Hoatzins, helping to understand where this mysterious (and difficult to place) group came from. In addition, it’s presence in Africa helps to show that Hoatzins as a group have not always been just from South America - but rather, from the entirety of the neotropics. This widens the range of Hoatzins extensively, potentially pointing to even more diversity from the group than we even know now.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the Cut

Mayr G., H. Alvarenga, C. Mourer-Chauviré. 2011. Out of Africa: Fossils shed light on the origin of the hoatzin, an iconic Neotropic bird. Naturwissenschaften 98: 961 - 966.

Mayr, G., V. L. De Pietri. 2014. Earliest and first Northern Hemispheric hoatzin fossils substantiate Old World origin of a “Neotropic endemic”. Naturwissenschaften 101: 143 - 148.

Mourer-Chauviré, C. 2003. Birds (Aves) from the Middle Miocene of Arrisdrift (Namibia). Preliminary study with description of two new genera: Amanuensis (Accipitriformes, Sagitarridae) and Namibiavis (Gruiformes, Idiornithidae). Geological Survey of Namibia Memoir 19: 103 - 113.

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westernmanews · 7 years ago

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NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield businesses may soon link their security cameras to the police department in real time.

Some Northampton residents said this transition wouldn’t be welcomed in their city.

Some residents told 22News, they don’t like the idea of “Big Brother” always watching their every move, while others said police need the tools to do their job.

City leaders oppose installing surveillance cameras in downtown Northampton

The Springfield Police Department is working with local businesses to improve safety downtown. This is an initiative Northampton police tried, but it ran into resistance.

“Having cameras everywhere, every single place you go, especially in a downtown area is a burden on the tax payer dollars,” James Senuta of Northampton told 22News.

Springfield businesses could link security cameras to police department

Last month the Northampton City Council referred the resolution to two committees for further review.

“Businesses want it because it will helps protect,” said James Winston, a lawyer in Northampton.

Close to two dozen demonstrators protested on the steps of City Hall before that city council meeting, holding signs saying they don’t need the cameras.

“There’s not a lot of violence here,” Senuta said.

In Springfield, police are working with the city council to build a security model based on a system used in Detroit.

According to the Springfield Police Department, Detroit saw a 50 percent reduction in crime and a 15 percent boost in businesses.

That plan connected businesses’ real time exterior security cameras with the police department.

In Northampton, the camera feeds would stream live to the police department, and be stored for three weeks.

Some residents like the idea.

“Police, law enforcement obviously want to use cameras as a tool,” Winston told 22News. “Most things that happen in terms of criminal activity, statically at night, where there aren’t as many people around and there isn’t as many witnesses.”

With Northampton being a sanctuary city, there’s also a fear about how that stored video would be used.

#Western MA news #westernmanews

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