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Patrick AL
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by Patrick AL »

Termite mounds in Namaqualand found to be some 34 000 years old, and still inhabited! :shock:
Nature is Amazing!! 8)

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/scie ... 73854.html

Scientists in South Africa have been stunned to discover that termite mounds that are still inhabited in an arid region of the country are more than 30,000 years old, meaning they are the oldest known active termite hills.

Some of the mounds near the Buffels River in Namaqualand were estimated by radiocarbon dating to be 34,000 years old, according to the researchers from Stellenbosch University.

“We knew they were old, but not that old,” said Michele Francis, senior lecturer in the university's department of soil science who led the study. Her paper was published in May.

Francis said the mounds existed while saber-toothed cats and woolly mammoths roamed other parts of the Earth and large swathes of Europe and Asia were covered in ice. They predate some of the earliest cave paintings in Europe.

Some fossilized termite mounds have been discovered dating back millions of years. The oldest inhabited mounds before this study were found in Brazil and are around 4,000 years old. They are visible from space.

Francis said the Namaqualand mounds are a termite version of an “apartment complex” and the evidence shows they have been consistently inhabited by termite colonies.

Termite mounds are a famous feature of the Namaqualand landscape, but no one suspected their age until samples of them were taken to experts in Hungary for radiocarbon dating.

“People don’t know that these are special, ancient landscapes that are preserved there,” Francis said.

Some of the biggest mounds — known locally as “heuweltjies,” which means little hills in the Afrikaans language — measure around 100 feet (30 meters) across. The termite nests are as deep as 10 feet underground.

Researchers needed to carefully excavate parts of the mounds to take samples, and the termites went into “emergency mode” and started filling in the holes, Francis said.

The team fully reconstructed the mounds to keep the termites safe from predators like aardvarks.

Francis said the project was more than just a fascinating look at ancient structures. It also offered a peek into a prehistoric climate that showed Namaqualand was a much wetter place when the mounds were formed.

The southern harvester termites are experts at capturing and storing carbon by collecting twigs and other dead wood and putting it back deep into the soil. That has benefits in offsetting climate change by reducing the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere.

It's also good for the soil. Masses of wildflowers bloom on top of the termite mounds in a region that receives little rain.

Francis called for more research on termite mounds given the lessons they offer on climate change, sustaining ecosystems and maybe even for improving agricultural practices.

"We will do well to study what the termites have done in the mounds. They were thought to be very boring," she said.
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Re: Did you know...

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....about the Van Der Linde brothers competing in DTM Motor racing in Germany. SA born and raised and doing great in Europe, also competed in Le Mans earlier in the year - keep revving bro's!
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by Fransw »

Did you know...


Uncombable Hair Syndrome is a rare disorder that means your hair is frizzy and can't be combed flat. Only around 100 people around the world have been officially diagnosed with the genetic condition.

Any Avcommers with Uncombable Hair Syndrome? Maybe @Mike Gough ? or @Bearcat ?
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by bladerunner »

Fransw wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2024 9:59 am

Any Avcommers with Uncombable Hair Syndrome? Maybe @Mike Gough ? or @Bearcat ?

Yes.

But in my case you can't comb bald...
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Unread post by Fransw »

bladerunner wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2024 10:44 am
Fransw wrote: Mon Jul 08, 2024 9:59 am

Any Avcommers with Uncombable Hair Syndrome? Maybe @Mike Gough ? or @Bearcat ?

Yes.

But in my case you can't comb bald...
You are joking right? Not making fun of this ''disorder'' The kids look quite cool imo... :lol:
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Re: Did you know...

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Did you know ...

The world's second largest gem quality rough diamond has been found in Botswana 🇧🇼. 2492 carats..

Yoh! :shock:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/artic ... argest-gem
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by V5 - LEO »

Fransw wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2024 9:48 pm Did you know ...

The world's second largest gem quality rough diamond has been found in Botswana 🇧🇼. 2492 carats..

Yoh! :shock:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/artic ... argest-gem

581.jpg
....I am happy for them founding this mother of a gem, it is owned by a Botswana owned company, the mine that is.
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by Fransw »

V5 - LEO wrote: Fri Aug 23, 2024 6:37 am
Fransw wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2024 9:48 pm Did you know ...

The world's second largest gem quality rough diamond has been found in Botswana 🇧🇼. 2492 carats..

Yoh! :shock:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/artic ... argest-gem

581.jpg
....I am happy for them founding this mother of a gem, it is owned by a Botswana owned company, the mine that is.
Yes, its apparently a Canadian/state company. All diamond companies are 50% state owned.
I wonder how they determine the value of such a big stone. To determine the value of a special diamond like this is far more than the Rapaport... But they are still busy with the clarity/grading.
For me its silly to put such value to a shiny stone.(any diamond)
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by Fransw »

I don't drink much wine but this is a first for me. A 2lt KWV box wine. :D Nice! Many advantages apparently ..
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by Wonko the Sane »

Fransw wrote: Sun Sep 01, 2024 6:20 am I don't drink much wine but this is a first for me. A 2lt KWV box wine. :D Nice! Many advantages apparently ..

20240831_090807.jpg
A lot of "Higher End" wine producers have diverged into the <moderated> and blikkie market...Clever

Not as classy as drinking out the bottle though... :wink:

W
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by Fransw »

Did you know...

The 94 year old megastar and Cowboy hero Clint Eastwood is a Vegan!? :? Nee sies man!
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by ChopperOukie »

Fransw wrote: Wed Sep 04, 2024 7:23 am Did you know...

The 94 year old megastar and Cowboy hero Clint Eastwood is a Vegan!? :? Nee sies man!

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See what all those veggies did to his skin... :shock:
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Re: Did you know...

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:wink:
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AnAV8R wrote: Wed Oct 02, 2024 2:43 pm:wink:
Good one! 8)
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Re: Did you know...

Unread post by Fransw »

Did you know...

The Vespa 150 TAP was an anti-tank scooter made in the 1950s from a Vespa scooter for use with French paratroops. Aka the "Bazooka" scooter.
The scooters would be parachute-dropped in pairs, accompanied by a two-man team...

Awesome! :lol:
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