Blizzard Bag Day 1 Modified Science Students will read two article and then answer questions from the articles o Article 1: Driven to Serve: questions 1-10 o Article 2: Bot Man: Questions 1-5 Day 2 Modified Science Students will read two article and then answer questions from the articles o Article 1: Small Wonders: questions 1-10 o Article 2: Cat Fight (cartoon): questions 1-6 Day 3 Modified Science Students will read two article and then answer questions from the articles o Article 1: Sea Monsters: questions 1-8 o Article 2: Power Drain: questions 1-8
ay back when Tyrannosaurus rex shook the ground, another giant reptile lurked in the prehistoric oceans. A 50-foot predator, Mosasaurus was a real sea monster. Mosasaurus and T. rex never battled or even met. But the marine giant is now stealing some of the spotlight that T. rex and its fellow dinosaurs have enjoyed for so many years. A new wave of findings has drawn some.amazing portraits ofthe.aquatic denizens! of the Age of Reptiles. '.'..._ "Over the last 1 Oto 20;years, we have begun to look rnorbclosely at -fossils foundniniarine sediments;" -:. says Mike Everhart,.apaleohtologist at the SternbergMuseuin of Natural' History in Hays, Kan. "In doing so, we've discovered that some of these creatures were very large, very scary predators something you wouldn't want to share your ocean with!" FROM LAND TO SEA Only a few reptiles turtles, sea snakes, and saltwater crocodiles inhabit today's oceans, which are dominated by mammals and fish. Butthe seas of the Mesozoic Era (251 million to 65 million years ago) swarmed with reptiles, some. of them as big as whales. Marine reptiles were actually the first-big. -prehlstoricreptiles discov.erediby). fossiltaiters..'->..-.'. -..-./..:....;^e.eafliestniannereptiles..evolvedifromland reptiles roughly -24.0 millipn years-,:.'.- ago.(mya). Earth's ;climate.;-' was'getting warmer-then, and so were the oceans, which favored the evolution and spread of the ectothermic (cold-blooded) reptiles. Unlike most of today's reptiles, the prehistoric marine reptiles were viviparous the females produced live offspring instead of eggs. "The reason is simple," says Mike Caldwell, a paleontologist at the University of Alberta in Canada. ;....v...'-.;...":
"If you give live birth you can live anywhere in oceanic environments and are not bound to come ashore to lay eggs." One fossil of a pre historic marine reptile, now on view in a German museum, shows the animal giving birth. No longer tied to the land, the marine reptiles could fully adapt to living in the ocean and compete with sharks and other big fish. "The interesting fact is that just about every animal in the ocean is a predator from the smallest minnow to the biggest mosasaur while almost all land animals are herbivores [piant eaters]," says Everhart. I! THREE GROUPS Paleontologists have sorted the prehistoric marine reptiles into three main groups. Ichthyosaurs. The first group was the ichthyosaurs. The earliest ones had long, supple bodies and probably rippled through the water like eels. Later ichthyosaurs evolved fins and tails and "looked like our present-day dolphins," says Caldwell. Ichthyosaurs were built for speed. The largest known marine reptile was a whalelike ichthyosaur, Shonisaurus. It was as long as two school buses. Piesiosaurs. Next to evolve, about 200 mya, were the piesiosaurs. Piesiosaurs moved like turtles: They flapped their paddle-like limbs to propel them selves through the water. Piesiosaurs had small heads, broad bodies, and short tails. Over time, many of them evolved fantastically long necks. One of them, the 14-meter (46-foot) Elasmosaurus. had a neck that was half the length of its entire bod}' and contained 72 vertebrae (bony segments). Today's mammals even giraffes have just seven neck vertebrae. Tne iong-neckec piesiosaurs were slow swimmers. They probably cruised just below tne ocean surface. swinging their long necks to angle their heads beneath unsuspecting fish and snap them up. Another group of piesiosaurs, the pliosaurs, evolved in a whole different direction. Their necks remained short, but their bodies grew bulkier with heads like those of crocodiles. "These guys were the big, hulking monsters of the group, with huge teeth and a bonecrushing bite," says Everhart. They preyed on fish, ichthyosaurs, and other piesiosaurs. Mosasaurs. The ichthyosaurs and pliosaurs disappeared about 90 mya. Replacing them at the top of the food chain were the mosasaurs, huge lizards related to todays Komodo dragons. Mosasaurs had long heads, short necks, and long, sinuous tails, which they used to propel themselves like snakes. "More than like!)', mosasaurs were very aggressive animals, capable of pursuing and killing all kinds of prey," says Everhart.. ^ ;_.i.:, If mosasaurs were still alive, "ocean travel would be safe in larger vessels," he adds. "But you wouldn't want to go fishing, sailing, surfboarding, windsurfing, or just plain swimming anywhere mosasaurs lived." EWD'LESS' QJUlESTiTOMSV Along with the dinosaurs, the giant marine reptiles became extinct 65 mya. But their fossilized remains are abundant around the world. "Mosasaurs were first discovered in Europe, but the most and some of the best have been found here in Kansas, which used to lie under a prehistoric sea." says Everhart. "The first major fossil I ever collected turned out to be a mosasaur that I named Tyiosawus kansasensis in 2005"" What remains to be learned about the prehistoric ocean-goers? "Did they have a four-chambered heart like a crocodile or a threechambered one like a lizard? Did they hve together in family group;, iike whaies or porpoises? Did they care for the:- young? How long did they live?'' says Everhart. "It is an endless list of aioiogic[d questions," adds Caldwell. : Ciocuwsc iiom let:: Stmot Oanancr; "nomas Miller. Ctms BuMer/Pnoto tie irj,lnc;danvnnwr Current Science adh! 16, 201C 5
Sea Monsters Vocabulary Challenge: match each numbered word or phrase with its correct description. Write the letter of the description in the space provided. 1. ectothermic A. Prehistoric marine reptiles that moved like turtles 2. mosasaurs B. A prehistoric era 3. viviparous C. An organism that eats plants 4. ichthvosaurs 5. herbivore 6. piesiosaurs D. E. Cold-blooded Prehistoric marine reptiles that had long, supple bodies and may have rippled through the water like eels F. Produces live offspring 7. mesozoic G. Prehistoric marine lizards that had long heads, short necks, and long sinuous tails 8. pliosaurs H. Prehistoric marine reptiles that had short necks, bulky bodies, and heads like those of crocodiles.
By Stephen Fraser "Powerful Pat." A competitive power lifter for more People called than two decades. him Patrick Antonecchia had the massive physique of a comic book superhero. At 290 pounds of pure brawn, he could pull a 40.000-pound truck. But beneath the Herculean exterior. Antonecchia s body was weakening. The illegal drug he had been taking for years to pump up his muscles had damaged his kidneys. "When you're focused on winning and you're getting a lot of attention your focus on health goes out the window," Antonecchia told Current Science. POWER DRAIN An illegal muscle-building drug is linked to another health risk. S April 16, 2010 Current Science BIG ON DRUGS Powerful Pat's story goes back to his childhood in Valhalla, N.Y. Kids teased him for being short and chubby and called him "Fats." He felt lousy about himself until he took up weight lifting in college. As his muscles grew, so did his self-esteem. Before long, his friends at the gym offered him anabolic steroids drugs that bulk up the muscles. By injecting the drugs and pumping iron two to three hours a day, six days a week. Antonecchia added 100 more pounds of muscle to his 5-foot 8-inch frame. He began to compete in strongman contests around the world, picking up many trophies. Antonecchia's winning streak ended in 2008 when his physician informed him that his kidneys were diseased and he could no longer compete. Referred to a string of specialists. Antonecchia eventually saw Vivette D'Agati. a professor at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. D'Agati was conducting a study of bodybuilders and power lifters who had diseased kidneys. All 10 men in the study had another thing in common: They had used steroids for years, in some cases for more than a decade. I103GL
WASTE FELTERS The kidneys are two fist-sized organs located on either side of the lower back. They process about 200 quarts of blood a day, removing many waste products of metabolism. Mixed with water, those wastes are excreted as urine. Each kidney contains about a million glomeruli specialized capillaries that act as tiny filters of the blood. Almost all the men in D'Agati's study had developed some degree of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Their kidney filters had become scarred. With no visible symptoms "it's a silent killer" says D'Agati the disease is detected by doing kidney func tion tests and screening for protein in the urine. The men in the study had put their kidneys under enormous strain, says D'Agati. That strain, she believes, was induced by the toxic effects of the steroids as well as the men's high-protein diets and their high blood pressure. One of the men required a kidney transplant. SEX HORMONE Anabolic steroids bulk up the body by mimicking natural testosterone. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone, responsible for traits such as a deep voice and facial hair. Females produce testosterone, too, but ho the amount that males do. Testosterone promotes the growth of skeletal muscles, the muscles that are connected to the skeleton and enable a person to move. Taking anabolic steroids can enlarge muscles, increase strength and The Blood's Filters Tne kionevs are two kidney beap-snadeci organs. Among other jobs, tney cleanse the blood of the waste products produced by the chemical reactions in the body's cells that break down nutrients. The waste is then mixed with water to form urine, which is temporarily stored in the bladder. Heart Blood flow Bladder endurance, and reduce fatigue. But its side effects include acne, bald ness, infertility, enlarged breasts, high blood pressure, and liver disease. Psychological problems can develop too: violent behavior, lack of self-control, and paranoia. Stopping steroid use can stabi lize or reverse the effects of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis unless unalterable damage has already occurred. Still, getting off steroids can be an ordeal. Steroids tell the body to stop testosterone production. Months can pass before the body resumes its natural output of the hormone. The mind has to adjust too. People coming off steroids often experience mood swings and deep depression. One tragic example of steroid withdrawal involved Taylor Hooton, a teenage baseball piayer in Piano. Texas. After several months of injecting steroids to improve his Biood from the heart flows through the aorta to the kidney. Inferior Aorta vena cava Urine fiows to the bladder Cleansed biood fiows bad; into the body through the inferior vena cava. through the ureter tubes. game, Taylor came off the drug and sank into a suicidal depression. The police found the suicide note he left for his family "I love you guys. I'm sorry about everything." among a vial of steroids and a stash of needles. NATURAL FITNESS D'Agati is still studying her patients to better understand how steroids harm the kidneys. She is adamant about steroid use. however. "Athletes should build their muscles naturally and gradually through exercise and good diet." says D'Agati. Antonecchia agrees. Now off steroids, he has lost 50 pounds. He works out more lightly at the gym: no more 110-pound dumb bells. And though his kidneys have sustained some damage, they are functioning well enough again. A social worker by profession, Antonecchia spends his spare time speaking to young people about competing and staying healthy. Steroid abuse, he observes, is growing fastest among teenage girls compering for college sports scholarships. "You can be success ful in whatever you do sports, academics, anything. And you can give back to other? the most important thing of all," he says, "just nor with steroids." CS in his power-lifting days, Powerful Pat was abie to lift a car and pul! a Mack truck. Current Science Aorii 16, 201 f
Power Drain Multiple Choice: circle the response that best completes each statement or answers each question. 1) A kidney is about the size of a human: A) Fingernail B) Fist C) Big Toe 2) About how many liters of blood do the kidneys process each day? A ) 1 8 9 B ) 2 0 0 C ) 2 1 1 3) Anabolic steroids mimic the action of which hormone? A) Estrogen B) Insulin C) Testosterone 4) Which type of muscle tissue enables a person to move his or her bones? A) Cardiac B) Skeletal C) Smooth 5) The body stores urine in the A) Bladder B) Liver C) Ureter 6) Which is not a side effect of anabolic steroid use? A)Acne B) Bone Fractures C) Paranoia 7) Which blood vessel receives filtered blood from the kidneys? A) Aorta B) Inferior Vena Cava C) Jugular Vein 8) Patrick Antonecchia quit using anabolic steroids because his glomeruli had: A) Become Scarred B) Bulked Up C) Shrunk