Monday, November 11, 2013

Darwin's Treasure Chest Kickstarter Campaign



Here is an interesting Kickstarter campaign that has do with a hot new technology and ancient creatures that existed before the dinosaurs. Two art related individuals, Chris Sloan and Ricky Lim have teamed up to create the Darwin's Treasure Chest project. The project is teach people about creature that lived before the dinosaurs by allowing them to create a replica of a selected group with a low cost 3D printers. Their focus is helping teachers create these models for their classrooms.

Their plan is to create 15 models from the time before the dinosaurs. The Proterozoic Era (Dickinsonia and fosssil tracks), Paleozoic: Cambrian (Anomalocaris, Pikaia, and conodonts), Ordovician (Jaekelopterus and Orthoceras), Silurian (Hemicyclaspsis and Nostolepis), Devonian (Coelacanth and Titaalik), Carboniferous (Hylonomus and Gerrothorax), and Permian (Dimetrodon and Youngina).

Later they will produce dinosaur and mammal models.

People who donate money at certain levels can get pledge rewards. See the Kickstarter site for details: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/920123593/darwins-treasure-chest-3d-printable-learning-model

Here is a link to their press release: http://sciencevisualization.org/?page_id=235

Seems like a great idea and wish them well on this venture.  If you want to donate, act soon as the funding period is from October 31, 2013 to November 28, 2013.

Petrocrania Inarticulate Brachiopod


This fossil appears to be a Petrocrania inarticulate brachiopod fossil. It was found in the Silica Shale of Sylvania, Ohio, USA. The fossil dates to the Middle Devonian Period.

Learn more at the Views of the Mahantango Internet blog.

Thanks to Vic for the fossil.