EnviroKids October 2018 Issue

SA and China Discover Some Old Bones In August 2018, a research team announced the discovery of two new dinosaur species in China, the Bannykus and the Xiyunykus – both meat-eating dinosaurs. One of the lead- ing members of the research team was pro- fessor Jonah Choiniere from the University of Witwatersrand (Wits). “With their strong, clawed hands and weak jaws, they appear to be the relatives of today’s aardvarks and anteaters,” he said. Bannykus and Xiyunykus are important because they show how this particular species of dinosaur called alva- rezsaurs, adapted to new diets. “China and South Africa have a great deal of overlap in palaeontology, and it has been a privilege to cross-train students there over the last two years,” said Jonah.

Say NO to Animal Petting Who wouldn’t want to cuddle a lion cub, right? Lion cubs are adorable. The truth is, playing with cubs makes them tame and this means they can never go back into the wild where they be- long. By paying to pet a lion cub or to walk with bigger lions, you are making them used to humans, so they become easier to hunt when they are too old and dangerous to pet. Rather go to a proper game reserve and take amazing photos of wild lion cubs in their natural habitat. During school holidays, don't visit plac- es that let people touch or hold cubs, or even walk with bigger lions. To find out more, visit youth@bloodlions.org or follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using @YouthForLions. 3, 2, 1... Lif toff ! In August 2018, NASA sent the $1.5 billion Parker Solar Probe spacecraft to orbit the Sun in an attempt to dis- cover the mysteries of solar storms. With this informa- tion, scientists hope to protect Earth from potential so- lar flares. This is an historic mission, and is the closest a spacecraft has ever been to our star, the Sun. The Park- er Solar Probe’s mission is due to last until mid-2025.

Enviro News 100-Million Year Old Flower Found Preserved A 100-million-year-old flower has been discovered in Myanmar, Burma. It belongs to a newly discov- ered species of tree. This species is part of the Cuno- niaceae, which is a group of trees still common in the Southern Hemisphere. Amber is created when tree resin dries and hardens – perfectly preserving anything trapped inside it.

Food for Thought HSBC, which is one of the world’s largest banks, said that by 1 August 2018, the world had used up all the planets resources for a year. They noted that this is due to large businesses and governments not using re- sources efficiently and not putting enough measures in place to prevent further damage caused by climate change. To calculate Earth’s natural resource budget, the Global Footprint Network considers the demand for natural resources (food, forests, and marine prod- ucts) as well as humans’ effects on the environment from factors like carbon emissions.

Congratulations to our July winners! You have each won a robot from UBtech valued at R1500! The answer to the question "what can run but can't walk?" is "Water" or "River". Simone Verster * Erin Hutchings * Stuart Whitelaw

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