Digitally reconstructed skull provides insight into dinosaur brain

NaijaAgroNet:

Some experts have described one of the most complete sauropod dinosaur braincases ever found in Europe, with a digitally reconstructed skull providing insight into dinosaur brain, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This finding, scientists said could help uncover some of the mysteries of how dinosaur brains operated, including their intellectual and sensory abilities.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that the team had digitally reconstructed the cavity where the brain lay, the passages of the cranial nerves and certain blood vessels as well as the labyrinth of the inner ear.

An extract from a journal PLOS ONE published Wednesday, the team led by a senior research fellow from The University of Manchester, Dr Fabien Knoll, described the rare find. 

“Skulls, and particularly the braincases, are very fragile so not many have survived. That is not the case with this find, which is remarkably complete,” Dr. Knoll said, stressing that the skull, from a titanosaur, a type of sauropod, was found at a dig site in eastern Spain in 2007 and experts have spent the last few years studying it to see what secrets it may reveal.

“This is such a rare finding that is why it is so exciting. Usually we find vertebrae or other bones, very rarely the braincase and this one is complete. I was present on the dig site when it was uncovered and it was a very special moment,” he said.

Pointing out that nowadays, man knew very little about the brain of dinosaurs. Research such as this is fundamental if we want to get an idea about the cognitive skills of these animals or if they had keen hearing or good eyesight and plenty of other information.”

The titanosaur  lived about 72 million years ago. Like all sauropods it was four-legged with a long neck and a long tail and herbivorous. It was a distant relative of Diplodocus but, with about 14 m in length, was only half its size. The study shows that its brain fitted in a diminutive cavity of only 6.3 cm in length.

Dr Knoll, who made the first digital reconstruction of a dinosaur endocranial cavity in the late 1990s, said: “In a few years’ time if more finds like this come to light and, above all, if they are studied with the modern imaging technologies then we could really start to understand more about dinosaur brains.” 

Isaac Onyima +ITRealms DSA

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Malabo funding facility to leverage development partners relationship

NaijaAgroNet:

The African Union (AU) has advanced plans to ensure that the continent leverages its relationships with Development Partners (DPs), mostly in the implementation of the recently endorsed Malabo funding facility, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Revealing this to NaijaAgroNet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the inaugural conference of Specialized Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (STC-ARDWE), the Coordinator of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), Mr. Komla Bissi, assured the judicious use of the facility.

Reacting to DPs commendations to AU at the opening session of STC, he reiterated that African Union is working with the development partners to explore and leverage on the options that could be available for financing some of continent programmes.

He also affirmed that the current ‘Malabo facility’ would not disturb in any way the various on-going projects across the continent.

“We just concluded a discussion on the new financing facility, which we’re calling the Malabo facility,” he asserted.

Mr. Bissi explained that this facility is being put together from various sources, namely the AU, development partners, and private sectors to support countries particularly in implementing the commitment made in the Malabo facility and the programmes that have been identified.

His office through the AU is presently consulting with “Our member states. So, these discussions will be concluded this afternoon at the ongoing meeting of ST-ARDWE in Addis Ababa, whereas specific recommendations will be tabled for Ministers for consideration.”

NaijaAgroNet recalls for instance that recently, the World Bank highlighted that across Sub-Saharan Africa, poor infrastructure is a major bottleneck for sustainable development, just as signaling a new push and renewed commitment, could boost investment and catalyzes greater cooperation.

While infrastructure deficit has remain atop challenges of the continent’s ability to lay the foundations for sustained economic growth and productivity improvements needed to end poverty and boost shared prosperity on the continent.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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STC-ARDWE extends document grace period to 60 days before sessions

NaijaAgroNet:

The meeting of the Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment (ARDWE) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, may have resolved to increase the number of days documents of discussion will be made available prior to any meeting, reports NaijaAgroNet

 .

This was part of the fillers from the close door session recommendation from the on-going meeting.

This, our source who declined mention said is to enable expert members participating in such meetings to have ample time to peruse such documents and same time for lengthy discussion in the future on a given subject.

NaijaAgroNet also learnt that the new resolution which means two months is to enable them digest the relevant contents of the document.

Also, some of the objectives and mandates of STC were tweaked by its members to be presented to the Council of Ministers for adoption.

In addition, it was gathered that STC deliberated on the procedures to make the meeting ideal for future and easy engagement.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the Specialized Technical Committees are responsible to the Executive Council of the AU and (STCs) comprised of Ministers responsible for key sectors.

The AU’s Constitutive Act states that STCs could meet as often as necessary and should prepare their own rules of procedure for adoption by the Executive Council.

Although STCs main functions include the preparation of projects and programmes of the Union and submit it to the Executive Council; ensure the supervision, follow-up and the evaluation of the implementation of decisions taken by the organs of the Union; ensure the coordination and harmonization of projects and programmes of the Union; submit to the Executive Council either on its own initiative or at the request of the Executive Council, reports and; recommendations on the implementation of the provisions of the Constitutive Act; and carry out any other functions assigned to it for the purpose of ensuring the implementation of the provisions of the Constitutive Act.

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that the Constitutive Act makes provision for seven (7) STC, comprising “The Committee on Rural Economy and Agricultural Matters; The Committee on Monetary and Financial Affairs; The Committee on Trade, Customs and Immigration Matters; The Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, Energy, Natural Resources and Environment; The Committee on Transport, Communications and Tourism; The Committee on Health, Labour and Social Affairs; and the Committee on Education, Culture and Human Resources.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa 
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NIGALEX sealed over violation of environmental laws

NaijaAgroNet:

The Lagos-based Nigerian Aluminium Extrusions Limited (NIGALEX) has been sealed by the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) over violation of environmental laws, NaijaAgroNet gathered.

The Head, NESREA enforcement, KolawoleGbenga, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)during the sealing exercise that the company was served several violation and abatement notices prior to the closure, adding that the agency had discovered that some companies and facilities were into the production of different products without protecting the environment.

“Today, we have come to seal this company that is involved in the production of metallic products (iron rods).It has not been complying with some relevant environmental laws such as the disposal of their waste and untreated effluents.We are expected to manage the environment and not to destroy it.If we must site a company, we are expected to follow and comply withrelevant laws put in place to protect the integrity of the environment.We have issued compliance notice thrice,” Gbenga said.

Also, Gbenga said they had issued two abatement notices as warning, but the facility owners failed to comply and NESREA has no other option than to apply the law.

Established in 1973 at Oshodi, Lagos, NESREA has a workforce that has since been contributing immensely to Nigeria’s economic and industrial growth. The company has relevant modern cutting-edge technology and has over the years emerged as the leading producer of high quality aluminium products in West Africa, NaijaAgroNetlearnt.

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African youths advised to take advantage of rural areas

NaijaAgroNet:

The over 40 per cent of African population living in the rural areas, especially the youths, have been advised to take advantage of their environment by turning it into opportunities, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Head of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CADDP), Dr. Augustin Wambo Yamdjeu gave this advice in a chat with NaijaAgroNet at the on-going five-day inaugural meeting of Specialized Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

He said, African youth are the backbone of everything  the continent has been trying to do with promising future which must be discovered for them to be able to claim it.

Also, he admonished the youth to desist from having the notion that only those living in the cities or urban areas could be successful in life.

“We have to stop moving from rural areas and increasing the number of people living in shanty towns in the cities,” he decried, adding that the expected transformation through agriculture could be achieved by the youth taking the bull by the horn and charting a new course for themselves via taking advantage of their rural environment.

“I believe in reversal of goals. Let the youth stay in the village where the possibility to create sustainable livelihood system for themselves and their families are possible through farming,” he said.

Dr. Yamdjeu underlined the need for member nations of the African Union to invest more in rural transformation and territorial development by way of reducing rural-urban migration. 

For him, CADDP through its Rural Futures; a framework that promotes transformation of rural areas in continent, already have thoughts on this, saying, for various African regions to be successful in agriculture, every factors militating against the sector must be brought to the table with solution proposed.

 “If indeed we have to encourage the youth into embracing agriculture, then rural areas have to be provided the opportunities that people are looking for in the towns, ranging from basic social services to agricultural financing,” Dr. Yamdjeu counseled.

  

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa

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Pix: Dr. Augustin Wambo Yamdjeu

Yamdjeu says SADC can feed Africa

NaijaAgroNet:

The head of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), Dr. Augustin Wambo Yamdjeu has said that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has the capacity to feed Africa, reports NaijaAgroNet.

He made this known to NaijaAgroNet at the on-going week-long inaugural meeting of Specialised Technical Committee (STC) on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment at the African Union headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to him, although Southern Africa boasts massive arable land water resources suitable for large scale crop and livestock production with great potential for fish farming region, the continent’s food basket region remains underutilized due to low value addition along the agricultural value chain.

This, he also said include the adequate provision for storage of produce, which incidentally is not limited to the region, but has remain work in progress across the continent.

Presently, NaijaAgroNet gathered, over 6 million people across Angola, Lesotho, Malawi and Zimbabwe are at risk of severe food shortages because of unresolved cycle of drought and flooding, just as aid agencies noted the crisis remain largely unnoticed.

To this effect, Dr. Yamdjeu said, the SADC region should work towards enhancing and developing agriculture to transform the region's economy so as to address rising poverty and growing inequality.

Yamdjeu equally said that natural resources are national assets that should be explored for the benefits of all citizens, even as he lamented the economic disparity which has become a global setback.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms) in Addis Ababa
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Pix: Head, Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), Dr. Augustin Wambo Yamdjeu