Evening star., 1948-12-17
Stars, Men ond Atoms <
Jove's JoveIin Heads Aid
Climate of Ages Study
Fossil Shells of Big Sea Creatures
Prove Thermometer of Earths Past
By Thomas X. Henry

BY Thomas X. Henry 4g
Jove's tavelin heads, dart-shaped stones
found over much Of the earth, are proving O
thermometer Of earths past ages.
These objects, solid and from ! 10 Is
inches long, are actually the fossil shells Of
belemnites, sea creatures closely related to the
squid and octopus Of today, that became ex-
tinct about 100000 years ago. For millions
Of years they were among the most abundant
OF larger sea organisms.
They long were believed to be the thunder
bolts hurled by the Greek god Jove ut his
enemies on earth.
The peculiar interest Just attached to the
ancient creatures is due to the fact that analy.
sis Of the carbon and calcium in their shells
gives fair picture Of the temperature and
chemical composition Of the water In which
they lived. AL the elements in these shells
were derived from ocean water. It has been
demonstrated that various isotopes OF the
atoms vary in abundance according to water
temperature.
Reliable indicators.
OF all fossil shells. those Of the belemnites
have been found the most reliable tempera.
ture indicators, according to Dr. Harold q.
Urey Of the University of Chicago, who orig.
mated this line Of research. The abundant
fossil clam and oyster shells have proved quite
unreliable
THE problem Of the past climatic conditions
OF the earth" DR.. Urey says, rs affected by
many factors. such as the now Of heat from
the interior of the earth, generation Of heat
oy radioactivity. possible changes Of the dis
tance OF the earth from the sun. the shape Of
the earths orbit, fluctuations In the suns
temperature, possible presence Of dust In inter.
stellar space.
I'VE know from geological history that tho
climate Of the earth has fluctuated yery con-
dderably. and that substantially warmer eli.
mates have existed In the neighborhood Of
both the North and South Pole. A number of
organisms lay down their shells in approx.
mate equilibrium with the sea- and It there.
fore Is possible to secure an empirical tenn.
perature scale"
A set Of sample belemnites from the chalk
cliffs Of Dover gave sea temperature Of from
80 to Is degrees 60,000000 years ago. Thunder
bolts" from South Carolina Of approximately
the same age gave temperature Of only one
or two degrees higher
Such degree Of conformity In two widely
separated parts Of the globe coupled with the
TACT that belemnites are 50 generally distrib.
uted in rocks formed from ancient sea bot.
toms, gives the dart-shaped fossils o peculiar
significance for students Of geological history.
AA
War against one of the most hopeless Of
human diseases has been opened by the Army.
This malady Is malignant melanoma, q type
OF cancer which originates from an apparently
harmless black mole.
It Is the quickest killer Of all cancers. A
mole that has been inconspicuous for years
may suddenly grow larger and become deeper
IN color This may happen only after it has
become irritated or bruised through contact
with tight collar, . belt or q Shoe
The malignant cells spread rapidly into the
blood stream. Once this process has started
there Is essentially nothing to be done and
death will come in few months. The longest
survival on record Is between two and three
years.
Painless ut the Start. .-
The only hope at present is to detect the
malignancy as soon as 1t starts and use radical
surgery on the cancerous mole. This is seldom
possible. The condition is painless ut the start
and is not often called to o physicians at
tention until after the fatal poison has started
pouring into the blood stream.
The Army Medical Departments peculiar
interest rises from the fact that its Institute
Of Pathology has the finest autopsy material
in the world for study. The disease, Of course,
Is not Of peculiar military interest because 1t
occurs 40 more frequently in soldiers than In
the population at large.
It Is expected that intensive study Of the
material will give clues as to the origin of Q
melanoma, its method Of growth, and means
Of early diagnosis. Thousands Of microscopic
slides are being prepared and it is expected
the project will continue for four or i've years.