Nature Notes

Mammoths and mastodons. Camels and horses. Giant ground sloths. Beavers the size of bears. Herds of massive bison antiquus. And the immense predators – the American lion, the scimitar-toothed cat. A day in Ice Age West Texas would have put the grandest African safari to shame. It's exhilarating, if terrifying, to imagine it.

Mammoths and mastodons. Camels and horses. Giant ground sloths. Beavers the size of bears. Herds of massive bison antiquus. And the immense predators – the American lion, the scimitar-toothed cat. A day in Ice Age West Texas would have put … Continue reading → Hosted by for KRTS

The writer Edward Abbey described his first sight of the Rocky Mountains, as a 17-year-old hitchhiker from Pennsylvania:

The writer Edward Abbey described his first sight of the Rocky Mountains, as a 17-year-old hitchhiker from Pennsylvania: “On the Western horizon… was a magical vision, a legend come true. The image of those mountains struck a fundamental chord in … Continue reading → Hosted by for KRTS

How is a mountain made? The story often spans millions of years. But not always.

“Guadalupe Mountains National Park has a reputation as a hiker's paradise. It's deserved.”

“I look to the mountain,” the Psalmist of the Bible says, speaking for many of us. Our eyes are drawn to summits – mountain peaks have enthralled humankind across cultures and ages.

“I look to the mountain,” the Psalmist of the Bible says, speaking for many of us. Our eyes are drawn to summits – mountain peaks have enthralled humankind across cultures and ages. Modern Texans are no exception. At 8,751 feet, … Continue reading → Hosted by for KRTS

Women have made critical contributions to the sciences for centuries. But despite efforts to increase female participation in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – there's still a yawning gap. Both globally and in the United States, less than 30 percent of scientific researchers are women.

Paquime, or Casas Grandes – a few hours drive from El Paso in Chihuahua, Mexico – is a stunning archeological site, the largest urban center known from the prehistoric North American deserts. Thousands lived here, with multi-story adobe apartments, ball courts and monumental earthen sculptures, a system of reservoirs and canals for drinking water and wastewater. Goods speak of extensive trade connections, and the city exported its own beautiful ceramics. Surrounding peaks are topped with watchtowers and signaling sites, which likely enabled rapid communication across vast desert expanses.