ANCIENT BONES ARE NEW SPECIES OF WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS FISH; FIRST COELACANTH FOSSIL EVER DISCOVERED IN DFW  

DALLAS (SMU)

SMU scientists and an amateur fossil collector from Fort Worth have unearthed a clue to the mystery of one of the world’s most famous fish, the coelacanth (pronounced SEE-la-kanth). Coelacanth fossil bones have been discovered on almost every continent. Now they’ve been found for the first time in North Texas. Small skull bones are those of a new species of 100 million-year-old coelacanth, says SMU paleontologist John Graf. Graf identified the fossils, which were discovered in Fort Worth by amateur fossil collector Robert Reid. See http://bit.ly/POF3Gl for video and images. The D-FW fossil expands the world’s scientific knowledge of where the famous fish lived 100 million years ago. SMU vertebrate paleontologist Louis L. Jacobs

( http://bit.ly/RvI5wf ) recommended to Reid that he donate the fossil and have it scientifically identified. Reid gave the fossil to SMU’s Shuler Museum of Paleontology. “It is astounding what can be learned from the discoveries that people like Rob Reid make in their own backyards,” said Jacobs, an SMU professor of Earth sciences and president of SMU's Institute for the Study of Earth and Man. “The discovery of living coelacanths in the Indian Ocean after being presumed extinct for 70 million years highlights one of the great mysteries of ocean life. Where were they all that time? 

The new fossil from Texas is a step toward understanding this fascinating history.”

• D-FW coelacanth lived in ancient shallow sea covering Texas when dinosaurs roamed Earth.

• Few coelacanth fossils have been found in Texas.

• D-FW specimen is youngest coelacanth discovered in Texas.

• World’s oldest coelacanth specimens are 400 million years old.

• Until 1938, coelacanths were thought to have gone extinct 70 million years ago.

• In 1938 live coelacanths were discovered in the ocean off India, making them one of the oldest animals to inhabit Earth.

NIH study finds delays after exposure to pesticides, industrial chemicals  

Couples with high levels of PCBs and similar environmental pollutants take longer to achieve pregnancy in comparison to other couples with lower levels of the pollutants, according to a preliminary study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.   PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) are chemicals that have been used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment.  They are part of a category of chemicals known as persistent organochlorine pollutants and include industrial chemicals and chemical byproducts as well as pesticides.  In many cases, the compounds are present in soil, water, and in the food chain.  The compounds are resistant to decay, and may persist in the environment for decades. Some, known as persistent lipophilic organochlorine pollutants, accumulate in fatty tissues.  Another type, called perfluorochemicals, are used in clothing, furniture, adhesives, food packaging, heat-resistant non-stick cooking surfaces, and the insulation of electrical wire.   Exposure to these pollutants is known to have a number of effects on human health, but their effects on human fertility-- and the likelihood of couples achieving pregnancy-- have not been extensively studied.   “Our findings suggest that persistent organochlorine pollutants may play a role in pregnancy delay,” said the study’s first author, Germain Buck Louis, Ph.D., director of the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at NIH.    Dr. Buck Louis added that individuals may limit their exposure by removing and avoiding the fat of meat and fish, and by limiting the consumption of animal products. The study was published online in Environmental Health Perspectives and is available online at http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/2012/11/1204996/  In addition to researchers at the NICHD, the study also included investigators from the Texas A&M Health Science Center, College Station, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Emory University, Atlanta, and The EMMES Corp., Rockville, Md.  

HOUSTON

Many women who develop an itchy, painful irritation of the eyelid assume makeup is the culprit. But often, it's the nail polish they're wearing. "People who have eyelid dermatitis assume it's due to something they put on their eye," said Dr. Rajani Katta, assistant professor of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine. "Most of the time, it's something that accidentally comes in contact with the eyelid." The eyelid is a common place for rashes to develop, because the skin is so sensitive in that area, she said. "You can touch things with your hands and it doesn't bother them. The skin of your hands is thick and not that sensitive," Katta said. "But, if you accidentally touch your eyelid, a rash can develop." Cosmetics for the eyes can cause irritation, even if a patient has used the same product for a long time. "You can develop an allergy at any time, and sometimes companies even change product ingredients without advertising that fact," Katta said.