Jessica Crabtree

You can catch a glimpse of my artwork on display at the Community Gallery at First Service Bank on Highway 65, Clinton, Arkansas. Original pastel paintings and charcoal drawings offered for sale. Drop by and sign the guestbook!

BBC News, 10 May 2012: Mayan art and calendar at Xultun stun archaeologists

…The Xultun find is the first place that all of the cycles have been found tied mathematically together in one place, representing a calendar that stretches more than 7,000 years into the future.

The Mayan numbering system for dates is a complex one in base-18 and base-20 numbers that, in modern-day terms, would “turn over” at the end of 2012.

But Dr Saturno points out that the new finds serve to further undermine the fallacy that this is tantamount to a prediction of the end of the world.

“The ancient Maya predicted the world would continue, that 7,000 years from now, things would be exactly like this,” he said.

“We keep looking for endings. The Maya were looking for a guarantee that nothing would change. It’s an entirely different mindset.”

See also: The Maya Long Count and the End of the World – Facts, Figures and Resources

Albinism is an inherited mutation that causes a lack (albinoid) or absence (albino) of melanin, the primary skin pigment.
(Image: Canaille Blog)

There are several drawbacks for an animal born with albinism. For most, it strips away their camouflage ability, since creatures of a brilliant white will stand out in almost any setting. Because of the lack of protective pigments in the skin, they are more prone to sun damage. Many of them also experience congenital eye conditions that accompany the trait. Without pigmentation, the blood cells beneath the skin and tissues are visible, making the eyes of albinos often appear pink or red.

Leucism is a type of albinism that affects the skin and hair or feathers, but does not affect the eyes.

Wikipedia: Leucism

Certain species of otherwise normally colored animals have genetic subspecies that are mostly or entirely white.

White bengal tiger: Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-3.0) by Averette

The mesmerizing beauty and mystery of these “ghost animals” have made them revered in many cultures since prehistoric times. They are often seen as divine messengers and it is taboo to harm them (such as the white buffalo of the Plains Indians). In modern times, this fascination has turned against them, making them popular in captive exhibits and the hides and other remains prized specimens for hunters and collectors. Albino and leucistic animals are now protected by law in many parts of the world.

National Geographic – Weird & Wild Pictures: Albino Animals Revealed

Melanism is the exact opposite condition; it’s the result of overproduction of pigments. Usually this is manifested in the phantom “black animals” that appear from time to time in a population. Unlike albinos, darker animals have an almost universal survival advantage (unless they live in the Arctic, for example) because it is easier for them to blend in with their surroundings.

Wikipedia: Melanism

Melanism in a gene pool can quickly become a dominant trait – as in the case of the Yellowstone wolves. (NATURE: In the Valley of the Wolves)

TALKBACK: What’s your favorite albino animal?

• Big cats
• Peafowl
• Horses

FreeGreatPicture.com

(Click photo for larger view)

The latest sketch in my Gallery. Based on a 1907 photograph of a Qahatika girl (a branch of the Pima people). Graphite, 8×10.

“Do not fail, as you go on, to draw something every day, for no matter how little it is, it will be well worth while, and it will do you a world of good.” (Cennino Cennini)

(Click to view up-close)

My latest charcoal & graphite – see her on my Online Gallery. Source photo: public domain.

WordPress Blog: 8 Gorgeous Nature Blogs for Earth Day