News tagged with ivory
Roman era York may have been more diverse than today
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new archaeological study in Britain has shown that its multi-cultural nature is not a new phenomenon, but that even in Roman times there was a strong African influence, with North Africans ...
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Mar 01, 2010 |
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Scientists use fossil feathers reveal lineage of extinct, flightless ibis
A remarkable first occurred recently at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History when ornithologists Carla Dove and Storrs Olson used 700- to 1,100-year-old feathers from a long extinct species ...
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Nov 22, 2011 |
5 / 5 (3) |
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Dramatic biological responses to global warming in the Arctic
"The Arctic as we know it may soon be a thing of the past," says Eric Post, associate professor of biology at Penn State University. Post leads a large, international team that carried out ecosystem-wide ...
Sep 10, 2009 |
3 / 5 (16) |
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No ivory-billed woodpecker, but plenty of data
(PhysOrg.com) -- They have searched the old-growth forests of the Carolinas, the swamps of Arkansas, the woods of Alabama and Mississippi, and now the vast river of grass, mangrove, cypress and wildlife that ...
Jul 15, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (5) |
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What scents did the ancient Egyptians use?
Pharaoh Hatshepsut was a power-conscious woman who assumed the reins of government in Egypt around the year 1479 B.C. In actual fact, she was only supposed to represent her step-son Thutmose III, who was three years old at ...
Other Sciences / Archaeology & Fossils
Mar 15, 2009 |
4 / 5 (5) |
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New study may give hope that ivory-billed woodpeckers still around
Until credible sightings popped up three years ago, the scientific world was in agreement that ivory-billed woodpeckers had gone the way of the dodo. A new study conducted by University of Georgia researchers ...
Biology /
Jan 16, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (4) |
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Researchers provide fascinating insights into elephant behavior, conservation issues
Last year, Kenya lost 278 elephants to poachers, as compared to 177 in 2010. On the continent of Africa as whole, elephants have declined from an estimated 700,000 in 1990 to 360,000 today due to the demands ...
Feb 28, 2012 |
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500 elephants killed in Cameroon park in 2 months
Nearly 500 elephants have been killed in a Cameroon national park in less than two months by poachers from Sudan and Chad, a park official told AFP on Thursday.
Feb 24, 2012 |
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New taste for Thai elephant meat
(AP) -- A new taste for eating elephant meat - everything from trunks to sex organs - has emerged in Thailand and could pose a new threat to the survival of the species.
Jan 27, 2012 |
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More than 50 percent decline in elephants in eastern Congo due to human conflict
Humans play a far greater role in the fate of African elephants than habitat, and human conflict in particular has a devastating impact on these largest terrestrial animals, according to a new University of ...
Nov 10, 2011 |
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UN investigator says medical waste risks ignored
(AP) -- A human rights investigator for the United Nations says up to a quarter of the world's trash from hospitals, clinics, labs, blood banks and mortuaries is hazardous and much more needs to be done to ...
Sep 14, 2011 |
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Hong Kong seizes nearly 800 smuggled elephant tusks
Hong Kong has seized nearly two tonnes of elephant ivory worth about $1.7 million hidden in a shipment from Malaysia and detained a local man over the haul, customs authorities said Wednesday.
Aug 31, 2011 |
4 / 5 (1) |
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New paper on ivory-billed woodpecker published
Dr. Michael Collins, Naval Research Laboratory scientist and bird watcher, has published an article titled "Putative audio recordings of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)" which appear ...
Apr 28, 2011 |
4.5 / 5 (2) |
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'Ivory wave' may be new legal high after 'miaow miaow' (mephedrone) ban
A new legal high has emerged that seems to be replacing the banned substance mephedrone or "miaow miaow", warns a critical care paramedic in Emergency Medicine Journal.
Mar 14, 2011 |
3 / 5 (1) |
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Kenya sees rise in elephant population despite poaching
Despite increased poaching and a recent severe drought, Kenya has recorded a rise in elephant population in its flagship park, wildlife authorities announced Saturday.
Feb 13, 2011 |
5 / 5 (1) |
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Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory is little used today, but has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and billiard balls. Elephant ivory has been the most important source, but ivory from many species including the hippopotamus, walrus, mammoth, sperm whale, and narwhal has been used. The word ultimately derives from the Ancient Egyptian âb, âbu "elephant", through the Latin ebor- or ebur.
The use and trade of elephant ivory has become controversial because it has contributed to seriously declining populations in many countries. In 1975 the Asian elephant was placed on Appendix One of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which prevents international trade between member countries. The African elephant was placed on Appendix One in January 1990. Since then some southern African countries have had their populations of elephants "downlisted" to Appendix Two allowing sale of some stockpiles.
Ivory has availed itself to many ornamental and practical uses. Prior to the introduction of plastics, it was used for billiard balls, piano keys, Scottish bagpipes, buttons and a wide range of ornamental items. Synthetic substitutes for ivory have been developed. Plastics have been viewed by piano purists as an inferior ivory substitute on piano keys, although other recently developed materials more closely resemble the feel of real ivory.
The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mammals is the same regardless of the species of origin. The trade in certain teeth and tusks other than elephant is well established and widespread, therefore "ivory" can correctly be used to describe any mammalian teeth or tusks of commercial interest which is large enough to be carved or scrimshawed (Crocodile teeth are also used).
For more information about Ivory, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
