Darganfod rhywogaeth newydd o ffosil crinoid yn ne Cymru Cindy Howells, 3 Chwefror 2014 Darganfod unrhyw fath newydd o ffosil yw un o’r digwyddiadau posibl mwyaf cyffrous i balaeontolegydd. Mae ffosil newydd gafodd ei ddarganfod yn ne Cymru – a’r unig o’i fath – wedi cael ei enwi’n Hylodecrinus cymrus i ddangos ei wreiddiau Cymreig. Yn 2009, roedd Cindy Howells, curadur palaeontoleg Amgueddfa Cymru, ar daith maes yn astudio creigiau 350 miliwn o flynyddoedd oed (o’r Cyfnod Carbonifferaidd) mewn cildraeth bach ym Mae Gorllewin Angle. Wrth weithio, darganfu Cindy ffosil newydd oedd yn wahanol i bob sbesimen arall a gofnodwyd yn wyddonol. Yn ystod y Cyfnod Carbonifferaidd, roedd Cymru’n agos at y cyhydedd ac roedd moroedd bas trofannol yn ei gorchuddio. Mae’r creigiau yma’n awgrymu y bu llawer o stormydd trofannol ffyrnig a chwalodd gregyn organebau morol yn deilchion cyn iddynt gael eu ffosileiddio. Fodd bynnag, mae rhai haenau’n cynnwys ffosilau cyfan, gafodd eu dyddodi mewn cyfnodau mwy llonydd, ac yn un o’r haenau hyn y cafwyd hyd i’r sbesimen newydd. Hylodecrinus cymrus – yr holoteip a’r unig sbesimen hysbys. Adluniad o Hylodecrinus cymrus. Ffosil o grinoid ydyw, sef anifail morol bach oedd yn edrych yn debyg i blanhigyn. Mae gan grinoidau goesyn hir ac ystwyth, wedi’i angori yng ngwely’r môr. Ar ben y coesyn, mae strwythur siâp cwpan sy’n cynnwys ei organau mewnol. Mae teimlyddion neu freichiau hir pluog yn ymestyn uwchben yr anifail. Byddai’r rhain yn casglu micro-organebau o ddŵr y môr ac yn eu cyfeirio i lawr i’w stumog. Cafodd y ffosil newydd ei dynnu’n ofalus o’r creigiau a’i gludo i Gaerdydd. Wedi trafod â’r Athro Tom Kammer o Brifysgol Gorllewin Virginia (sy’n arbenigwr ar grinoidau Carbonifferaidd), penderfynwyd fod y ffosil yn rhywogaeth newydd a’i bod hefyd yn perthyn i grŵp nas gwelwyd y tu hwnt i UDA tan nawr. Rhoddwyd yr enw Hylodecrinus cymrus iddi i ddangos ei gwreiddiau Cymreig. Cyhoeddwyd y disgrifiad o’r ffosil newydd hwn ar-lein yn The Geological Journal. Y sbesimen hwn fydd ‘teipsbesimen’ y rhywogaeth. O’r dyddiad hwn yn 2013, dyma’r unig sbesimen hysbys o’r rhywogaeth hon. Roedd moroedd trofannol y Cyfnod Carbonifferaidd yn gyforiog â bywyd gan gynnwys braciopodau, dwyfalfau, gastropodau, cwrelau, pysgod a chrinoidau’n arbennig. Mae creigiau o’r cyfnod hwn yn arbennig o weladwy ar hyd arfordir y de, o Sir Forgannwg i Sir Benfro. O astudio ffosilau, gallwn ddysgu mwy am sut y cafodd y creigiau eu dyddodi ac amgylchiadau byw'r anifeiliaid sydd wedi’u diogelu tu mewn iddynt. Map daearegol o dde Cymru yn dangos Bae Gorllewin Angle, Sir Benfro.
Gwylio Adar yr Ardd Hywel Couch, 31 Ionawr 2014 Penwythnos diwethaf, ymunodd miloedd o bobl mewn gyda’r arolwg adar mwya’r byd - Gwylio Adar yr Ardd gyda’r RSPB! Ar ddydd Sadwrn, wnes i ymuno gyda’r hwyl trwy wneud trîts bach i’r adar gydag ymwelwyr i’r amgueddfa. Wedi fy ysbrydoli, nes i dreulio ychydig amser yn y guddfan adar yma yn Sain Ffagan. Dyma gwpwl o lunie o be welais…Wnaethoch chi gymryd rhan yn yr arolwg? Be welsoch yn eich gardd? Cofiwch i adrodd yn ôl i’r RSPB - Big Garden Bird WatchDilynwch bywyd gwyllt Sain Ffagan ar Twitter
Blagur Bach Danielle Cowell, 29 Ionawr 2014 Helo gyfeillion y gwanwyn.Yw eich bylbiau chi’n tyfu? Cofiwch eu gwylio nhw’n ofalus o ddiwedd Ionawr oherwydd efallai y bydd egin bach gwyrdd yn dechrau gwthio drwy’r pridd – mae’n gyffrous iawn pan fydd y cyntaf yn ymddangos! Roeddwn i mor hapus pan edrychais i yn yr ardd yr wythnos hon a gweld bod egin bach yn fy mhotiau planhigion – mae nhw’n hyfryd!Anfonodd Ysgol Gynradd Archbishop Hutton neges ata i: Rhuthrodd A. a J. draw yn dweud bod ein crocysau cyntaf wedi ymddangos dros y penwythnos ac rydyn ni wedi tynnu ffotograffau ohonyn nhw.Newyddion gwych! Da iawn A. a J.! Rwy’n falch iawn bod y planhigion yn eich cyffroi chi. Byddwn i wrth fy modd yn gweld y ffotograffau, allwch chi eu e-bostio nhw ata i?Rwy’n gobeithio eich bod chi i gyd yn mwynhau’r ymchwiliad, ffrindiau. Pan fydd eich planhigion yn dechrau gwthio drwy’r pridd, beth am i chi dynnu lluniau hefyd? Os e-bostiwch chi’r lluniau ata i galla i eu dangos nhw ar y blog. BETH NESAF… Daliwch ati gyda’r gwaith da o anfon eich cofnodion tywydd ata i. Gwyliwch am yr egin cyntaf. Gwyliwch bob dydd wrth iddyn nhw dyfu’n fwy. Pan fydd eich blodau’n agor - dathlwch!! Yna cofnodwch y dyddiad a thaldra’r planhigyn. Anfonwch eich Adroddiad Blodau ata i drwy’r wefan. Defnyddiwch fy nghyflwyniad Power Point i ddysgu sut i gadw cofnodion blodau. Eich cwestiynau, fy atebion:Ysgol Bro Eirwg: Blwyddyn Newydd Dda Athro’r Ardd! Ar ôl y gwyliau roedd y casglydd glaw yn llawn, felly methu cymryd darlleniad cywir. Arthro’r Ardd: Blwyddyn Newydd Dda Ysgol Bro Eirwg! Diolch am roi gwybod i fi am eich problemau mesur glaw, bydda i’n nodi hyn. Peidiwch â phoeni, digwyddodd hyn i lawer o ysgolion oherwydd iddi fwrw cymaint o law dros y gwyliau.Cawthorne's Endowed Primary School: Im sorry we missed Friday we still want to go to Wales!!! Please wish us luck in Manchester. Prof P: Wishing you lots and lots of luck with your Spring bulbs Cawthorne School! Just wanted to let you know that if you are an English School and you win the Super Scientist Prize, we will arrange a day out for you in England instead of you travelling to Wales. It will still be a Super fun day, I promise.Woodplumpton St. Anne's Primary School: sorry we forgot to take readings on two days - our teacher was not in school to remind us. There was a lot of rain over the holidays! We were surprised the temperatures were as high as they were. It felt colder. We talked about wind chill. Prof P: You are doing a great job and I am very pleased to hear you have talked about wind chill, it can make us feel VERY cold, can't it? Brrrrr.The Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School: When we came back from our Christmas break the rainfall gauge was overflowing as nobody had been able to empty it over the holidays. The ground is getting very wet and muddy and we have to be careful collecting the information. Prof P: Be careful in the mud! We don't want any accidents, were you wearing your school shoes or your wellies?Raglan VC Primary: Extreme rainfall on Wednesday evening. Prof P: There has been some very extreme weather recently Raglan, you are right!Llanishen Fach C.P School: No rainfall measurement for Monday as rain gauge was full from holiday. Very high measurement for Friday rainfall - gauge was emptied on Weds and no rainfall Thursday during day. Prof P: Excellent weather reporting Llanishen Fach.Stanford in the Vale Primary School: Monday we were off. We have noticed that the bulbs have started to sprout and are growing nicely. Prof P: Fantastic news!! Thanks for letting me know I hope you enjoy watching them grow!Greyfriars RC Primary School: it was 50mm because that was all over the holidays. C: this is exciting and i dont know whats gonna happen. R: it was fun watering the plants with C. Prof P: Well done C and R, its great to hear you are working together and having fun.Ysgol Nant Y Coed: School was closed on Monday sorry professor plant. Prof P: That's okay Ysgol Nant Y Coed, keep up the good work!John Cross CE Primary School: we had some problems because sheep got on to our field and knocked over the rain collector. Prof P: What cheeky sheep! Maybe they were interested in your investigation and came over to have a closer look.
A Window into the Industry Collections Mark Etheridge, 29 Ionawr 2014 We have had a number of interesting objects coming into the Industry collections since my last Blog. Here are just a few.This wooden full hull ship model is of the m.v. Innisfallen. The Innisfallen was built in 1969 to inaugurate British & Irish Line’s Swansea to Cork ferry service. She was eventually sold to Corsica Ferries and then to Sancak Lines, Turkey. After a number of name changes she was broken up in 2004. The commemorative plate below was manufactured by Ceramic Arts in 1989. It commemorates both the National Justice For Mineworkers Campaign, 5th Anniversary of 1984-85 strike, and the centenary of the National Union of Mineworkers. This illuminated address was presented to Harry Brean by the workmen of the Risca Collieries for bravery during the “Gob Fire” at the Old Black Vein Colliery between July 12th and August 9th 1918. Presented towards the end of the First World War, it is interesting to note that the address states that “the Coal Mines produce their Great Heroes no less than the Battlefield”. The address is of a standard format that was printed by the Western Mail Ltd., Cardiff, and then hand illuminated. Note that his name is spelt incorrectly on address! The object below we believe to be a calendar mount. It was printed on tinplate by Metal Box Company Limited in Neath, c.1960. The image is of a painting by the artist Harold Forster. The original oil on board painting depicts the hot strip mill at Abbey iron and steel works in Port Talbot and dates to 1955. The original painting is in our collection and details of this work and others by Harold Forster can be seen on our Images of Industry online catalogue - http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/industry/images/?action=search&search_type=artist_title&artist=forster&title= Mark EtheridgeCuratorial Assistant (Industry)
Collections Review at Carmarthen Museum Katie Mortimer-Jones, 27 Ionawr 2014 On Friday, Adrian Plant and I, along with Christian Baars, took part in a Collections Review at Carmarthen Museum as part of the Esmee Fairbairn ‘Linking Natural Science Collections on Wales’ project. The museum, was in a lovely old house, the old Bishop’s Palace, just outside Carmarthen. We spent the day in the natural history store, systematically going through all of the boxes to see what was in each one and assess it’s condition and potential importance. As not all of it had been accessioned even the curators were not sure what might be there and we had a very interesting time never knowing what might be in the next box. Amongst the specimens we found were a collection of weaver birds’ nests and a ‘vasculum’ (metal box containing botanical specimens) containing an old seed collection along with the original bill of sale. Hopefully, some of these specimens may now find their way out to public display at some point in the future. Blog by Teresa Darbyshire
