Learning Skills

Article of the day for April 20, 2020 is Userkaf . Userkaf was a pharaoh of ancient Egypt and the founder of the Fifth Dynasty. Before ascending the throne, he may have been a high priest of Ra. He reigned for seven to eight years in the early 25th century BC, during the Old Kingdom period. He built a sun temple, known as the Nekhenre, that mainly functioned as a mortuary temple associated with the setting sun. Rites performed in the temple were primarily concerned with Ra's creator function and his role as father of the king. Userkaf built a pyramid in Saqqara, close to that of Djoser, with a mortuary temple that was much smaller than those built during the Fourth Dynasty. Its mortuary complex was lavishly decorated with fine painted reliefs. Little is known of Userkaf's activities beyond the construction of his pyramid and sun temple. There may have been a military expedition to Canaan or the Eastern Desert, and there probably were trade contacts with the Aegean civilizatio...

With a high of 73F and a low of 55F.

By BY RUTH FRANKLIN from NYT Books https://ift.tt/2zdqjhA

By BY JOHN WILLIAMS from NYT Books https://ift.tt/3cwiDp2

Article of the day for April 19, 2020 is Giant mouse lemur . The giant mouse lemurs (genus Mirza) are primates native to Madagascar, like all other lemurs. The two described species, the northern (pictured) and Coquerel's giant mouse lemurs, are found in the western dry deciduous forests, Sambirano valley and Sahamalaza Peninsula. In 1870, British zoologist John Edward Gray assigned them to Mirza, but the classification was not widely accepted until the 1990s, following the revival of the genus by American paleoanthropologist Ian Tattersall in 1982. Giant mouse lemurs weigh approximately 300 g (11 oz) and have a long, bushy tail. They sleep in nests during the day and forage alone at night for fruit, tree gum, insects, and small vertebrates. The northern species has the largest testicles relative to body size of any living primate. Predators of giant mouse lemurs include the Madagascar buzzard, Madagascar owl, fossa, and narrow-striped mongoose. Both Mirza species are endang...

With a high of 66F and a low of 52F.

By BY JENNIFER HARLAN from NYT Books https://ift.tt/2XIMJkP