Tag Archives: Apex

700-Million-Year-Old Fossils of Crocodile-Like Apex Predators Discovered in Argentina

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Paleontologists have unearthed exquisitely preserved skulls and jaws, along with parts of the skull and jaws belonging to a previously unidentified species of Peilosaurus in Patagonia, Argentina.

Reconstruction of Kostensuchus atrox. Image credit: Gabriel Dias Janten.

Kostensuchus atrox roamed the Earth during the Cretaceous period approximately 70 million years ago.

This ancient species was a formidable predator, measuring about 3.5 m (11.5 feet) in length and weighing around 250 kg.

These animals featured broad, powerful jaws and large teeth capable of consuming substantial prey, including medium-sized dinosaurs.

Kostensuchus atrox was a member of the Peirosauridae family of crocodiles within the sub-order Notosuchia.

“This new species belongs to the notosuchian clade Peirosauridae, representing the latest and southernmost records of this crocodile-like group,” stated Dr. Fernando Novas, a paleontologist at Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia.

The fossilized skulls and bones of Kostensuchus atrox were discovered in the Chorrillo Formation, approximately 30 km southwest of El Calafate in the province of Santa Cruz.

“The Chorrillo Formation dates back about 70 million years,” the paleontologist explained.

“At that time, southern Patagonia boasted a warm, seasonally humid environment filled with freshwater floodplain plants, home to dinosaurs, turtles, frogs, and various mammals.”

“The newly excavated fossils from this layer are almost complete, including skulls and jaws exhibiting visible details, along with multiple bones from the body.”

Kostensuchus atrox ranks as the second-largest predator identified in the Chorrillo Formation and likely served as one of the region’s top predators.

This new species is also the first crocodile-type fossil found in this geological layer and is among the most intact examples of a crocodilian ever discovered, offering scientists unique insights into these prehistoric creatures and their environments.

“The discovery of Kostensuchus atrox significantly enhances our understanding of the anatomy of the widely distributed Peilosaurus population, which was previously known from highly fragmented specimens found in South America and Madagascar,” the researchers noted.

“The new anatomical data illuminate both the similarities and distinctions between the extensive Peirosauridae and Baurosuchidae, other crocodile-like lineages that evolved independently into apex predators during the Cretaceous period in Gondwana.”

“Kostensuchus atrox provides insights into late Cretaceous ecosystems in southern Patagonia, which formed in freshwater habitats within warm climates, supporting diverse faunas of dinosaurs, mammals, and other vertebrates in a seasonally humid environment,” they added.

“The wide and tall snout of Kostensuchus atrox, particularly its robust forelimb anatomy, along with large, sturdy teeth and broad adductor chambers in the skull, suggests this new species was capable of overpowering substantial prey.”

“These characteristics indicate that Kostensuchus atrox occupied the role of the top predator within this ultimate Cretaceous ecosystem.”

The discovery of Kostensuchus atrox is detailed in a paper published this week in the journal PLOS 1.

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Fe Novas et al. 2025. A new large carbonized crocodile from the Maastrichtian in southern Patagonia, Argentina. PLOS 1 20(8): E0328561; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0328561

Source: www.sci.news

Fossils of Terrestrial Apex Predators Dating Back Six Million Years Unearthed in the Dominican Republic

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A recent study conducted by the Florida Museum of Natural History reveals that this apex predator is a type of Cebucid crocodile with origins in South America.

The Cebushid crocodile ruled the South American landscape after the dinosaurs vanished, remaining dominant until roughly 11 million years ago. Image credit: Jorge Mackey.

The sebecids were the last survivors of notosuchia, a large and varied group of extinct crocodiles with fossil records that trace back to the era of dinosaurs.

Notosuchians exhibited a wide range of sizes, diets, and habitats, distinguishing themselves from their alligator relatives, as most inhabited terrestrial environments.

The Sevecid behaved like a carnivorous dinosaur, sprinting with four long, agile limbs and tearing flesh with its notorious teeth.

Some species were equipped with protective armor made of bone plates embedded in the skin, reaching lengths of up to 6 m (20 feet).

The catastrophic mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period, which eradicated non-avian dinosaurs, also nearly led to the extinction of the notosuchians.

In South America, only the Sevecids survived post-dinosaurs, quickly ascending to the role of apex predators.

The open waters separating the Caribbean islands from the South American mainland posed significant challenges for the Sevensids when it came to swimming.

In a new research effort, paleontologist Jonathan Bloch and his colleagues from the Florida Museum of Natural History analyzed vertebrae from fossilized teeth and spinal vertebrae dating back six million years, collected from the Paleopoultry 1 site in Savanna Grande de Boya, Dominican Republic.

“Our first question upon discovering these teeth in the Dominican Republic and other Caribbean islands was: what could they be?” Dr. Bloch mentioned.

The team also examined 18 million-year-old teeth found in Cuba and 29 million-year-old specimens from Puerto Rico.

“The fossils suggested evidence supporting the Girllandia hypothesis,” they noted.

This theory posits that a temporary land bridge or chain of islands enabled the migration from South America to the Caribbean.

“If the serrated teeth found in other Caribbean islands also belong to the Sevecid, the history of these giant reptiles stretches beyond just the Dominican Republic.”

“They would have played a significant role in shaping the ecosystems of this region for millions of years. However, today, evidence of large terrestrial predators is scarce.”

“In their absence, smaller endemic predators like birds, snakes, and crocodiles have evolved to fill gaps in the food chain,” he added.

“We could not have predicted this just by studying modern ecosystems,” Dr. Bloch remarked.

“The presence of large predators greatly differs from our previous assumptions, and it’s thrilling to explore what further discoveries might await in the Caribbean fossil record.”

The team’s paper was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

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Lázaro W. Viñola López et al. 2025. The South American Sevecid from the Miocene of Hispaniola documents the presence of apex predators in the ecosystems of the Early West Indies. Proc. R. Soc. B 292 (2045): 20242891; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2024.2891

Source: www.sci.news

During the Eocene, giant fearbirds ruled as the apex predators of Antarctica.

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Paleontologists have unearthed two fossilized phalanges of ancient carnivorous birds on Seymour Island in Antarctica.

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of an early Eocene continental community on Seymour Island: large claw-shaped birds hunting and gazing at medium-sized ungulates. Nothiolophos regeloiseveral marsupials on the tree, Antarctoboenus carlinii It is flying in the sky, and behind it is a runner who cannot fly. Image credit: Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche & Washington Jones, doi: 10.26879/1340.

Ancient bird fossils were discovered in the La Meseta Formation on Seymour Island in West Antarctica.

“These phalanges belonged to a large predator, estimated to weigh around 100 kg,” said Dr. Carolina Acosta Hospitalrecce of the National University of La Plata and Dr. Washington Jones of the National Museum of History of Uruguay.

The specimen is approximately 50 million years old (early Eocene).

They belong to the following types Forsulacid (commonly known as the fear bird), an extinct family in the order Calliamyformes.

“Caryamiformes are a primarily terrestrial bird order that has shown significant diversification in the past, but only two species currently inhabit South America,” the paleontologists said.

“Despite the rich fossil record, phylogenetic and biogeographic relationships within this order remain poorly understood.”

“Within the Calliamydae, Phorsuracidae forms a crown group with the Caryamydae, and Idiornithidae and Basorhuntiidae have been reconfirmed as fossil families.”

Fossilized phalanx of an ancient Karyamiform bird from Seymour Island, Antarctica. Scale bar – 10 mm. Image credit: Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche & Washington Jones, doi: 10.26879/1340.

The Antarctic terror bird probably preyed on small marsupials and medium-sized ungulates.

“They are likely active hunters, clearly fulfilling the role of continental apex predators similar to the mammals of Paleogene Antarctic communities,” the researchers said.

“Large birds resembling Phorsulaceae represent a previously unknown guild in Antarctica.”

“These findings unequivocally reshape our understanding of the dynamics of the Antarctic ecosystem during the early Eocene.”

of result Published in an online magazine Old Trogia Electronica.

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Carolina Acosta Hospitalrecce & Washington Jones. 2024. Was the fearbird an apex predator in Antarctica? New discoveries from the early Eocene of Seymour Island. Old Trogia Electronica 27 (1):a13; doi: 10.26879/1340

Source: www.sci.news

Review of the Framework Laptop 16: The Apex Modular Computer

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Framework is back with the new, bigger and more powerful Laptop 16, its most ambitious device yet. Highly modular and upgradable 16-inch machine that lets you change layout and power in minutes. It’s completely different from anything else on the market.

Packed with hot-swappable components, the laptop can be customized in countless ways, transforming it from a fast and quiet workhorse by day to an LED-studded gaming PC by night.

Priced from £1,399 (€1,579/$1,399/AU$2,319), this 16-inch machine improves on the ideas that made its smaller sibling, the Laptop 13, a huge hit. In fact, everything inside your laptop can be disassembled and replaced with varying degrees of ease.




Expansion cards simply click into slots on the side of your laptop to instantly add USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, DP, Ethernet, microSD slots, expandable storage, or a headphone jack. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

Featuring the same great port expansion system as its sibling, simply snap in place up to six small cards to use any combination of ports, card readers, or expandable storage on the side of the machine. Most cards cost less than £20, so they’re cheap enough to slide in and out as needed and keep a collection of cards for different tasks.

Additionally, the keyboard, numeric keypad, trackpad, LED module and spacers are easily attached in place by magnets on the top deck. Without tools, you can position your trackpad or keyboard to the left, right, or center, add another number pad or macropad on each side, or move your keyboard to another position, even when your laptop is running. Completely swap languages ​​and layouts in seconds.

Diving inside, you can remove components of the framework such as memory, storage, and wireless cards with a single screwdriver. Unlike many other laptops, where parts are soldered in place, you can expand the storage and RAM yourself, and even upgrade bits.




Simply plug the AMD Radeon RX 7700S graphics card module into the back of your machine to instantly add power to your laptop. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian

However, the framework’s biggest feature is the large expansion module that sticks out behind the screen. More powerful upgrades are available, including modules that include the AMD Radeon RX 7700S discrete graphics card.

Source: www.theguardian.com

A16z-funded Apex Space inaugurates new facility to increase satellite bus production

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when apex space The company, which came out of stealth last October, had the provocative goal of eliminating “new bottlenecks” plaguing the space industry by building satellite buses at scale.

To get there, Apex announced today that it will open a new headquarters and production facility in California and eventually scale up to manufacture 50 satellite platforms per year. Apex CEO Ian Cinnamon said in a statement that the new 46,000-square-foot facility is “vital to meeting customer demand.”

“Our customers want spacecraft with short lead times, and Factory One delivers that,” he said.

Apex wants to disrupt one of the most entrenched parts of the space industry. Satellite buses are generally made to order, which means their costs are very high and delivery times are very long. However, major changes in the industry, such as the reduction in the cost of mass launches into space, have opened up a whole new group of customers looking to send payloads into orbit.

The company plans to initially offer three satellite bus classes. One is a smaller 100 kilogram bus called Aries, which can support a payload of up to 100 kilograms. The motorcoach, called Nova, can accommodate a payload of up to 230 kg. The even larger bus “Comet” can carry up to 500 kilograms. Apex plans to fly the first Aries on SpaceX’s Transporter 10 rideshare mission, scheduled for the first quarter of next year.

Apex aims to expand the factory in the coming years. The company currently plans to deliver five Aries platforms to customers in 2024 and aims to increase production to 20 aircraft by 2025.

The company has raised at least $23.5 million in seed and Series A funding from backers including Andreessen Horowitz and Shield Capital.

Source: techcrunch.com