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Discover Cretaceous Birds in China with Tail Feathers Twice the Length of Their Bodies

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Plumadraco Bangkoolam, a newly identified enantiornithine bird species, inhabited what is now northeastern China during the Cretaceous period approximately 121 million years ago.

Plumadraco Bangkoolam is a novel enantiornithid bird distinguished by its very long legs. Image credit: Vir Shinkonen.

Plumadraco Bangkoolam belongs to the Enantiornithine clade, which represents the most diverse group of birds during the Cretaceous and is now extinct alongside non-avian dinosaurs.

While many enantiornithines are documented with elongated tail feathers, the proportions of this bird’s tail are unparalleled.

“Enantiornithines are the most specialized Mesozoic birds, with over 100 genera described so far, with specimens discovered on every continent except Antarctica,” stated lead author Dr. Alex Clarke, a candidate at the Field Museum and the University of Chicago.

“The extraordinary preservation of enantiornithine fossils from the Early Cretaceous Jehor biota (130 to 120 million years ago) in northeastern China typically includes soft tissue structures, predominantly feathers.”

“Contour feathers are the most abundant, followed by remiges, while tail feathers (rectrices) are relatively rare.”

Most enantiornithine specimens that preserve soft tissue lack tail feathers, only exhibiting contour feathers covering the tail—a condition not found in all extant neornithines.

Plumadraco Bangkoolam measures 14.9 cm (6 in) from beak to tail, yet its twin tail feathers extend to 29.3 cm (11.5 in).

In contrast, its closest rival, Oba junonis, achieves only about 1.6 times its body length.

“Plumadraco Bangkoolam is comparable in size to an American robin, but its tail feathers measure nearly a foot long, doubling its body length,” Clark added.

“It boasts some of the longest proportionate tail feathers among all discovered fossil birds.”

Holotype specimen of Plumadraco Bangkoolam. Image credit: Clark et al., doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347641.

Paleontologists suggest that Plumadraco Bangkoolam is likely male, with its ornate plumage evolving due to female mate choice, a phenomenon well-observed in modern avian species.

The ground-nesting behavior characteristic of enantiornithines may have promoted the inconspicuous plumage of nurturing females, allowing males to develop more extravagant traits.

“While many modern birds exhibit long, elaborate plumage in both sexes, there seems to be a tipping point beyond which elongated plumage tends to be a male characteristic aimed at attracting females,” Clark noted.

“Additionally, fossils of other enantiornithines reveal remnants of musculature along the tail, and based on these features, the tail movements of Plumadraco Bangkoolam would have been significantly restricted.”

“However, they could move their tail feathers up and down, a behavior observed in modern birds during courtship displays directed at females.”

Researchers conducted a chemical analysis of Plumadraco Bangkoolam tail feathers using a handheld mass spectrometer.

The analysis revealed that the feathers were likely dark brown or black based on the detected chemical composition.

It’s also plausible that the tips of the tail feathers boasted eye-catching colors—potentially iridescent or blue-like hues—resulting from cellular structures rather than the chemical pigments analyzed in the study.

These findings regarding Plumadraco Bangkoolam offer insights into avian physiology and behavior, enhancing our understanding of contemporary birds.

“This fossil, perhaps more than any other bird fossil discovered to date, illustrates that birds have evolved intricate, elongated, specialized traits to attract mates over an extensive timespan,” Clark emphasized.

“These fossils indicate that female preference for adorned males has significantly influenced avian appearance and behavior for over 120 million years.”

The discovery of Plumadraco Bangkoolam is detailed in a paper published in the online journal PLoS ONE.

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AD Clark et al. 2026. Ultra-slender ornamental tail feathers of a new enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous. PLoS ONE 21 (5): e0347641; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0347641

Source: www.sci.news

Tianwen-2: China’s Upcoming Missions to Two Rocky Bodies in the Solar System

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Artist impressions of Earth’s semi-satellite Kamo`oalewa, designated as the initial target for the Tianwen-2 mission

Addy Graham/University of Arizona

China is making final preparations to launch a spacecraft aimed at exploring asteroids and comets, seeking to gain insights into these celestial bodies in our solar system.

The Tianwen-2 mission, orchestrated by the China National Space Agency (CNSA), plans to collect 100 grams of samples from the asteroid Chuan West and return them to Earth. Following the sample retrieval, the probe will utilize Earth’s gravity to propel itself towards the comet 311P/Panstarrs, which will be observed remotely.

The mission is set for launch from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province on May 29th. While NASA’s Osiris-Rex and JAXA’s Hayabusa missions have previously returned asteroid samples, this marks China’s inaugural asteroid mission, including the return of rock samples, and potentially the first mission aimed at a unique type of celestial body known as quasi-satellites.

Quasi-satellites, like Kamo`oalewa, do not orbit the Earth in a traditional manner; instead, they follow orbits around the Sun that are similar to Earth’s, creating an oval path relative to our planet. This intriguing scenario has led scientists to theorize that this may be a remnant lunar mass ejected by an asteroid impact millions of years ago.

In contrast, 311P/Panstarrs has an asteroid-like orbit, encircling the Sun within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, yet possesses a tail that gives it a comet-like appearance. This is believed to be composed of dust and debris shed from its nucleus.

The CNSA has previously indicated that 311P/Panstarrs is a “living fossil,” crucial for studying the early material composition, formation processes, and evolutionary history of the solar system. Tianwen-2 aims to enhance our understanding of both Kamo`oalewa and 311P/Panstarrs. However, the findings will not be available immediately, as the spacecraft is expected to reach 311P/Panstarrs by 2034, and the Kamo`oalewa samples are anticipated to return to Earth in the latter half of 2027.

It remains uncertain what extent the CNSA will share these findings. Leah-Nani Alconcel from the University of Birmingham, UK, mentions that the mission outline is known but lacks detailed information. One of the objectives may involve examining the differences between asteroids and comets to gain better insights into the diverse bodies of our solar system; however, specific details remain elusive.

In her previous experience with CNSA’s Double Star Satellite, Alconcel expressed concerns about the institution’s ability to provide substantial scientific data. She states, “It was incredibly challenging to negotiate with [the CNSA]. There is no public repository for this data.”

She describes the mission as ambitious, noting that Kamo`oalewa is in a rotating behavior. Navigation algorithms may require powerful computing resources to process images and sensor data sent back to Earth for calculations. “If we always opt for favorable and stable objects, we won’t gain much knowledge,” she warns. “There are numerous potential challenges ahead.”

The CNSA has not responded to requests for comment from New Scientist.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Cretaceous Dinosaurs with Armored Bodies had Two Cheek Horns

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A new genus and species of ankylosaurid dinosaur have been identified from two specimens discovered in southeastern China.

type specimen of Datai Inliangis Rebuilt on site. The head, neck, and thorax of the specimen were discovered and extracted from a single block. Image credit: Xing other., doi: 10.18435/vamp29396.

named Datai Inliangisthe newly discovered dinosaur species roamed the Earth during the Late Cretaceous period, about 96 million to 90 million years ago.

ancient beast was a member strongosaursa group of club-tailed armored dinosaurs that reached a peak of diversity in the latest Cretaceous period.

“Ankylosaurids are iconic armored dinosaurs that characterized the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of Asia and Laramidia (western North America) during the Late Cretaceous period,” said a paleontologist from the China University of Geosciences. Rida Singh And my colleagues.

“The earliest members of this clade are known from the Early Late Cretaceous of Asia, but there is little consensus on how they relate to anatomically derived and chronologically younger forms. are not obtained.”

“In southeastern China, Cretaceous red sand beds extend into a basin from Zhejiang to Guangdong.”

“However, horizons corresponding to the early Late Cretaceous remain poorly sampled.”

Two well-preserved immature skeletons Datai Inliangis It was collected from the Zhoutian Formation in southeastern China.

The specimens were found combined, with one head placed on top of the other, representing slightly different stages of the ontogeny of the skeleton.

“This is the first definitive vertebrate skeleton, let alone an armored dinosaur skeleton, excavated from the Ganzhou Formation,” the paleontologists said.

According to the authors: Datai Inliangis It is characterized by having two cheekbones/square zygomatic angle.

“The primary horn develops in the posteroventral horn of the skull and projects posterolaterally,” the researchers explained.

“There is a small attached horn just in front of this that hides the jaw joint when viewed from the side.”

“Morphologically, it is intermediate to older Asian ankylosaurids (e.g. crichton pelta and Giyumperta) and derived post-Cenomanian ankylosaurines (e.g. pinacosaurus),” they added.

“Phylogenetic analyzes broadly support this assessment.”

“The new species will either be placed in the Asian ankylosaurine subfamily, which is close to the lineage of the derived taxon, or it will form a sister lineage.” pinacosaurus”

“Based on these insights, Datai This genus represents an important addition to the Early Late Cretaceous vertebrate fauna of southeastern China and highlights the region's future potential for a better understanding of the origins and early evolution of ankylosaurids. ”

of discovery is reported in Vertebrate anatomy, morphology, and paleontology.

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L. Shin other. 2024. A new armored dinosaur with double cheek horns that lived in the early Late Cretaceous of southeastern China. Vertebrate anatomy, morphology, and paleontology 11; doi: 10.18435/vamp29396

Source: www.sci.news

Are You Suffering from Text Neck? The Physical Effects of Phone Usage on Our Bodies | Life and Style

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E
Earlier this year, a patient came to physical therapist Teresa Marco complaining of neck pain. Marco, who is based in New York City, began the interview as usual, asking a series of questions about lifestyle, habits, and attitude. Soon, a person believed to be the culprit appeared. It was a woman’s cell phone.

Marco, who declined to give her name for privacy reasons, said the woman typically used her phone or tablet with her head down on her lap. “She’s going to be very, very bent over, so it’s going to put a lot of strain on her neck,” Marco said.

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Marco says he often talks to his patients about how to use their phones. “I don’t think people end up coming to physical therapy because they realize they have a problem with their cell phone,” Marco says. But as she solves problems, it often becomes a focus.

While the negative effects on mental health associated with smartphone use are often discussed, the physical effects can also be significant.serious consequences like
Selfie-related injuries and deathscan occur, but chronic problems are much more common, especially in the upper body.
This year is research
Using hospital data, they estimated that between 2011 and 2019, hand and wrist injuries caused by cell phone use nearly doubled, reaching about 7,300 cases per year.

“Like [phone] Carolyn Somerich, director of the Human Factors/Ergonomics/Safety Engineering Laboratory at The Ohio State University, said: These sentiments are not new, but according to a Gallup poll,
Number of people who reported using a smartphone
“Too much” increased from 39% in 2015 to 58% in 2022. He was 84% most likely to feel this way.

Source: www.theguardian.com

New Fossil Discovery Shows Baleen Whales Adapted to Large Bodies in Cold Southern Waters for the First Time

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Baleen whales (mysterious animals) are the largest animals on Earth. How they achieved such enormous sizes is still debated, and research to date has focused primarily on when they grew, rather than where they grew. was. Paleontologists now report on the remains of a toothless baleen whale (chaeomysticete) from South Australia. At an estimated length of 9 meters, it is the largest baleen whale from the early Miocene. Analysis of body size over time shows that ancient baleen whales in the Southern Hemisphere were larger than those in the Northern Hemisphere.

Mysterious gigantism from the early Miocene. Image credit: Ruairidh Duncan

It was previously thought that the onset of the Ice Age in the Northern Hemisphere about 3 million years ago triggered the evolution of truly gigantic baleen whales.

The new study, led by Dr James Rule of Monash University and the Natural History Museum in London, reveals that this evolutionary size jump did, in fact, occur as early as 20 million years ago, and in the exact opposite direction in the southern hemisphere. I made it.

The major discovery came from a study of 16- to 21-million-year-old fossils held in Museum Victoria’s collection.

This specimen, the anterior end of the lower jaw of a large edentulous baleen whale, was discovered in 1921 on a cliff face on the banks of the Murray River in South Australia, but was largely unrecognized in collections.

In their study, Dr. Ruhl and colleagues explain how whales evolved to be larger in the southern hemisphere rather than the northern hemisphere, and that whales have been larger in the southern hemisphere throughout their evolutionary history (about 20 million to 30 million years). It was shown that

The discovery highlights the vital importance of the Australian and wider Southern Hemisphere fossil record in putting together a global picture of whale evolution.

The Murray River whale fossil confounds that theory, although previous leading theories were based primarily on fossils found in the northern hemisphere.

“The Southern Hemisphere, and Australia in particular, has always been overlooked as a frontier for fossil whale discovery,” says Dr Eric Fitzgerald, a palaeontologist at Museums Victoria Research Institute.

“Like the Murray River whale, the fossil whale discoveries in the south have shaken up whale evolution, giving us a more accurate, truly global picture of what was happening in the oceans in ancient times. .”

Researchers have discovered that the tip of a baleen whale’s jaw can expand depending on its body size.

They estimated the baleen whale to be about 9 meters long.

“The largest whales alive today, such as the blue whale, reach the length of a basketball court,” Dr. Ruhl said.

“About 19 million years ago, Murray River whales were nine meters long, already a third of this length. So baleen whales were well on their way to becoming ocean giants.”

of result will appear in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

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James P. Rule other. 2023. A huge baleen whale emerges from its cold cradle in the south. Procedure R. Soc. B 290 (2013): 20232177; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2177

Source: www.sci.news