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Taking a Break from Spotify: My Month Away from the Algorithm and What I Discovered About Khruangbin

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I Music serves as a remarkable tool for adjusting your mood, and Spotify excels in this regard. Feeling down? Check out your custom “Depress Sesh Mix.” Navigating a romantic dilemma? You’ll find a curated “situational mix.” As I write this, I’m tuned into Spotify’s daylist—a compilation that refreshes every few hours based on my listening preferences. Today’s vibe is the “Funky Beat Roller Skate Early Morning Tuesday Mix.” At a brisk 120bpm, the algorithm gets that an energetic soundtrack is essential for transitioning from bed to desk.

The downside of this tailored listening experience is its overly familiar AI-driven intimacy, where the same tracks loop predictably. Spotify’s algorithm has dulled the novelty of artists I once loved. I find myself hitting Skip every time Kluang Bin’s slippery, psychedelic bass enters my playlists or seamlessly flows from another artist’s radio.

A decade ago, Spotify championed human-curated playlists crafted by artists, celebrities, and music enthusiasts. However, by 2021, streaming platforms started pivoting toward machine learning, with computer-generated models creating nearly half of daily events. Nowadays, user data—primarily our listening habits, interactions with Spotify, and the time of day—are compiled into tightly personalized mixtapes.

Proponents argue this offers an opportunity to democratize music promotion by accurately matching it with audiences. Yet, critics claim this hyper-subjective approach restricts music discovery to what listeners already know. Despite my attempts, my musical taste has become increasingly narrow. As an experiment, I paused my Spotify use for a month, rediscovering how to find music.

Initially, I consulted my father, someone who has never used streaming services, and who grew up in the vibrant punk and glam rock scene of 1970s London. Spending time at his local record shop, he would sample vinyl, selecting A-sides or B-sides to purchase. Some albums missed the mark, while others transported him to another dimension, akin to experiencing Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon.” He advised me to start with my favorite artist and listen to each album sequentially, as if I were reading a narrative.

Inspired, I purchased a $30 record player from a thrift shop and sought out vinyl. My visit to Record Renaissance yielded slim pickings—Australian pub classics, Christian country, and Christmas hits. However, when a friend pointed out that my new turntable lacked a needle, it unfortunately became a dusty but eye-catching décor piece in my living room.

My 20-year-old neighbor provided another idea: an iPod adorned with rhinestones, found on Facebook Marketplace for $200. Plugging it in with wired ear buds and hitting shuffle was a nostalgic throwback. Sadly, this romance was short-lived since the iPod struggled to sync with my Bluetooth speaker and required hours of tedious uploads.

The biggest hurdle arose during drives in my old silver Subaru, where I was limited to just one CD, a flimsy auxiliary chord, and my thoughts. Stuck in silence, I chanced upon my local community radio station, Vox FM 106.9. More than five million Australians tune in to community radio weekly for an average of 17 hours—and I understand why. The station prides itself on “real music” with the slogan, “I don’t know what I like until you try it.” It was just what I needed! I rediscovered the thrill of rolling down the window and blasting tracks by the Sugababes.

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I reached out to Justin Moon, who manages a popular underground radio station and record shop in Newcastle. He sources music from Record Fairs, friends, and Bandcamp, distributing interesting sounds like a modern-day Hermes, guiding listeners like me towards new auditory experiences. Moon notes that his audience seeks a more “active” listening journey. “It’s not the kind of background noise you forget about ten seconds into boiling two minutes of noodles,” he remarks.

Like movies, TV, and food, music is now more accessible than ever. However, this accessibility has resulted in a phenomenon where music is often drowned out. Instead of relying solely on algorithms, I spent a month finding new music independently, fostering a deeper connection with my parents, friends, radio presenters, and even strangers. Their recommendations embodied parts of themselves, their memories, or mutual interests, regardless of my past preferences.

After my month-long Spotify hiatus, my algorithm hadn’t completely reset. While composing this piece, my daylist evolved into “Indietronican Swimming Pool in France on a Tuesday Afternoon,” featuring two Khruangbin songs. It’s safe to say it’s time to roll the dice on the radio.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Paleontologists Declare Newly Discovered Fossils the First Known Non-Pirate Roboposians

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Initially published in 1865, Palaeocampa anthrax predated the discovery of the Burgess Shale in Canada by nearly 50 years. Over the next 130 years, it underwent various classifications until Richard Knecht and his team at the University of Michigan identified its true nature. This organism primarily inhabited freshwater environments, challenging the notion that Paleozoic Robopodians were exclusively marine.

Reconstruction of the Moncole-Le Mines-Lagertet Environment Palaeocampa anthrax: The large Palaeocampa anthrax is illustrated on the banks of a shallow inland river, concealed by dense vegetation and coal forest mist, alongside various euticulcinoids and a pair of freshwater Xiphosrans, Alanops magnificus; the nearest marine environment is several hundred km southwest. Image credit: Knecht et al., doi: 10.1038/s42003-025-08483-0.

Robopodians are extinct, soft-bodied organisms that connect primitive worm-like ancestors to modern arthropods such as insects and crustaceans.

Their iconic fossils are mainly associated with Cambrian marine sediments like Burgess Shale, including Hallucigenia and Aysheaia pedunculata, the latter discovered in 1911, long thought to be exclusively marine.

“Robopodians may have been prevalent on the Paleozoic seabed, but aside from microscopic creatures and terrestrial velvet worms, we believed they were confined to the ocean,” stated Dr. Knecht.

In their recent study, Dr. Knecht and his co-authors examined 43 specimens of Palaeocampa anthrax, utilizing advanced imaging techniques from two Carboniferous Lagerstätten (Mazon Creek, USA, and Moncole Mines, France), including backscattering scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy.

The analysis revealed intricate anatomical traits, with nearly 1,000 hairy spines covering its body being particularly noteworthy.

Chemical residues at the spine tips were identified using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), indicating potential secretion of toxins to deter predators in wetland habitats.

“I was surprised to find that fragments of biological molecules can be exceptionally well-preserved or altered in fossilized geological materials,” remarked Nanphungyu, a paleontologist at Columbia University.

“We’re thrilled about this technology’s ability to distinguishing fossilized remains from rocky matrices.”

The research team posits that Palaeocampa anthrax is closely related to the Hadranax Cambrian Robopodian from Greenland, which is nearly 200 million years older.

Both species are blind, possess 10 pairs of legs, and lack claws. However, Hadranax adapted to navigate deep waters with elongated front appendages, while Palaeocampa anthrax, measuring only 4 cm, had a dense covering of spines over its legs, suggesting it might have thrived in freshwater, perhaps even amphibious environments.

This finding also clarifies the enigma surrounding the Moncole-le-Mines fossil site, which was once thought to be marine.

“Mazon Creek is characterized by a mixture of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine fauna,” Dr. Knecht elaborated.

“In contrast, Moncole-le-Mines, which yielded half of the specimens, was located hundreds of kilometers inland, thus ruling out any marine origin.”

“This reclassification confirms the site’s non-marine nature, offering a unique insight into ancient freshwater ecosystems.”

This discovery broadens our comprehension of Robopodia diversity and poses new evolutionary questions. How many more species could migrate from ocean to freshwater, hidden away in museum collections and misidentified?

“The rarity of conditions conducive to fossilizing soft-bodied creatures such as Robopodians makes this finding significant,” Dr. Knecht concluded.

“While most insights come from Cambrian Lagerstätten, such as Palaeocampa anthrax, opportunities from the Carboniferous Period are scarce, making each new discovery incredibly valuable.”

The results will be published in the journal Communication Biology.

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RJ Knecht et al. 2025. Palaeocampa anthrax: armored freshwater robopod with chemical defenses from the Carboniferous. Commun Biol 8, 1080; doi:10.1038/s42003-025-08483-0

Source: www.sci.news

Newly Discovered Aluminum Isotope: Aluminum-20

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The detection of previously unknown nuclear aluminum-20 was achieved by observing attenuation during its flight.

A three-proton release from aluminum-20. Image credit: Xiaodong Xu.

Currently, more than 3,300 nuclides have been identified, yet fewer than 300 are stable and naturally occurring. The remaining nuclides are unstable and undergo radioactive decay.

By the mid-20th century, researchers had discovered several common decay modes, including α-decay, β+ decay, electron capture, γ-radiation, and nuclear fission.

In the last few decades, advancements in nuclear physics experimental facilities and detection techniques have enabled the discovery of various exotic decay modes, particularly in nuclei that are far from stability, especially neutron-deficient nuclei.

In the 1970s, the phenomenon of single proton radioactivity was identified, where the nucleus was attenuated by releasing a proton.

In the 21st century, the discovery of bipolar radioactivity emerged, attributed to the decay of highly neutron-deficient nuclei.

Recently, even rarer disintegration events have been recorded, including those resulting in three, four, and five products.

“Aluminum-20 is the lightest aluminum isotope ever discovered,” states Dr. Xiaodong Xu, a physicist at the Institute of Modern Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

“It resides across the proton drip line and has seven fewer neutrons compared to stable aluminum isotopes.”

Employing in-flight damping techniques with fragment separators at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research, physicists assessed the angular correlation of the damping products of aluminum-20.

Their detailed analysis of these angular correlations revealed that the ground state of aluminum-20 initially decays by releasing one proton into an intermediate ground state of magnesium-19, which subsequently collapses through the simultaneous release of two protons.

Aluminum-20 marks the first observed tripolar emitter, classified as a bipolar radionuclide.

The research also indicated that the damping energy of the aluminum-20 ground state is significantly lower than anticipated based on isospin symmetry, suggesting a potential breaking of isospin symmetry between aluminum-20 and its mirror partner, neon-20.

This conclusion is endorsed by advanced theoretical calculations predicting that the spin parity of the aluminum-20 ground state differs from the spin parity of the neon-20 ground state.

“This research will enhance our understanding of the proton evaporation phenomenon and provide insights into the structural dynamics and collapse of nuclei beyond the proton drip line,” Dr. Xu remarked.

The team’s paper was published this month in the journal Physical Review Letters.

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X.-D. Xu et al. 2025. Isospin symmetry revealed through the attenuation of the three-proton emitter aluminum-20. Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 022502; doi:10.1103/hkmy-yfdk

Source: www.sci.news

Newly Discovered Small Red Dot Galaxy Found in Our Local Universe

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SEI 259288289

J1025+1402, one of three small red dot galaxies up to 2.5 billion light years apart

Digital Legacy Survey/d. Lang (Permieter Institute)

A new analysis shows that peculiar galaxies, once only identified in early cosmic formations, have surfaced more recently, raising intriguing questions about their origins.

Recent observations made by astronomers utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have revealed compact red entities from the universe’s first billion years, dubbed Little Red Dots (LRD). These were initially believed to be associated with phenomena in the early universe, like the formation of supermassive black holes at the cores of galaxies, including our own.

Xiaojing Lin from China’s Tsinghua University, along with her research team, has discovered LRD in a much younger universe, about 12 billion years post-Big Bang. “This finding demonstrates that the conditions fostering small red dots are not solely confined to the early universe,” states Lin.

The researchers employed a telescope based in New Mexico to analyze images captured during the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. They pinpointed three objects that appeared as LRD, but significantly, they were merely 2.5 billion light years apart.

“They meet all criteria for classification as small red dots,” remarks Xiaohui Fan from the University of Arizona. “I believe there’s no doubt regarding their similarity.”

Each LRD is estimated to be approximately one million times the mass of the Sun, with dimensions comparable to the solar system. One of these LRDs is nicknamed the “egg” due to its elongated structure. The team also identified a few other potential LRD candidates awaiting confirmation.

These findings are exhilarating, says Anthony Taylor from the University of Texas at Austin, as they provide unique insights into the characteristics of LRDs. These objects are faint enough that telescopes like the JWST and Hubble can analyze them significantly easier than their early universe counterparts, potentially unveiling their true nature.

“They’re much closer to us, making them appear much brighter,” adds Taylor.

A schematic diagram showing what the local small red dots might be, depicting a black hole at the center, encircled by a significant gas envelope (yellow), streams of gas, clouds, and dust.

Xiaojing Lin with Cass Fan

A potential explanation for LRDs is that they signify the nascent phases of extraordinarily massive black holes maturing within the galaxy, possibly marking their initiation as they begin consuming matter voraciously.

It’s currently unclear whether local LRDs are dormant galaxies that have recently awakened or if they have just formed and are starting to consume significant amounts of material. “At this point, it is premature to discuss that aspect,” Taylor points out.

The team is eager to utilize Hubble and JWST to delve deeper into these local LRDs. “I have a proposal for Hubble pending approval,” Fan comments.

LRDs have the potential to exist not just in contemporary and ancient universes but throughout cosmic history. “They may have been lurking, camouflaged, amidst the cosmos,” Fan remarks. “People haven’t known what to look for.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Astronomers Confirm Newly Discovered Trans-Neptunian Objects Move in Neptune-like Rhythms

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Identified during a significant survey of a large sloping object (lido) and classified as 2020 VN40, this TransNeptunian entity is the first confirmed object that completes one orbit around the Sun for every ten orbits of Neptune. This discovery, detailed in a paper published in the Journal of Planetary Science, aids researchers in comprehending the behavior of distant objects in the outer solar system and their formation. It lends support to the theory that various remote objects are momentarily “captured” by the gravitational pull of Neptune as they traverse space.

Artist’s impressions of the Transneptunian object. Image credits: NASA/ESA/G. Bacon, stsci.

“This marks a major advancement in our understanding of the outer solar system,” remarked Dr. Rosemary Pike, an astronomer at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

“It demonstrates that even the most remote areas influenced by Neptune can harbor objects, offering fresh insights into the evolution of the solar system.”

“This is merely the beginning,” commented Dr. Katherine Bolk, an astronomer at the Institute of Planetary Science.

“We are opening new windows into the history of the solar system.”

The discovery of 2020 VN40 was facilitated by the Lido Survey, which focused on identifying unusual objects in the outer solar system.

This research utilized the Canadian French Hawaii Telescope for primary observations, with supplemental observations conducted by the Gemini Observatory and Magellan Bird.

The study aimed to locate remnants with orbits extending well above and below the plane of Earth’s orbit around the Sun—an area of the outer solar system that has not been thoroughly examined.

“We’ve witnessed considerable effort and extensive results,” stated Dr. Samantha Lawler, an astronomer at the University of Regina and a member of the Lido team.

The average distance of VN40 in 2020 is approximately 139.5 times that of Earth’s distance from the Sun, following a notably tilted trajectory around the solar system.

The object becomes even more intriguing when considering its relationship with Neptune.

Unlike most objects that, based on their orbital duration ratios, are nearest to the Sun when Neptune is distant, the 2020 VN40 reaches its closest point to the Sun when Neptune is relatively nearby, based on its positional perspective above the solar system.

The inclination of the object’s orbit indicates that it is not positioned closely, as the 2020 VN40 is significantly lower than the general level of the solar system.

All other known resonant TransNeptunian objects have orbits that prevent such alignment when approaching the Sun, even from a flat perspective.

“This new discovery is like uncovering hidden rhythms in familiar songs,” expressed Dr. Ruth Murray Clay, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

“It has the potential to alter our understanding of the movement of distant objects.”

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Rosemary E. Pike et al. 2025. Lido: Discovery of a 10:1 resonator with a new, obsolete state. Planet. SCI. J 6, 156; doi:10.3847/psj/addd22

Source: www.sci.news

Have You Discovered an Unexpected Solution to the Environmental Impact of Air Travel?

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Will it take flight? This question is increasingly raised by those mindful of the environment. Boarding a plane might seem like the only realistic choice, especially during hard times or when loved ones live far away.

We can certainly engage in some air travel as part of a sustainable future, but we must first dispel certain misconceptions and clearly outline feasible ways to lessen our global warming footprint.

The most common myth is that sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) can resolve our issues. This label is misleading, as SAFs often don’t live up to their name.

Here’s why: there are three primary categories of SAF. The first type is derived from waste, particularly used cooking oil. However, this only accounts for about 2-3% of global flights. The second type consists of synthetic SAFs produced from raw materials like captured carbon dioxide, using renewable energy. The efficiency of these processes is quite low (at least 2 kilowatt-hours of energy are needed to generate 1 kWh of fuel), which is a misguided use of limited renewable resources. The third type is made from crops, which puts immense pressure on farmland and the food system, posing major challenges. In reality, sustainable aviation fuel is not the revolutionary solution many hope for.

Another hopeful concept I often encounter is the idea that electrification or hydrogen fuel could decarbonize aviation. However, electrification is practical only for short-haul flights; battery weight makes it unfeasible for long distances. Hydrogen poses its own challenges due to its bulky storage requirements, even when compressed to 700 times atmospheric pressure.

On a brighter note, there are significant opportunities that haven’t garnered enough attention.

Potential solutions for greener aviation have been overlooked until recently. The high, wispy trails produced by aircraft exhaust – which account for over 60% of the climate impact of flights – carry even more weight when considering their short-term influence over the next two decades.

These contrails reflect Earth’s heat back into the atmosphere and function somewhat like a blanket. However, their overall impact is complex. They can not only trap heat but also reflect sunlight on clear days, creating a cooling effect that mainly occurs during the day, particularly over dark surfaces like oceans. Unfortunately, the warming effect tends to dominate during warm nights over dark surfaces.

By making small adjustments to flight paths, we can manage contrail formation. Changing an aircraft’s altitude or trajectory in specific weather conditions can be beneficial. Deliberate modifications while flying over sunny waters could yield positive results. A slight alteration in flight routes—just 1.7%—could potentially reduce contrail warming impacts by almost 60%. Real-time modeling is essential for integrating this into flight planning, similar to current practices for avoiding storms and managing air traffic.

This presents a relatively cost-effective solution that requires industry leadership. Once contrail management becomes established, the role of SAF might shift significantly, allowing it to contribute to cleaner burning and mitigate the worst impacts of contrails on more challenging flights.

Does this imply we can ignore the climate ramifications of flying? Unfortunately, no. Yet, understanding these factors provides a legitimate reason for optimism.

Mike Berners-Lee is the author of True Climate: Why We Need It and How to Get It

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Source: www.newscientist.com

We Might Have Discovered a Simple Method for Producing Water on the Moon

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Researchers have created innovative technologies to extract water from lunar soil, potentially offering vital support for future lunar explorers.

Findings published in the journal Joule highlight how this could significantly lower the astronomical cost of transporting water from Earth, which stands at $22,000 per liter ($83,000 per gallon).

If successfully scaled, this technology may play a crucial role in supporting long-term missions on the moon.

Utilizing samples brought back by China’s Chang’e-5 mission in 2020, scientists showed that water can be extracted from lunar materials and used alongside carbon dioxide to produce essential resources. These resources include oxygen for astronauts to breathe and hydrogen-based chemicals that can be transformed into rocket fuel.

“We never fully imagined the ‘magic’ contained in lunar soil,” said Professor Lou Wang, one of the study’s authors from Shenzhen University and Hong Kong’s China University, in a statement.

“The most surprising aspect of our work was the real success achieved through this integrated approach. One stage of lunar 2O extraction and photothermal CO2 catalysts enhances energy efficiency and simplifies infrastructure development.”

This technique employs a photothermal method (which converts sunlight into heat) to facilitate water extraction and the chemical conversion process.

Chang’e-5 lunar samples on display in Beijing, China. The mission returned 1.7 kg (3.7 pounds) of lunar material to Earth in 2020 – Source: Getty

In laboratory tests, the team employed actual lunar soils from Chang’e-5, along with simulated samples, exposing them to CO2 while concentrating light into a batch reactor. The CO2 used in the conversion process can be easily obtained from astronaut exhalations on the moon.

Previous methods for extracting water from lunar regolith lacked direct links to generating other vital resources. This integrated approach indicates a more efficient advancement; however, researchers recognize that significant challenges persist.

The moon’s extreme temperatures, high radiation levels, and inconsistent soil composition complicate efforts to scale this technology. The amount of CO2 produced by an astronaut’s exhalation may not meet the requirements for complete resource recycling, and the catalytic process still lacks the efficiency needed for sustained life.

Nevertheless, this advancement represents a promising leap towards making life on the moon more viable. There is increasing global interest in establishing a long-term human presence on the moon, and leveraging local water resources could be instrumental for deeper space missions.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Many Exoplanets Discovered by NASA’s TESS Satellite Could Be Larger Than Expected

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The radius of a planet is a crucial factor in understanding its composition and characteristics. Accurate radius measurements are generally obtained by analyzing the percentage of starlight blocked as the planet transits its host star. NASA’s Transit Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has identified hundreds of new exoplanets; however, its low angular resolution can lead to the mixing of light from stars hosting exoplanets with that of background stars. If not entirely corrected, this additional light may dilute the transit signal, leading to an underestimation of the planetary radius. In their analysis of the planet Tess, astronomers from the University of California, Irvine revealed that systematically incorrect planetary radii are frequently reported in scientific literature.

Artistic impression of a gas giant exoplanet and its parent red dwarf star. Image credit: Sci.News.

“We have discovered that many exoplanets are larger than previously thought, which shifts our understanding of exoplanet characteristics on a wide scale,” states Tae Han, a doctoral student at the University of California, Irvine.

“This suggests that we may have actually identified Earth-like planets that are fewer than we initially believed.”

Astronomers cannot directly observe exoplanets; they rely on the planets passing in front of their host stars to measure the subtle decrease in starlight.

“Essentially, we are measuring the shadows cast by planets,” remarks Paul Robertson, a professor at the University of California, Irvine.

In their study, the authors examined the observations of hundreds of exoplanets detected by TESS.

They found that light from neighboring stars could “contaminate” the light emitted by the stars under study.

This results in planets transiting in front of their stars appearing smaller than their actual size, receiving less light compared to larger planets.

Astronomers have conducted numerous studies explaining the characteristics of planets discovered by TESS.

They categorized the planets based on how different research teams measured their radii and used computer models to estimate the extent of bias resulting from light interference from adjacent stars.

Data from the ESA Gaia satellite was utilized to assess the impact of light contamination on TESS observations.

“TESS data is indeed contaminated, and our custom models perform better than any existing methods in the field,” stated Professor Robertson.

“What we discovered in this study is that these planets could be systematically larger than we initially assumed.”

“This raises the question: How common are Earth-sized planets?”

Previously, it was thought there were fewer planets resembling Earth in size.

“Among the single-planet systems identified by TESS, only three were believed to have a composition similar to Earth,” Han noted.

“This new finding indicates that all of them are larger than we previously thought.”

This implies that instead of rocky planets like Earth, they are more likely to be water worlds (planets entirely covered by vast oceans that are often larger than Earth) or larger gas giants like Uranus or Neptune.

This could have significant implications for the search for life on distant worlds, as water worlds may harbor life but lack the specific conditions necessary for life to thrive as it does on Earth.

“These insights have important consequences for our understanding of exoplanets, including prioritizing follow-up observations with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and assessing the prevalence of water worlds in our galaxy,” concluded Professor Robertson.

The study was published in Astrophysical Journal Letters.

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Tae Han et al. 2025. Hundreds of TESS exoplanets may be larger than previously thought. ApJL 988, L4; doi: 10.3847/2041-8213/ade794

Source: www.sci.news

New Neornithischian Dinosaurs Discovered in China

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Paleontologists have announced the discovery of what they believe to be a new species of early-running Neonysikhia dinosaurs, part of the Jurassic Yangliao Biota in northern China.

Skeleton of Plasaurustinron shown in side view. Image credit: Hailong Zhang.

Named Plasaurustinron, this newly identified dinosaur species lived in what is now China approximately 160 million years ago during the Jurassic period.

The ancient reptiles are part of what is known as the Yanliao Biota, a Jurassic ecosystem that included dinosaurs, mammals, amphibians, insects, lizards, and numerous plants.

“The Yanliao Biota is one of China’s most significant Mesozoic Lagerstättes, comprising fossil communities from the Jiulongshan and Tiaojishan formations, dating from 168 to 157 million years ago,” according to researchers from the China Academy of Sciences and Yunnan University.

“Overall, between 54 and 58 vertebrate species have been reported from the Yanliao Biota, which includes nine non-avian dinosaurs.”

“The Yanliao Biota preserves a large array of vertebrate material from various species, offering valuable insights into major paleontological milestones, such as the emergence of birds and the early evolution of mammals.”

“However, all non-avian dinosaurs found within the Yanliao Biota are small ceratopsians, while Ornithischia is represented by merely one species likely from the Jehol Biota.”

“This contrasts sharply with other contemporary Chinese terrestrial faunas, like the Shishugou and Shaximiao Faunas, where body sizes and taxonomic compositions are far more diverse.”

Plasaurustinron belongs to the group known as Neornithischia (New Ornithischians), a category of dinosaurs within the order Ornithischia.

First identified in 1985, Neornithischians are characterized by a thick layer of asymmetric enamel on the inner surfaces of their lower teeth.

“Neornithischia is a significant group of dinosaurs with early origins traceable to the central Jurassic region and possibly represented by several early extinction species such as Sanxiasaurus, Agirisaurus, and Hexine Rusaurus found in China,” said the paleontologist.

“Besides China, Neornithischian fossils have been reported from Jurassic regions in Eastern Europe, Scotland, and other geological periods and countries.”

“Neornithischia experienced rapid diversification into numerous species during the Cretaceous period.”

Well-preserved specimens of Plasaurustinron were discovered in the Tiaojishan formation in the Hebei Province of China.

“The fossil comprises nearly complete skeletons encased in slabs of brownish-red sandstone,” the researchers noted.

“The specimen retains most of its skull and complete post-cranial skeleton.”

According to scientists, Plasaurustinron was a small neornithischian dinosaur.

“The specimen’s total length is approximately 72.2 cm (measured from the rostral end of the skull to the caudal end of the last preserved vertebra), whereas the skull measures around 8 cm,” they mentioned.

The identification of this new species enhances our understanding of the biodiversity of the Yangliao Biota and the evolutionary relationships of early-running neornithischians.

“Phylogenetic analyses position Plasaurustinron at the base of Neornithischia, in proximity to Agirisaurus, the earliest neornithischian known,” the authors explained.

“This new species marks the first Neonysichian found within the Yangliao ecosystem and will help bridge the temporal and geographical gaps in the distribution of Neornithischia in China.”

“Additionally, the preserved remains of Plasaurustinron represent the second documented occurrence of ossified laryngeal structures among non-avian dinosaurs.”

“The laryngeal structures observed in Plasaurustinron suggest the presence of ossified laryngeal devices across other dinosaur species.”

In a manner resembling the arc shape found in modern birds, Plasaurustinron may have possessed bird-like vocalizations.

The discovery of Plasaurustinron is detailed in a paper published in the journal PeerJ.

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Y. Yang et al. 2025. A new neornithischian dinosaur from the Jurassic Tiaojishan formation in northern China. PeerJ 13:E19664; doi:10.7717/peerj.19664

Source: www.sci.news

Denverdino Museum Discovered Beneath Your Parking Lot

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Denver – The Denver Museum, famous for its dinosaur exhibits, has unearthed fossil bones right beneath its parking lot, bringing paleontological discoveries closer to home than many anticipated.

This find originated from a drilling operation that reached over 750 feet (230 meters) deep to explore geothermal heating options at the Denver Museum of Natural Sciences.

The museum is a favorite among dinosaur lovers of all ages, where full-sized dinosaur skeletons astonish children who can barely reach their parents’ knees, especially the mighty Tyrannosaurus.

Ornithopod vertebrae discovered at a depth of 763 feet in the core excavation at City Park, located within the parking lot of the Denver Museum of Natural Sciences.
Richard M Wicker/Video Denver Natural Museum AP

While this latest find may not be visually striking, the likelihood of discovering a fossil sample shaped like a hockey puck is notably low.

Museum representatives highlighted the rarity of encountering dinosaur remains, even in localized areas with a modest width of just a few inches (5 cm).

“Finding dinosaur bones in the core is akin to drilling into one of the moons. It’s like winning the Willy Wonka Factory. It’s extraordinarily uncommon,” noted James Hagerdorn, the museum’s geology curator.

Geologist James Haggadawn closing a box of core sample locks at the Denver Museum of Natural Sciences on July 9th.
Thomas Paypert / AP

Museum officials mentioned that only two similar discoveries have been documented in borehole samples globally, let alone on the grounds of a dinosaur museum.

These vertebrae are believed to come from small, herbivorous dinosaurs that thrived during the late Cretaceous period, approximately 67.5 million years ago, shortly before the asteroid impacts that led to their extinction.

Fossilized plant materials were also uncovered in the vicinity of the bone.

“The animal inhabited a wetland ecosystem that was likely lush with vegetation at that time,” explained Patrick O’Connor, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Natural Sciences.

The region has long been recognized for its dinosaur discoveries, including fossils resembling Tyrannosaurus rex and Triceratops. This recent find is noted to be Denver’s deepest and oldest, according to O’Connor.

While other experts validate the findings, reactions to the discoveries have been varied.

“It’s impressive. However, it might not be scientifically groundbreaking,” commented Thomas Williamson, curator of paleontology at the Museum of Natural History in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Williamson remarked that it’s challenging to accurately determine the species of dinosaur from the evidence found.

Yet, Erin Rack Count, the educational program director for Dinosaur Ridge, located just west of Denver, exclaimed in an email that the discovery is “absolutely legitimate and utterly fascinating!”

The fossil’s shape suggests it may belong to a duck-billed dinosaur or perhaps a tecosaurus.

Currently, the borehole fossils are on display at the Denver Museum of Natural Sciences, but there are no plans to search for additional finds beneath the parking lot.

“I wish I could dig a 763-foot (233 meters) hole in the parking lot and unearth more dinosaurs, but I don’t think it will happen because of parking constraints,” said a museum official.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Newly Discovered Polyiron Duct Mammal Species in the UK

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Paleontologists have unearthed fossilized teeth from a newly identified genus and species of plagioclase polyuria in the lower Cretaceous Luluworth Formation within the Purbeck Group in Dorset, England.

Artist’s depiction of Nova Cradon Mirabilis. Image credit: Hamzah Imran.

Multi-liquids represent a highly successful and diverse group of Mesozoic mammals.

Over 200 species have been documented, ranging in size from that of a mouse to a beaver.

These mammals thrived during the Central Jurassic throughout the Mesozoic Era, even surviving the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous, which led to the early, sparsely populated neural period.

They adapted to various ecological niches, from living in dens to climbing like squirrels.

The newly identified species existed during the Beliasia period in the pre-Cretaceous Epoch, around 143 million years ago.

Dubbing it Nova Cradon Mirabilis, this mammal was omnivorous, likely consuming small invertebrates like worms and insects.

Its sharp incisors and distinct, blade-like premolars demonstrate feeding strategies that differ from those of modern rodents such as squirrels and rats.

“This study illustrates how early mammals established their ecological roles while dinosaurs dominated the Earth,” remarked Professor David Martill from the University of Portsmouth and his colleagues.

The 1.65 cm jaw of Nova Cradon Mirabilis was discovered in 2024 by undergraduate Benjamin Weston at the University of Portsmouth.

“The fossil showcases long, pointed incisors at the front, followed by a gap and then four sharp premolars,” the paleontologist stated.

“While it superficially resembles a rabbit’s jaw, the pointed incisors and unique premolars clearly link it to the multi-iron group.”

The specimens were found at the upper beach area of Dalston Bay, Dorset, England.

This location is part of the Luluworth Formation from the Lower Cretaceous period of the Purbeck group.

“The new specimen is the most complete multi-iron structure found in the Purbeck group,” the researchers noted.

“The fossils were extracted from a distinctive layer in the so-called freshwater bed, specifically the flint bed, which scientists believe indicates deposition within freshwater lagoons.”

“Nova Cradon Mirabilis is also the first mammal recovered from the flint bed,” they added.

The discovery of Nova Cradon Mirabilis is detailed in a paper published in the Proceedings of the Geologists Association.

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Benjamin T. Weston et al. A new polyiron tube (mammal, Arosaria) from the Luluworth Formation (Cretaceous, Beliasian) in Dorset, England. Proceedings of the Geologists Association Published online on July 9, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.pgeola.2025.101128

Source: www.sci.news

The Oldest Protein, Dating Back 18 Million Years, Discovered in Ancient Teeth

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Protein fragments survived in the extreme environment of Rift Valley, Kenya

Ellen Miller

In Kenya, fossilized teeth from an 18 million-year-old mammal yielded the oldest protein fragment ever discovered, extending the age record for ancient proteins by fivefold.

Daniel Green at Harvard, alongside Kenyan scientists, unearthed diverse fossil specimens, including teeth, in Kenya’s Rift Valley. Volcanic activity facilitated the preservation of these samples by encasing them in ash layers, enabling the age dating of the teeth to 18 million years. Nonetheless, it remained uncertain whether the protein in the tooth enamel endured.

The circumstances were not promising—Rift Valley is “one of the hottest places on Earth for the past 5 million years,” Green observes. This extreme environment presents “significant challenges.” Despite this, earlier research has detected tooth enamel proteins, albeit not from such ancient samples. To assess the longevity of protein traces, Green employed a small drill to extract powdered enamel from the teeth.

These samples were sent to Timothy Creland at the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute for analysis. He utilized mass spectrometry to categorize each molecular type in the sample by differentiating them by mass.

To his surprise, Creland uncovered sufficient protein fragments to yield significant classification insights. This identified the teeth as belonging to the ancient ancestors of elephants and rhinos, among other evidence. Creland expresses enthusiasm for demonstrating that “even these ancient species can be integrated into the Tree of Life alongside their modern relatives.”

While only a small amount of protein was recovered, the discovery remains monumental, asserts Frido Welker from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He emphasizes that growing protein and gaining insights into this ancient fossil is a “tremendous breakthrough.”

Unlike other tissues such as bone, sampling teeth is crucial for uncovering fragments of ancient and valuable proteins like these. “The sequence of enamel proteins varies slightly,” notes Creland.

The dental structure may have played a role in preserving proteins for such an extended period. As teeth are “primarily mineral,” these minerals assist in protecting enamel proteins through what Cleland describes as “self-chemical processes.” Furthermore, the enamel comprises only a small fraction of protein, aiding in its preservation, roughly 1%. “Whatever protein is present, it’s going to persist much longer,” Green asserts.

The endurance of protein fragments in Rift Valley suggests that fossils from other locales may also contain proteins. “We can genuinely begin considering other challenging regions of the planet, where we might not expect significant preservation,” Cleland comments. “Microenvironmental discrepancies may promote protein conservation.”

Beyond studying proteins from these specific periods, researchers aim to explore samples from various epochs. “We’re looking to delve deeper into history,” Cleland mentions. Green adds that analyzing younger fossils could offer a “baseline of expectation” for the number of conserved protein fragments compared to those from ancient specimens.

“We’re only beginning to scratch the surface,” Cleland concludes.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Newly Discovered Armored Dinosaur Species Unearthed in China

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Paleontologists have identified a new species from the Ankylosaurus dinosaur genus Zhongyuansaurus, using specimens discovered in Henan Province, China.

Reconstructing the life of Zhongyuansaurus Junchangi. Image credit: Connor Ashbridge / CC by 4.0.

Ankylosaurids (Antirosaurididae) were a group of herbivorous tetrapods known for their sturdy, scute-covered bodies, distinct armor, leaf-shaped teeth, and club-like tails.

The earliest and most renowned ankylosaurid dates back to approximately 122 million years ago, while the last species went extinct around 66 million years ago during the mass extinction event.

The newly recognized species belongs to a previously monospecific genus of Ankylosaurus called Zhongyuansaurus.

It is named Zhongyuansaurus Junchangi and lived in the region now known as China.

Fossils were collected from the upper section of the Haoling Formation in Zhongwa village, Henan Province, China.

“The fossils are preserved within an area of about 9 m.2,” noted Dr. Ji Min Chang from the Henan Museum of Natural History.

“They are fragmented and show no overlapping preservation, indicating they belong to a single individual.”

“The specimen includes one right mandible, 14 free caudal vertebrae, seven fused terminal caudal vertebrae forming a rod-like structure, four ribs, one left humerus, one elongated metatarsal, and 41 osteoblasts of varying sizes and shapes.”

The right lower jaw of Zhongyuansaurus Junchangi. Image credit: Zhang et al., doi: 10.19800/j.cnki.aps.2023037.

Zhongyuansaurus Junchangi exhibits a unique autapomorphy, featuring at least five caudal armor plates arranged in a distinct shiny pattern resembling a swallow shape.

“Furthermore, it has a relatively slender mandible compared to the more robust mandibles found in advanced Ankylosaurina,” the paleontologist added.

“The anterior tip of the coronoid process differentiates it from Chamosaurus, extending only into the last two alveoli.”

“The distal caudal vertebrae are decorated with small osteoblasts, and the humerus has a shaft proportion enclosed within 0.46, distinguishing it from Zhongyuansaurus luoyangensis.”

“The discovery of Zhongyuansaurus Junchangi provides new insights into the evolution of ankylosaurs in the lower Cretaceous layers of Ruyang and enhances the species diversity within the Ruyang Dinosaur Fauna,” the researchers concluded.

Their paper was published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Sinica.

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Ji-Ming Zhang et al. 2025. New ankylosaur material from the lower Cretaceous period in the Luyan Basin, Henan Province. Acta Palaeontologica Sinica 64(1): 60-73; doi: 10.19800/j.cnki.aps.2023037

Source: www.sci.news

Recently Discovered Exoplanet Triggers Flares on Its Host Star

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The Hot-Jupiter exoplanet HIP 67522b revolves around its star, HIP 67522, frequently triggering flares from the star’s surface, which seem to heat and penetrate the planet’s atmosphere.

Artistic impression of the HIP 67522 young planetary system. Image credit: J. Fohlmeister, AIP.

HIP 67522 is a G0 star located approximately 417 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus.

This star is part of the Scorpius-Centaurus Stellar Association and is also known as HD 120411, 2Mass J13500627-4050090, and TYC 7794-2268-1.

At about 17 million years old, HIP 67522 is home to two young exoplanets.

The inner planet, HIP 67522b, completes an orbit around the star every seven days and has a diameter roughly ten times that of Earth, making it similar in size to Jupiter.

Using five years of data from NASA’s TESS and ESA’s CHEOPS telescopes, astronomer Ekaterina Ilin and her team studied the HIP 67522 system in detail.

They uncovered that the planet and its host star share a powerful yet destructive connection.

Although not completely understood, the planet becomes ensnared in the star’s magnetic field, resulting in eruptions on the star’s surface that transfer energy back to the planet.

When combined with other high-energy radiation from the star, these flares appear to significantly enhance the rapid inflation of the planet’s atmosphere.

This indicates that the planet might not remain within the size range of Jupiter for much longer.

Continuous exposure to intense radiation can lead to atmospheric loss over time.

In about 100 million years, this could change the planet into a hot Neptune state or even result in more severe atmospheric reductions, with sub-Neptunes commonly observed in our galaxies, but lacking smaller planetary types than Neptune in our solar system.

“We found the first definitive evidence of the interaction between the flare star and the planet, demonstrating that the planet induces energy eruptions in the host star,” remarked Dr. Ilin, lead author of a paper published in the journal Nature.

“What is particularly thrilling is that this interaction persists for at least three years, allowing for in-depth study.”

“Such planetary interactions have long been anticipated, but these observations were made possible with this extensive spatial telescope dataset,” stated Dr. Katja Poppenhäger, an astronomer at Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam and Potsdam University.

“The planets are essentially subjected to intense bursts of radiation and particles from these induced flares,” explained Astron astronomer Dr. Harish Vedantum.

“The conditions in this self-inflicted environment are likely to expand the planet’s atmosphere and can significantly accelerate the rate at which the planet is losing its atmosphere.”

In a separate paper published in Astronomy and Astrophysics, astronomers confirmed that HIP 67522 is a magnetically active star emitting strong radio radiation along with a magnetic field.

They monitored the star at low radio frequencies for approximately 135 hours using the Australian Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), revealing it as a bright and explosive source of radio waves.

However, there were no indications of radio wave flares resulting from star-planet interactions.

“The lack of detection aligns with the notion that planet-driven flares may be too faint for ATCA to observe, corroborating the conclusions on magnetic star-planet interactions presented in our Nature paper,” they noted.

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Ekaterina Ilin et al. Nearby planets induce flares in their host star. Nature, published online July 2, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09236-z

Ekaterina Ilin et al. 2025. Search for planetary-induced radio signals from the young exoplanet-host star HIP 67522. A&A, in press; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202554684

Source: www.sci.news

A11PL3Z: Interstellar Travelers Discovered Racing Through the Solar System

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SEI 257609617

The predicted trajectory of A11PL3Z marks it as the third interstellar object observed in the solar system

CSS, D. Rankin

Potential interstellar bodies are now observed zipping through our solar system, and both amateur and professional astronomers globally are racing to direct telescopes towards these phenomena, refine their trajectory models, and ultimately validate their status as visitors from another star.

The object provisionally named A11PL3Z represents the third interstellar entity detected to date. The asteroid ‘Oumuamua was first seen in October 2017, just three days after it passed closest to Earth, and its unusual acceleration sparked a variety of hypotheses, including the possibility of it being an alien spacecraft. The second identified object, Comet Borisov, was observed in 2019, allowing for closer examination given its early passage through the solar system.

A11PL3Z was first identified by the Deep Random Survey in Chile, a group of amateur astronomers. However, a review of earlier observations by other teams revealed that it was initially spotted on June 14 by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). It is estimated to measure approximately 20 km in width and is currently traveling at around 66 km/s, accelerating as it gets pulled in by solar gravity. In October, it will reach its closest point to the Sun, passing within two astronomical units (the Earth is twice the distance from the Sun) before swinging away and exiting the solar system.

This provides a limited window for studying A11PL3Z, though it’s more than that available for previous interstellar objects, which were seen hurtling towards the solar system. “These objects move through the solar system at incredible speeds,” remarks Mark Norris from the University of Central Lancashire. “They are quite transient, which restricts our ability to learn about them.”

Sadly, the prospect of sending missions to intercept and study A11PL3Z is beyond the reach of current technology, notes Norris. “If we were to launch a mission today, it would be too late,” he states. However, the European Space Agency (ESA) is planning a comet interceptor mission set for launch in 2029, which would remain in space to await the arrival of newly discovered comets and possibly interstellar objects.

For the time being, astronomers are relying on existing telescopes to observe A11PL3Z from a distance. “We anticipate we will be observing it by the end of the year, giving us ample time to prepare our spectrometers once we finalize the trajectory,” shares Richard Moisle. When will our observers discern its visibility? There’s a palpable excitement as everyone is prepared and looking forward to this opportunity.

At the time of this writing, over 100 observations of A11PL3Z have already been logged, and the Minor Planet Center—the official body responsible for monitoring and reporting such celestial entities—is expected to confirm its interstellar classification later today.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New Permian Herbivore Species Discovered in China

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Paleontologists have discovered a new genus and species of medium-sized Paleasaurus, identified from two fossilized specimens found in China in 2018.

Artist Reconstruction Yinshanosaurus angustus. Image credit: X.-C. Guo, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleontology.

The newly recognized species, Yinshanosaurus angustus, existed during the latest Permian period, around 259 to 254 million years ago.

These ancient creatures were part of Paleiasauria, a distinct group of herbivorous tetrapods that thrived across the Supercontinent Pangaea during the Middle Permian.

“Pareiasauria was a bizarre quadrupedal herbivorous clade present during the Guadalpian and Ropingian epochs, significantly impacted by both the late Capitanian and Permian mass extinction events,” stated the Chongqing Institute of Paleontology.

“Fossils of Pareiasauria have been discovered globally, spanning Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America.”

“Pareiasaurus served as a primary herbivorous consumer within various terrestrial tetrapod faunas, including those from the late Permian in northern China.”

“Since the 1960s, eight species of Chinese Paleasaurus have been documented.”

Two significant specimens—a partial post-skull skeleton with a nearly complete skull and another partial skeleton—were excavated in China in 2018.

“The first specimen was found in a dark purple siltstone layer of the Sunjiagou Formation, near Zhangjiage Tuo Village in Bird County, Shanghai,” reported the paleontologist.

“The second specimen was located in purple silty mudstone at the upper section of Member I of the Naobaogou Formation near Qiandian Village in the Siguai district of Baotou, Inner Mongolia.”

According to the researchers, Yinshanosaurus angustus features the narrowest skull of all Pareiasaurus species, with a length over twice its width at the lateral edge of the cheek.

“With the skeleton of Yinshanosaurus angustus, we present the complete skull and detailed post-cranial structure of this Chinese Pareiasaurus for the first time,” they emphasized.

Their study was published this month in the journal Paleontology Papers.

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Jian Yi & Jun Liu. 2025. Tetrapod fauna of the Upper Permian Naobagou Formation in China: A new medium-sized Pareiasaurus Yinshanosaurus angustus and its implications for the phylogenetic relationship of Pareiasaurus. Paleontology Papers 11(3): E70020; doi: 10.1002/spp2.70020

Source: www.sci.news

Two Parasitic Bacteria Discovered in 99-Million-Year-Old Amber

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The fossilized bacteria from Cachin Amber in Central Cretaceous belong to the same family as the zombie ant bacteria, ophiocordyceps unilateralis, which has become well-known as the inspiration for various popular apocalyptic video games and TV series, such as Our Last.

Ecological reconstruction of Cretaceous insects and insect pathogenic fungi. The ants have abandoned the infected PUP, and the infected fly is located on the trunk of a distant tree. Image credit: Zhuang et al., doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0407.

Two newly identified species, Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae and Paleoophiocordyceps Ironomyiae, represent some of the oldest fossil records of animals and pathogenic fungi.

These specimens were discovered in 99-million-year-old fragments of Kachin amber, sourced from a mine near the village of Neuebham in northern Myanmar.

“Insects and fungi are among the most diverse groups of living organisms, cohabiting Earth’s ecosystems for over 400 million years,” explains Professor Edmund Jalsenbowski, a paleontologist at the Geology, Paleontology and Natural History Museum in London, along with his colleagues from the Nanjing Institute of Studies.

“Consequently, they have developed intricate and close ecological relationships, including reciprocity, predation, and parasitism.”

“Entomopathogenic fungi, in particular, have garnered attention for their role in regulating insect populations, though much remains unclear about them.”

“The infection process begins when spores come into contact with the proper host, initiating germination through enzymatic hydrolysis, allowing entry into the insect’s body cavity (hemocoel).”

“Once the fungus infiltrates the insect’s body, it (as yeast-like cells at this phase) proliferates via budding, consuming the host’s body from within.”

“Eventually, the host typically succumbs to fungal toxins, leading to the formation of chains of yeast-like cells that transition to the filamentous stage shortly after the host’s death.”

“These filaments gradually organize into compact spore-producing structures (sporocaps) that emerge from the softer parts of the insect, dispersing spores into the environment to infect additional hosts.”

Holotype of Paleoophiocordyceps Ironomyiae. This comparison of mid-Cretaceous specimens shows similarities with existing Bacillus ophiocordis: (a, b) Lateral and dorsal views of the bipteran host, where potential fungal structures are visible. (c) Closure of the fungal stroma of Paleoophiocordyceps Ironomyiae; (D, E) Apex of the fungal stroma. The red arrows indicate the surroundings. (f, g, h) Presence of ophiocordyceps stromas for Ant and Dipteran hosts. Scale bars – 0.5 mm (a, b), 0.1 mm (c) and 50 μm (d, e). Image credit: Zhuang et al., doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0407.

According to the authors, Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae was found in a young ant, while Paleoophiocordyceps Ironomyiae was discovered on a fly.

“It’s captivating to observe that some of the unusual phenomena we witness today were also present during the age of dinosaurs,” remarked Professor Jarzembowski.

“Known as a zombie fungus, it can influence the behavior of its host, a feature that has been depicted in popular apocalyptic video games and series like Our Last.”

“Given that the infection is lethal, ophiocordyceps and its fossil counterparts likely played a significant role in regulating insect populations during the Middle Cretaceous, similar to how their modern relatives do today.”

“While parasitism is common in today’s ecosystems, evidence of these interactions is seldom found in the fossil record.”

“This is primarily due to the poor preservation of their soft tissues in fossils and the fact that they reside within their hosts, making identification among insect remains challenging.”

“While ancient parasite specimens have been uncovered, our understanding of their evolution remains limited.”

“This new discovery provides rare insight into these parasites from a long-ago era.”

The team’s research paper was published in the June 2025 issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biology.

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Yuhui Zhuang et al. Cretaceous insect pathogenic fungi illuminate the early evolution of insect-fungal associations. Proc. R. Soc. B 292 (2048): 20250407; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2025.0407

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient Karawon Fossils Discovered in New Zealand, Dating Back 19 Million Years

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Paleontologists have unearthed a new species of large passerine birds based on fossilized remains from the Bannockburn Formation near St. Bathans in Otago, New Zealand.

Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina Tibicen), adults and juveniles, in Tabeumi, Fiji. Image credits: Charles J. Sharp, https://www.sharpphotography.co.uk / CC by-sa 4.0.

The newly identified bird inhabited New Zealand during the early Miocene period around 19 million years ago.

It has been named St. Batan’s Caloun (MioStrepera Canora), closely related to the Australian Magpie (Gymnorhina Tibicen) found in New Zealand today, likely exhibiting an entirely black plumage.

“We’ve experienced a lot of excitement and hard work,” shared Dr. Paul Scofield, senior curator at the Canterbury Museum.

“We probably haven’t encountered a member of this large magpie family for just five million years.”

“New Zealand’s ecosystem has undergone significant transformations over millions of years, welcoming diverse species throughout various eras,” noted Dr. Trevor Worthy, a researcher at Flinders University.

“There’s a notion that we should strive to restore New Zealand to its pre-European ecosystem.”

“However, that ecosystem had been in a constant state of flux for millions of years.”

“By the time humans arrived, Aotearoa had already lost much of the floral diversity that once thrived.”

“There were limited tree seeds available, but the decline of the choloun and other pigeons indicates this loss.”

“Different plant and animal groups emerged between 2.6 million and 11,700 years ago.”

“Even more have come since humans began to inhabit the land.”

“New Zealand’s pre-European ecosystem isn’t inherently better or worse than any other period in the past.”

“The fossil record hints at the absence of a utopian state and encourages us to celebrate the diversity present today.”

The fossilized remains of MioStrepera Canora were found at the St Bathans fossil site, which was once located at the bottom of a vast prehistoric lake.

“The research revealed that the Miocene bird population in New Zealand bears surprising similarities to contemporary Australian birds,” Dr. Scofield mentioned.

“New Zealand was vastly different during the Miocene, between 200,000 to 5 million years ago.”

“If you walked through New Zealand’s forests during that time, you would have seen abundant eucalyptus, laurel, and casuarinas, much like the forests of Australia today.”

“The most significant factor shaping New Zealand’s current landscape was the extinction of many plants and animals that thrived in warmer climates, following a rapid cooling that began around 13 million years ago.”

“It was likely not the only bird call you would have heard in ancient New Zealand.”

The discovery of MioStrepera Canora is detailed in a paper published in the journal Palz.

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Worth it et al. A large-scale clastatin passerine (Aves, Artamidae, Cracticinae) from the early Miocene of New Zealand. Palz published on June 25th, 2025. doi:10.1007/s12542-025-00736-x

Source: www.sci.news

Dan Russ: The Funniest Things I’ve Discovered Online | Comedy Insights

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I plan to purchase the Guardian from the newspaper publisher. Digital mediums are intertwined with analog ones, allowing you to discover trends through print. I’ll grab it a bit later. I got some insights after reading the Economist last week.

I wish technology had paused in 1996, when playing Mario Kart was sufficient but not life-altering. Just a need for Microsoft Excel was all that was required.

Aidan Jones: 10 Funniest Things I’ve Encountered (On the Internet)

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I avoid social media, leading others to think I possess mental clarity. Yet, I’ll attribute it to the shop hours of Harvey Norman.

Here are my favorite moments I’ve stumbled upon on TV via YouTube late at night. They all seem to speak for themselves.

1. Norm Macdonald on a Morning TV Show

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/GFQbLwaElt4?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Norm Macdonald on WGN Morning News – CHECK IT OUT (2011) Full Interview" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

This is one of his numerous hilarious appearances across various platforms.

2. Rodney Dangerfield on Various Late-Night Shows

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/MecU2keW54I?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Rodney Dangerfield at the Top of His Game (1980)" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

I’ve revisited this quite a bit.

3. Don Rickles in Various Late-Night Clips

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/vFJgDtDupJg?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="The Very Best of Don Rickles" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

This is another clip I frequently watch to uplift my mood. I tend to replay the same ten clips repeatedly. Many are featured here.

4. Joan Rivers

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/iUZavNQA9MM?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Joan Rivers Hilarious Stand Up Comedy (2006)" height="480" width="640" allowfullscreen="

I also enjoyed her documentary which she referred to as “the work.”

5. Isn’t Damien Power Quite Engaging?

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/F9s8kAIqFLM?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Damien Power | Not So Funny Now Is It?" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

This one is truly intriguing.

6. John Curkshank’s Redfern Electrical

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/a-sWFZyVXFo?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Redfern Electrical" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

He has his unique slang that is both subtle and bland simultaneously.

7. Eddie Pepitone: For the Masses

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ik-skhmSFLI?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Eddie Pepitone | For The Masses (Full Comedy Special)" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

We watched this during the pandemic, and it made for a great pairing.

8. Sam Campbell

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/RfVS_MAMNqk?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Grandmaster-level baddie Sam Campbell being ‘somewhat’ foolish @ Bill Murray comedy club" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

He builds one gag at a time into something larger.

9. Robbie Hoffman’s Zero Personality Disorder

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/_ofQX6Xykhg?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Robby Hoffman – Zero Personality Disorder" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Another fantastic viewing experience during the pandemic.

10. Zach Galifianakis

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/XNlI-WuVHeQ?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion (1/4) Zach And Seth (2007) HD" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

It feels very immersive, as if you’re right there, even while feeling uncomfortable.

  • Dan Russ is a comedian. He will be performing his award-winning short “Tropical Death Paucity” at Monkey Barrel Cabaret Voltaire from July 31st to August 24th. Edinburgh Fringe.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Cyanocoronene Discovered: Astronomers Find 7-Ring Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in TMC-1

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Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are believed to be the most prevalent class of organic compounds in the universe, yet their lifecycle in interstellar media remains poorly understood. Recently, astronomers using NSF’s Green Bank telescopes identified cyanocoronene (C24H11CN), the largest PAH discovered in space, located within the starless cloud core TMC-1.

Cyanocoronene, composed of seven interconnected benzene rings and cyano groups, is a region known for its abundant chemistry and was discovered in the cold, dark molecular cloud TMC-1, recognized as a new cradle for star formation. Image credits: NSF/AUI/NSF/NRAO/P.VOSTEEN.

Cyanocoronene is a derivative of coronene, often regarded as a prototype compact PAH due to its stability and distinctive structure.

PAHs are thought to play a crucial role in the chemistry that captures a significant portion of the universe’s carbon and contributes to star and planet formation.

Until this discovery, only smaller PAHs had been identified in space, making this finding a significant leap in understanding size limits.

“Each new detection brings us closer to understanding the origins of the complex organic chemistry in the universe, and possibly the building blocks of life,” says Dr. Gabi Wentzel, an astronomer at the Center for Astrophysics at MIT and Harvard & Smithsonian.

Dr. Wentzel and her team first synthesized cyanocoronene in the laboratory and recorded its unique microwave spectrum using advanced spectroscopic methods.

Equipped with this molecular fingerprint, the astronomers searched data from the Green Bank telescope, the primary instrument for the Gotham project (GBT observations of TMC-1: GBT observations of aromatic molecules).

They identified several spectral lines of cyanocoronene, confirming its presence with a statistical significance of 17.3 sigma, a robust detection by astronomical standards.

Cyanocoronene is currently the largest individual PAH molecule found in interstellar space, featuring 24 carbon atoms in its core structure (excluding the cyano group).

The quantity of cyanocoronene detected is comparable to that of smaller PAHs previously identified, challenging the notion that larger molecules are rare in the universe.

This indicates that even more complex aromatic molecules may be prevalent in the cosmos.

“The presence of such a large, stable PAH lends support to the idea that these molecules can serve as significant reservoirs of carbon and potentially facilitate the formation of new planetary systems throughout their lifecycle,” the researchers stated.

“The quantum chemical analysis in this study reveals that the reaction between coronene and CN radicals enables the efficient formation of cyanocoronene in cold space conditions.

“This implies that even prior to star formation, there can be chemical processes that establish complex organic matter.”

“The discovery of cyanocoronene not only adds new chapters to the narrative of astrochemistry but also reinforces the PAH hypothesis. It suggests that these molecules are responsible for the enigmatic infrared emission zones scattered throughout the universe.”

“Additionally, it establishes a direct link between interstellar clouds, meteoroids, and asteroid chemistry, implying that organic molecules present in our solar system might have originated in similar environments long before the Sun was born.”

The scientists presented their Survey results on June 11th at the AAS246, 246th Summer American Astronomical Association.

____

Gabi Wenzel & Gotham Collaboration. 2025. Discovery of 7-ring PAH cyanocoronene (C24H11CN) from Gotham observation of TMC-1. AAS246 Summary #75

Source: www.sci.news

Two Uncommon Radio Signals Discovered Emerging from Antarctic Ice

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An unusual radio pulse was identified by the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) Experiment. Various instruments were deployed on NASA balloons over Antarctica, aiming to detect radio waves produced by cosmic rays impacting the atmosphere. This experiment seeks to illuminate events in the distant universe by scrutinizing signals that reach Earth. Rather than bouncing off the ice, this radio signal seemed to originate from beneath the horizon. Such a direction challenges our current understanding of particle physics and might indicate a previously unknown particle or interaction.

ANITA instruments were stationed in Antarctica to minimize interference with other signals. The setup involves balloon-mediated radio detectors flying through ice to capture what is known as an ice shower. Image credit: Stephanie Wissel/Penn State.

“The detected radio waves were highly angled, approximately 30 degrees below the ice surface,” said physicist Dr. Stephanie Wissel from Pennsylvania State University.

“Our calculations suggest the anomalous signal interacted with thousands of kilometers of rock before reaching the detector.

“This poses an intriguing question as we have yet to understand these anomalies fully. However, we do know they likely do not represent neutrinos.”

Neutrino signals typically emerge from high-energy sources such as the sun or significant cosmic events like supernovae and the Big Bang.

Yet, these particles present a challenge: they are notoriously difficult to detect.

“A billion neutrinos pass through any point instantly, but they rarely interact,” Dr. Wissel explained.

“This presents a paradox. If we detect them, it means they traversed this way without interacting with anything else.”

“We can even identify neutrinos originating from the edge of the observable universe.”

“When observed and traced back to their source, these particles travel at speeds comparable to light, offering insights into illuminative events that reveal more than the most powerful telescopes.”

“Researchers globally have been focused on creating specialized detectors to capture faint neutrino signals.”

“Even a minor signal from neutrinos can unveil valuable information, making all data crucial.”

“We’re aiming to utilize radio detectors to establish a significant neutrino telescope, anticipating low event rates.”

ANITA was one of these detectors, positioned in Antarctica to reduce interference from other signals.

To capture the ejection signal, it deploys a balloon-mediated radio detector to traverse ice stretches and identify what is known as an ice shower.

“We operate these radio antennas on balloons that soar 40 km above the Antarctic ice,” Dr. Wissel noted.

“We lower the antennas into the ice, searching for neutrinos that interact within the ice, resulting in radio emissions detectable by the instrument.”

These unique ice-interacting neutrinos, termed tau neutrinos, generate secondary particles called tau leptons that are released from the ice as they lose energy traveling through space, producing emissions identified as air showers.

“If visible to the naked eye, an air shower may resemble a sparkler dispersed in one direction.

“We can distinguish between two signal types (ice and air shower) and ascertain details about the particles that produced the signals.”

“These signals can be traced back to their sources, akin to how balls thrown at angles bounce back predictably.”

However, the recent peculiar findings cannot be traced because they display sharper characteristics than existing models anticipate.

By analyzing data gathered from multiple ANITA flights and contrasting it with thorough simulations of both mathematical models and common cosmic rays and upward air showers, researchers successfully eliminated background noise and ruled out possibilities of known particle-based signals.

Scientists then cross-referenced signals from other independent detectors, including the IceCube experiment and the Pierre Auger Observatory, to determine if any upward-facing air shower data had been captured by other experiments similar to those identified by ANITA.

The analysis disclosed that no other detectors documented anything capable of explaining what ANITA detected, leading researchers to characterize the signal as abnormal. This indicates that the particles responsible for the signal are not neutrinos.

The signal defies conventional paradigms in particle physics. Some theories propose it could hint at dark matter; however, the absence of follow-up observations from IceCube and Auger significantly diminishes this possibility.

“Our team is in the process of designing and constructing the next major detector,” Dr. Wissel shared.

“We aspire for a new detector called Pueo to be larger and more adept at identifying neutrino signals, which should clarify the nature of the abnormal signal.”

“My hypothesis is that some intriguing radio propagation phenomena occur near the ice, close to the horizon—effects I don’t fully comprehend, but we are certainly investigating them.

“So, this is one of those enduring mysteries, and we are eager to achieve enhanced sensitivity when we deploy Pueo.”

“In principle, we should detect more anomalies, and perhaps we’ll decipher their nature.”

“We could also encounter neutrinos, which would be tremendously exciting in their own right.”

The team’s paper was published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

____

A. Abdul Halim et al. (Pierre Auger Collaboration). 2025. Exploring abnormal events detected by ANITA using the Pierre Auger Observatory. Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 121003; doi:10.1103/physrevlett.134.121003

This article is based on a press release provided by the Pennsylvania State University.

Source: www.sci.news

Patient Rover Could Uncover Secrets of Newly Discovered Mars Volcano

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The questionable volcano (highlighted) is located near the prominent Jezero crater on Mars

NASA/JPL/MSSS/JHUAPL/ESA/DLR/FU BERLIN/ASTER COWART

Recent observations suggest the existence of a volcanic formation at the edge of Mars’ Jezero Crater, currently under investigation by NASA’s rover. This rover might already be collecting samples from materials expelled during an ancient volcanic eruption.

Perseverance, which landed in Jezero Crater in 2021, is methodically moving toward the western edge, tracing an ancient river that is believed to have flowed between 300 million and 4 billion years ago.

The rover is gathering samples meant to be returned to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return mission planned for the 2030s. However, this endeavor faces potential cuts proposed by the Trump administration affecting NASA’s funding.

Some of the materials in the samples were thought to be volcanic, showcasing characteristics of lava flow. Recently, James Ray from Georgia Tech in Atlanta and his team have identified a possible volcanic structure at Jezero Mons—a dormant volcano situated on the southeastern edge of Jezero.

High-resolution images from Martian orbiters have revealed fine-grained materials in the vicinity, possibly indicating ash from the volcano. The dimensions and shape of Jezero Mons—21 km wide and 2 km high—parallel those of similar volcanoes on Earth.

“The evidence for igneous volcanoes is most consistent with our observations,” states Ray, noting that magma may have originated from beneath the surface. “This is the strongest case we can make without physically visiting the site.”

By analyzing the craters near the volcano, Ray and his colleagues estimate that Jezero Mons may have last erupted around a billion years ago.

This finding suggests that the rover might have collected volcanic samples. If they can be returned to Earth, scientists would be able to accurately date volcanic activity on another planet for the first time.

“Knowing when that volcano was active is incredibly exciting,” exclaimed Briony Hogan from Purdue University in Indiana, a member of the rover’s science team. This information could significantly enhance our understanding of “how the interiors of planets evolve over time,” she adds.

Ideally, Ray mentions that he hopes to direct Perseverance to the volcano itself, but acknowledges this may not be feasible. “There are really fascinating ancient rocks to the west of the crater, so they’re likely driving in the opposite direction,” he explains. “I can’t blame them.”

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

Newly Discovered Pterosaur Unearthed in Germany

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Paleontologists have identified a new genus and species of Gnathosaurine Pterosaur named Spathagnathus roeperi from a fossilized specimen discovered in the Solnhofen limestone of southern Germany.

Artistic reconstruction of Spathagnathus roeperi. Image credit: Alessio Ciaffi.

Spathagnathus roeperi lived in the Solnhofen Archipelago during the Late Jurassic period, approximately 150 million years ago.

“The Solnhofen limestone in southern Germany is renowned as one of the most productive fossil sites ever discovered,” states Dr. Alexandra Fernandez, a museum colleague and co-researcher at the Associate Historians Museum at the Statzmurung für Paläontologie und Geologie in Bayern.

“The regions and layers found between Solnhofen and Regensburg have been explored for over 200 years and have produced exceptional specimens, offering unique insights into the paleoenvironment of the subtropical shallow seas.”

“The rich paleobiotic diversity of fauna in the Solnhofen area is attributed to its original sedimentary environment, located in a depression within a shallow marine reef on the north coast of the Thetis Sea, which has been referred to in recent literature as the Solnhofen Archipelago fossil community.”

Fragments of Spathagnathus roeperi were uncovered during a systematic excavation at the Blanc Quarry near Regensburg, Germany.

“The Blanc area represents the oldest section of the Solnhofen complex, and only one Pterosaur has ever been documented from this region,” the paleontologist noted.

Based on their phylogenetic analysis, Spathagnathus roeperi is categorized within Gnathosaurinae, a small subgroup of the Pterosaur family Ctenochasmatidae.

This newly identified flying reptile is also a sister species to the ctenochasmatid pterosaur Tacuadactylus luciae from Uruguay.

“The limestone of Solnhofen is rich in late Jurassic fossil vertebrates, and Pterosaurs are no exception,” the researchers concluded.

“Within this extensive collection, while Ctenochasmatid remains are relatively abundant, Gnathosaurines are quite rare.”

Spathagnathus roeperi marks the earliest representation of Gnathosaurine and extends the paleoenvironmental stratigraphic range of Gnathosaurinae within the broader fossil community of the Solnhofen Islands.

“Additionally, this new species contributes to the known diversity of ctenochasmatids from the late Jurassic, emphasizing the significance of this early radiation within the pterosaur lineage during this period,” the scientists concluded.

Their paper was published this month in the journal Palz.

____

AE Fernandez et al. A new species and early appearance of Gnathosaurinae (Pterosauria) from the late Kimmeridgian of Brun, Germany. Palz, published online on June 6th, 2025. doi:10.1007/s12542-025-00725-0

Source: www.sci.news

Janet Anderson: 10 Entertaining Finds I’ve Discovered Online | Culture

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Reducing all the fascinating things I’ve discovered on the internet to just ten is akin to condensing the Library of Alexandria into a single post-it note. I want you, dear reader, to understand that these ten selections don’t fully encompass my sense of humor; instead, they illustrate my broader journey of exploring amusing absurdities.

Back in 2000, my childhood relationship with the Internet was like that of a cherished heifer calf. It in many ways shaped the person I’ve become. The moment I felt the urge to connect with fellow misfits and the queer community, I found myself diving deep into subreddits, spending hours roaming pages, driven by curiosity until my eyes were strained.

On YouTube, I discovered my own existence. A video by Gigi Gorgeous educated me about hormones and facial feminization surgery in ways I never had known before. She deserves a purple heart for her invaluable contributions to Diva Nation. Not only did she clarify my understanding of femininity, but she also inspired my comedic creativity. Here are ten things designed to make you chuckle, stemming from the delightful chaos in my feed to you.

1. Cole Escola’s Mom Commercial

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/w8KjZ7wKYUc?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Mom Commercial" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

The world is finally catching up to the brilliance of Cole Escola, who has been nominated for five Tony Awards! I knew he’d be a genius from the days he was making quirky YouTube videos during Tumblr’s heyday. This particular gem popped up in my pastel-themed feed and perfectly scratched my comedic itch. Nothing tickles me more than absurd humor linked with serious themes. It’s very John Waters, with cheap wigs and shaky cameras!

2. Dina and Doreen

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/WWQ9NMenbRQ?start=187&wmode=opaque&feature=oembed&start=187" title="Dina & Doreen" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Once more, we delve into the delightful absurdity where drugs meet art, and art becomes humor.

3. Jiminy Glick Interviews

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/PwV2dIvewP8?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Jiminy Glick interviews Julia Louis-Dreyfus" height="480" width="640" allowfullscreen="

Oh, Martin Short, you have my heart! Regardless of my mood, Jiminy Glick’s interviews guarantee a good laugh. Why does he find power in screaming about donuts? Who really cares?

4. My Love for Goats

Firstly, rapper and reality star Sukihana (aka Suki the Goat) has an unforgettable one-liner. But this video isn’t hers, yet it’s still my favorite of hers. I adore the moment each girl realizes they were the ones twerking, understanding the hilarity of flaunting their assets for random passersby on their phones. Then the camera shifts, revealing they’re in the middle of the street. Kari girl, keep being you!

5. “Please Give Me My Food”

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/-Ng2Fs591dw?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Hello give me my dishes ring doorbell (ORIGINAL FULL VIDEO) #shorts" height="480" width="640" allowfullscreen="

This clip loops endlessly in my mind!

6. Disco Drama

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/E2RW–IqJVw?start=5&wmode=opaque&feature=oembed&start=5" title="Disco Drama | The Real Housewives of Orange County" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

To me, the sound of wealthy white women fighting is like waves crashing on the shore. The inconsistency in their arguments brings me joy, and the ladies of Orange County truly reign supreme. I could’ve chosen from dozens of altercations, but this one meets all my criteria: tears, shouts, ridiculous outfits, and irrelevant characters that vanish forever. It hits me right in the feels!

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7. Schatar Sapphira’s Best Moments

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/R7T1PKsBMdk?start=151&wmode=opaque&feature=oembed&start=151" title="Schatar Sapphira ‘Hottie’ Best Moments" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

I must say, I adore the fabulous Deluhl Diva! We all recall Tiffany Pollard from season one of Flavor Flav’s dating show, but in my view, the real star of the season was the underrated hottie (Schatar Sapphira). What would reality TV be without its fabricators?

8. The Katering Show

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/J55vgxNaaBY?wmode=opaque&list=PLZFXeozdia12APH8n9xsVNhd5qallmrz2" title="The Katering Show – MEXICANA FESTIANA" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

I remember watching this during my high school English class (sorry, Chen-san!), unable to contain my laughter. I’m thrilled that both Cates continue to embark on such creative journeys; this was just the beginning.

9. Pennywise Makeup Tutorial

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/JKj57JzZD2g?start=215&wmode=opaque&feature=oembed&start=215" title="Pennywise Tutorial after Special Treats" height="480" width="640" allowfullscreen="

Watch a girl enjoy her food while tackling Halloween makeup tutorials. Sometimes, less is indeed more. A special shoutout to her nun tutorial as well!

10. Trixie and Katya’s Fashion Photo Review

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/xUtKgqq4epM?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="Trixie & Katya’s Fashion Photo RuView, RuView of Raja & Raven" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

This is the video that started it all! Before these two drag racing legends built an empire with UNHHHH and the Trixie & Katya Show (which you shouldn’t overlook), they rose from humble beginnings to become global sensations. These two queens have remained a constant source of joy in my adulthood.

  • Janet Anderson will perform Sistren at the Old Fitz Theater from June 26th to July 12th, while Orlando will be at Belvoir from August 30th to September 21st.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fossils of 160-Million-Year-Old Blue-Stained Bacteria Discovered in China

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Fossilized blue-staining bacteria that inhabit coniferous wood, drawing the interest of insects. Xenoxylon Phyllocladoides from the Jurassic Tier Ojisian Formation in China extends the early fossil history of blue-stained bacteria by around 80 million years, reconstructing the evolutionary timeline of this fungal group and offering fresh perspectives on the evolution of ecological relationships with wood-boring insects.

Blue staining bacteria in wood tissue of Xenoxylon Phyllocladoides from the Jurassic in West Liaoning Province, China. Image credit: Tian et al., doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwaf160.

Blue staining bacteria form a distinctive group of wood-inhabiting fungi that do not have the capacity to degrade lignocellulose but can cause significant discoloration, particularly in conifers.

Generally, these fungi are not fatal to their hosts, though they can hasten tree mortality when linked with wood-boring insects.

Recent molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that blue-stained bacteria may represent an ancient group of fungi that existed during the late Paleozoic or early Mesozoic eras.

However, the geological aspects of blue-staining bacteria remain largely unexplored.

“Until 2022, the earliest confirmed fossil evidence of blue-staining bacteria was identified from the Cretaceous period in South Africa, around 80 million years ago,” stated Dr. Ning Tian, a paleontologist at Shenyang Normal University.

Dr. Tian and colleagues uncovered well-preserved fossilized hyphae from a 160-million-year-old petrified forest of Xenoxylon Phyllocladoides from the Tier Ojisian Formation in Northeast China.

“Microscopy revealed darkly pigmented fossil hyphae, resembling the characteristics of modern blue-staining bacteria responsible for forest discoloration,” they noted.

“Notably, when penetrating woody cell walls, hyphae usually form a specialized structure known as permeation pegs.”

“As they invade the wood cell walls, the mycelium tends to be finer and can more easily navigate this robust barrier.”

“The discovery of these penetrating pegs allowed us to confirm that the fossilized bacteria we encountered belong to the blue-stained fungal group.”

“Unlike wood-decomposing fungi that break down wood cell walls through enzyme secretion, blue-staining bacteria lack the enzymatic ability for wood degradation.”

“Instead, their mycelium breaches the wood cell wall mechanically using these penetrating pegs.”

“This discovery of Jurassic blue-staining bacteria from China marks the second report of such fungi and adds to the early fossil record of this group worldwide, as recognized by Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology.”

“It also sheds light on the ecological interactions between blue-staining bacteria, plants, and insects during the Jurassic period.”

The bark beetle subfamily Scolytinae is considered a major spore disperser for present-day blue stain fungi.

However, molecular and fossil data indicate that Scolytinae likely originated before the early Cretaceous period.

Given the current Jurassic age of the fossil fungi, it is proposed that the spore dispersing agent was not Scolytinae but another wood-boring insect prevalent during that time.

The findings are detailed in a paper published in the June 2025 issue of the journal National Science Review.

____

Ning Tian et al. 2025. Jurassic blue staining bacteria provide new insights into early evolution and ecological interactions. National Science Review 12 (6): NWAF160; doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwaf160

Source: www.sci.news

Giant Exoplanet Discovered Orbiting Low-Mass Star TOI-6894

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The identification of TO-6894B, an exoplanet roughly 86% the size of Jupiter orbiting the low-mass Redd star (0.2 solar masses), underscores the importance of enhancing our comprehension of the formation mechanisms of giant planets and their protoplanetary disc environments.

Artist’s illustration of TOI-6894B behind its host star. Image credit: Markgarlic/Warwick University.

The TOI-6894 system is located approximately 73 parsecs (238 light years) away in the Leo constellation.

This planet was discovered through a comprehensive analysis of data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), aimed at locating giant planets around low-mass stars.

“I was thrilled by this discovery. My initial focus was on observing a low-mass red star with TESS, in search of a giant planet,” remarked Dr. Edward Bryant, an astronomer from the University of London.

“Then, utilizing observations from ESO’s Very Large Telescope (VLT), one of the most substantial telescopes globally, I identified TO-6894B, a giant planet orbiting the smallest known star with such a companion planet.”

“I never anticipated that a planet like TOI-6894B could exist around such a low-mass star.”

“This finding will serve as a foundational element in our understanding of the boundary conditions for giant planet formation.”

TOI-6894B is a low-density gas giant, with a radius slightly exceeding that of Saturn, which has only 50% of its mass.

The parent star is the lowest mass star yet found to host a massive planet, being just 60% of the mass of the next smallest star observed with such a planet.

“Most stars in our galaxy are actually small, and it was previously believed that they couldn’t support a gas giant,” stated Dr. Daniel Baylis, an astronomer at Warwick University.

“Therefore, the fact that this star has a giant planet significantly impacts our estimates of the total number of giant planets likely to exist in the galaxy.”

“This is a fascinating discovery. We still don’t completely understand why relatively few stars can form such large planets,” commented Dr. Vincent Van Eilen, an astronomer at the University of London.

“This drives one of our objectives to search for more exoplanets.”

“By exploring different planetary systems compared to our own solar system, we can evaluate our models and gain insights into how our solar system was formed.”

The prevailing theory of planetary formation is known as core accretion theory.

According to this theory, the cores of planets are initially formed by accreting material, and as the core grows, it attracts gases that eventually create its atmosphere.

Eventually, the core becomes sufficiently large to initiate the runaway gas accretion process, leading to the formation of a gas giant.

However, forming gas giants around low-mass stars presents challenges, as the gas and dust necessary for planetary formation in their protoplanetary discs is limited, hindering the formation of a sufficiently large core to kickstart this runaway process.

The existence of TOI-6894B indicates that this model may be insufficient and that alternative theories need to be considered.

“Considering TO-6894B’s mass, it might have been formed through an intermediate core-fault mechanism, whereby the protoplanet forms and accumulates gas steadily without orbiting, making it large enough to undergo runaway gas accretion,” Dr. Edward explained.

“Alternatively, it might have formed due to an unstable gravitational disk.”

“In certain cases, the disk surrounding the star can become unstable due to the gravitational forces it exerts on itself.”

“These disks may fragment as gas and dust collapse, leading to planet formation.”

However, the research team found that neither theory fully accounted for the formation of TOI-6894B based on the data available.

“Based on the stellar irradiation affecting TOI-6894B, we anticipate that its atmosphere is primarily influenced by methane chemistry, which is quite rare to identify.”

“The temperatures are low enough that atmospheric observations may even reveal the presence of ammonia.”

TOI-6894B might serve as a benchmark for methane-dominated atmospheric studies and an ideal laboratory for investigating planetary atmospheres containing carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen beyond our solar system.

Survey results will be featured in the journal Nature Astronomy.

____

Bryant et al. A giant exoplanet in orbit around a 0.2 solar mass star. Nature Astronomy, Published online on June 4th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41550-025-02552-4

Source: www.sci.news

Is Planet Nine a Myth? Some Astronomers Believe They’ve Discovered a New Dwarf Planet

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A potential new dwarf planet has been identified at the distant fringes of our solar system, taking approximately 25,000 years to complete one orbit around the Sun.

This celestial object, designated 2017, was discovered by a team from the Advanced Research Institute and Princeton University who were searching for a “Planet 9,” a hypothesized planet larger than Earth that is believed to orbit beyond Neptune. Some astronomers suspect that this elusive Ninth planet could shed light on the peculiar clustering of various objects and other oddities observed in the outer solar system.

While in pursuit of the elusive Planet Nine, researchers instead came across another resident of our cosmic neighborhood.

“It’s similar to the way Pluto was discovered,” remarked Sihao Cheng, a member of the Advanced Research Institute that spearheaded the research team. “This endeavor was a real adventure.”

If validated, the newly found dwarf planet could be what Chen refers to as Pluton’s “extreme cousin.” The findings were published on the Preprint site arXiv and have yet to undergo peer review.

Cheng and his colleagues estimate that 2017 measures approximately 435 miles in diameter.

Dwarf planets are categorized as celestial bodies orbiting the Sun that possess enough mass and gravity to be nearly round, yet unlike typical planets, they do not clear their orbital paths of asteroids and other objects.

Eritayan, a co-author of the study and a graduate student at Princeton University, noted that one fascinating characteristic of 2017 is its highly elongated orbit. At its most distant points from the Sun, it lies over 1,600 times farther than Earth does from the Sun.

The potential dwarf planets were discovered through a meticulous examination of a vast dataset from a Chilean telescope that was scanning the universe for signs of dark energy. By compiling observations over time, the researchers identified moving objects exhibiting clear patterns.

While 2017 may be one of the most distant known objects in the solar system, its discovery suggests that other dwarf planets may exist in that vast region of space.

“We used public data that had been available for some time,” explained Jiaxuan Li, a graduate student and co-author of the research at Princeton University. “It was just hiding in plain sight.”

Li mentioned that the object is currently located near the Sun, necessitating a wait of about a month for researchers to conduct follow-up observations using ground-based telescopes. They also hope to eventually study the object with the Hubble Space Telescope or the James Webb Space Telescope.

In the meantime, Chen stated he remains committed to the quest for Planet Nine. However, new findings may complicate long-held theories about the existence of such a planet.

The hypothesis surrounding Planet Nine suggests that planets several times Earth’s size in the outer solar system might clarify why certain groups of icy objects seem to have unusually clustered orbits.

“Under the influence of Planet Nine, any object lacking a specific orbital geometry would eventually become unstable and be expelled from the solar system,” Yang explained.

Despite 2017’s long orbit leading it away from clustered objects, Yang’s calculations indicate that its path will remain stable for the next billion years.

In essence, if Planet Nine existed, 2017 would not persist. Yet, Yang emphasized that further research is essential, and the discovery of a new dwarf planet candidate does not definitively rule out Planet Nine’s existence.

For one thing, the simulations currently utilize a single hypothetical location for Planet Nine, and scientists do not all agree on the locations of these planets.

Konstantin Batygin, a planetary science professor at the California Institute of Technology, first proposed the existence of Planet Nine in a 2016 study co-authored with Mike Brown from Caltech.

He remarked that the discoveries related to 2017 neither confirm nor deny the theory. Batygin noted that outer solar system objects that might demonstrate gravitational influences of Planet Nine must have their closest points of orbit remain sufficiently distant and not interact significantly with Neptune.

“Unfortunately, this object does not fall into that category,” Batygin told NBC News. “It’s in a chaotic orbit, so the implications are not significant, as it complicates the scenario.”

Batygin expressed excitement about the new research for providing additional context regarding how objects evolve in the outer solar system, praising the researchers’ efforts in mining public datasets as “heroic.”

Chen, however, remains optimistic about finding Planet Nine.

“The entire project commenced as a search for Planet Nine, and I’m still in that mindset,” he remarked. “This, however, is an enthralling tale of scientific discovery. Whether or not Planet Nine exists, the pursuit is a captivating venture.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Newly Discovered Duck-Dinosaur Species: Tareta Tareta

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Paleontologists have discovered a new genus and species of the small Lamboosaurin hadrosaur dinosaur from two fossilized jaws unearthed in Morocco.

Artist Reconstruction of Tareta Tareta. Image credit: Connor Ashbridge.

Tareta Tareta thrived in what is now Morocco during the late Cretaceous period, approximately 66 million years ago.

“The Cretaceous era marked the later stages of the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea and featured elevated eustatic sea levels,” stated Bass University paleontologist Nicholas Longrich, along with colleagues from Spain, France, and Morocco.

“Consequently, the continents became fragmented, resulting in a series of isolated island continents, which led to the evolution of distinct dinosaur faunas in various regions of the world.”

“Asia and North America were primarily inhabited by Ornisicchians of Hadrosaurid and Serratopsia, while Tyrannosaurus theropods were the apex predators.”

“In the Southern Hemisphere, titanosaurs were the leading herbivores, and Abelisaurus theropods were the top theropods.”

“Although geographic isolation played a significant role in shaping biogeographic patterns, recent findings emphasize that dispersal was also crucial, especially towards the end of the Cretaceous.”

The two related jaws of Tareta Tareta were found in Maastrichtian phosphate deposits at the top of Morocco.

“The phosphates in the Ouradubdoon Basin, situated in central Morocco, are composed of a mix of phosphate sand, marshes, and limestone in a shallow marine setting where the North Atlantic Ocean extended inland to cover much of Morocco,” the paleontologist explained.

“These phosphates date back to the Maastrichtian era (approximately 720,000 – 66 million years ago).”

Lambeosaurin dinosaurs were numerous in Morocco, with at least three species coexisting. Image credit: Longrich et al., doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2025.05.006.

Tareta Tareta is classified under the Lambeosaurine tribe Arensaurini, marking the total count of Arenasaurulin species identified in Moroccan phosphates at three.

“This first hadrosaurus discovery from Maastrichtian phosphate in Morocco, Ajinavia Odysseus, despite being isolated by the ocean, indicates hadrosaurus dispersion across Africa during the late Cretaceous,” noted the researchers.

“The close relationship of Ajinavia within Arenysaurini, known solely from Armorica, suggests that this clade was dispersed from southern Europe.”

“Following that, the second Arenysaurin, Mincaria Bata, was reported from the same period.”

“The jaw and tooth structure of Mincaria Bata differs significantly from that of Ajinavia, indicating a distinct niche specialization.”

“A related upper jaw of a small duck-like dinosaur was recently identified alongside phosphates.”

“Interestingly, neither of these specimens can be connected to Ajinavia or Mincaria. Instead, they signify the third distinct genus and species.”

“The notable variation observed in the jaws and teeth of arenasaurins in Africa points towards adaptive radiation driven by dispersal. Lamboosaurins seem to have rapidly diversified to exploit a new niche after migrating from Europe to North Africa,” they concluded.

“This African radiation aligns with the decline of Lamboosaurins in North America, underscoring the highly localized nature of dinosaur evolution.”

The team’s paper has been published in the journal Gondwana’s Study.

____

Nicholas R. Longrich et al. A new hadrosaurus from the late Maastrichtian phosphate in Morocco provides insights into radiation in African Lambeosaurin. Gondwana’s Study, published online on May 28, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2025.05.006

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient Whale Bone Tool Discovered in Spain, Dating Back 20,000 Years

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Researchers conducted an extensive study of bone artifacts from 26 Paleolithic caves and rock shelter locations in the Cantabria area of Spain and southwestern France.

173 work (a) and raw (b) taxonomic identification of bone objects: (1) blank, Tito Bastilo, sperm whale. (2) A launch point with a huge base, Islitz and a blue whale. (3) Lassempouy, Fin Whale; (4) Rascaldas, a sperm whale; (5) A launch point with a giant base, Hermitia and a gray whale. (6) Unclear object, St. Michelle, a sperm whale. (7-10) Santa Catalina, raw fragments of fin whale bones. Image credit: McGrath et al., doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-59486-8.

“The largest creatures on Earth, whales were a vital source of nourishment and materials like oil and bone,” stated Dr. Christa McGrath, the lead author and an archaeologist from the University of Barcelona, along with her co-researchers.

“Hence, they are thought to have been instrumental in the survival of various coastal human populations.”

“Nonetheless, tracing the origins of human and near-human interactions is challenging since coastal archaeological sites are particularly prone to the impacts of rising sea levels, complicating the preservation of evidence regarding early human-mammal relationships.”

The authors examined 83 bone tools from various cave and rock shelter locations around the Bay of Biscay in Spain, along with an additional 90 bones from the Santa Catalina Cave in Biscay province.

Utilizing mass spectrometry and radiocarbon dating methods, they identified the species and age of the artifacts.

The earliest two dates were from the Cantabrian sites of Las Caño and Ergeyo, which dated to 20,200-19,600 and 19,600-19,000 years ago, respectively.

“Our findings show that the bones came from at least five large whale species, with the oldest dating back around 19,000-20,000 years,” mentioned Senior author Dr. Jean Mark Petitillon, an archaeologist at Toulouse-Jean-Jalaise University and CNRS University.

“This provides some of the earliest known proof of humans utilizing whales as tools.”

“Zoomorphometry is an effective method for studying past marine mammal diversity, especially when key morphological features are absent in the bone remains and artifacts.

“We identified gray whales that not only existed in Biscay Bay but are now confined to the North Pacific and Arctic oceans.”

“Moreover, chemical analysis of the bones indicates that the feeding patterns of these ancient whales varied slightly from those of contemporary ones, highlighting potential shifts in behavior and marine environments.”

“This discovery not only enhances our understanding of the early human use of whale remains but also illuminates the role whales held in ancient ecosystems.”

The team’s study is set to be published in the journal Nature Communications.

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K. McGrath et al. 2025. Late Paleolithic whale bone tools in the Bay of Biscay reveal insights into human and whale ecology. Nature Communications 16, 4646; doi:10.1038/s41467-025-59486-8

Source: www.sci.news

Newly Discovered Herbivorous Dinosaur Species from the Jurassic Period Unearthed in China

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A newly identified genus and species of the Eusauropod dinosaur has been discovered from a fossilized partial skeleton, which includes almost complete skulls, located in Ganshu province, China.

Skull of niedu in side view. Image credits: Li et al., doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-03210-5.

The newly recognized dinosaur species existed during the mid-Jurassic period, roughly 165 million years ago.

Named niedu, it is an early representative of the long-necked, exclusively herbivorous dinosaurs known as Eusauropoda.

“Sauropod dinosaurs, which are massive herbivores from the early Jurassic to the late Cretaceous period, have been found across all continents,” stated Dr. Ning Li, a researcher at a Chinese university of Earth Sciences.

“Due to global warming events occurring during the Late Jurassic, Eusauropod has become the sole surviving sauropod lineage.”

“In the middle and late Jurassic, non-neosauropods thrived, including taxa like Schnosaurus, Omeisaurus, and core forms of Mamenchisaurus.

Fossils of niedu were gathered from the base of the Xinhe Formation near Jinchan city in Gansu province, northwestern China.

The specimen comprises five cervical vertebrae and nearly complete mandibles, alongside 29 distinct caudal vertebrae.

The skull of niedu measures approximately 31 cm in length and 12.5 cm in height.

A sauropod dinosaur being chased by two carnivorous dinosaurs. Image credit: Lida Xing.

“Finding a well-preserved skull is uncommon in non-neosauropod eusauropods due to their fragility,” the paleontologist noted.

“The skull of niedu is exceptionally well maintained and nearly complete.”

“However, the left side of the skull shows deformation due to internal compression.”

“Most cranial sutures are clearly visible on niedu,” they added.

According to the researchers, niedu marks the earliest sauropod discovered in Gansu province.

“niedu is significant,” they concluded.

“We also present more information that enhances our understanding of sauropod evolutionary history in northwestern China.”

The paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports on May 23rd.

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N. Li et al. 2025. A new Eusauropod (dinosaurs, sauropods) from the central Jurassic in China. Sci Rep 15, 17936; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-03210-5

Source: www.sci.news

A Newly Discovered Dwarf Planet at the Solar System’s Frontier

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Orbits of the potential dwarf planet known as 2017 OF201 and the dwarf planet Sedna

Tony Dunn

A newly discovered distant dwarf planet lies beyond Neptune, challenging the existence of the hypothetical Planet 9 or Planet X.

Sihao Cheng and colleagues first spotted this object, initially recognized in 2017, while reviewing data from the Victor M. Blanco telescope in Chile.

The 2017 OF201 measures roughly 700 km in diameter, qualifying it as a dwarf planet similar to Pluto, which is about three times larger. Currently, it is positioned approximately 90.5 astronomical units (AU) away from Earth, roughly 90 times the distance from the Earth to the Sun.

Classified as a Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO), 2017 OF201 has an average orbital distance from the Sun that exceeds Neptune’s orbit. It travels beyond Neptune and through the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies on the outskirts of the solar system.

Researchers analyzed 19 observations collected over seven years at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. They determined that the next close approach of 2017 OF201 to the Sun would occur at perihelion, positioned at 44.5 AU, which is reminiscent of Pluto’s orbit. Its furthest point from the Sun lies at about 1600 AU, beyond our solar system.

This distant orbit may have resulted from an encounter with a large planet that ejected the dwarf planet from the solar system, according to researchers.

“This is a fascinating discovery,” says Kevin Napier from the University of Michigan. He explains that objects can interact with various stars in the galaxy as they move beyond our solar system and can also interact within our own solar system.

Many extreme TNO trajectories seem to be converging toward a specific direction, which some interpret as evidence for a hidden ninth planet within the Oort Cloud—a vast shell of icy rocks that surrounds the solar system. The speculation is that the gravitational pull of this ninth planet may be influencing TNOs into specific orbital paths.

However, the trajectory of 2017 OF201 does not align with this observed pattern. “This object is certainly an outlier among the observed clustering,” notes Erita Yang at Princeton University.

Cheng and his team also conducted simulations of object orbits concerning Planet 9. “With Planet 9, objects get ejected over hundreds of millions of years. Without it, they remain stable,” states Napier. “This is not evidence supporting the existence of Planet 9.”

Nevertheless, until more data is available, the matter remains unsettled, according to Cheng. “I hope that Planet 9 is real because it would be even more intriguing.”

This candidate dwarf planet takes approximately 25,000 years to complete its orbit, meaning we detect it for only about 1% of that time. “These objects are faint and very challenging to locate, and their elongated orbits make them visible only when they are near the Sun, resulting in a brief window for observation,” explains Napier.

It is possible that hundreds of such objects exist in the outer solar system. The upcoming Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to start operating later this year and may delve deeper into the universe to find more objects like this.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Newly Discovered Shallow Water Fish Species in Portugal

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Paleontologists have announced the discovery of a new genus and species of Balacromian Ikuchosaur, based on a fossilized skull found in the Agua de Maderos Formation in Portugal.

Gadusaurus Aqualigneus. Image credit: Pratas e Sousa et al., doi: 10.4202/app.01199.2024.

The newly identified species thrived in the early Jurassic oceans around 193 million years ago.

It has been scientifically designated as Gadusaurus Aqualigneus; this marine reptile is a small Ikchosaur, measuring approximately 2 m (6.6 feet) in length.

“Iktiosaurus was a group of Mesozoic reptiles renowned for their adaptation back to marine life,” explained Dr. Joan Platas et Sousa, a researcher from Nova de Lisboa University.

“These creatures existed from the early Triassic to the late Cretaceous, but early Jurassic fish fauna is most commonly found in the European fossil record.”

“While some western regions are rich in marine deposits, southern areas like the Iberian Peninsula (encompassing Portugal and Spain) have very few and fragmented records.”

The nearly complete skull of Gadusaurus Aqualigneus was found in a planarized state, measuring about 35.2 cm (13.9 inches) in length, in the Agua de Madeiros Formation in 2021.

“The specimens we analyzed were collected in mainland Portugal, specifically in the San Pedro de Moel area,” the paleontologist stated.

“The fossil block was located in the sands of Agua de Maderos Beach, at a stream marking the boundary between Marinha Grande and Alcobaza municipalities.”

“This region lies within the Lusitania Basin, which is situated on the passive margin of Western Iberia in the Atlantic, providing exceptional marine records from the Lower Jurassic,” they added.

“The Lusitania Basin is a long, narrow structure bordered to the east by the Iberia Massif and to the west by the Valiskan Berrenga Horst.”

“The basin’s development coincided with the opening of the Atlantic Ocean, displaying various sedimentary facies from the upper Triassic to the upper Cretaceous.”

Phylogenetic analysis places Gadusaurus Aqualigneus within the Ichthyosaur Clade Baracromia, part of the Neoichthyosaur and Parvipelvia Clades.

“This specimen represents the most complete and well-preserved remains of Uoshima described so far on the Iberian Peninsula,” the researchers noted.

“Moreover, it is the first new species of this marine reptile group documented in Iberia.”

“This specimen predates the Toarcian Marine Anoxia Event, which is believed to have affected the lifestyle of later Ichthiosaurus species.”

“It’s reasonable to assume that ecological events during this period may have similarly influenced the lifestyle of this type, though further studies are essential.”

The discovery of Gadusaurus Aqualigneus will be detailed in a new paper published online in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.

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J. Platas E. Sousa et al. 2025. A new Ichaosaurus from the lower Jurassic of Portugal (Iberian Peninsula). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 70(1):179-192; doi:10.4202/app.01199.2024

Source: www.sci.news

Fossil Trucks Discovered in Australia Extend Reptile Origins by 35 Million Years

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Paleontologists have uncovered fossilized tracks of reptile-like creatures from the early Carboniferous Tonan period, approximately 355 million years ago, within the snow plain formation in Victoria, Australia. This discovery indicates that such animals originated from Gondwana, where Australia was centrally located.

Artist’s impression of early reptile track makers from 355 million years ago. Image credit: Martin Ambrozik.

Tetrapods evolved from a group of fish that transitioned from aquatic to terrestrial life around 390 million years ago during the Devonian period.

These ancestral beings are the forebears of all modern vertebrates inhabiting land, including amphibians and various mammals, reptiles, and birds.

The oldest known amniotic fossils previously discovered date back to the late Carboniferous period, roughly 320 million years ago.

The findings from this 355 million-year-old snow plains slab, found by two amateur paleontologists, reveal that reptiles were already present 35 million years earlier than previously thought, at the dawn of the Carboniferous.

“Upon recognizing this, I understood that we had the oldest evidence globally of animals akin to reptiles, pushing back the evolutionary record by at least 35 million years beyond prior findings in the Northern Hemisphere,” stated Professor John Long from Flinders University.

“The fossilized tracks uncovered in the Mansfield region of northern Victoria, Australia, were created by creatures resembling small, agile, Goanna-like animals.”

A slab containing 355 million-year-old tracks from Australia’s Snowy Plains formation. Image credit: Long et al., doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-08884-5.

“When I initially encountered this specimen, I was astounded. Just seconds later, I noticed that the nail impressions were remarkably preserved,” said Dr. Grzegorz Niedwiedzki, a researcher at Uppsala University.

“Nails are characteristic of all early amniotic species but are absent in other quadruped lineages,” added Per Erik Ahlberg, a professor at Uppsala University.

“The combination of nail marks and foot shapes suggests that the track maker was a primitive reptile.”

According to the research team, this discovery profoundly impacts the understanding of early tetrapod evolution.

Although all stem tetrapods and stem amniotes must have emerged during the Devonian period, evidence suggests that tetrapod evolution progressed significantly faster than previously believed, with far fewer Devonian tetrapods than assumed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj7bttru0l8

“Skeletons can reveal much about an animal’s capabilities, but trackways capture behavior and illustrate how the animal functioned,” explained Dr. Alice Clement from Flinders University.

“This new fossilized trackway we examined dates from the early Carboniferous, making accurate age identification crucial. We achieved this by comparing the various fish fauna in these rocks to similar morphotypes found in well-dated sedimentary layers from across the globe, providing a timeline constraint of approximately 10 million years.”

“This finding redefines a segment of evolutionary history,” remarked Dr. Gillian Garvey from La Trobe University.

“Much has occurred in Australia and Gondwana, indicating that the narrative is still unfolding.”

The findings are detailed in a paper published in the journal Nature.

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Ja Long et al. Early amniote tracks revise the timeline of tetrapod evolution. Nature published online on May 14th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08884-5

Source: www.sci.news

A New Species of Cambrian Radiodont Discovered by Burgess Shale in Canada

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Mothra Fentoni resided in present-day Canada during the Cambrian period, approximately 506 million years ago.

Life reconstruction of Mothra Fentoni. Image credit: Daniel Dufour, Royal Ontario Museum.

Mothra Fentoni had a body similar in size to an index finger, featuring three eyes, distinctive articulated claws, a circular mouth lined with teeth, and a body adapted for swimming along its sides.

These features suggest that it belongs to the Radiodonta, the earliest diverging group of arthropods, including the well-known Anomalocaris canadensis, a one-meter-long predator that shared its habitat with Mothra Fentoni.

Nevertheless, this new species exhibited traits not observed in other radiodonts: regions of its abdomen resembling multiple segments at the rear.

“Mothra Fentoni is a fascinating example of evolutionary convergence with modern groups such as horseshoe crabs, wood lice, and insects, all sharing a series of segments that house respiratory organs at the rear,” stated Dr. Jo Moisiuk, a paleontology and geology curator at the Manitoba Museum and researcher at the Royal Ontario Museum.

“Radiodonts represent the first branch of arthropods on the evolutionary tree, providing crucial insights into the ancestral characteristics of the entire group,” explained Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron, Richard M. Ivy curator of invertebrate paleontology at the Royal Ontario Museum.

“The newly discovered species emphasizes that these early arthropods were remarkably diverse and adapted in ways comparable to their modern counterparts.”

General overview of the form of Mothra Fentoni. Image credits: Joseph Moysiuk & Jean-Bernard Caron, doi: 10.1098/rsos.242122.

Sixty specimens of Mothra Fentoni were collected over nine field seasons from 1990 to 2022, primarily at the Raymond Quarry in Yoho National Park, with additional finds in the areas of Marble Canyon and Tokumm Creek in Kootenay National Park.

The specimens reveal details about internal anatomy, including aspects of the nervous, circulatory, and gastrointestinal systems.

“Very few fossil sites globally provide such in-depth insights into soft internal anatomy,” Dr. Caron noted.

“We can observe traces representing bundles of eyes responsible for image processing, similar to living arthropods. The details are remarkable.”

Rather than arteries and veins like those in humans, Mothra Fentoni possessed an “open” circulatory system, which circulated blood into a large internal cavity known as a lacuna.

These lacunae are preserved as reflective areas throughout the body, extending into the fossil’s swimming flap.

“The well-preserved lacuna in the circulatory system of Mothra Fentoni aids in interpreting similar, although less distinct, features observed in other fossils. Their classification remains contentious,” said Dr. Moisiuk.

“The widespread preservation of these structures confirms the ancient origins of this circulatory system type.”

The discovery of Mothra Fentoni is detailed in a study published today in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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Joseph Moiszk and Jean Bernard Caron. 2025. Early evolutionary traits in arthropod tagmosis exemplified by the new radiodont from Burgess Shale. R. Soc. Open Sci 12(5): 242122; doi: 10.1098/rsos.242122

Source: www.sci.news

New Species of Herrerasaurus Discovered in India

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A newly discovered species fills the temporal gap between South American Herrerasaurus dinosaurs and their younger relatives in North America.

Reconstructing the life of Maleriraptor Kuttyi with the Unayasaurid Sauropodomorph Jaklapallisaurus asymmetric, both from the Norian Upper Maleri Formation in southern central India. Image credit: Márcio L. Castro.

Maleriraptor Kuttyi existed in present-day India during the Norian period of the Triassic, approximately 220 million years ago.

These ancient reptiles are part of the Herrerasauria, a small to medium-sized group of carnivorous animals that appeared in the fossil record around 228 million years ago and went extinct by the end of the Triassic period.

“Herrerasaurus is a representative of the earliest radiation of predatory dinosaurs,” stated Dr. Martin Ezcala, a paleontologist from the University of Birmingham and the Concejo Nacional de Investigative Sciences, alongside his museum colleagues.

“Previously, their records were predominantly limited to four nominal species found in the Norian Formation in the central area of Karnia in northwestern Argentina and the lower section of the Candelaria sequence in southern Brazil (dated 233-229 million years ago).”

“These species are bipedal, with a total length ranging from 1.2 to 6 m (3.9 to 19.7 feet).”

In particular, Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis stands out as the most abundant dinosaur in the lower third of the stratigraphic sequence of the Ischigualasto Formation within the region.

“The possibility of Herrerasaurus existing outside South America was first suggested in the mid-1990s with the discovery of Chindesaurus bryansmalli, from the Norian levels of the mid-upper Sinru formation in North America.”

Fossil materials of Maleriraptor Kuttyi were collected over 40 years ago from the Upper Maleri Formation in the Pramhitagodabari Valley, located about 1 km south of Anamam village in southern India.

“The Upper Maleri Formation where Maleriraptor Kuttyi was found is particularly significant in illuminating the early evolution of dinosaurs, as it retains a collection of dinosaurs that are slightly younger than the earliest radiation in Karnia,” remarked the paleontologist.

According to the research team, Maleriraptor Kuttyi provides the first evidence that Herrerasaurus also survived in Gondwana, related to the turnover of tetrapods in the early Norian period (227-220 million years ago), coinciding with the global extinction of a group of herbivorous alxaurmorph reptiles known as Linchaurus.

“The discovery of Maleriraptor Kuttyi indicates that Herrerasaurus persisted at least during the early Norians after the extinction event that wiped out Rinchaurus.”

“The presence of Herrerasaurus in the early Norians of India might be climatically influenced, as it suggests that India experienced different average annual temperatures and precipitation compared to North America’s Norian regions.”

“A more comparable paleoclimate between India and Southern North America might explain the presence of fauna components that are uncommon or absent in southern South America, such as phytosaurs, Herrerasaurus, Protopycnosaurus, and Marellisaurus alocotosaurus.”

“The deposition of the Upper Maleri Formation occurred shortly after the extinction event affecting Linchaurus, which is well-documented in the lower Maleri Formation.”

“The faunistic similarity between the Upper Maleri Formation and the upper section of the Brazilian Santa Maria Supersequence suggests they share a similar age, dating back to approximately 225 million years, which includes the presence of Unayasaurids.”

Thus, Maleriraptor Kuttyi helps bridge the early Norian gaps in the Herrerasaurus record.

The team’s paper has been published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

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Martín D. Ezcurra et al. 2025. A new Herrerasaurus dinosaur from the Upper Triassic Upper Marelli Formation in southern India. R. Soc. Open SCI 12(5): 250081; doi: 10.1098/rsos.250081

Source: www.sci.news

CICADA: A Newly Discovered Fossil Song Species from Germany

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The Cicadidae family is among the most diverse insect families today. However, the fossil record of Cicadidae is notably sparse compared to the number of extant species. The recently discovered species, Eoplatypleura Messelensis, is not only one of the earliest Cicadidae fossils found on the Eurasian continent, but it also represents the oldest record of the subfamily CICADINAE globally.

Reconstruction of Eoplatypleura Messelensis. Image credit: Dinghua Yang.

Eoplatypleura Messelensis thrived in Europe approximately 47 million years ago during the Eocene period.

“The Cicada family is one of the most diverse groups of insects today,” states Dr. Sonja Wedmann, a paleontologist at the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt/Main.

“Despite this, the fossil record is quite limited compared to the many modern species.”

“The Platypleurini group within this family is particularly noteworthy, containing numerous species with wide distributions and unique traits.”

“For the first time, we have described a fossil from this Cicada group.”

Two fossil specimens of Eoplatypleura Messelensis were found at Messelpit, an open-cast oil shale mine located 10 km northeast of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.

“The new Messel fossil showcases a compact head with a subtle composite eye and a broad forewing featuring a distinctly curved tip,” notes Dr. Hui Jang, a paleontologist at the Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut and a doctoral researcher at the University of Maine and Nanjing University.

“The fossils are female, but their classification implies that males in this group may produce loud mating calls.”

Eoplatypleura Messelensis, an adult female. Image credit: Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt/Main.

These ancient insects measure 2.65 cm in body length and have a wingspan of 6.82 cm, notable for their expansive, intricately patterned wings.

“These patterns resemble those of contemporary Cicada species in the Platypleurini group, which inhabit wooded and scrub areas,” explains Dr. Jang.

“Considering the subtropical vegetation of the Messel region approximately 47 million years ago, these color patterns may have served important ecological functions, such as camouflage.”

Eoplatypleura Messelensis is one of the oldest known representatives of today’s true cicadas in Eurasia and signifies the earliest records of the subfamily Cicadinae worldwide,” Dr. Wedmann remarks.

“This is also the Cicada that has been first described from the Messel Pit.”

“This discovery not only enhances our understanding of the fauna at Messelpit but also fills a crucial gap in the history of Eocene cicadas.”

“In the future, Eoplatypleura Messelensis may serve as a reference point for significant time series in genetic research regarding the evolutionary history of these insects, providing new insights into the origins and dispersal of Platypleurini.”

The team’s paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports on April 29, 2025.

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H. Jiang et al. 2025. Sound from the Eocene: The first singing Cicada from Messelpit, Germany. Sci Rep 15, 12826; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-94099-7

Source: www.sci.news

90-Million-Year-Old Mammal Fossils Discovered in the Gobi Desert

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Scientists have discovered a new genus and species of ZheLestid mammals from fossil sites in the Bien Series Formation located in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia.

Reconstruction of ravjaa ishiii (foreground) depicted near a hadrosaurus dinosaur Gobihadro. Image credit: kohei futaka.

This new species, named ravjaa ishiii, existed during the Cretaceous period approximately 90 million years ago.

The ancient mammals are mouse-sized; the ZheLestidae family of Eutherian mammals was widely found across Eurasia and North America in the late Cretaceous period.

“The remarkably preserved mammal fossils found in late Cretaceous deposits of the Gobi Desert have been crucial for understanding the evolution of Mesozoic mammals,” stated Tsukasa Okosi, a PhD candidate in Science at Okayama University, and a collaborator on the research.

“These extraordinary mammal fossils were primarily excavated from the Balungoyacht and Djadokhta formations, with only two fragmentary fossils obtained from the underlying Baianshiree formation.”

The new Zhelestid fossil was uncovered in 2019 in the Bayan Shiree area within the Bayanshiree Formation.

This specimen consists of the distal section of a premolar and part of a mandible, measuring 1 cm from the first to third molar.

“Discovering such a tiny fossil in the vastness of the Gobi Desert feels like a gift from nature. It’s truly miraculous,” remarked a professor from Okayama University of Science.

“Their exceptionally tall molars and unique jaw structures set them apart from known relatives, prompting us to establish a new genus and species,” explained the paleontologist.

“The robust nature of their molars is reminiscent of seed and fruit-eating mammals, which provides fascinating insights into how early mammalian species may have exploited plant resources.”

The research team asserts that ravjaa ishiii is the first Zhelestid identified from the Bien Series formation, indeed marking the first discovery of its kind in Mongolia.

“ravjaa ishiii may represent the oldest member of the Zhelestids, as the currently oldest known Zhelestids were found in Uzbekistan, indicating that this group’s emergence dates back to the early/late Cretaceous boundary,” the researchers noted.

Their study is published online in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.

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Tsukasa Okoshi et al. 2025. A new Late Cretaceous Zhelestid mammal from the Mongolian Baiansilli formation. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 70(1): 193-203; doi: 10.4202/app.01213.2024

Source: www.sci.news

Fossils of Central Jurassic Serapodan Dinosaurs Discovered in Morocco

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A research team from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdela University, the University of Birmingham, and the Museum of Natural History in London has identified a new specimen as the oldest known Serapodan Ornithischian dinosaur.

Proximal femurs of the Serapodan dinosaur from the Elmers III Formation in the Central Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Image credit: Maid et al., doi: 10.1098/rsos.241624.

“Serapod has received significant attention lately,” said Dr. Susanna Maid, a paleontologist at the Museum of Natural History, University of Birmingham.

The early Serapodan, a key player in the Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem, was bipedal and featured hadrosaur-like skeletal structures. In contrast, late Cretaceous forms, including hadrosaurs and ceratopsids, evolved more specialized adaptations.

“Serapodans can be divided into two major clades: Ornithopoda, which encompasses non-hadrosaur Iguanodons and duck-billed Hadrosaurs, and Margin Osephalia, which includes horned and dome-headed species like Pachycephalosaurs.”

“While Serapodans are well-documented from the Cretaceous, their presence in the Jurassic is less established,” the researchers noted.

“Various Jurassic tracksites indicate that sizable ornithopods (likely related to Iguanodon) had emerged by this time, yet body fossils remain scarce.”

“There’s a pressing need for additional specimens from historically underrepresented regions to help clarify the early evolution of Serapodans and resolve ongoing phylogenetic discrepancies.”

A new specimen, representing part of a left femur, was collected from the Elmers III Formation in Boulafa, near Bruman in Morocco’s Middle Atlas Mountains in 2020.

These fossils date to the Basonian stage (Central Jurassic), approximately 165 to 160 million years ago.

The diverse green and red mudstones of this formation have yielded significant fossils, including Africa’s oldest known antirosaurus, Spicomellus afer, and one of the oldest Stegosaurus species, Adratiklit boulahfa.

The newly identified specimen is now recognized as the oldest Serapodan, adding valuable data to our understanding of Central Jurassic taxa.

“Despite its fragmentary nature, the specimen exhibits key features, including a distinct neck of the femoral head and a noticeable relationship between the head and the greater trochanter.”

“Further exploration and sampling of Elmers III Formation in Morocco are crucial for deepening our understanding of Oritesian dinosaur evolution during the Central Jurassic.”

The research team’s study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science on March 12, 2025.

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Susanna Maid et al. 2025. The world’s oldest Serapodan Ornithischian dinosaur from the Jurassic of central Morocco. R. Soc. Open Sci 12(3): 241624; doi: 10.1098/rsos.241624

Source: www.sci.news

Paleontologists Unveil a Newly Discovered Species of Loveddonton Dinosaur

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The species has been named obelignathus septimanicus. This new addition lived in the European archipelago around 72 million years ago during the Cretaceous period and is classified within the Ornitopod dinosaur family of Iguanodon Island, specifically in the Rabdodidae family.

Reconstructing obelignathus septimanicus in its Late Cretaceous environment, as depicted in the “Grès à Reptiles” layer, with a Dromaeosaurus in the background. Image credit: Edyta Felcyn-Kowalska.

The Rhabdodontids were medium-sized dinosaurs, potentially bipedal herbivores measuring between 2 and 6 meters (6.6 to 20 feet).

These dinosaurs exhibited stocky builds, characterized by thick limbs, short bodies, long tails, and relatively large triangular skulls.

They thrived in the late Cretaceous European archipelago, a vast collection of small islands located in shallow tropical waters.

This family currently comprises fewer than 10 species, distributed across southern France, northern Spain, eastern Austria, western Hungary, and western Romania.

“Rhabdodontids are typically recognized as endemic groups of leaf-eating dinosaurs from the late Cretaceous European archipelago,” stated Ukaszepians and Dr. Daniel Magia from the Institute of Paleontology at the Polish Academy of Sciences.

“At present, eight to nine different species have been identified based on specimens unearthed from eastern Austria, southern France, western Hungary, western Romania, and northern Spain.”

“However, our understanding of the diversity within Rhabdodontidae and their evolutionary relationships remains incomplete.”

Fossils of obelignathus septimanicus were discovered, with a notable tooth located in the Gresèrepilles layer in southern France.

This specimen has been associated with a previously identified species, “Rhabdodon septimanicus”.

“Rhabdodon septimanicus is recognized as a basal species from the lower part of the Maastrichtian in southern France during the Campanian period,” remarked the paleontologist.

“It was classified based on particularly robust dental remains, which have drawn varying taxonomic interpretations.”

“Our analyses, which include multivariate and phylogenetic evaluations, indicate that this species represents a distinct morphological anomaly among European Rhabdodontomorphs, justifying its categorization into a new genus, obelignathus.”

“While further extensive research, especially in-depth osteological studies, is essential to clarify the taxonomic significance of specific European Rhabdomorphs, our findings suggest that several co-existing sympatric species, particularly in southern France and possibly Romania, display greater diversity than is currently acknowledged,” he added.

The team’s research paper was published in the journal Scientific Reports this week.

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Czepiński & D. Madzia. 2025. A study of the diversity and disparity of Rhabdodontid ornithopods from Late Cretaceous European archipelagos. Sci Rep 15, 15209; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-98083-z

Source: www.sci.news

Newly Discovered Species of Electrically Conductive Bacteria

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Electrically conductive cable bacteria are a group of multicellular prokaryotes enabling electron transfer across centimeter-scale distances in both marine and freshwater sediments. Biologists have successfully isolated and characterized new species of cable bacteria from the Mudflat at the intertidal estuary mouth in Yaquina Bay, Oregon, USA.

Microscopic investigation of cable bacteria Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis, yb6 strain. Image credit: Hiral et al., doi: 10.1128/aem.02502-24.

“Cable bacteria are filamentous prokaryotes that engage in electrosulfide oxidation in the upper layers of aquatic sediments,” states Dr. Chen Lee, a postdoctoral researcher at Oregon State University, along with her team.

“Their electrogenetic metabolism features a unique division among cells in multicellular filaments, facilitating the migration of electrons from deeper sediment layers to the surface, where sulfide oxidation occurs.

“This long-range electron transport is enabled by a specialized network of conductive fibers, which run in parallel ridges from one end of the filament to the other.”

“These fibers connect through conductive contoured structures at the cell interfaces, ensuring redundancy within the electrical network.”

The new species is referred to as Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis, isolated from the mudflat of Yaquina Bay, Oregon.

“This new species represents a bridge and appears to be an early branch of the Ca. Electrothrix clades, suggesting it offers new insights into the evolution and functionality of these bacteria across various environments,” remarks Dr. Li.

“It differentiates itself from other known cable bacterial species through its significant metabolic potential and distinctive structural traits, including surface ridges that are three times more pronounced than those in other species.

“These bacteria have the capacity to transport electrons for environmental cleanup, potentially aiding in the removal of harmful substances from sediments.”

“Moreover, the highly conductive nickel proteins they produce can lead to advancements in bioelectronics.”

Ca. Electrothrix yaqonensis derives its name from the Jacona people, whose ancestral lands span the Bay of Yaquina.

“Following the tribe’s recognition of its historical connection to the land, it has honored these ecologically significant bacteria and acknowledged their ongoing contributions to sustainability and ecological wisdom,” said Dr. Li.

The team’s study was published this week in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

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Anwar Hyalal et al. A new cable bacterial species with distinct morphology and genomic potential. Appl Environ Microbiol Published online on April 22, 2025. doi:10.1128/aem.02502-24

Source: www.sci.news