A detailed analysis of 17 fossil specimens of tyrannosaurus rex indicates that this iconic dinosaur grew much more slowly than previously believed, reaching an adult weight of approximately 8 tons by around age 40. This challenges earlier assumptions about its life history.
tyrannosaurus rex holotype specimen at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, USA. Image credit: Scott Robert Anselmo / CC BY-SA 3.0.
tyrannosaurus rex is renowned as one of the most iconic non-avian dinosaurs, continually captivating paleontologists and the public alike.
Previous growth studies proposed that this ancient predator could exceed 8 tons within just 20 years and live for nearly 30 years.
Utilizing advanced statistical algorithms, the new research examined bone slices under specialized lighting, uncovering hidden growth rings that previous studies had overlooked.
This analysis not only extended the growing season for tyrannosaurus rex but also suggested that by age 15, some specimens might not be complete individuals of tyrannosaurus rex, but instead could belong to other species or unique variants.
“This is the largest dataset ever collected regarding tyrannosaurus rex,” stated Holly Woodward, a professor at Oklahoma State University.
“Through studying the tree rings preserved in fossilized bones, we reconstructed the growth history of these magnificent creatures year by year.”
Unlike the annual rings found in tree stumps, the cross-sections of tyrannosaurus rex bones only record the final 10 to 20 years of an individual’s life.
“Our innovative statistical approach allowed us to estimate growth trajectories by synthesizing growth records from various samples. We examined every growth stage in greater detail than any prior studies,” explained Dr. Nathan Myhrvold, a mathematician and paleontologist at Intellectual Ventures.
“The resulting compound growth curves provide a more accurate representation of how tyrannosaurus rex matured and evolved in size.”
Rather than competing for dominance into adulthood, tyrannosaurus rex demonstrated a gradual and steadier growth pattern than previously assumed.
“The prolonged growth phase over 40 years likely enabled young tyrannosaurs to occupy various ecological roles within their environment,” said Dr. Jack Horner of Chapman University.
“This may explain how they maintained their status as apex carnivores at the end of the Cretaceous period.”
The team’s findings were published in the online journal Peer J.
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HN Woodward et al. 2026. Long-term growth and the extension of subadult development of the tyrannosaurus rex species complex revealed through expanded histological sampling and statistical modeling. Peer J 14: e20469; doi: 10.7717/peerj.20469
The catastrophic flood in Texas, claiming nearly 120 lives, marked the first major crisis encountered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under the current Trump administration. Despite the tragic loss of life, both former and current FEMA officials have expressed to NBC News that the effects on smaller geographic regions don’t adequately challenge the capabilities of the agency, especially as staffing has been reduced significantly.
They argue that the true tests may arise later this summer, when the threat of hurricanes looms over several states.
As discussions about the agency’s future unfold—with President Donald Trump hinting at the possibility of “dismantling it”—Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem, who oversees FEMA, has tightened her control.
Current and former officials have mentioned that Noem now mandates that all agents personally authorize expenditures exceeding $100,000. To expedite the approval process, FEMA established a task force on Monday aimed at streamlining Noem’s approval, according to sources familiar with the initiative.
While Noem has taken a more direct approach to managing the agency, many FEMA leadership positions remain unfilled due to voluntary departures. In May, the agency disclosed in an internal email that 16 senior officials had left, collectively bringing over 200 years of disaster response experience with them.
“DHS and its components are fully engaged in addressing recovery efforts in Carville,” a spokesperson from DHS remarked in a statement to NBC News.
“Under Chief Noem and Deputy Manager David Richardson, FEMA has transformed from an unwieldy DC-centric organization into a streamlined disaster response force that empowers local entities to assist their residents. Outdated processes have been replaced due to their failure to serve Americans effectively in real emergencies… Secretary Noem ensures accountability to U.S. taxpayers, a concern often overlooked by Washington for decades.”
Civilians assist with recovery efforts near the Guadalupe River on Sunday.Giulio Cortez / AP
On Wednesday afternoon, the FEMA Review Council convened for its second meeting, set up to outline the agency’s future direction. “Our goal is to pivot FEMA’s responsibilities to the state level,” Trump told the press in early June.
At this moment, FEMA continues to manage over 700 active disaster situations, as stated by Chris Currie, who monitors governmental accountability.
“They’re operating no differently. They’re merely doing more with fewer personnel,” he noted in an interview.
While some advocates push for a more proactive role for the agency, certain Republicans in Congress emphasize the need to preserve FEMA in response to the significant flooding.
“FEMA plays a crucial role,” said Senator Ted Cruz of Texas during a Capitol Hill briefing this week. “There’s a consensus on enhancing FEMA’s efficiency and responsiveness to disasters. These reforms can be advantageous, but the agency’s core functions remain vital, regardless of any structural adjustments.”
Bureaucratic Hurdles
A key discussion point in the first FEMA Review Council meeting was how the federal government can alleviate financial constraints. However, current and former FEMA officials argue that Noem’s insistence on personal approvals for expenditures introduces bureaucratic layers that could hinder timely assistance during the Texas crisis and potential future hurricanes.
Current officials voiced that the new requirements contradict the aim of reducing expenses. “They’re adding bureaucracy…and increasing costs,” one official commented.
A former senior FEMA official remarked that agents need to procure supplies and services within disaster zones, routinely requiring their authorization for contracts over $100,000 to facilitate these actions.
“FEMA rarely makes expenditures below that threshold,” disclosed an unnamed former employee currently involved in the industry to NBC News.
In addition to the stipulation that Noem must approve certain expenditures, current and former staff members revealed confusion regarding who holds authority—Noem or Richardson, who has been acting as administrator since early May. One former official noted a cultural shift within the agency from proactive measures to a more cautious stance, as employees fear job loss.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin referred to questions regarding who is in charge as “absurd.”
Further changes are underway. Last week, agents officially ceased their practice of sending personnel into disaster areas to engage with victims about available services. This decision followed complaints regarding interactions that had been criticized last fall. Acting managers previously labeled this conduct by FEMA staff as “unacceptable.” Distancing from the scrutiny, the dismissed personnel claimed to have acted under their supervisor’s instructions to avoid “unpleasant encounters.”
Although many individuals access FEMA services through various channels like the agency’s website and hotline, two former officials emphasized that in-person outreach remains essential for connecting disaster victims with available resources. It remains uncertain if the agency plans to send personnel into Texas for door-to-door outreach.
This week, Democratic senators expressed frustration that Noem has yet to present the 2025 hurricane plans she mentioned in May, after they were promised to be shared.
New Jersey Senator Andy Kim, leading Democrat on the Disaster Management Subcommittee, plans to send another letter to Noem on Wednesday to solicit these plans.
“The delay in FEMA’s 2025 hurricane season plan report at the start of hurricane season highlights the ongoing slowness of DHS in providing essential information to this committee,” Kim asserted in his letter.
FEMA’s Future
Critical questions remain regarding FEMA’s role in disaster recovery: What responsibilities will it retain, and which will be delegated to states to manage independently?
Experts consulting with NBC News concur that while federal agencies should maintain responsibility for large-scale disasters, the question persists as to whether states could be empowered to handle smaller ones rather than deferring to federal assistance.
“Disaster prevention is paramount,” remarked Jeff Schlegermilch, director of Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Response.
Natalie Simpson, a disaster response expert at the University of Buffalo, added that larger states could assume greater risk during disasters.
“I believe we could establish a local FEMA due to economies of scale in larger states like California, New York, and Florida, but I doubt their efficacy in smaller states,” she stated during an interview.
Current and former FEMA officials, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott, have criticized FEMA as “inefficient and slow,” asserting the need for a more responsive approach. They highlighted that the governor called for a FEMA disaster declaration within days of the flood.
On Sunday, the president sidestepped inquiries about potential agency restructuring, stating:
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt commented that ongoing discussions are taking place regarding the agency’s broader objectives. “The President aims to ensure that American citizens have the resources they need, whether that assistance is provided at the state or federal level; it’s a matter of continuous policy discourse,” Leavitt remarked.
The decision by Elon Musk’s X social media platform to register artificial intelligence chatbots for creating FactChecks might inadvertently promote “lies and conspiracy theories,” warns a former UK technology minister.
Damian Collins criticized X for “leaving it to the bot to edit the news,” following the announcement that it would permit a large-scale language model to clarify or alter community notes before user approval. Previously, notes were written solely by humans.
X revealed that it plans to utilize AI for drafting FactChecking notes, asserting in a statement, “We are at the forefront of enhancing information quality on the Internet.”
Keith Coleman, Product Vice Chairman of X, mentioned that the notes would only be shown after human reviewers assess AI-generated content, ensuring usefulness from varied perspectives.
“We designed the pilot to operate as human-assisted AI. We believe it can offer both quality and reliability. We also released a paper alongside the pilot’s launch, co-authored by professors and researchers from MIT, Washington University, Harvard University, and Stanford, detailing why this blend of AI and human involvement is promising.”
However, Collins pointed out that the system is prone to abuse, with AI agents handling community notes potentially enabling “industrial manipulation that users may trust” on a platform boasting around 600 million users.
This move represents the latest challenge to human fact checkers by US tech firms. Last month, Google stated that user-created FactChecks would degrade search results, including those from professional fact-checking organizations, asserting that such checks “no longer provide significant additional value to users.” In January, Meta announced its intention to phase out American human fact checkers and replace them with its own community notes system across Instagram, Facebook, and Threads.
An X research paper describing the new fact-checking system claims that specialized fact checks are often limited in scale and lack the trust of the general public.
An AI-generated community note asserts that “rapid production requires minimal effort while maintaining high-quality potential.” Both human and AI-created notes will enter the same pool, ensuring that the most useful content appears on the platform.
According to the research paper, AI will generate a “summary of neutral evidence.” Trust in community notes, the paper states, “stems from those who evaluate them, not those who draft them.”
Andy Dudfield, leading AI at the UK fact-checking organization Full Fact, commented: “These plans will add to the existing significant workload for human reviewers, raising valid concerns about the adequacy of AI-generated content that lacks thorough drafting, review, and consideration.”
Samuel Stockwell, a researcher at the Alan Turing Institute’s Emerging Technology Security Center, noted: “AI can assist fact checkers in managing the vast array of claims that circulate daily on social media, but it hinges on the quality of X, which risks the chance that these AI ‘note writers’ will mislead users with false or dubious narratives. Even when inaccuracies arise, the confident delivery can deceive viewers.”
An analysis of hundreds of misleading posts on X leading up to last year’s presidential election reveals that in three-quarters of cases, accurate community notes were not displayed, nor were they supported by users. These misleading claims, including accusations of Democrats importing illegal voters and the assertion that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, have amassed over 20 billion views, according to a center combating digital hatred.
The Galapagos Islands are equatorial islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean, approximately 900 kilometers (500 miles) west of northern South America. Scientists have identified more than 1,500 native species of birds, reptiles, and other animals that live only on these islands, which are known for their biodiversity. One famous example is the Galapagos tortoise. This giant tortoise can weigh up to 400 kilograms (nearly 1,000 pounds), making it the largest cold-blooded land animal.
Scientists have speculated about the evolution of Galapagos tortoises. Charles Darwin visited this island for the first time aboard the HMS. Beagle 1835. Researchers agree These turtles originate from the South American continent, but it is still unknown how they migrated to the island and when they reached their impressive size.
Some scientists believe that Galapagos giant tortoises became large after immigrating to the islands, while others argue that the tortoises grew large before leaving the mainland. Proponents of the “then” hypothesis cite several examples in which island birds and snakes similarly grew larger than continental birds and snakes. Proponents of the “before” hypothesis argue that gigantism may have helped turtles cross oceans. They suggest that larger turtles have slower metabolisms, so they lose less body heat in the water, and have larger, more buoyant shells.
Researchers from the United States and Ecuador recently reconsidered the Galapagos tortoise debate based on new fossils collected off the coast of Ecuador. Paleontologists have previously discovered fossilized large turtles in southern South America, which they claim are ancestors of Galapagos giant tortoises. However, these fossils are located far south of the equatorial islands, and scientists have found no direct evidence that they are related to the Galapagos species. These researchers therefore wanted to test giant tortoise fossils found near the island.
The new turtle fossil was composed of shell material collected from sandstone of the Tablazo Formation on mainland Ecuador. The researchers explained that these fossils were only briefly described by researchers studying mammal fossils in the 1950s, so they may have been missed by earlier scientists. Researchers estimated that the fossil belonged to a turtle that was more than 1 meter (or 3 feet) long, and about the size of a Galapagos giant tortoise.Past researchers Researchers narrowed down the age of the Tabrazo Formation to between 780,000 and 12,000 years, making it the oldest giant tortoise fossil discovered by scientists in northern South America.
The researchers compared the new Ecuadorian giant tortoise fossils with fossils from other South American and Caribbean giant tortoises, as well as with extant Galapagos tortoises. They use features such as shape, structure, size, and age of fossilized and modern turtle shells to create a picture of how these turtles and their potential ancestors are related. Created. Phylogenetic tree. They called these trees: Tip dateThat’s because they placed different types of turtles at the ends, or “tips,” of trees and assigned each species an estimated age, or “dated.”
They used a statistical method called . Bayesian analysis Evaluate the probability that each tree is correct based on known relationships between several species and new data from Ecuadorian fossils. The research team found that Galápagos tortoises are more closely related to Ecuadorian tortoise fossils than any other species included, based on the most likely tree shape, and that the two groups have a common Confirmed that they share a common ancestry.
The researchers interpreted the phylogenetic analysis as supporting previous researchers’ claims that a population of giant tortoises lived on the coast of Ecuador more than 2 million years ago. The researchers explained that this was around the same time and place that scientists believe Galapagos tortoises hitchhiked to the islands on the Humboldt Current, which flows north along the west coast of South America. Therefore, they suggested that their findings support the “previous” hypothesis proposed by some scientists.
Researchers concluded that Galapagos tortoises were gigantic before they left mainland South America. However, researchers cautioned that South America’s fossil record is incomplete and poorly preserved, and dating the evolution of Galapagos tortoises remains difficult. They will collect more giant tortoise fossils from South America, possibly incorporating ancient DNA, to help future scientists further examine when and where the Galapagos giant tortoise species originated. Recommended to describe and analyze.
Standing at an impressive height of 29,032 feet, Mount Everest surpasses the nearby Himalayas by several hundred feet.
Scientists have discovered that the world’s highest mountain is still growing, attributed in part to the merging of two nearby river systems tens of thousands of years ago.
Researchers found that Everest rose between approximately 50 feet and 160 feet due to this merging, as detailed in a study published in Nature Geoscience.
“Even a seemingly permanent landform like Mount Everest can be continuously changed by various geological forces,” said Dai, a geoscientist from the China University of Geosciences in Beijing and co-author of the study, in an email to NBC News.
The Himalayas, including Everest, have been steadily increasing in height since the collision of the Indian subcontinent and the lower Eurasian plates around 45 million years ago.
A significant event occurred about 89,000 years ago when the Kosi River overtook the Arun River, leading to substantial erosion of rock and soil from the Himalayan foothills nearly 80 miles from Everest.
Through a geological process known as isostatic rebound, erosion reduced the weight of the area, allowing for the uplift of the Earth’s crust.
Scientists estimate that this rebound is causing Everest to grow at a rate of 0.16 to 0.53 millimeters per year, accounting for half of its annual uplift rate.
Research suggests that this phenomenon may explain why Mount Everest is unusually tall compared to its neighboring peaks.
Professor Dai noted that the role of isostatic rebound associated with river capture and erosion in Everest’s elevation adds a novel aspect to the study of mountain formation.
“These findings, while not completely revolutionary, are certainly surprising and could prompt a reevaluation of current models of the formation and evolution of the Himalayas,” Dai commented.
The study also emphasizes the interconnectedness of the Earth’s systems, where changes in one region can have significant impacts on others,” he added.
While the number of fires so far is typical for this time of summer, the extreme heat of early summer has dried out the land, increasing the risk of wildfires and casting a major doubt over what had seemed a relatively bright season.
“Wildfire conditions across the West continue to worsen and unfortunately will get worse,” Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, said at a briefing on Thursday. “The past 30 days have been the warmest on record across a significant portion of California and the West.”
Flames from the Thompson Fire in Oroville, California, on July 2. Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images file A vehicle is engulfed in flames during the Thompson Fire in Oroville, California on July 2nd. Ethan Swope/AP Files
After California experienced two consecutive wet winters, the National Association of Fire Agencies had predicted moderate fire activity in the state this summer and fall. This month's seasonal forecast has been revised upwards.He said the grass that had grown tall during the rainy weather had bounced back quickly with the heat.
“You know, we've had two really great winters where the atmospheric river came in and saved California from drought, but the tradeoff is that now we have a ton of grass and shrubs that are dead and ready to burn,” said Caitlin Trudeau, a senior scientist at nonprofit research organization Climate Central.
Debris of buildings and vehicles are left behind as the Apache Fire burns in Palermo, California, on June 25. Ethan Swope/AP Files Firefighters work to put out the growing Post Fire in Gorman, California on June 16. Eric Thayer/AP File
Swain said recent outbreaks of “dry lightning” – thunderstorms that don't produce rain – were of particular concern because long-range forecasts showed another heat wave hitting the region in late July, which could exacerbate existing fires.
A recent analysis from satellite monitoring company Maxar suggests that soil moisture levels in California dropped sharply from early June through July 15, while temperatures over the same period were about 5 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than in 2020.
That year, it was June in California. Drought outlook and wildfire risk profile similar to this year. after that, More than 10,000 lightning strikes hit California Dozens of fires broke out over a three-day period in mid-August. Fueled by a heat wave, many of these fires grew rapidly and eventually evolved into three complex fires. One of these, the August Complex Fire, primarily affected the Mendocino National Forest and burned more than one million acres.
A total of 33 people have died in California's 2020 wildfires and scorched 4.5 million acres.
“It's really concerning to see these statistics because we're only halfway through July, and the last major thunderstorms of 2020 were in August,” Trudeau said of the data early this year. “We're already starting to see dry thunderstorms. We still have a long way to go to close out the year.”
Across the U.S., more than 1 million acres have burned so far this year, with 54 major fires currently under containment, according to the National Joint Fire Center.
Wildfire season is off to an early and active start in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in Oregon, with several large blazes burning in remote areas.
Smoke rises from a wildfire near La Pine, Oregon on June 25. Kyle Kalambach/Deschutes County Sheriff's Office via AP File
Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental illness characterized by an excessively high sense of personal importance, and it is relatively common. Up to 5% of the population may be affected. Recent research has shed light on how this disorder changes over time in individuals diagnosed with it.
While overall narcissism tends to decrease with age, individual differences remain consistent over time. This means that individuals who displayed higher levels of narcissism compared to their peers in childhood are likely to maintain that characteristic into adulthood.
The lead author, Professor Ulrich Orth from the University of Bern, emphasized the importance of these findings in understanding how narcissism impacts not only the individual’s life but also the lives of their family and friends.
Published in the journal Psychology Bulletin, the study analyzed data from 51 research studies involving 37,247 participants ranging in age from 8 to 77 years, with a nearly equal distribution of men and women.
The research identified three types of narcissism: agentic narcissism, hostile narcissism, and neurotic narcissism. While all three types showed a decline from childhood to old age, the rate of decline varied among them.
Although narcissism is considered a stable personality trait that remains relatively unchanged compared to peers over long periods of time, the study acknowledges the need for further exploration across different cultures and regions to validate these findings.
The team also aims to investigate why narcissism tends to decrease with age. One theory suggests that assuming adult social roles like partner, parent, or employee may contribute to the development of more mature personality traits, leading to reduced narcissism.
It is unclear which components of multivitamins are involved in improving cognitive function.
Asia Vision/Getty Images
Studies have shown that taking a daily multivitamin slows the rate of memory decline in older adults.
This study is the third randomized trial to yield such results, and adds to a growing body of evidence that multivitamins can slow age-related cognitive decline.
“The result is the equivalent of delaying cognitive aging by two years, which is huge,” he says. joan manson from Harvard Medical School was involved in all three clinical trials. These were part of a larger study, funded by the makers of cocoa supplements, to examine whether taking multivitamins and cocoa extract supplements could help prevent heart disease and cancer in people over 60.
Some participants also took a memory test designed to measure whether any of the supplements were having a psychological effect.
The latest trial compared both types of supplements with a placebo pill in 573 people who took in-person memory tests at the start of the study and two years later. Those who took a multivitamin called Centrum Silver performed slightly better on memory tests than those who took a placebo pill.
This is similar to the results of two other arms of a large study that administered memory tests to people online or over the phone.
“The results of this study suggest that multivitamins hold promise as a safe and affordable strategy to protect memory and slow cognitive aging in older adults,” Munson says.
It is unclear which components of multivitamins are responsible for their effects.
Duane Mellor The British Dietetic Association says the trial was not designed to investiage memory effects and further research specifically set up to study this issue is needed. “The results need to be treated with caution,” he says. “It's not a definitive study.”
New research from the University of Tasmania also confirms important and fundamental morphological differences in Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) compared to most other animals.
Young Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii). Image credit: Keres H. / CC BY-SA 4.0.
There has long been interest in comparing the biology of placental and marsupial mammals and how different traits relate to adaptation and converging ecomorphological niches in different regions of the world. I’m here. One interesting feature is the tooth replacement pattern.
“Unlike humans, dogs and many other animals, which have a second set of baby teeth and adult teeth, we now know that the Tasmanian devil only has one tooth that serves them throughout their lives.” said researchers at the University of Tasmania. Professor Mena Jonesstudy author.
“When Tasmanian devil joeys are young, they have very small teeth that fit their small bodies.”
“Tasmanian devils are separated from their mothers when they are just one-third of their adult size, and at this point they must become independent and feed themselves.”
“Instead of spending time erupting into adult teeth like humans, the Tasmanian devil’s teeth simply ‘erupt’ from the jaw and gums, pushing out more and more to fill the Tasmanian devil’s large mouth and head. , they raise animals to hold meat and prey and for protection. ”
“This is a really cool fact about a really cool species, and it points to a completely different evolutionary solution to the formation of teeth in growing animals than we know.”
The same phenomenon is seen in local possums and possums, as well as in some ancient marsupials such as the giant volhyaenids and sabertooths of South America.
“This information will help researchers determine the age of the animals they are studying, including those monitored in the wild for Tasmanian devil facial tumor research,” Professor Jones said.
of study Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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Mena E. Jones. 2023. Overbudding of teeth in marsupial carnivores: compensation for constraints. Procedure R. Soc. B 290 (2013): 20230644; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0644
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