Discovering the Oldest Known Dog: Unraveling the Genetic History of Our Canine Companions

Posted on March 25, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Ancient Evidence of Dog Care in Punarbashi, Turkey, dating back 15,800 years.

Credit: Kathryn Killackey

A groundbreaking discovery at a 15,800-year-old archaeological site in Turkey has revealed the oldest known evidence of dog domestication. Genetic studies indicate that our canine companions were already widespread across Europe 14,300 years ago, during a time when humans were primarily hunter-gatherers and agriculture had yet to develop.

Determining the precise timeline for dog domestication is complex, especially due to the genetic similarities shared between Canis lupus familiaris (domestic dogs) and Canis lupus (gray wolves). Initially, it was believed that the earliest dogs dated back to around 10,900 years ago. However, earlier fossils resembling dogs have been found, as far back as 33,000 years ago, indicating the presence of ancestral dogs that were not fully domesticated.

To further examine the history of dogs, Dr. Lachie Scarsbrook and his team at the University of Oxford analyzed genetic material from various early dog-like remains unearthed at different archaeological sites in Europe.

The oldest confirmed dog remains were discovered at the Pinarbaş Ruins in central Anatolia, Turkey, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period (15,800 years ago). These findings are currently the earliest direct evidence of dog existence, with more substantial evidence emerging around 5,000 years ago.

“By at least 15,800 years ago, dogs possessed physical and genetic traits akin to modern breeds,” noted Scarsbrook.

Researchers genetically verified that remains from Gough’s Cave, located in Somerset, England, belonged to a dog that lived approximately 14,300 years ago. The genetic cohesiveness between these two ancient dogs suggests a shared ancestor, a phenomenon that sparked intrigue among researchers, given the geographical distance between the cultures associated with these dogs.

The genome analysis indicates that these two Paleolithic dogs originated from a population that traversed across Europe between 18,500 and 14,000 years ago.

Despite their impressive range, Scarsbrook notes, “It’s unlikely dogs traveled across Europe independently.” Instead, the researchers propose that the Epigravettian culture played a role in their introduction, as evidenced by past archaeological findings indicating ancient human interactions.

14,300-Year-Old Dog Jawbone from Gough’s Cave, England

Credit: Natural History Museum

During significant periods, these ancient peoples migrated from the Italian peninsula into Western Europe and southeast into Turkey, fostering interactions that likely resulted in cultural and technological exchanges.

Dogs provided hunter-gatherers with enhanced hunting capabilities, protection from predators, and warmth during chilly nights, according to Scarsbrook.

Research at Gough’s Cave and the Pinarbaş ruins indicates the nature of ancient human-dog relationships. “These findings highlight the foundations of modern human-dog interactions,” states team member William Marsh from the Natural History Museum in London.

Isotope analysis has revealed that the Pinarbash community not only fed their dogs fish but also consumed it, indicating a profound bond between humans and canines. Dogs were buried similarly to humans, pointing to symbolic treatment of these animals about 15,000 years ago, notes Marsh.

At Gough’s Cave, the mixed diet of humans and dogs suggests a connection rich in symbolism. Instead of typical burial practices, some cultures there appear to have practiced ritual cannibalism, with evidence of bones showing mutilation marks and carvings.

Interestingly, similar markings were discovered on a dog jawbone from Gough’s Cave, suggesting parallels in treatment between humans and dogs, positing emotional ties as well, per Marsh. “They undoubtedly felt bonded to these animals, but the complexity of these expressions remains hard to interpret,” he reflects.

Scarsbrook hypothesizes that the domestication of dogs began during the Last Glacial Maximum, roughly 26,000 to 20,000 years ago. “Circumstances were dire for both wolves and humans in northern Eurasia during this period, pushing them southward and compelling interactions that may have initiated a unique companionship,” he states.

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Discovering the Oldest Vertebrates: Unveiling Four Camera-Shaped Eyes

Posted on February 23, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

A groundbreaking study by paleontologists at Yunnan University reveals that two Myrodonidae fish species, which thrived in what is now China approximately 518 million years ago during the Cambrian period, possessed a unique vision system featuring two large lateral eyes alongside two smaller central eyes.

An artist’s reconstruction of the four-eyed Myllokunmingiid that navigated the ancient world. Image credit: Xiangtong Lei and Sihang Zhang.

This primitive jawless fish, known as Myllokunmingiid, existed during the Cambrian period, a time marked by rapid evolutionary advancements in body structures and sensory systems as a response to increased predation.

Considered the oldest known vertebrates, these fascinating creatures challenge our understanding of early vision.

In a recent study, Professor Peiyun Cong and colleagues investigated a newly discovered fossil of Myrocunminidae, expertly preserved at the renowned Sumjiang Fossil Bed in southern China.

“These fossils maintain remarkable detail in their eye structures,” stated Professor Cong.

“Initially, we focused on the large eye to outline its anatomy and were astonished to discover two fully functional small eyes nestled between them. The excitement of this finding was immense.”

Modern vertebrates primarily rely on two eyes for vision.

The pineal gland, a brain structure, plays a crucial role in sleep regulation by producing melatonin in response to light exposure.

Interestingly, some fish, amphibians, and reptiles retain the ability to detect light through what is commonly referred to as a “third eye.”

The discovery of two Myrocunminidae provides evidence that early vertebrates possessed a well-developed pair of image-forming eyes, rather than a simple light sensor.

“Our findings suggest that the pineal gland originated as an imaging eye,” remarked Professor Cong.

“Over time, these structures diminished in size, lost their vision capabilities, and assumed their modern function in sleep regulation.”

Using a high-powered microscope, researchers identified melanosomes—pigment-containing organelles crucial for vision—across all four Myrocunminidae orders.

Chemical analyses confirmed the presence of melanin, the same pigment utilized in contemporary vertebrate vision.

Circular formations resembling lenses indicate that these eyes had the capacity to detect light and form images, offering direct evidence of an advanced visual system in early vertebrates.

Professor Sarah Gabot from the University of Leicester emphasized, “Fossilized eyes are extremely rare. It’s remarkable that delicate structures like eyes can survive hundreds of millions of years.”

“However, under optimal conditions, such preservation is achievable, unveiling crucial insights into how extinct species perceived their environment.”

“We speculated that these Chinese fossil eyes might be remarkably preserved, demonstrating light-absorbing pigments in their retinas and lenses, revealing the visual acuity of our early ancestors.”

The Cambrian seas presented perilous conditions, with emerging large predators threatening the small, vulnerable early vertebrates.

Dr. Jacob Binther, a paleontologist at the University of Bristol, noted, “In such an environment, having four eyes may have provided these organisms with a broader field of vision essential for evading predators.”

This discovery elucidates long-held questions about the origin of the pineal gland, offering the oldest known evidence of a camera-like eye in the fossil record.

“This finding reshapes our understanding of vertebrate evolutionary history,” stated Dr. Binther.

“It turns out our ancestors were visually sophisticated beings capable of surviving in a hazardous world.”

The study also prompts a reevaluation of the established notion of the vertebrate “third eye.”

“These early vertebrates possessed not only a third eye, but intriguingly, a fourth eye as well,” concluded Dr. Binther.

This discovery is detailed in a paper published in the journal Nature on January 21, 2026.

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X Ray others. 2026. Four camera-shaped eyes found in the earliest Cambrian vertebrates. Nature 650, 150-155; doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09966-0

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient Cold Virus Discovered in 18th Century Woman’s Lungs: Insights into the World’s Oldest Pathogen

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Historic Anatomical Preparations from the Hunterian Anatomical Museum

Museum of Anatomy © The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

Historic Anatomical Preparations from the Hunterian Anatomy Museum — Historic Anatomical Preparations from the Hunterian Anatomical Museum

Museum of Anatomy © The Hunterian, University of Glasgow

A remarkable discovery has identified a cold virus that infected a woman in London approximately 250 years ago, marking it as the oldest known human RNA virus.

Researchers, through advanced DNA sequencing techniques, have uncovered traces of various viruses in ancient human bones that date back as far as 50,000 years. However, many viruses, particularly rhinoviruses that are responsible for the common cold, contain RNA genomes, which are significantly more unstable than DNA and typically deteriorate within hours post-mortem.

RNA is also generated by our cells during the process of translating genetic code into proteins.

In recent years, scientists have successfully extended the recovery timelines for ancient RNA. Notably, a team managed to recover RNA from a woolly mammoth that lived 40,000 years ago.

“To date, much of the ancient RNA research has depended on well-preserved materials, such as permafrost samples or dried seeds, which restricts our understanding of historical human diseases,” remarks Erin Burnett of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington.

Since the early 1900s, numerous tissues in pathology collections have been preserved using formalin, a method that fortifies RNA against rapid degradation. Barnett and her team sought to explore pathology collections across Europe for older human specimens that might contain preserved RNA.

Within the Hunterian Museum of Anatomy at the University of Glasgow, researchers discovered lung tissue samples from two individuals preserved in alcohol rather than formalin. One sample belonged to a woman who passed away around the 1770s, while the other was from an unidentified individual who died in 1877. Both exhibited documented cases of severe respiratory illness.

The researchers aimed to extract both RNA and DNA from the lung tissue of these individuals. Barnett described the RNA extracted from both samples as “extremely fragmented,” with the majority of fragments measuring just 20 to 30 nucleotides in length.

“For context, RNA molecules in living cells typically exceed 1000 nucleotides,” she explains. “Thus, instead of working with long, complete chains, we meticulously pieced together data from many smaller fragments.”

Gradually, the scientists succeeded in reconstructing the entire RNA genome of a rhinovirus extracted from the 18th-century woman. They also detected signs indicating she was infected with bacteria responsible for respiratory ailments, including Pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis.

They compared the reconstructed ancient RNA viruses against a National Institutes of Health database featuring millions of viral genomes globally, including multiple rhinovirus strains.

This analysis revealed that the historic virus’s genome classified under the human rhinovirus A group, representing an extinct lineage most closely aligned with the modern genotype known as A19. “By comparing this with contemporary viruses, we deduce that the last time this historic virus and modern A19 shared a common ancestor was around the 1600s,” Barnett noted.

“The personal stories of these two individuals remain largely untold, and I hope this research brings them to recognition,” she expressed.

“This finding is significant as it demonstrates the potential to recover RNA from wet collections dated before the use of formalin,” said Love Darren at Stockholm University, Sweden.

“This marks the first step towards a surge of research into RNA viruses. Given that many RNA viruses evolve rapidly, studying them over centuries will yield vital insights into viral evolution,” he concluded.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Unlocking Australia’s Ancient Past: Study Reveals 230 Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Footprints as the Oldest in the Country

Posted on February 3, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Unearthed in 1958 by a young fossil hunter in Albion, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, dinosaur footprints have been officially recognized as the continent’s oldest, dating back approximately 230 million years to the late Triassic period. This discovery indicates that dinosaurs inhabited the Brisbane region far earlier than previously thought by paleontologists.

Living fossils unearthed from Petrie Quarry, Albion, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Image credit: Anthony Romilio & Bruce Runnegar, doi: 10.1080/03115518.2025.2607630.

The 18.5 cm (7 in.) long dinosaur footprint was discovered at Petrie’s Quarry, part of the Aspley Formation, alongside a slab featuring narrow linear grooves interpreted as possible tail traces.

Both specimens were extracted before the quarry site was redeveloped, passing through several university collections since then.

“This is the only dinosaur fossil discovered in an Australian capital, highlighting how significant finds can remain hidden in plain sight,” stated Dr. Anthony Romilio, a palaeontologist from the University of Queensland.

“Urban development has rendered the original site inaccessible, leaving behind these footprints as the only evidence of dinosaurs in the area.”

The footprints show impressions of three forward-facing toes, with the central toe demonstrating a faint fan-shaped outline, characteristics typical of a bipedal dinosaur.

Advanced 3D modeling and morphometric analysis revealed that this footprint closely resembles the Ichnogenus Evazoum, commonly linked to early sauropod dinosaurs found elsewhere.

Based on the dimensions of the footprints, Dr. Romilio and Professor Bruce Rannegar estimated that the corresponding dinosaur stood about 78 centimeters (31 inches) tall at the waist and weighed around 144 kilograms (89 pounds).

Utilizing established scaling equations, researchers calculated the maximum potential running speed to be about 60 km/h (37 mph).

While no dinosaur skeletons have been found in the Aspley Formation, these footprints serve as the only direct evidence of dinosaur presence in this time and place.

“Dinosaurs may have walked along waterways, leaving their tracks preserved in sandstone that was later cut to build structures across Brisbane,” Dr. Romilio explained.

“If not for the foresight to conserve this material, the history of Brisbane’s dinosaurs would have remained completely unknown.”

“These footprints were made in sediment by large animals and exemplify a unique kind of trace fossil,” stated Professor Rannegar.

The associated tail print, approximately 13 centimeters (5 inches) long, aligns with structures interpreted as a dinosaur’s tail track. However, the authors caution that without preservation of the corresponding footprint in an appropriate location, its origin remains uncertain.

“The shallow linear grooves found in the tail block closely match reported tail drag traces, yet lack any remaining evidence of Manus or Pes. Their true identity remains ambiguous,” they noted.

“These grooves could have resulted from caudal contact in the orbits of prosauropods, but typically on-site and near the midline of such orbit, which isn’t applicable in this case.”

The team’s research paper has been published this week in The Alcheringa, Australian Journal of Paleontology.

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Anthony Romilio and Bruce Rannegar. Australia’s oldest dinosaur: Reproductive fossils unearthed from the Carnian Aspley Formation in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Alcheringa published online on February 1, 2026. doi: 10.1080/03115518.2025.2607630

Source: www.sci.news

Discover the World’s Oldest Human-Made Tool: A 430,000-Year-Old Stick

Posted on January 27, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

A recent discovery in Greece has unveiled the oldest known hand-held wooden tool, dating back approximately 430,000 years, utilized by early human ancestors.

One tool, crafted from an alder trunk, likely served a digging purpose, while the other, made from either willow or poplar, may have been employed for shaping stone, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

“The rarity of preserving wood over such a long period makes this discovery particularly fascinating,” stated Annemieke Milks, the lead author of the study, in a phone interview with NBC News.

Milks, affiliated with the University of Reading in the UK and an authority on early wooden tools, emphasizes that while stone tools have been preserved for centuries, finding these rare wooden artifacts enhances our understanding of human evolution.

The evidence suggests that early human ancestors utilized wood for tool-making, marking a significant development in our knowledge of their capabilities.

These ancient tools were unearthed at the Megalopolis Basin site in Marathusa, Greece, located about 160 miles southwest of Athens.

Researchers have identified that this site—once a lakeshore—was pivotal for early human activities, including the fabrication and use of stone and bone tools, as well as hunting large animals like elephants.

Milks described one of the smaller tools as “unprecedented,” noting that its precise function remains unclear. “We were fortunate to uncover such a unique artifact,” she remarked.

Distinct markings on the wood signify that these artifacts were intentionally crafted by humans, rather than being natural sticks, according to Milks.

Innovative methods for analyzing ancient wooden tools have surged over the last decade, yielding new insights into our past, Milks added.

Since direct dating of organic materials like wood can only trace back 50,000 years, researchers relied on dating surrounding sediments and rocks to affirm the tools’ age of 430,000 years.

Milks explained that the preservation of these wooden tools was likely facilitated by their rapid burial in moist sediments, protecting them from microorganisms that would typically lead to decay.

Co-author Caterina Harbati noted that the extraordinary conditions at the excavation site facilitated the preservation of not just wood, but also delicate organic materials like seeds and leaves.

Paleoanthropologist Halvaty from the University of Tübingen in Germany emphasized the discovery’s significance, showcasing Greece’s essential role in human evolutionary studies.

“This finding expands our understanding of early human technology and highlights previously unknown types of tools, enriching our knowledge in this domain,” Halvaty stated.

Maeve McHugh, an associate professor of classical archaeology at the University of Birmingham, called the discovery an essential “snapshot” of early human activity and a glimpse into cognitive development during that era.

“The survival of this wooden artifact, particularly from such an early period in human history, is remarkable and of great significance,” McHugh concluded.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Ancient Wooden Tool: The Oldest Known Stick Shaped by Early Humans

Posted on January 26, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Reconstruction of a Paleolithic woman crafting wooden tools

Credit: G. Prieto; K. Harvati

Remarkably, some of the oldest known wooden tools have been unearthed in an open-pit mine in Greece, dating back 430,000 years. These artifacts were likely crafted by an ancient human ancestor, potentially related to Neanderthals.

Archaeologists note that prehistoric wooden artefacts are “extremely rare.” According to Dirk Leder from the Lower Saxony Cultural Heritage Office in Hannover, Germany, any new findings in this area are highly valued.

Evidence suggests our extinct relatives may have utilized wooden tools for millions of years. “This could be the oldest type of tool ever used,” states Katerina Harvati from the University of Tübingen, Germany. Unfortunately, the preservation of wooden artifacts is often poor, hindering our understanding of their use.

Harvati and her team discovered the tool at a site called Marathusa 1, originally confirmed in 2013 in the Megalopolis Basin of southern Greece. The open-pit lignite mine revealed sediment layers that are nearly a million years old, offering unprecedented access to date and research, as mentioned by researcher K. Harvati.

From 2013 to 2019, excavations yielded not only tools but also the skeleton of a straight-tusked elephant (Paleoloxodon antiquus), indicating a rich archaeological context with evidence of activity, including more than 2,000 stone tools and remains of varied flora and fauna, depicting an ancient lakeshore ecosystem.

To date Marathusa 1, researchers relied on various methods, including analyzing fossil footprints and historical changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. By 2024, they confirmed that the artefacts are around 430,000 years old, a time marked by challenging climatic conditions—the gravest ice age of the Pleistocene in Europe. The Megalopolis Basin likely provided refuge due to its relatively temperate climate.

The archaeological team identified two significant wooden tools among the 144 artifacts. The first, an 81 cm long pole made from alder, exhibits marks indicative of intentional shaping. One end appears rounded, possibly serving as a handle, while the other is flattened, hinting at potential use for digging underground tubers or perhaps for butchering elephant carcasses. Harvati admits uncertainty about its exact application.

Mysterious second wooden tool from Marathusa 1

Credit: N. Thompson; K. Harvati

The second tool remains enigmatic, measuring just 5.7 cm in length and made from willow or poplar. It also shows signs of intentional shaping after the bark was removed. According to Harvati, this represents a completely new type of wooden tool. While it might have served to modify stone tools, the specific purpose remains a mystery.

Reeder points out that while the first tool is a clear example of wooden craftsmanship, questions remain about the functionality of the second. “Is this a complete item or part of something larger?” he muses.

No hominid remains have been found at Marathusa 1. Given its age, it predates our species and is likely too early even for Neanderthals. “The prevailing hypothesis suggests this site might be associated with pre-Neanderthal humans or Homo heidelbergensis. However, Harvati cautions against making definitive conclusions, noting that Greece was frequented by various hominin groups.

Other ancient wooden tools, like the Clacton spear discovered in Britain, are estimated to be about 400,000 years old, while a wooden spear from Schöningen, Germany, has been dated using multiple methods to around 300,000 years. The only tools that predate those found at Marathusa 1 are from Kalambo Falls in Zambia, which date back 476,000 years and resemble remains of larger structures or buildings.

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Discover the Oldest Cave Art: Hand-Painted Stencils Dating Back 68,000 Years

Posted on January 22, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Recent findings reveal that these stencils are over 15,000 years older than cave paintings in another Sulawesi cave, which were dated in 2024. The painting features three anthropomorphic figures interacting with pigs, believed to be approximately 51,200 years old.

“I thought my previous work was impressive, but this photo completely eclipsed it,” Blum remarked.

“This underscores the long-standing tradition of rock art creation in this region. It spans an incredible timeline,” he emphasized.

Researchers are optimistic about uncovering even older art forms, including narrative art, in Indonesia, a largely unexplored archaeological treasure trove.

Liang Methanduno, a prominent cave art location, attracts tourists. However, most artworks discovered so far, depicting domestic animals like chickens, are relatively recent, estimated to be around 4,000 years old.

In 2015, Indonesian rock art expert and lead author, Adi Octaviana, spotted a faint drawing behind a modern painting, speculating it might be an ancient hand-painted stencil.

“These had never been documented before; their existence was unknown until Addy discovered them,” Blum stated.

Previous generations of researchers exploring Ice Age cave art, dating back 30,000 to 40,000 years in regions like France and Spain, believed it marked the dawn of modern artistic culture.

However, recent discoveries in Indonesia indicate that humans outside Europe were crafting “extraordinarily sophisticated” cave art tens of thousands of years ago, even before our species arrived in that area.

Ancient cave paintings in Sulawesi.
Maxime Aubert/AFP – Getty Images

Blum noted that this discovery could also shed light on the timeline of when the first humans settled in Australia.

It is widely accepted that Aboriginal populations have inhabited Australia for at least 50,000 years, though evidence suggests one of the country’s archaeological sites is around 65,000 years old.

“The finding of 67,000 to 68,000-year-old rock art on Sulawesi, nearly adjacent to Australia, supports the theory that modern humans may have arrived in Australia at least 65,000 years ago,” Blum explained.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Discover the 68,000-Year-Old Hand Claw Pattern: The Oldest Known Rock Art

Posted on January 21, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Ancient Hand Stencil: Modified to Resemble Claws

Afdi Agus Octaviana

A stunning discovery of a nearly 68,000-year-old hand stencil on the walls of a cave in Sulawesi, Indonesia, may represent the oldest known rock art. This stencil appears to have been intentionally modified, giving the fingers a claw-like appearance rather than a traditional handprint.

In recent years, Sulawesi has emerged as a significant location in human history. The island has been home to various hominin species since the earliest humans likely appeared over 1.4 million years ago, with Homo erectus making its initial known journey to the area.

In 2024, researcher Maxim Aubert and his team from Griffith University uncovered the world’s oldest known figurative art on the island, dating back at least 51,200 years. This art includes depictions of pigs alongside human-like figures. More recently, Aubert’s team reported finding 44 additional rock art sites in Southeast Sulawesi, including a hand-painted stencil at Liang Metanduno, dated to 67,800 years ago.

The previous record for the oldest known rock art, a hand-painted stencil found in a Neanderthal site in Northern Spain, is estimated to be at least 66,700 years old, making the Sulawesi find significant in the timeline of art history.

Aubert noted that the Sulawesi hand stencil exhibits signs of modification; the tip of one finger appears intentionally tapered, possibly through pigment application techniques. This unique form of hand stencil art has only been recognized in Sulawesi to date.

“This is more than just a hand pattern,” states Aubert. “They appear to be retouching it, whether with a brush or spray, achieving a similar effect.”

The purpose of this artistic technique remains unknown. Aubert speculates, “They likely aimed to mimic an animal’s claw-like appearance.”

Additional Discoveries: Animal Figures in Sulawesi Cave

Maxim Aubert

Aubert indicated that identifying the exact species that created this hand stencil remains uncertain. However, the unique artistic alterations imply it was likely made by modern humans, suggesting a connection to the ancestors of the first Australians.

Evidence from the Madjedbebe site in Arnhem Land, Australia, indicates that Homo sapiens arrived on the continent at least 60,000 years ago. Additionally, increasing evidence suggests Sulawesi is a crucial early pathway linking Southeast Asia to New Guinea and Australia.

“These discoveries have far-reaching implications for our understanding of art history,” says Aubert. “The creators of this stencil were likely among the ancestors of the first Australians, underscoring the cultural significance of their rock art, which dates back at least 68,000 years.”

Team member Adam Blum, also from Griffith University, notes that both the Neanderthal hand stencils in Spain and the Sulawesi rock art were created using similar techniques, such as spraying ochre pigments.

Intricate Details of Ancient Rock Art

Maxim Aubert

“Modern humans exhibited a distinct artistic approach,” Blum explains. “They intentionally altered the finger contours of the stencil, creating a more pointed and narrower appearance. This transformed the hand imprint into a potential representation of an animal claw.”

“Such changes highlight the creativity and imaginative capacity of modern human artists, showcasing abstract thinking not evidenced in Neanderthal hand imprints,” he adds.

Martin Poe, a researcher from the University of Western Australia in Perth, stated that this discovery confirms the world’s oldest known rock art attributed to modern humans. “The dates on the stencil correspond with the earliest known timelines for Homo sapiens. This region encompasses not just Australia but mainland Asia and Southeast Asia,” Poe concluded, emphasizing the need for further research to clarify the migration routes of early humans to Australia.

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Historic Discovery: Oldest Supernova in History Illuminates Earliest Star

Posted on January 16, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Image of SN Eos supernova taken by the James Webb Space Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope image of SN Eos supernova — Image of SN Eos supernova taken by the James Webb Space Telescope

Astronomers have identified a colossal star’s explosion shortly after the universe emerged from the Cosmic Dark Ages, offering insights into the birth and demise of the first stars.

When a star exhausts its fuel, it explodes in a spectacular event known as a supernova. While nearby supernovae are exceedingly bright, the light from ancient explosions takes billions of years to reach Earth, fading into invisibility by the time it arrives.

This is why astronomers typically detect distant supernovae only during exceptional circumstances, such as Type Ic supernovae, which are the remnants of stars stripped of their outer gas and producing intense gamma-ray bursts. However, the more common Type II supernova, the predominant explosion observed in our galaxy, occurs when a massive star depletes its fuel but remains too faint for casual observation.

Notably, David Coulter, a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and his team utilized the James Webb Space Telescope to discover a Type II supernova named SN Eos, dating back to when the universe was only 1 billion years old.

Fortunately, the supernova’s explosion took place behind a vast galaxy cluster, whose potent gravity amplified the light, rendering SN Eos dozens of times brighter than it would typically appear, facilitating detailed studies.

Researchers meticulously analyzed the light spectrum from SN Eos, confirming it as the oldest supernova detected via spectroscopy. Their findings denote it as a Type II supernova, attesting to its origins from a massive star.

Additionally, evidence suggests that the progenitor star contained remarkably low quantities of elements beyond hydrogen and helium—less than 10% of the elemental abundance present in the Sun. This aligns with theories about the early universe, where multiple stellar generations hadn’t existed long enough to create heavier elements.

“This allows us to quickly identify the type of stellar population in that region. [This star] exploded,” stated Or Graul from the University of Portsmouth, UK. “Massive stars tend to explode shortly after their formation. In cosmological terms, a million years is a brief interval, making them indicators of ongoing star formation within their respective galaxies.”

Light from such vast distances is typically emitted by small galaxies, allowing astronomers to infer the average characteristics of the stars within these galaxies. However, studying individual stars at these distances tends to be unfeasible. As noted by Matt Nicholl of Queen’s University, Belfast, UK, “This discovery provides us with exquisite data on an individual star. [Distance] has kept us from observing an isolated supernova here, but the data confirms this star’s uniqueness compared to others in the local universe.”

This observation occurred just a few hundred million years following the Era of Reionization, a pivotal period in the universe’s history. During this time, light from the inaugural stars began ionizing neutral hydrogen gas, transitioning it into translucent ionized hydrogen. This relates to SN Eos, as it serves as a supernova from a time we would expect to see.

“This discovery closely coincides with the reionization era when the universe emerged from darkness, permitting photons to travel freely once more and allowing us to observe,” said Graul.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

7 Million-Year-Old Sahelanthropus Fossil: The Oldest Evidence of Bipedalism

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

For over 20 years, Sahelanthropus tchadensis, one of the earliest hominid species (dating back 6.7 to 7.2 million years), was discovered in Chad in 2001. This species is central to a heated debate: Did our earliest ancestors walk upright? A groundbreaking study by paleoanthropologists at New York University provides compelling evidence supporting this notion. The research indicates that Sahelanthropus tchadensis, an ape-like ancestor from Africa, showcases some of the earliest adaptations for bipedal terrestrial locomotion.

Reconstruction of Sahelanthropus tchadensis. Image credit: University of Silesia.

According to New York University, “Sahelanthropus tchadensis was essentially a bipedal ape with a brain size similar to that of a chimpanzee, likely spending considerable time foraging and finding safety in trees,” as noted by Dr. Scott Williams.

“Despite its ape-like appearance, Sahelanthropus tchadensis demonstrated adaptations for bipedal posture and movement on land,” Dr. Williams added.

The team focused on the femur and two partial forearm bones found at the Toros Menara site in Chad. Previous research had asserted that these bones were too ape-like to indicate upright walking; however, this latest study utilizes 3D shape modeling and anatomical analysis tailored to human locomotion.

“These characteristics suggest a similarity in hip and knee function between Sahelanthropus tchadensis and modern humans, possibly representing fundamental adaptations toward bipedalism in the human lineage,” the researchers concluded.

Although the external shape of the limb bones resembles that of chimpanzees, the proportions indicate a more human-like configuration.

The researchers found that the relationships between arm and leg lengths are comparable to modern bonobos and early human predecessors.

Notably, they discovered the femoral tubercle—a bony structure on the femur crucial for attaching the iliofemoral ligament, which stabilizes the human hip joint—unique to hominids.

Additionally, the femur exhibited significant internal torsion known as front twist (medial torsion of the femoral shaft), a feature linked to aligning the knee with the body’s center of gravity during walking, distinctly present in hominids compared to extant apes and extinct Miocene species.

These findings challenge long-held beliefs regarding the timeline and mechanics of upright walking evolution.

Scientists propose that bipedalism emerged gradually rather than as a sudden change. “We consider the evolution of bipedalism as an ongoing process,” researchers stated.

“Sahelanthropus tchadensis could represent an early form of habitual bipedalism.”

“In addition to terrestrial bipedalism, Sahelanthropus tchadensis likely engaged in various arboreal activities, including vertical climbing, forelimb suspension from branches, and both arboreal quadrupedal and bipedal locomotion.”

The study interprets this fossil as evidence of early human evolution from an ape-like ancestor, asserting that chimpanzee-like species are positioned near the root of the human family tree.

“Our analysis reveals that Sahelanthropus tchadensis demonstrates an early adaptation for bipedalism, suggesting that this trait evolved early in our lineage from ancestors closely related to present-day chimpanzees and bonobos,” Dr. Williams stated.

For further details, refer to the study published in this month’s issue of Scientific Advances.

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Scott A. Williams et al., 2026. The Earliest Evidence of Bipedalism in Humans: Sahelanthropus tchadensis. Scientific Advances 12(1); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adv0130

Source: www.sci.news

Unexpected Insights on Longevity from the Planet’s Oldest Creatures

Posted on December 9, 2025 by

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Two hands holding three clams on the beach — DGDImages / Alamy Stock Photos

As I embarked on this story, I pondered whether my subject should be included in my research. I envisioned a striking introduction: “Meet the longest-living animal on Earth. And yes, it’s edible.”

The creature in question is a type of shellfish, namely the ocean quahog, best known for its role in dishes like spaghetti alle vongole. While they are quite tasty, considering the moral implications of harvesting and consuming our fellow beings, as well as the harmful impact on marine ecosystems, I came to realize it raises deeper issues. This extraordinary mollusk can live for over 500 years. Killing it for food seems unjust. Thus, I must alter my introduction: This is the world’s longest-living animal, and my objective is to unravel its mysteries.

If the ocean quahog, also referred to as the Icelandic cyprin, is unfamiliar to you, don’t fret; it isn’t exactly a household name. This sizable bivalve is found buried in sandy beaches all around the North Atlantic, from the warm coasts of Florida and Cadiz, Spain, to the frigid waters of Canada and Norway. If you’ve ever tasted clam chowder in the USA, you’ve likely encountered this species. Its shell showcases fine lines akin to a tree’s annual growth rings, allowing one to determine its age by counting them.

The oldest known specimen, named Hafrun—an Icelandic term that translates to “mystery of the sea”—was born in 1499. It led an unremarkable life, living modestly on a diet scavenged from the shores of Iceland, just as its ancestors had done for generations. Its long life, however, was anything but ordinary. Sadly, Hafrun’s existence came to an abrupt end in 2006 when a team from the University of Exeter, UK, retrieved it from the ocean for research on aging by chronologist Paul Butler. The study aimed to analyze bivalve shells to devise a timeline of the surrounding environment.

“Initially, we estimated its age to be slightly over 400 years. But after a more meticulous examination of its growth lines and comparisons with other shells, we realized it was actually 507 years old,” Butler revealed. It’s possible that even older specimens exist, especially in the colder waters around Iceland, where they tend to grow more slowly and live exceedingly longer. Is there a maximum age limit? “It’s astounding that they can survive for such an extended period,” Butler noted, embodying the enthusiasm of a true mathematician.

The longevity of the quahog seems to stem from its mitochondria—the tiny structures within our cells that convert food into energy. This applies to all eukaryotes, from yew trees and beetles to jellyfish and rabbits.

“Strong mitochondria, which Arctica islandica possesses, are vital for healthy aging across various model species,” comments Enrique Rodriguez, who studies mitochondria at University College London.

The mitochondria of quahogs exhibit enhanced resilience. Their membranes are sturdier than those of other species. These membranes house a protein apparatus that handles electrons and protons to produce ATP, the body’s universal energy currency. The quahog’s mitochondria are larger and more organized, making them even more durable. “Their proteins possess greater molecular weights and intricate structures,” Rodriguez adds. “They are interconnected more efficiently.”

This specialized structure allows the quahog to mitigate mitochondrial damage. It carefully orchestrates the countless protons and electrons that traverse these membranes every second. When electrons leak, they can generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydrogen peroxide, causing cellular harm. Rodriguez likens this process to cars stuck in traffic: in regular mitochondria, a red light up front triggers a back-up, resulting in exhaust emissions that harm the environment. Yet in quahog mitochondria, protein complexes (the traffic lights) facilitate smoother flow, resulting in diminished exhaust.

However, robust membranes are just part of what allows quahogs to enjoy lengthy lifespans. They also excel in eliminating the ROS they produce. Using Rodriguez’s analogy, this equates to cleaning a car’s exhaust.

A woman hunts quahogs on the Massachusetts coastline.

Boston Globe (via Getty Images)

Rodriguez compared the antioxidant abilities of the quahog to several of its short-lived relatives and found it had a notably superior capacity to eliminate ROS—3-14 times more effective. This finding aligns with the Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Theory of Aging, also seen in the extraordinary lifespans of other species like naked mole rats, which can live up to 40 years—over six times longer than rodents of comparable size.

Pierre Blier, a researcher focused on animal metabolism and aquaculture genetics at the University of Quebec, raises quahogs in labs to investigate longevity mechanisms. He adds that the ocean quahog showcases a remarkable capacity to buffer oxidants. “Their mitochondria are incredibly durable and resistant to ROS,” he states, supporting the MOSTA theory.

While this provides insights into how these creatures achieve such extended lifespans, it also raises questions about the “why.” In other words, what evolutionary pressures contributed to the development of such robust mitochondria?

A possible explanation lies in the low levels of oxygen in the environments where these clams thrive. “Naked mole rats can remain confined in their burrows for about a week without needing gills for oxygen,” Rodriguez observes. Mitochondria have adapted to endure low oxygen conditions (known as anoxia) for extended periods, subsequently requiring robustness to handle sudden oxygen influxes and the correlative spike in oxidative stress. This similar adaptability is evident in naked mole rats, as their subterranean habitats often have diminished oxygen levels. Rodriguez notes a like pattern in their mitochondrial resilience under both oxygen deprivation and subsequent reoxygenation stress, suggesting that selection pressure related to low oxygen could lead to increased longevity almost inadvertently.

“
My advice to live longer is to exercise, eat well, and take cold showers.
“

The pressing question is whether we can bolster our own mitochondria. Back in 2005, a team at the University of California, Irvine, created transgenic mice with enhanced production of the “scavenging” antioxidant enzyme catalase in their mitochondria, extending their lifespans by around five months—a notable increase considering their average lifespan of two years. Although gene editing in human mitochondria is now feasible, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how to safely extend lifespan, prompting the necessity for alternative methods.

Regular exercise is known to improve mitochondrial function. Interestingly, Tibetan Sherpas, who dwell at high altitudes, exhibit distinct mitochondrial characteristics compared to lowland dwellers. A 2017 study examining indigenous lowlanders and Sherpas attempting to climb Mount Everest Base Camp, situated roughly 5,300 meters above sea level, found that Sherpas demonstrated superior oxygen utilization and greater defenses against oxidative stress—attributed to their stronger mitochondria, with genetic foundations for these traits.

Blier argues that Arctica islandica offers valuable insights into longevity. “To enhance your lifespan, focus on your mitochondria: engage in regular exercise, maintain a balanced diet, and incorporate cold showers… Cold showers seem to invoke mitochondrial quality control mechanisms.”

If it works for quahogs…

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Source: www.newscientist.com

The World’s Oldest Person Had a Youthful Microbiome and an “Extraordinary Genome.”

Posted on September 24, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Painted alongside scientist Manel Esterer, Maria Blagnas Morela contributed to research aimed at uncovering her secrets of longevity

Manel Esterler

From January 17, 2023, to August 19, 2024, Maria Blañas Morera from Spain was formally recognized as the oldest person in the world until her passing at the age of 117 years and 168 days. To investigate the secrets behind her remarkable longevity, a team of researchers explored her genetics, microbiome, and lifestyle.

When Morera was 116, the researchers gathered samples of her blood, saliva, and stool for genetic analysis. “Her genome was exceptional, enriched with variants known to extend lifespans in other species such as dogs, worms, and flies,” noted team member Manel Esterler at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain.

Showing no signs of dementia, Morera also possessed numerous genetic variants that helped maintain low blood lipid levels, protecting her heart and cognitive functions, according to Esteller. “Simultaneously, she lacked genetic mutations linked to conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, or metabolic disorders.”

The researchers discovered that her lipid metabolism was one of the most efficient recorded. “Her lipid profile was remarkable, with very low cholesterol,” Esterer mentioned. “This efficiency was tied to her modest diet and genetic traits that enabled the rapid metabolism of damaged molecules.”

Esteller noted that Morela abstained from alcohol and smoking and adhered to a Mediterranean diet comprising vegetables, fruits, legumes, and olive oil, along with three servings of sugar-free yogurt daily.

Further assessments indicated that Morela maintained a robust immune system typically seen in younger individuals, alongside a gut microbiota characteristic of much younger people.

One of the most “astonishing” findings was a high concentration of Actinobacteriota bacteria in her gut, including well-known probiotics like Bifidobacteria. This abundance typically declines with age but tends to increase among centenarians and supercentenarians, offering various anti-aging benefits, such as reducing inflammation.

The researchers believe that her yogurt intake may have continually replenished her levels of Bifidobacteria. “This may suggest that dietary interventions can be linked to prolonged lifespan by influencing gut microbiota, along with preventing obesity and other health issues,” Esterer added.

Lastly, scientists examined whether there was a significant difference between Morela’s biological age and her chronological age by constructing an epigenetic clock based on her DNA methylation. This process involves adding or removing chemical tags that regulate gene expression. “Her biological age appeared 23 years younger than her actual age, contributing significantly to her longevity,” remarked Esterer.

Previous studies indicate that supercentenarians may carry genetic mutations associated with various medical conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease and cardiovascular issues. Nevertheless, they somehow manage to overcome these obstacles and attain extraordinary lifespans. “There are limited studies on supercentenarians, and many only focus on one aspect, like microbiomes,” explained Esteller. “Our research demonstrates that overcoming such maladies is a blend of advantageous genetics and other elements, including beneficial gut microbiota, delayed biological aging indicated by a youthful epigenome, and lifestyle factors such as avoiding smoking, alcohol, and maintaining a low-fat diet.”

Richard Farragher from the University of Brighton in the UK acknowledged that the study highlights the plethora of assessments available to longevity researchers, cautioning that a case study of one individual could risk being perceived as a scientific “So-So Story.”

He explains that there are two key reasons behind the survival of extremely long-lived individuals: “First, there’s something extraordinary about them, perhaps genetically, and second, survival biases due to their fortunate circumstances,” said Farragher.

If luck plays a role, he asserts that to substantiate her longevity, Morela belonged to a family with a history of long lifespans that wasn’t documented in the study.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Scientists Discover the World’s Oldest Mummy—Outside of Egypt!

Posted on September 17, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Mummies are commonly linked with Egypt and date back around 4,500 years. However, researchers have discovered mummies that are significantly older on the opposite side of the globe.

“We found several archaeological sites in southern China and Southeast Asia, where human burials dated between 4,000 and 14,000 years have been identified,” said Professor Peter Bellwood, co-author of the study, during a phone interview on Tuesday.

Research, as mentioned in a study published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analyzed 54 Neolithic burials from 11 archaeological sites in southern China and Southeast Asia. The findings include numerous samples from the autonomous regions of Guangzhou, as well as from Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Human remains were often found in crouched or squatting positions, frequently showing signs of burning. Researchers confirmed that many of these bodies had been preserved for a considerable time prior to burial during the mummification process.

Burials of partially skeletal bodies were frequently observed in pre-Neolithic sites in southern China and Southeast Asia.
Hirofumi Matsumura

Bellwood, an archaeology professor at the Australian National University of Canberra, noted:

Before this discovery, the oldest known mummies were located in modern Peru and Chile, rather than in Egypt.

The modern radical smoke-dried mummies of mites bred in Jayawijaya, Indonesia, are very similar to the burials of many Neolites recorded in southern China and Southeast Asia.
Hirofumi Matsumura

These discoveries have also garnered attention from leading experts in ancient Egyptian studies.

“The term has been adopted by various groups to refer to other preserved bodies, leading to a broader understanding of the concept,” stated Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University of Cairo who was not affiliated with the study.

“What’s positive is that the underlying ideas are similar, as these cultures aimed to preserve themselves,” she added.

The project began in 2017 with a casual conversation between the two lead authors and subsequently grew to include 24 experts.

“Over the years, we’ve gradually assembled various pieces of evidence,” said Hsiao-Chun Hung, the study’s lead author, in an email. “It’s akin to a detective’s work, where I find small clues, piece them together, and become increasingly confident in my hypothesis.”

Associated Press I contributed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

The UK’s Oldest Known Lepidosaurus Fossil Discovered

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have discovered the complete skull and skeleton of the Triassic Lepidosaurus species – Agriodontosaurus Helsbypetrae – from the Hellsby Sandstone Formation in Devon, England.

Agriodontosaurus Helsbypetrae. Image credit: Bob Nichols.

Lepidosauria is the most species-rich group of terrestrial vertebrates.

This group comprises around 12,000 species of lizards and snakes, along with a single species of Rhynchocephalia, the Tuatara (Sphenodon Punctatus) from New Zealand.

Collectively known as Squamata, these lizards and snakes not only range in size but also possess highly mobile skulls that enable them to capture large prey effectively.

These vital features of their skulls are absent in tuatara, making the understanding of their common ancestor essential.

The scalypidosaurs thrived during the Triassic period, 252 to 201 million years ago, but incomplete fossils have led to some confusion. Many are general scale pidosauromorphs that lack squamous epithelium or Rhynchocephalians.

“It was always expected that the earliest scalypidosaurs would exhibit some lizard characteristics, such as partially hinged skulls, open lower bars, and numerous teeth on the palate.”

“All of these traits are found in modern lizards and snakes, enabling them to grasp large prey by extending their mouths and using palate teeth to seize smaller prey.”

“The lower bar acts akin to the cheekbone, situated between the cheek and the jaw hinge, and is absent in present-day lizards and snakes.”

“Snakes and many lizards possess all these traits while enhancing skull flexibility.”

“Only the tuatara features a completely low temporal bar, presenting an archaic appearance reminiscent of some early reptiles, coupled with some substantial palate teeth.”

The fossil remains of Agriodontosaurus Helsbypetrae were found in 2015 on a beach in Devon, UK.

The specimen is dated to 242 million years ago (middle Triassic epoch), just prior to the emergence of dinosaurs.

It is approximately 3 to 7 million years older than the oldest known Lepidosaurus, Wirtembergia, from the Erfurt Formation.

“The new fossils revealed characteristics we didn’t anticipate,” remarked Dan Mark, a paleontologist at the University of Bristol and the University of Edinburgh.

“There are no teeth on the palate nor indications of hinges. While there is an open bar on the side, it’s not just one of the three, but also features a grand, large tooth in comparison to its closest relatives.”

Agriodontosaurus Helsbypetrae measured about 10 cm in length and showcased a unique combination of traits.

“When you observe the fossil, the entire skeleton fits in the palm of your hand,” said Professor Michael Benton from the University of Bristol.

“However, thanks to student efforts in cleaning up and scanning the data, we are uncovering remarkable details.”

“This new species possesses relatively large triangular teeth, likely adapted for slicing through the tough exteriors of insect prey, similar to modern tuataras.”

“The discoveries challenge our understanding of the evolutionary pathways of lizards, snakes, and tuataras,” Mark concluded.

The study results were published today in the journal Nature.

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D. Marche et al. The origins of feeding adaptations in the oldest known Lepidosaurus. Nature Published online on September 10, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09496-9

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient Mammoth Remains Yield the Oldest Host-Related Microbial DNA on Record

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

In a recent study, researchers examined the ancient microbial DNA of 483 mammoths, preserved for over a million years. This included 440 newly analyzed unpublished samples from Steppe Mammoths dating back 1.1 million years. Through metagenome screening, contaminant filtering, damage pattern analysis, and phylogenetic inference, they identified 310 microorganisms linked to various mammoth tissues.

Ginet et al. Partial genome reconstruction of erysipelothrix, representing the oldest confirmed host-related microbial DNA from the oldest mammoth samples. Image credit: Ginet et al., doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.08.003.

“Envision a mammoth tooth from a million years ago,” stated Dr. Benjamin Ginette, a postdoctoral researcher at Stockholm’s Paleogenetic Centre and the Swedish Museum of Natural History.

“Imagine if it still harbors traces of ancient microorganisms that existed alongside this mammoth?”

“Our findings push the boundaries of microbial DNA research beyond a million years, unlocking new avenues for understanding how host-associated microorganisms evolved in tandem with their hosts.”

The team discovered six microbial groups consistently linked to mammoth hosts, including relatives of Actinobacillus, Pasturella, Streptococcus, and erysipelothrix. Some of these microbes may have been pathogenic.

For instance, one Pasturella bacteria identified in this study is closely related to the pathogens responsible for a fatal outbreak among African elephants.

Given that African and Asian elephants are the closest living relatives of mammoths, these results raise concerns about whether mammoths could also be susceptible to similar infectious diseases.

Remarkably, scientists have reconstructed a partial genome of erysipelothrix from a Steppe Mammoth that lived 1.1 million years ago, marking the oldest known host-related microbial DNA ever recovered.

This advances our understanding of the interactions between ancient hosts and their microbiota.

“As microorganisms evolved rapidly, acquiring reliable DNA data spanning over a million years has felt like tracing a path that continually rewrites itself,” noted Dr. Tom van der Bark of the Paleobiological Centre and the Museum of Natural History in Sweden.

“Our discoveries illustrate that ancient artifacts can retain biological insights far beyond the host genome, offering a perspective on how microorganisms influenced Pleistocene ecosystem adaptation, disease, and extinction.”

Determining the exact impact of the identified microorganisms on mammoth health is challenging due to DNA degradation and limited comparative data, but this study provides an unparalleled view into the microbiota of extinct megafaunas.

The findings suggest that multiple microbial lines coexisted with mammoths for hundreds of thousands of years, spanning vast geographical areas and evolutionary timescales, from the extinction of woolly mammoths on Lengel Island over a million years ago to their decline around 4,000 years ago.

“This research opens a new chapter in understanding the biology of extinct species,” says Professor Love Darren, a researcher at the Swedish Museum of Natural History and the Paleogenetic Centre at Stockholm University.

“Not only can researchers study the mammoth genome itself, but they can also begin to explore the microbial communities that cohabited with it.”

This study was published this week in the journal Cell.

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Benjamin Ginet et al. Ancient host-related microorganisms recovered from mammoths. Cell published online on September 2, 2025. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2025.08.003

Source: www.sci.news

The Oldest Ankylosaurus Showcase: Unique and Elaborate Skin Armor

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Armored Ankylosaurus Dinosaur While primarily recognized in late Cretaceous ecosystems of the Northern Hemisphere, the early evolution of ankylosaurs during the medium Jurassic era remains largely enigmatic due to sparse fossil evidence. Spicomellus Afer has been proposed as the oldest known ankylosaurus and the first discovered in Africa, though this was based on only partial ribs from the Jurassic deposits of central Morocco. Currently, paleontologists are working on a new, better-preserved specimen that affirms the relationship of this ankylosaurus with its relatives and reveals that, unlike contemporary or extinct vertebrates, it features uniquely sophisticated dermal armor.

Reconstructing the life of Spicomellus Afer. Image credit: Matthew Dempsey.

Spicomellus Afer inhabited Morocco during the mid-Jurassic period, approximately 168 million years ago.

The species was first described in 2021 based on a single fossilized rib.

“In studying spicomellus,” said Professor Richard Butler from the University of Birmingham:

“We were astonished by its uniqueness and how it differed from other dinosaurs and surviving or extinct life forms.”

“This finding challenges our previous understanding of ankylosaurs, indicating how much more we have yet to discover about dinosaur evolution.”

Professor Butler and his team identified that Spicomellus Afer had fused bone spikes that extended over all the ribs—a feature not seen in either living or extinct vertebrates.

These ancient spikes measured up to 87 cm, and it is believed they could grow longer throughout the animal’s life, emerging from a bony collar around its neck.

“The presence of such advanced armor in early ankylosaurs alters our perceptions of their evolutionary trajectory,” remarked Professor Susanna Maidment, a paleontologist at the Museum of Natural History in London and the University of Birmingham.

“This underscores the significance of African dinosaurs and highlights the necessity to further explore them.”

“spiccomellus showcased various plates and spikes extending from its entire body, including meter-long neck spikes, large protruding spikes at the waist, elongated blade-like spikes, paired long spikes for armor, and plates situated beneath the shoulders.”

“We have never encountered anything quite like this in the fossil record.”

“This is particularly intriguing considering that it is the earliest known ankylosaurus. Although later species might have inherited similar characteristics, we should not assume this was the case.”

Researchers speculate that these spikes may have served as displays to attract mates and deter rivals.

Interestingly, no comparable display armor has been identified in other ankylosaurs; the armor in later species likely evolved to be more functional for defense.

One reason for this may be the evolution of larger predatory dinosaurs during the Cretaceous, alongside the emergence of carnivorous mammals, crocodiles, and snakes, leading to a greater need for defensive adaptations among ankylosaurs.

However, one trait that early ankylosaurs might retain is their tail weaponry.

Though the tail of spiccomellus was not recovered, existing bone fragments suggest the presence of club-like structures. Part of the tail vertebrae is fused, forming what is known as a “handle,” a feature only seen in ankylosaurs with tail clubs.

Nevertheless, these latter animals thrived millions of years later in the Cretaceous.

The combination of tail weapons and armored shields indicates that key adaptations seen in ankylosaurs were already present in spicomellus.

This discovery highlights the importance of fossil records in unraveling evolutionary mysteries and enhancing our understanding of dinosaur distribution.

It also ignites the imagination surrounding the dinosaurs like spicomellus.

“This research has significantly advanced Moroccan paleontology,” remarked Professor Doris Oahatch, a paleontologist at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdela University.

“I have never encountered a dinosaur quite like this. There is still so much to uncover in this field.”

A study detailing this discovery was published in the journal Nature today.

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Scr Maidment et al. The world’s oldest Ankylosaurus armor. Nature Published online on August 27th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41586-025-09453-6

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest Known Sauropodmorph Dinosaurs Discovered in East Asia, Excavated in China

Posted on August 5, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

wudingloong wui existed around 200 million years ago in Yunnan Province, China, during the early Jurassic Epoch.

Reconstructed skeletons and representative bones of wudingloong wui. Individual scale bars – 5 cm. Reconstructed skeleton scale bar – 50 cm. Image credit: Wang et al., doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-12185-2.

wudingloong wui was a medium-sized member of the non-Sauropodang group, part of the Sauropodomorpha, a highly successful dinosaur clade found nearly worldwide, from Antarctica to Greenland.

“The Chinese non-Sauropodian sauropods are primarily known from the Rufen and the adjacent Lower Jurassic Rufen Formation in Yunnan Province, including species like Lufengosaurus, Yunnanosaurus, Jing Shanosaurus, xingxiulong, and Yizhousaurus,” said Jamin Wang, a paleontologist at the Chinese Geological Museum and a collaborator.

“The discovery of Qianlong from the Jurassic Jillusin Formation in the neighboring Gituhou province is a recent finding that expands our understanding of non-Sauropodian Sauropodomorphs in China.”

“The discovery of wudingloong wui provides additional evidence that the Sauropodomorph community in southwestern China is the most taxonomically diverse and morphologically varied in the world, featuring a range of species from early Massospondylidae to non-Sauropod forms.”

Fossilized remains of wudingloong wui were collected from the Yubacun Layer in Wande Town, Yunnan Province, China.

“The specimen includes a partial skeleton comprising the skull, lower jaw, atlas, axis, and the third cervical vertebra.”

“Fully developed skull elements and closed central nerve sutures suggest that the specimen is likely a mature individual.”

wudingloong wui is the earliest and statistically oldest Sauropodomorph dinosaur discovered in East Asia.

“The new species fits within the Sauropodomorph classification, predating Massospondylidae and Sauropodiformes, thus contributing valuable information to the Sauropodomorph community in southwestern China,” the researchers stated.

“Thus, the Sauropodomorph community in early Jurassic southwestern China is possibly characterized by four distinct associations comprising four relatively small species, including the medium-sized Massospondylid Lufengosaurus, early Zauropod horns, and assemblages resembling late Triassic to early Jurassic medium-sized sauropods, presumably quadrupedal Massopodans, akin to those found in the Elliott Formation of South Africa and the Zauropodmorph group in Zimbabwe.”

“Close phylogenetic ties between wudingloong and Plateosauravus from the Elliott Formation in late Triassic South Africa, as well as Ruehleia from late Triassic Germany, indicate that the early dispersal of Sauropodomorphs in East Asia occurred at least during the Late Triassic Rhaetian (206-201 million years ago) or around the Triassic-Jurassic boundary (201 million years ago).”

“To substantiate this hypothesis, further samples and additional analyses are required.”

“Nonetheless, the discovery of wudingloong raises questions regarding the distribution of non-Sauropodian sauropods in East Asia and its correlation with Triassic-Jurassic extinction events.”

The team’s paper is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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YM. King et al. 2025. The new early Jurassic dinosaurs represent the earliest and oldest Sauropodmorph in East Asia. Sci Rep 15, 26749; doi:10.1038/s41598-025-12185-2

Source: www.sci.news

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

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

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

Canada’s Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt Contains Fragments of Earth’s Oldest Crust, Research Reveals

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Geologists have found significant evidence indicating the preservation of Hadean Rocks, with an age of 4.16 billion years. The Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt offers a rare glimpse into the early Earth.

Canadian Nuvvuagittuq Green Stone Belt. Image credit: Jonathan O’Neill.

The earliest geological history of Earth remains largely unclear due to the scarcity of rocks and minerals from the Hadean period (over 4.3 billion years ago).

These ancient materials are often altered or destroyed as the planet’s crust undergoes continual recycling through various geological processes.

“One potential survivor of the Hadean era crustal rock is the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt,” stated Dr. Christian Saul, a senior author from the University of Ottawa and his colleagues.

“However, this perspective is contentious. Some researchers argue that the isotopic data backing these estimates might instead reflect later geological mixing rather than the true age of the layers.”

“If proven to be of Hadean origin, the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt would represent the oldest known preserved rock sequence on Earth.”

“This could yield critical insights into early geology and possible environments for the emergence of life.”

To refine the age of the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt, researchers concentrated on specific types of ancient rock intrusions known as metagabbro within the belt.

These intrusions intersect with ancient basaltic rocks, enabling the authors to utilize combined uranium-lead (U-Pb) dating to determine the minimum age limits of older layers, along with both short and long-lived samarium-neodymium (Sm-Nd) isotopic analysis.

Sm-Nd data yielded a consistent age of approximately 4.16 billion years, irrespective of the sample location or mineral composition.

The convergence of both isotope systems producing the same age in rocks with clear evidence of magma differentiation strongly supports their Hadean era crystallization.

This is in accordance with the Hadean Eon surviving within the Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt.

“Studying these rocks allows us to trace back to the origins of our planet,” noted Dr. Jonathan O’Neill, a researcher at the University of Ottawa.

“This will enable us to gain a better understanding of how the first continent formed and help reconstruct the environment in which life emerged.”

Survey results published in the journal Science.

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C. Sole et al. 2025. Evidence of Hadean Mafic invasion in the Canadian Nuvvuagittuq Greenstone Belt. Science 388 (6754): 1431-1435; doi: 10.1126/science.ads8461

Source: www.sci.news

The oldest human ancestors in Western Europe found: Fossilized face fragments.

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

In a cave in northern Spain, researchers found fossilized face fragments of ancient human ancestors.

The ruins, known as “Pink,” are estimated to be between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years old. However, they pose a mystery as the face fragments do not match any known species from the same area and cannot be definitively identified.

Maria Martinon Torres, a paleontologist at the Spanish National Centre for the Evolution of Humans and a co-author of the study, stated in a press call, “We have documented a previously unknown population in Europe. These fossils represent the earliest human fossils ever discovered in Western Europe.”

The initial fragment was unearthed in 2022, with new details featured in Wednesday’s issue of Nature Journal Nature.

Research findings tentatively suggest that Pink may be linked to human ancestors, potentially Homo Erectus. The fossil was named partly after the band Pink Floyd and Rosa Huguet, the study’s lead author and archaeological site coordinator.

Dr. Rosa Huguet.Maria D. Gillen/Ifes Kerkha

This discovery is significant as it provides a more accurate timeline for the arrival of human ancestors in Western Europe. It also helps bridge the evolutionary gap between the oldest human fossil finds in Europe, dating back about 1.8 million years to the site in dmanisi, Georgia, where Homo Aristroux was discovered, going back approximately 900,000 years.

Rodrigo Lacruz, a professor of molecular pathology at New York University, stated that this finding could aid in understanding early human evolution and migration narratives in Europe.

The research team confirmed that Pink’s fossils are adult but could not determine their gender. The discovery was made about 60 feet deep within the Sierra de Atapueca archaeological site, known for its rich historical record of rock formations.

Within the same sediment layer as Pink, evidence suggests that these early ancestors were involved in hunting and butchering animals for meat.

Archaeological excavation work at the Sima Del Elefante Cave site.Maria D. Gillen/Ifes Kerkha

There is evidence suggesting that human ancestors entered Europe in multiple waves, with many of these groups later diminishing. Fossil records show discontinuity across Atapuerca sites and Western Europe, indicating a prolonged period without human presence.

The study speculates that the species to which Pink belonged may have overlapped temporarily with Homo Alivisor and could have been extinct due to climate changes around 1.1 million years ago.

Chris Stringer, a professor and research leader in human evolution at the Museum of Natural History in London, suggested that a climate event may have caused a significant decline or complete depopulation of humans in Western Europe.

The Simadel Elephante cave, where Pink was discovered, has previously yielded intriguing fossils. In 2007, researchers found a small jawbone believed to be around 1.2 million years old, possibly closely related to Pink.

Maria Martinón-Torres expressed surprise and excitement at the discovery of new fossils even deeper within the cave.

The abundant collection of fossils in the region is likely due to its geographical features, providing a natural corridor and resources that attracted early humans.

Archaeological excavation work in the area is ongoing, with researchers hopeful for more surprises.

“We will continue to excavate,” Martinón Torres stated. “There may be more surprises to come.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Researchers say a woman may have signed the world’s oldest runestone

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Norwegian researchers have connected the dots from 2,000 years ago, suggesting that a woman could have engraved her name on the oldest dated runestone ever discovered in Norway.

The inscription starts with the word “I” in the Lunic script, hinting that it might be the author’s name. The runestone was unearthed in the Hall cemetery, a small town in southern Norway, towards the east of the capital.

“The text essentially indicates that it is the name of the Rune attendee,” Christel Zilmer, one of the study’s co-authors, told NBC News over the phone. He shared that the script was found by a Rune attendee.

Rune stones appear to be part of the excavation.
Museum of Cultural History

Experts believe that the Germanic alphabet script drew inspiration from the Roman alphabet, with Runes serving as key components in early Scandanavian communication. This form of communication was prevalent in the region until the late Middle Ages.

Rune inscriptions have been identified on items like Danish bone knives, iron knives, and combs, estimated to be around 700 Guangxi around 150 AD, correlating with other runestones discovered by archeologists.

These inscriptions often carried messages involving spells for the deceased and enchanting words.

However, the evolution of Runes over time remains a mystery, and deciphering them without an archaeological context can pose significant challenges.

The reconstruction and accompanying illustrations reveal the rune inscription.
Christel Zilmer

Recent research indicates that the fragments uncovered in 2021 belonged to a single slab, aiding scientists in understanding language evolution and the significance of such stones.

Two years later, additional fragments were discovered, and it appears that the inscriptions span across all fragments, suggesting they are part of a single stone.

“By finding two additional pieces that fit perfectly into the existing inscription, it has almost completed the inscription,” Zilmer remarked.

Due to the stone’s deterioration and weathered state, deciphering the exact text containing the names of the attendees poses some challenges, but it is noted that the inscription ends with a “-u”, which peaked researchers’ interest.

Excavation was found at the Swingyad Site, west of Oslo, Norway.
Museum of Cultural History

If confirmed as a woman’s name in ancient runes, it could be the earliest known record of female Runes inscription.

The fragments buried alongside cremated human remains in the pit allow scientists to use radiocarbon dating, tracing the fragments back to a period between 50 BC to 275 AD, providing valuable context.

“There could be a series of interconnected events here involving different individuals. It’s possible that the stone served multiple purposes,” Zilmer commented.

While much of the research is still underway, there remains a conspicuous gap in our understanding, as Zilmer noted.

“It’s akin to a puzzle with missing pieces, but exploring how these individual fragments, some inscribed, could potentially connect is an intriguing prospect,” she added.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Oldest living recipient of pig organ transplant in Alabama is a woman

Posted on January 26, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

An Alabama woman achieved a significant milestone on Saturday by becoming the longest surviving recipient of a pig organ transplant. After receiving a new kidney, she has been healthy and full of energy for 61 days.

Twana Rooney, who jokingly referred to herself as a “superwoman,” shared with The Associated Press her excitement about her recovery as she took a long walk through New York City. She expressed that the transplant has given her a fresh perspective on life.

Rooney’s remarkable progress following the transplant has provided hope in the advancement of animal-to-human organ transplants. While only four other individuals in the United States have received experimental pig organ transplants (including two hearts and two kidneys), none of them survived for over two months.

Dr. Robert Montgomery of Langone Health, who led Rooney’s transplant, expressed that her kidney function is now “absolutely normal.” The medical team is optimistic about her continued progress, enabling her to eventually return to her home in Gadsden, Alabama.

There is ongoing research involving genetically modified pigs to create more human-like organs to address the critical shortage of transplantable human organs in the US. With over 100,000 people on the US transplant waiting list, most in need of a kidney, and thousands dying while waiting, pig organ transplants have been implemented as acts of compassion.

Hospitals conducting these transplants are collaborating to share insights on the outcomes, paving the way for an upcoming formal study. United Therapeutics, the provider of Rooney’s kidney, has recently sought FDA approval to commence a trial.

Rooney’s experience of donating a kidney to her mother in 1999, subsequent pregnancy complications, and eight years on dialysis led her to explore pig organ transplants. Her journey has been closely monitored by medical professionals, demonstrating the possibility of successful long-term pig organ functionality in humans.

As an advocate and source of support for those navigating the transplant process, Rooney aims to inspire and educate others through her unique story. While the longevity of her new kidney remains uncertain, her resilience and determination offer hope for the future of organ transplantation.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Archaeologists Uncover Potentially the Oldest 3D Map in the World

Posted on January 15, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The Paleolithic rock shelter at Segonyol 3 in the Paris Basin contains a miniature representation of the surrounding landscape, according to a team of archaeologists from the University of Adelaide and Paris Mines Paris PSL.

Segonyol 3 3D map display on the floor of the rock shelter. Image credit: Médard Thiry.

The Segonyol 3 Rock Shelter has been known since the 1980s for its artistic carvings of two horses in Upper Paleolithic style on either side of a female pubic statue.

In 2017, archaeologists discovered that Paleolithic people manipulated sandstone to reflect the female figure, opening cracks that allowed water to seep into the sandstone, resulting in runoff at the base of the pelvic triangle. I discovered something.

A new study shows that some of the sandstone shelter floors were shaped and adapted by Paleolithic peoples about 13,000 years ago, and modeled to reflect the area’s natural water flow and topographic features. It suggests that it has been converted.

“What we have described is not a map of distance, direction, and travel time as we understand it today, but a three-dimensional map that depicts features of the landscape, such as outflows and confluences from uplands to streams and rivers. It’s a miniature of the original. Dr Anthony Milnes, an archaeologist at the University of Adelaide, said:

“Perception of the direction of water flow and landscape features may have been more important to Paleolithic people than modern concepts such as distance and time.”

“Our study shows that anthropogenic changes to the hydraulic behavior in and around the shelter have extended to modeling natural water flow in the landscape of areas surrounding rock shelters. “

“These are exceptional discoveries that clearly demonstrate the mental, imaginative and engineering abilities of our distant ancestors.”

Thanks to extensive research into the origins of the Fontainebleau sandstone, the authors recognized several minute morphological features that could not have formed naturally and suggest that they were modified by early humans. Masu.

“Our research showed that Paleolithic humans carved sandstone to facilitate specific flow channels for infiltrating and directing rainwater, something previously recognized by archaeologists.” said Dr. Medard Tilly of Paris Mines – PSL.

“Perhaps this metal fitting has a deeper mythical meaning related to water.”

“The two hydraulic installations, the sexual sculpture and the miniature landscape, are located 2-3 meters apart from each other and certainly convey the deep meaning of the concepts of life and nature that are never accessible to us.”

Researchers discovered the existence of three-dimensional modeling by looking closely at fine-scale geomorphological features.

“This brand new discovery provides a better understanding and insight into the capabilities of these early humans,” said Dr. Tilly.

Prior to this discovery, the oldest known three-dimensional maps were understood to be large portable rock slabs carved by Bronze Age people some 3,000 years ago.

The map depicts the local river network and embankments, and reflects the concept of more modern maps used for navigation.

“Collaboration across disciplines, such as archaeology, geology and geomorphology, is vitally important in science,” Dr Milnes said.

“We believe that the most productive research results are at the boundaries between disciplines.”

“It is important to reevaluate field studies and conduct frequent site visits,” Dr. Tilley said.

“It is clear from our ongoing projects that insights and interpretations do not emerge immediately, but through new observations and interdisciplinary discussions.”

This finding is reported in the following article: paper in Oxford Archeology Journal.

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Medard Tilly and Anthony Mills. 2025. Paleolithic map carved to show the flow of water to the shelters of the Paris Basin. Oxford Archeology Journal 44 (1): 2-26;doi: 10.1111/ojoa.12316

Source: www.sci.news

Argentina is home to the oldest newly discovered species of pterosaur

Posted on December 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A new genus and species of Monophenestratan pterosaur has been identified from partial and postcranial fossils discovered in the Chubut province of Patagonia, Argentina. named Mercamtel Pateco an ancient flying reptile that predates the currently oldest members of the Monophenestrata clade by at least 8 million and perhaps 10 million years.

rebuilding the life of Mercamtel Pateco. Image credit: Pedro Andrade.

Mercamtel Pateco They lived in what is now Argentina during the most recent Early Jurassic period, 184 to 174 million years ago.

The ancient species is a member of Monophenestrata a large clade of pterosaurs consisting of Darwinoptera, Anurognatidae, and Pterodactylidae.

“Pterosaurs were the first clade of actively flying tetrapods that achieved great success during the Mesozoic Era, achieving a worldwide distribution from the Triassic to the Cretaceous.” Dr. Alexandra Fernandes researchers from the Bavarian National Institute of Paleontology and Geology and colleagues in Germany and Argentina.

“Meanwhile, the pterosaur Bauplan transitioned from the basal non-monophenestratan ‘non-pterodactyloid’ body shape to a more derived pterodactyloid body shape. ”

“This evolutionary event has become better understood in recent years with the recognition of the Darwinoptera clade. Darwinoptera primarily exhibit a variety of morphological attributes during this transition and are considered to be “non-pterodactyl”. It has been considered to be an “intermediate” monofenid, combining the plesiomorphic features of “.” It has wing-like characteristics. ”

“Records of Mesozoic pterosaurs are abundant in the Northern Hemisphere, but records from the Southern Hemisphere are relatively sparse.”

“Although it is possible that Argentinians may be excluded, all carpNon-pterodactyl monophenestratan pterosaurs have so far been found only in the Northern Hemisphere, namely Britain, Germany, and China, and first appeared during the Batonian period (168 to 165 million years ago). ). ”

“The apparent success of these monofenid forms and their pterodactyl descendants replaced the Rhamphorhynchus body form (which disappeared in the early Cretaceous) and survived until extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.”

“However, there is still a lack of knowledge about monofenestral stratus in nonpterodonts, especially in terrestrial depositional environments.”

discovered by paleontologists Mercamtel PatecoThe fossilized remains of – a portion of the skull, two associated teeth, and some postcranial elements – are located at the Queso Lajad site in the Canadon Asphalt Formation.

They also found an isolated tooth of a ctenochasmatid pterosaur pterosaur at the same location.

“The Canadon Asphalt Formation is widespread in the north-central Chubut province of Argentina,” they said.

“This is part of the deposits of the Canadon Asphalt Basin, a large half-graben structure in central Patagonia that opened with the onset of the South Atlantic during the Early Jurassic.”

“The production area of Queso Laryado is located approximately 5.5 km northwest of the village of Cerro Condor in the middle reaches of the Rio Chubut River.''

“The Fossil Formation is a 0.8 meter thick carbonate, partially silicified mudstone underlying the Canadon Asphalt Formation.”

According to the researchers, Mercamtel Pateco This marks the world's earliest appearance of a monophenestratan pterosaur, predating the current oldest member of this clade by at least 8 million and perhaps 10 million years.

This species is also the first and only non-pterodactyl monophenestratan to inhabit the supercontinent of Gondwana.

“Mercamtel Pateco “This is the most conclusive evidence to date for the existence of Monophenestrata in the Late Late Jurassic, and the novel traits expressed in this new species also contribute to morphological diversity.” The scientists concluded.

“Furthermore, if confirmed by future discoveries, the possible existence of Ctenochasmatidae, currently indicated by a single tooth, would not only place the origin of pterodactyls in the Early Jurassic, but also their early diversification. It may even indicate that it already happened in that era.”

“While our understanding of long-term pterosaur diversity and dispersal has traditionally been dominated by Northern Hemisphere Lagerstätten, high phylogenetic diversity of Early Jurassic pterosaurs also existed in Gondwana. It is now clear that the Canadon Asphalt Formation is the only one that now shows evidence for at least three different species. ”

“This further highlights that we still lack knowledge about the Jurassic pterosaur fauna of Gondwana, and while we await further field sampling and recovery of pterosaur fossils, the southern hemisphere probably someday It is clear that there is an inherent potential to match the abundance of the hemisphere. “

discovery of Mercamtel Pateco is reported in paper in a diary Royal Society Open Science.

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Alexandra E. Fernandez others. 2024. The oldest monophenestratan pterosaur from the Queso Rayado region (Toarcian, Canadon Asphalt Formation), Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina. R. Soc. Open Science 11(12):241238;doi: 10.1098/rsos.241238

Source: www.sci.news

In 2024, who will be the world’s oldest person?

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The oldest verifiable person in the world is Jeanne Louise Calment, who lived to be 122 years and 164 days old.

It’s incredible to imagine what Calment and today’s supercentenarians (people over 110 years old) have witnessed in their lifetimes. Thinking about what it was like to be a teenager in the 1920s, to have lived through both world wars, to witness the first moon landing in your 50s or 60s, and to still be alive in the 21st century. Please take a look. ^cent It was centuries ago that we could observe the latest scientific and technological advances unfolding rapidly and dramatically.

Currently, the oldest living person (as of December 2024) is Tomiko Itooka of Japan. She is a healthy 116 years old, far exceeding the average human lifespan. The average life expectancy in the UK is 79 years for men and 82.9 years for women. National Bureau of Statistics. Expectations are a little lower in the US Men are expected to live to age 75 and women to age 80.

Due to different cultural, sanitary, and scientific reasons, life expectancy around the world varies depending on which country you live in and even where you live within that country.

The United Nations estimates that: Average life expectancy worldwide is currently 72.8 years – This is about 9 years longer than people lived in 1990. And if you’re wondering, yes, women live about 5.4 years longer than men on average worldwide (73.8 years vs. 68.4 years).

Who is the oldest person alive today?

As of December 2024, the oldest living person is Tomiko Itooka. She is 116 years old.

She was born in Osaka on May 23, 1908 during the reign of Emperor Meiji. She currently lives in a special nursing home in Ashiya City.

According to Guinness World Records. She played on the volleyball team at school, got married at the age of 20, and had two daughters and two sons. During World War II, she managed the offices of her husband’s textile factory.

Past title holders

Jeanne Louise Calment – Oldest person in history

Jeanne Louise Calment, 120 years old, sits in her armchair at home © Ian Cook/Getty Images

Jeanne Louise Calment is the oldest person ever known to be alive. This French woman lived to the ripe old age of 122 years and 164 days. She was born on February 21, 1875 and died on August 4, 1997 at the age of 122.

According to Guinness World Records Carment said she “ate almost 1kg of chocolate every week” and started smoking “from the age of 21, only quitting when she was 117.” She also “sold Van Gogh a painting canvas,” but described Van Gogh as “ugly as sin” and “bad-tempered and smelled of alcohol.”

Jiroemon Kimura – Oldest male

At the time of his death, Jiroemon Kimura had 7 children, 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-grandchildren – Photo courtesy of Getty

Jiroemon Kimura lived to be 116 years and 54 days old. This Japanese supercentenarian was born on April 19, 1897 and lived until June 12, 2013. Guinness World Records To quote his words: He continued farming until he was 90 years old, saying, “To live a long life, eat light food.”

Lucille Landon – 118

Another French woman, Lucille Landon (see main photo), lived to be 118 years and 340 days old. She was born on February 11, 1904 and passed away on January 17, 2023.

Keon Tanaka – 119

This Japanese woman, who was born on January 2, 1903 and passed away on April 19, 2022, lived to be 119 years and 107 days old.

Miyakochiyo – 117

Another Japanese woman, Chiyo Miyako, was born on May 2, 1901 and lived to be 117 years and 81 days old on July 22, 2018.

Navi Tashima – 117

Navi Tajima, 117 years old © JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images

Yet another Japanese supercentenarian, Navi Tajima, lived for 117 years and 260 days, from her birth on August 4, 1900 to her death on April 21, 2018.

Violet brown – 117

Next we will head to Jamaica and then Violet Brown. She lived to be 117 years and 189 days old. She was born on March 10, 1900 and passed away on September 15, 2017.

Emma Martina Luigia Morano – 117

Emma Morano, 2016 © OLIVIER MORIN/AFP via Getty Images

Next up is Emma Martina Luigia Morano. An Italian supercentenarian, she lived to be 117 years old (+137 days), was born on November 29, 1899, and passed away on April 15, 2017.

Maria Brañas Morera – 117

When María Brañas Morera passed away in August 2024 at the age of 117 years and 168 days, she became the eighth-oldest (verifiable age) in history.

According to reports, she was born on March 4, 1907 in San Francisco, California, and lived in Texas and New Orleans until her Spanish family moved back to Catalonia during World War I. Guinness World Records.

She said she lived an “orderly life with great social comfort…a good life without excess.”

Susanna Mushat Jones – 116

Next up is Susanna Mushat Jones from America. She lived to be 116 years and 311 days old, was born on July 6, 1899, and passed away on May 12, 2016.

Geralian Tully – 116

Former world’s oldest person, Geralian Talley, 2015 – Photo courtesy of Getty

Lastly, we have Geralian Talley, who is also from the United States. She lived to be 116 years and 25 days old. She was born on May 23, 1899 and passed away on June 17, 2015.

read more:

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Archaeologists uncover ancient alphabet, the oldest ever found

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

According to Professor Glenn Schwartz of Johns Hopkins University, the script dates from around 2400 B.C., making it roughly 500 years older than any other known alphabet.

A 4,400-year-old clay object discovered in the ancient city of Umm El Mara in Syria. The carved symbols may be part of the oldest known alphabet. Image credit: Glenn Schwartz, Johns Hopkins University.

“The alphabet revolutionized writing by making it accessible to people beyond royalty and social elites. Alphabet writing changed the way people lived, thought, and communicated.” said Professor Schwartz.

“And this new discovery shows that people were experimenting with new communication technologies in different places much earlier than previously imagined.”

The letters of this alphabet are carved into finger-long clay cylinders excavated at Tell Um-el-Mara, one of the first medium-sized cities to emerge in western Syria.

In Umm El Mara, archaeologists have discovered tombs dating back to the early Bronze Age.

One of the best-preserved tombs contained six skeletons, gold and silver jewelry, cooking utensils, spear points, and intact ceramic vessels.

Next to the pottery, researchers found four lightly fired clay cylinders with letters that appeared to be an alphabet written on them.

A 4,400-year-old clay object discovered in the ancient city of Umm El Mara in Syria. Image credit: Glenn Schwartz, Johns Hopkins University.

“The cylinder had a hole in it, so we think it may have a string attached to another object that acts as a label,” Schwartz said.

“Perhaps there are details about what's inside the ship, or where it came from or who it belongs to.”

“We have no way to translate the text, so we can only guess.”

Scientists used carbon-14 dating techniques to confirm the age of the graves, artifacts and writings.

“Until now, scholars thought the alphabet was invented in or around Egypt sometime after 1900 BC,” Professor Schwartz said.

“But our artifacts are older and come from a different region on the map, suggesting the alphabet may have an entirely different origin story than we thought.” I am.”

Professor Schwartz presented the results of this research at a lecture today. 2024 American Society for Overseas Research (ASOR 2024) annual general meeting.

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Glenn M. Schwartz. An example of early alphabetic writing from Umm el-Mara, Syria, 24th century BC. ASOR 2024

Source: www.sci.news

Archaeologists claim Eswatini’s Lion Cave is the oldest ocher mine in the world

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Archaeologists say they have discovered the world’s oldest known evidence of intensive loess mining at least 48,000 years ago at Lion Cave in Ngwenya, in the landlocked southern African nation of Eswatini. .

Selected hand specimens of samples from sources included in the study: Ngwenya High Grade (AC), Ngwenya Low Grade (DF), Kubuta (G), Bulembu (HJ), Ruhorodum (K,L), Munyongane (M , N), Maroma (O). Scale bar – 1 cm. Image credit: McDonald’s others., doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53050-6.

Ocher is widely recognized as a red, yellow, or purple pigmented earth mineral, often confused with manganese oxide (black ocher), and its importance throughout human history has been debatable. there is no.

Records remain from ancient times, where it was extracted through intensive mining operations, transported over long distances, used in symbols and funerary expressions, and processed to enhance its properties and performance in complex paint mixtures. Masu.

It continues to hold widespread cultural significance in many descendant communities today.

However, the differences between ocher colors are not always obvious, and pigments that appear the same in color and texture often have different physicochemical properties.

“Ocher can be said to be the earliest pigment used by humans to depict the world,” said archaeologist Dr. Gregor Bader of the Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment at the University of Tübingen.

“We humans and other humans have been using red, yellow, and sometimes purple earth minerals for at least 500,000 years, and probably much longer.”

In the most comprehensive study to date of ocher use in Africa, Dr Bader and his colleagues investigated how this mineral was used south of the Sahara.

Based on 173 samples from 15 Stone Age sites, the researchers reconstructed the regional network of mineral selection, extraction, transport and use of ocher.

“We were interested in the entire processing chain of loess: from the selection of minerals from different geological formations, their extraction, and the mixing of other substances such as milk, fat, blood, and vegetable resins as binders to the loess. It’s an archaeological site,” Dr. Bader said.

“How was the knowledge of ocher extraction transmitted? Was there interaction between different hunter-gatherer groups? And are there regional or temporal differences?

This study shows that there was both a regional strategy for sourcing ocher and long-distance transport of important minerals through a network of different mineral deposits.

Archaeological investigations at 15 sites suggest the existence of long-term cultural continuity in the intergenerational transmission of knowledge regarding ocher extraction and use, including geological conditions and desirable physicochemical properties of mineral pigments. I’m doing it.

These communities of practice did not develop in isolation but were part of a broader system of relations influenced and mediated by social interactions such as technical learning, seasonal migration, exchange of material culture, and symbolic expression. It was a club.

“Our data support the hypothesis that hunter-gatherers in Stone Age Eswatini were highly mobile, sometimes traveling long distances to transport ocher pigments,” Bader said. said.

“It is noteworthy that such traditions continue to this day in Eswatini. For example, it is ethnographic that plant healers travel to collect mineral earth pigments for painting and healing ceremonies. known from research.

“Ocher is also considered an important part of the wedding ceremony. On the morning of the wedding, the bride is painted in red ocher and animal fat to signify her new status within the community.”

“Our current research shows that Eswatini researchers are in a leading position in the study of Stone Age loess resources, and provides an impressive demonstration that this country holds vast wealth of this important pigment. It shows.”

“In addition to elucidating the chain of loess exchange, we also used optically stimulated luminescence dating to show that Ngwenya’s Lion Cave is the oldest concentrated loess site in the world, dating back approximately 48,000 years. We have confirmed that this is known evidence of mining.”

“Furthermore, here we see some of the earliest evidence that humans were actively reshaping the environment.”

of findings Published in a magazine nature communications.

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BL McDonald’s others. 2024. Ocher communities of practice in Stone Age Eswatini. Nat Commune 15, 9201; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-53050-6

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest known tadpole fossil dates back 161 million years

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have discovered the well-preserved fossilized remains of an early anuran tadpole. Notobatrachus degiustoi At Estancia La Matilde in Patagonia, Argentina.

Reproducing the lives of tadpoles and adults Notobatrachus degiustoi. Image credit: Gabriel Rio.

Frogs and toads belong to a group of tailless amphibians called anurans.

They are characterized by a biphasic life cycle, with an aquatic larval (tadpole) stage followed by an adult (frog) stage.

Adult anurans remain in the fossil record until the late Triassic period (approximately 217 to 213 million years ago), but tadpoles have not been recorded before the Cretaceous period (approximately 145 million years ago). Not yet.

“Tadpoles are free-living, non-reproductive anuran aquatic larvae that undergo morphological and ecological changes over a short period of time before reaching the adult reproductive stage. “We need to go through a metamorphosis stage that involves profound changes in our lives.” And her colleagues.

“This rapid metamorphosis in anurans is the most extreme among extant tetrapods, with tadpoles representing a highly derived larval stage.”

The authors examined well-preserved tadpole fossils. Notobatrachus degiustoi from Formation of La Matilde In Patagonia.

This giant anuran lived during the Middle Jurassic Period, 168 to 161 million years ago.

This species is also represented by a large number of excellently preserved adult specimens from the same locality.

Notobatrachus degiustoi Tadpole. Image credit: Chubar others., doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08055-y.

According to the team, the tadpoles Notobatrachus degiustoi It was almost 16 centimeters (6.3 inches) long.

The head, most of the body, and part of the tail were visible, as were the eyes, nerves, and forelimbs, suggesting that the tadpole was in a later stage of metamorphosis.

Together, they show that key traits of today’s tadpoles, such as filter-feeding systems, had already evolved in early anurans about 161 million years ago.

“The exquisite preservation of the tadpole, including its soft tissues, shows features related to the filter-feeding mechanism characteristic of living tadpoles,” the researchers said.

“What is noteworthy is that both Notobatrachus degiustoi Tadpoles and adults reached large sizes, proving that tadpole gigantism occurred among stalked anurans. “

“This new discovery suggests that a biphasic life cycle in which filter-feeding tadpoles live in aquatic, ephemeral environments was already present in the early evolutionary history of sessile anurans, and that at least 161 million It has been shown to remain stable over the years.”

of findings Published in this week’s magazine nature.

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M. Chubar others. The oldest tadpoles reveal the evolutionary stability of anuran life cycles. naturepublished online October 30, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08055-y

Source: www.sci.news

Science discovers oldest known tadpole fossil dating back 161 million years.

Posted on October 31, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Scientists discovered fossils in Argentina’s Santa Cruz province

Mariana Chubar et al., Journal (2024)

The beautifully preserved fossilized tadpoles are the oldest discovered by science, dating back 161 million years, and their anatomy is strikingly similar to some of today’s species. I am.

Paleontologists discovered the fossil in January 2020 while searching for feathered dinosaurs in Argentina’s Santa Cruz province.

“They missed the mark,” says Mariana Churivar of Universidad Maimonides in Buenos Aires, Argentina. “But after many days of digging, one of our team members discovered a stone with a special signature: a fossilized tadpole.”

Chubar and her colleagues have now identified this tadpole as belonging to an extinct frog species. Notobatrachus degiustoiwas deciphered from hundreds of adult specimens discovered in the same fossil deposit since 1957.

Until now, scientists had never unearthed tadpole fossils from before the Cretaceous period, which began about 145 million years ago. This specimen is also the first fossil tadpole from an early frog lineage known as stalk anurans, which is older than modern species known as crown anurans.

This fossil is very well preserved, with eyes and nerves visible in the head, forelimbs, and part of the tail. The researchers estimate that it was about 16 centimeters long, comparable to the largest tadpole in existence today.

The part of the skeleton that supports the gills suggests that the specialized filter-feeding anatomy of modern tadpoles had already evolved in this fossilized tadpole, Chubar said.

The similarities between ancient and modern tadpoles are so great that the researchers were even able to determine the developmental stage in the fossils, concluding that they were just about to undergo metamorphosis into frogs.

Illustration of tadpoles and adults of the species Notabatrachus degiustoi

Gabriel Rio

Earth’s warm, humid climate in the past, combined with the lack of competition and predation from other frog species and fish, may have made it easier for tadpoles to grow large, Chubar said.

Jody Lowry The Australian Museum in Sydney said the discovery of the oldest known tadpole “confirms how successful and stable the ‘typical’ frog life cycle we all learn about in school is.”

The size of the tadpoles tells us a lot about the habitat in which frogs evolved more than 160 million years ago, a water-rich environment with few predators or competitors, she says. “This is something modern frog species can only dream of.”

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Source: www.newscientist.com

New study suggests Gobekli Tepe carvings reveal the world’s oldest solar calendar

Posted on August 7, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Göbekli Tepe, an archaeological site in southern Turkey, features several Neolithic temple-like enclosures decorated with many intricately carved symbols.

Göbekli Tepe, Enclosure D, Pillar 43. Image courtesy of Alistair Coombs.

Göbekli Tepe (Turkish for “Pot-bellied Hill”) is one of the oldest known examples of an artificial megalithic structure constructed by prehistoric builders specifically for ritual purposes.

Its impressive monumental architecture was built by a group of hunter-gatherers during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period between 9600 and 8200 BC.

Göbekli Tepe was discovered towards the end of the last century in a hillside overlooking the Harran Plain.

It lies between the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, about 12 km northeast of the modern city of Şanlıurfa, known as Ancient Urfa and said to be the birthplace of the biblical Abraham.

Excavations at Göbekli Tepe, which began in 1994, have uncovered four large, nearly circular enclosures and a number of smaller, generally rectangular, buildings.

Each circular enclosure consists of rough stone walls with T-shaped megalithic pillars inset around two centrally located tall T-shaped pillars, which are usually fixed within stone sockets.

Archaeologists initially thought that Göbekli Tepe was merely a religious center, but recent excavations have revealed that it also contained a settlement of rectangular buildings, now thought to be homes.

The large enclosures are still considered “special” buildings, although there is debate as to whether they had a specific religious purpose or were large homes for powerful families.

In the context of this debate, it is debated whether the largest pillars represent gods or even worshipped ancestors.

In any case, it is generally believed that these large enclosures were roofed, but hard evidence is elusive.

A round-elliptical monumental structure with a distinctive T-shaped monolithic pillar at Göbekli Tepe, Turkey. Image credit: Nico Becker, Göbekli Tepe Archive, German Archaeological Institute.

“The largest complete enclosure discovered so far, Enclosure D (30 metres, 98 feet wide), has the oldest radiocarbon date yet obtained from the site, dating to 9530 BC,” said archaeologist David Schneider of the University of Edinburgh. paper Published in the journal Time and Heart.

“This date corresponds roughly to the end of the Younger Dryas period, at the boundary between the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic, when the Northern Hemisphere climate suddenly warmed after a near-glacial Younger Dryas climate that lasted for more than 1,200 years.”

“However, the date of the earliest occupation of Göbekli Tepe is unknown,” he added.

“Ground penetrating radar scans indicate that there appear to be several other large structures near the center of the main trail, waiting to be discovered.”

“Since only a small portion of the site's surface has been excavated, and even less has been excavated down to bedrock, the origins of Göbekli Tepe may ultimately be dated back to a time closer to the beginning of the Younger Dryas period, around 10,800 BC.”

“In fact, scientists have suggested it may have originated in the Paleolithic period.”

In a new analysis of the V-shaped symbols carved into the pillars at Göbekli Tepe, Dr Sweatman found that each V likely represents a day.

This interpretation allowed researchers to count a 365-day solar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months and 11 extra days on one of the pillars.

The summer solstice was considered a special day, and a V was drawn around the neck of a bird-like beast, which was thought to represent the summer solstice constellation at the time.

Other statues believed to represent gods were found nearby, all with similar V-shaped markings around their necks.

As both lunar and solar cycles are depicted, the carving may represent the world's oldest known lunisolar calendar, based on the phases of the moon and the position of the sun, predating any other known calendar of this type by thousands of years.

Detail of the center section of Pillar 43 at Göbekli Tepe. Image courtesy of Martin B. Sweatman, doi: 10.1080/1751696X.2024.2373876.

“Ancient people may have created these carvings at Göbekli Tepe to record the date when a swarm of cometary fragments hit Earth about 13,000 years ago, i.e. in 10,850 BC,” the scientists said.

“The cometary impact is thought to have caused a mini-glacial period lasting more than 1,200 years and led to the extinction of many large animal species.”

“It may also have triggered changes in lifestyle and agriculture that are associated with the emergence of civilisations in the Fertile Crescent of Western Asia shortly thereafter.”

Another pillar at the site appears to depict the Taurid meteor shower, which emanated over a 27-day period from the direction of Aquarius and Pisces, and is thought to be the source of cometary debris.

The discovery also appears to confirm that ancient peoples were able to use precession — the wobble of the Earth's axis that affects the movement of the constellations in the sky — to record dates at least 10,000 years before it was recorded by the ancient Greek Hipparchus in 150 BC.

The carvings appear to have been important to the people of Göbekli Tepe for thousands of years, suggesting that the impact event may have sparked new cults and religions that influenced the development of the civilization.

The discovery also supports the theory that Earth's orbit crosses the path of orbiting cometary debris that we normally experience as meteor showers, increasing the chances that Earth will face cometary impacts.

“The inhabitants of Göbekli Tepe are likely to have been avid skywatchers, which is not surprising given that their world was devastated by a cometary impact,” Dr Sweatman said.

“This event may have marked the beginning of a new religion and may have sparked civilization by encouraging the development of agriculture to cope with the cold climate.”

“Perhaps their attempt to record what they saw was the first step towards the development of writing thousands of years later.”

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Martin B. Sweatman. The representations of calendar and time at Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe support an astronomical interpretation of their symbols. Time and HeartPublished online July 24, 2024, doi: 10.1080/1751696X.2024.2373876

Source: www.sci.news

A 99-million-year-old skink found preserved in Burmese amber is the oldest ever discovered

Posted on July 23, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Palaeontologists have discovered the fossil of a previously unknown species of lizard in mid-Cretaceous amber unearthed in northern Myanmar.

Reconstructing your life Electrosincus Zeddyparts of the lizard not represented in available sources have been blurred. Image courtesy of Stephanie Abramowicz.

The newly discovered species was a small lizard, estimated to be about 3 centimetres (1.2 inches) long from snout to anus.

Named Electrosincus ZeddyIt lived during the mid-Cretaceous period, about 99 million years ago.

Unlike other squamate animals (lizards and snakes) that lived during the Mesozoic era, they have a layered and complex structure. Cortical bone They are arranged alternately around the body, supporting its classification as a lizard. Gerbils.

“The family Pectiniidae is a highly diverse lineage of squamate animals that is now nearly universally distributed in temperate and tropical regions around the world,” said Dr. Juan Daza of Sam Houston State University and colleagues.

“This comprises more than 1,745 described extant species, about 15 percent of all extant lizards.”

“Typically, lizards have cylindrical bodies and relatively short limbs, and evolution towards shortening or loss of limbs has occurred in more than 50 lizard lineages.”

“Among the living syncoids (Xanthus, Gerphosauridae, Cordylidae, and Syncoidae), syncoid species have the greatest range in body length, ranging from tiny species just a few centimetres in length to extinct species. Tiliqua FrangensIt may have reached a height of more than 50 centimetres.”

“Skinks also vary greatly in the number of presacral vertebrae, ranging from 26 to 108, which, together with round scales and compound bone plates, may have facilitated the repeated evolution of depressed and limbless morphologies.”

“Most lizards have smooth, circular scales beneath which extend compound osteoderms, which are bony plates within the dermis made up of multiple articulating dermal fragments per scale.”

Electrosincus ZeddyVentral (a) and dorsal (b) views of the fossil. Detail of the right foot (c, e) and bone plate (d). X-ray of the entire specimen, showing skeletal remains and some articulated and scattered bone plates (f). Image courtesy of Daza. others., doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-66451-w.

One Burmese Amber (Burmit) Preservation Electrosincus Zeddy It was discovered in a Mid-Cretaceous outcrop about 100 km west of Myitkyina Township, Myitkyina District, Kachin State in northern Myanmar.

The specimen contains two separate parts of a lizard, including scales and mainly appendicular bones, but is clearly part of a single individual.

“To date, more than 100 squamate specimens have been discovered in Burmite,” the paleontologists said.

“Within this large sample, the new fossil is the only one that preserves this cortical bone morphology, which makes it diagnosable as a Snecidae and distinguishes it from all known fossil squamates from the Cretaceous.”

“Although the specimen is incomplete, it preserves both postcranial skeletal elements and integumentary structures, which, although less than ideal, provides a basis for comparison with putative synthid specimens that may be discovered in the future.”

“This specimen has a combination of compound bony plates and overlapping circular scales that are only seen in lizards.”

“We suggest that this type of osteoderm evolved as a response to increased scale overlap and reduced stiffness of the skin armour,” the researchers concluded.

Their paper Published in the journal Scientific Reports.

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JD Daza others2024. A compound osteoderm preserved in amber identifies it as the oldest known lizard. Scientific Reports 14, 15662; doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-66451-w

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest Evidence of Plant Cultivation in East Africa Unearthed by Archaeologists

Posted on July 10, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

A treasure trove of ancient plant remains unearthed in Kenya helps explain the history of plant cultivation in equatorial East Africa, a region long thought to be important for early agriculture but where little evidence from actual crops had been found. New Research Released on July 10, 2024 Proceedings of the Royal Society BArchaeologists from Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Pittsburgh and their colleagues report the largest and most extensively dated archaeological record ever found in the East African interior.

Kakapel Rockshelter, located at the foot of Mount Elgon near the Kenya-Uganda border, is where Dr. Muller and his collaborators discovered the oldest evidence of plant cultivation in East Africa. Image by Steven Goldstein.

Until now, scientists have had little success collecting ancient plant remains from East Africa, and as a result, little is known about where and how early plant cultivation began in the vast and diverse region that comprises Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

“There are a lot of stories about how agriculture began in East Africa, but not much direct evidence of the plants themselves,” said archaeologist Dr Natalie Muller of Washington University in St Louis.

The work was carried out at Kakapel Rockshelter in the Lake Victoria region of Kenya.

“We found a huge array of plant life, including large amounts of crop remains,” Dr Muller said. “The past shows a rich history of diverse and flexible agricultural systems in the region, in contrast to modern stereotypes about Africa.”

New research reveals a pattern of gradual adoption of different crops originating from different parts of Africa.

In particular, cowpea remains discovered at Kakapel Rockshelter and directly dated to 2,300 years ago provide the oldest record of a cultivated crop, and possibly an agricultural lifestyle, in East Africa.

The study authors estimate that cowpea is native to West Africa and arrived in the Lake Victoria basin at the same time as the spread of Bantu-speaking peoples migrating from Central Africa.

“The discoveries at Kakapelle reveal the earliest evidence of crop cultivation in East Africa and reflect dynamic interactions between local nomadic pastoralists and migrant Bantu-speaking farmers,” said Emmanuel Ndiema of the National Museums of Kenya, a partner in the project.

“This study demonstrates the National Museums of Kenya's commitment to uncovering the deep historical roots of Kenya's agricultural heritage and to improving our understanding of how past human adaptations impact future food security and environmental sustainability.”

An ever-changing landscape

Located at the foot of Mount Elgon north of Lake Victoria near the Kenya-Uganda border, Kakapelu is a renowned rock art site containing archaeological remains reflecting more than 9,000 years of human occupation in the area. The site has been recognised as a Kenyan national monument since 2004.

“Kakapel Rockshelter is one of the few sites in the region that shows occupation by so many diverse communities over such a long period of time,” said Dr. Steven T. Goldstein, an anthropological archaeologist at the University of Pittsburgh and the other lead author of the study.

“Using innovative excavation techniques, we were able to uniquely detect the arrival of domesticated plants and animals in Kenya and study the impacts of these introductions on the local environment, human technologies and socio-cultural systems.”

Dr Muller used flotation to separate remains of wild and cultivated plant species from ash and other debris in the furnaces excavated at Kakapelle. He has used this technique in research in many other parts of the world, but it can be difficult to use in water-scarce areas and so is not widely used in East Africa.

Using direct radiocarbon dating of charred seeds, scientists documented that cowpea (also known as black-eyed pea, today an important legume worldwide) arrived about 2,300 years ago, about the same time that people in the region began using domesticated cattle.

They found evidence that sorghum arrived from the Northeast at least 1,000 years ago.

They also found hundreds of finger millet seeds dating back at least 1,000 years.

The crop is native to East Africa and is an important traditional crop for the communities currently living near Kakapelle.

One of the unusual crops that Dr. Muller found was a burnt but completely intact pea plant (Pisum), which is not thought to have been part of early agriculture in this region.

“To our knowledge, this is the only evidence for peas in Iron Age East Africa,” Dr Muller said.

This particular pea has been featured in the newspaper and presents a little mystery in itself.

“The standard pea that we eat in North America was domesticated in the Near East,” Dr Muller said.

“It is thought that it was cultivated in Egypt and then travelled down the Nile via Sudan to reach East Africa – which is probably how sorghum got to East Africa. But there is another type of pea called the Abyssinian pea that was cultivated uniquely in Ethiopia, and our sample could be either.”

Many of the plant remains that Dr. Muller and his team found at Kakapelle could not be positively identified because even modern scientists currently working in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda do not have access to a proper reference collection of East African plant samples.

“Our study shows that agriculture in Africa has been constantly changing as people migrate, introduce new crops and abandon others at the local level,” Dr Muller said.

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Muller others2024. Proceedings of the Royal Society Bin press; doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2747

This article is a version of a press release provided by Washington University in St. Louis.

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest Evidence of Storytelling in Art Found in 51,200-Year-Old Indonesian Cave Paintings

Posted on July 9, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Archaeologists used a new technique called Laser Ablation U-series (LA-U-series) to re-date some of the oldest cave paintings in the Maros-Pangkep region of South Sulawesi and date stylistically similar motifs at other Maros-Pangkep sites. They found a minimum age of 50,200 years ago (± 2,200 years) for a hunting scene from the Leambur Sipong 4 cave site, first dated to a minimum of 43,900 years ago using a previous approach, meaning it is at least 4,040 years older than previously thought. They also assigned a minimum age of 53,500 years ago (± 2,300 years) to the newly described Leang Karampuang cave painting. Painted at least 51,200 years ago, the narrative work depicts human-like figures interacting with pigs and is now known as the world's oldest surviving example of figurative art and visual storytelling.

A 51,200-year-old mural from Leang Karampuan. Image courtesy of Griffith University.

Prehistoric rock art provides important insights into past human cultures, but is typically difficult to date in an accurate and reliable way.

Over the past few decades, solution-based U-series methods have been used to determine early dates for rock art in several regions, including Western Europe, island Southeast Asia, and Siberia.

In Spain, a handprint stencil was dated to at least 64,800 years ago by solution U-series analysis of the overlying calcite and attributed to Neanderthals.

Until now, the oldest evidence of representational art is a naturalistic painting of a warthog at Reang Tedonggae in Maros-Pangkep, Sulawesi, which was dated to at least 45,500 years ago using the solution U series.

“We have previously used uranium-series methods to date very ancient rock art in two areas of Indonesia, Sulawesi and Borneo, but our new laser ablation U-series (LA-U-series) technique is more accurate,” said Professor Maxim Aubert from Griffith University, lead author of the study.

“This will allow us to date the oldest calcium carbonate layers that formed in the murals and get a more accurate idea of when the murals were created. This will revolutionize the dating of murals.”

“The innovative technique we developed allows us to create a detailed 'map' of the calcium carbonate layers,” added study co-author Professor Renaud-Joannes Boyau from Southern Cross University.

“This feature makes it possible to precisely identify and avoid areas affected by natural diagenesis resulting from complex growth histories.”

“As a result, dating of rock art becomes more certain and reliable.”

The discovery that the Leang Karampuang paintings are at least 51,200 years old has important implications for understanding the origins of early art.

“Our results are very surprising. Apart from some controversial finds in Spain, none of the famous Ice Age rock arts in Europe are this old. This is the first time that Indonesian rock art has been dated to more than 50,000 years,” said the study's lead author Adi Agus Octaviana, a rock art expert at Jakarta's National Research and Innovation Agency and a doctoral student at Griffith University.

The scientists also used the LA-U series technique to re-date calcium carbonate deposits that lie above cave paintings at the Leang Bru Sipon 4 cave site.

The paintings, which consist of narrative “scenes” depicting figures interpreted as therianthropes (half-human, half-animal) hunting warthogs and dwarf buffalo, were estimated by the team to be at least 43,900 years old.

Using new techniques, the authors prove that the artwork dates to a minimum of about 48,000 years ago, making it 4,040 years older than present.

“The cave paintings at Leang Karampuang and Leang Bul Siphon 4 shed new light on a great period and the vital role of storytelling in art history,” said Professor Adam Blum of Griffith University, co-author of the study.

“It is remarkable that the oldest cave paintings found so far in Sulawesi consist of recognizable scenes – pictures of humans interacting with animals – and we can infer that the artists were trying to tell some kind of story.”

“This was a new discovery because the academic consensus on early figurative cave art was that it consisted of panels with single figures, no clearly defined scenes, and that pictorial representations that conveyed a narrative emerged much later in European art.”

This discovery suggests that narrative storytelling has been an important part of human artistic culture in Indonesia from very early times.

“Humans have probably been telling stories for much longer than 51,200 years, but because words don't fossilize we have to rely on indirect evidence like depicted scenes in artwork, and the Sulawesi artworks are the oldest such evidence known to archaeology so far,” Octaviana said.

of Investigation result Published in a journal Nature.

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AA Octaviana and othersl. The story of Indonesian cave paintings from 51,200 years ago. NaturePublished online July 3, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07541-7

Source: www.sci.news

The oldest known termite mound, active 34,000 years ago, astounds scientists.

Posted on July 4, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Scientists in South Africa were surprised to find that a termite mound standing in the country’s arid regions is over 30,000 years old, making it the oldest active termite mound known.

Located near the Buffels River in Namaqualand, several mounds have been dated back to 34,000 years ago by researchers from Stellenbosch University.

“I was aware of its age, but not to this extent,” said Michel Francis, a senior lecturer at the university’s soil science department who led the study. The findings were published in May.

These mounds existed during a time when sabre-toothed cats and mammoths roamed the Earth, and large parts of Europe and Asia were covered in ice. They even predate the oldest cave paintings in Europe.

While fossilized termite mounds millions of years old have been found, the oldest human-inhabited mound prior to this discovery was in Brazil and approximately 4,000 years old, visible from space.

Francis described the Namaqualand mounds as termite “apartment complexes”, showing evidence of a continuous termite colony living there.

Although termite mounds are a common sight in Namaqualand, their age was not questioned until samples were sent to Hungarian experts for radiocarbon dating.

The largest mounds, known as “heuweltjies” locally, can reach around 100 feet in diameter, with termite nests found up to 10 feet underground.

Researchers had to excavate parts of the mound for samples, but the termites went into “emergency mode” and started filling in the holes. The team reconstructed the mound to protect the termites from predators like aardvarks.

The project not only provided insight into ancient structures but also revealed information about the prehistoric climate, indicating Namaqualand was wetter when the mounds formed.

Southern harvester termites play a crucial role in capturing and storing carbon by collecting twigs and dead wood, contributing to offsetting climate change. This process also benefits the soil, supporting the growth of wildflowers on top of termite mounds in low rainfall areas.

Pope Francis encouraged further research on termite mounds for the valuable lessons they offer on climate change, ecosystem maintenance, and agricultural practices.

“Studying the termites’ activities within the mounds could provide valuable insights, considering the tedious job they are believed to have carried out,” she added.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Oldest known narrative art is a pig painting dating back 50,000 years

Posted on July 3, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Traces of cave paintings depicting pigs and human-like figures from Leang Karampuang, Sulawesi, Indonesia

Griffith University

An Indonesian cave painting depicting a pig with a human-like figure dates back at least 51,200 years and is known to be the oldest known example of figurative art in the world.

“I like to define us as a storytelling species, and this is the earliest evidence of that.” Maxime Oberle Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.

The pig artwork was discovered on the ceiling of a limestone cave in Leang Karampuang, Sulawesi, in 2017.

In 2019, Obert and his colleagues dated a hunting scene discovered in a nearby cave called Leang Bru Shipon 4 to at least 43,900 years ago.

Now, researchers have used new, more precise techniques to date both works of art, finding that the paintings at Reang Bulu Siphon 4 are actually more than 4,000 years older than previously thought, and the artwork at Reang Karampuan is even older.

According to Obert, the artwork at both sites predates the oldest known rock art in Europe by at least 10,000 years.

Modern people, Homo sapiens“We know they were in the area at that time, because they reached Australia by 60,000 to 65,000 years ago,” Obert said. “We think these art works were done by modern humans.”

The same cave contains depictions of creatures with both human and animal attributes, indicating spiritual beliefs.

“These rock art are not just little symbols,” team members say. Renaud Joanne Boyau “They were actually depicting scenes from the hunt and life, and were already using art to tell stories, inhabit a spirit world and try to make sense of their environment. This tells us a lot about human evolution,” said researchers from Southern Cross University in Lismore, Australia. Homo sapiens.”

Previous methods for dating artworks relied on chemical extraction of samples, which required crushing and destroying large portions of the rock.

The new technique involves taking a 5-millimeter-diameter core from the rock’s crust. A laser is used to remove material from the surface of this core, less than half the thickness of a human hair, which is then examined to measure the isotopic decay of the minerals. Once this is done, the core can be inserted into the rock art, much less disruptive than traditional methods.

Karampuang Hills, Reang Karampuang Cave site

Google Arts & Culture

Joannes Boyau says the new technique could lead to a major revision of the history of rock art around the world.

Kira Westaway Researchers from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, say improved dating methods have allowed them to more accurately assess when the Sulawesi art was actually created.

“This is really significant given that the first period was already considered groundbreaking,” she says. “This has huge implications for understanding the capabilities of these early artists who passed through Indonesia and the types of skills and tools they already had when they entered Australia.”

Homo sapiens They probably weren’t the only species with complex symbolic practices. Martin Pore “It is highly likely that other hominins had at least some capabilities in this regard, as can be inferred from the highly sophisticated material culture of Neanderthals,” say researchers from the University of Western Australia.

“It will be important to study further archaeological evidence from this region in the future to understand and confirm the social, economic and cultural context of these statues during the Late Pleistocene,” Poa said.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Oldest Wine in the World Found in Roman Tomb Dating Back 2,000 Years

Posted on June 21, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

2,000-year-old wine discovered in Roman tomb in Carmona, Spain

Juan Manuel Roman/University of Cordoba

Chemical analysis has revealed that a reddish liquid discovered in a 2,000-year-old Roman mausoleum in Spain is the oldest known liquid wine.

“I was shocked and couldn’t believe my eyes,” he said. Jose Rafael Luis Arebola “It was inconceivable that the liquid could remain in this state for 2,000 years,” said a researcher from the University of Cordoba in Spain.

Until now, a sealed vessel found near Speyer, Germany, believed to be around 1,700 years old, was thought to have contained the oldest known wine, but it had never been opened.

Discovered by chance in 2019 in Carmona, near Seville, the Spanish tomb dates to the 1st century AD and belonged to a wealthy family. Eight burial niches were carved into the walls and contained six urns made of limestone, sandstone, and glass. Half contained the remains of a woman, the other half of a man. Two of the urns were inscribed with the names of the deceased: “Hispanae” and “Señicio.”

One of the glass jars, encased in a lead shell, contained the skeletal remains of a 45-year-old man, a gold ring engraved with an image of the two-faced Roman god Janus, and approximately five liters of liquid.

Luis Arrebola and his team studied the composition of the reddish liquid using various methods, including liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and found that it had a pH value of 7.5, which is much more alkaline than normal for wine and indicates severe spoilage.

Its mineral profile was similar to that of modern sherry and fino wines from Spain, and it contained seven types of polyphenols, natural antioxidant compounds found only in wine.

Entrance to the Mausoleum of Carmona, where wine was discovered

Juan Manuel Roman/University of Cordoba

The absence of syringic acid, a compound produced by the breakdown of the main pigment in red wine, confirmed that the wine was white, presumably intended for the dead to drink on their journey to the afterlife.

“The discovery of a 2,000-year-old liquid believed to be wine in a Roman jar is unusual and an important event, providing unique insights into Roman burial practices.” David Tanasi “This shows the continuity between ancient and modern wine production,” say researchers from the University of South Florida.

Luis Arrebola plans to carry out further tests to identify any residues of microorganisms such as bacteria or yeast that may be present in the wine.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Researchers Discover Oldest Evidence of Earth’s Magnetic Field in Greenland

Posted on April 25, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Recovering ancient records of the Earth's magnetic field is difficult because the magnetization of rocks is often reset by heating during burial due to tectonic movements over a long and complex geological history. Geoscientists from MIT and elsewhere have shown that rocks in West Greenland's Isua supercrustal zone have experienced three thermal events throughout their geological history. The first event was the most important, heating rocks to 550 degrees Celsius about 3.7 billion years ago. His two subsequent phenomena did not heat the region's northernmost rocks above 380 degrees Celsius. The authors use multiple lines of evidence to test this claim, including paleomagnetic field tests, metamorphic mineral assemblages across the region, and temperatures at which the radiometric ages of observed mineral assemblages are reset. They use this body of evidence to argue that an ancient record of Earth's magnetic field from 3.7 billion years ago may be preserved in the striated iron layer at the northernmost edge of the magnetic field. .

Earth's magnetic field lines. Image credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

In a new study, Professor Claire Nicholls from the University of Oxford and colleagues examined a range of ancient iron-bearing rocks from Isua, Greenland.

Once locked in place during the crystallization process, iron particles effectively act as tiny magnets that can record both the strength and direction of a magnetic field.

Researchers found that 3.7 billion-year-old rocks exhibited magnetic field strengths of at least 15 microteslas, comparable to modern magnetic fields (30 microteslas).

These results provide the oldest estimates of the strength of Earth's magnetic field derived from whole rock samples, providing a more accurate and reliable estimate than previous studies using individual crystals.

“It's very difficult to extract reliable records from rocks this old, so it was really exciting to see the primary magnetic signals start to emerge when we analyzed these samples in the lab,” Professor Nichols said. said.

“This is a very important step forward in our efforts to understand the role of ancient magnetic fields in the creation of life on Earth.”

Although the strength of the magnetic field appears to remain relatively constant, the solar wind is known to have been significantly stronger in the past.

This suggests that surface protection from the solar wind may have strengthened over time, thereby allowing life to leave the protection of the oceans and migrate to the continents.

The Earth's magnetic field is created by the mixing of molten iron within a fluid outer core, driven by buoyancy as the inner core solidifies, forming a dynamo.

During the early stages of Earth's formation, a solid inner core had not yet formed, leaving unanswered questions about how the initial magnetic field was maintained.

These new results suggest that the mechanisms driving Earth's early dynamo were as efficient as the solidification processes that generate Earth's magnetic field today.

Understanding how the strength of Earth's magnetic field has changed over time is also key to determining when Earth's interior solid core began to form.

This helps us understand how fast heat is escaping from the Earth's deep interior, which is key to understanding processes such as plate tectonics.

A key challenge in reconstructing Earth's magnetic field back in time is that any event that heats rocks can change the preserved signal.

Rocks in the Earth's crust often have long and complex geological histories that erase information about previous magnetic fields.

However, the Isua supercrustal zone has a unique geology, sitting on a thick continental crust and protected from extensive tectonic movements and deformation.

This allowed scientists to build clear evidence for the existence of magnetic fields 3.7 billion years ago.

The results may also provide new insights into the role of magnetic fields in shaping the development of Earth's atmosphere as we know it, particularly regarding the release of gases into the atmosphere.

“In the future, we hope to expand our knowledge of Earth's magnetic field before oxygen increased in the Earth's atmosphere about 2.5 billion years ago by examining other ancient rock sequences in Canada, Australia, and South Africa. “We believe that this is the case,” the authors said.

“A better understanding of the strength and variability of ancient Earth's magnetic field will help determine whether the planet's magnetic field was important for harboring life on the planet's surface and its role in the evolution of the atmosphere. Masu.”

of study Published in Geophysical Research Journal.

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Claire IO Nichols other. 2024. Possible Archean record of geomagnetism preserved in the Isua supercrustal zone of southwestern Greenland. Geophysical Research Journal 129 (4): e2023JB027706; doi: 10.1029/2023JB027706

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest black hole detected by Webb

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

NASA/ESA/CSA Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered a small, active galaxy within GN-z11, an extremely bright galaxy that existed just 420 million years after the Big Bang, more than 13 billion years ago. detected a black hole. The existence of this multi-million solar mass black hole in the early universe challenges current assumptions about how black holes form and grow.

GN-z11, shown in the inset, was 13.4 billion years ago, just 400 million years after the Big Bang. Image credits: NASA / ESA / P. Oesch, Yale University / G. Brammer, STScI / P. van Dokkum, Yale University / G. Illingworth, University of California, Santa Cruz.

Astronomers believe that supermassive black holes found at the centers of galaxies like the Milky Way have grown to their current size over billions of years.

But the size of this newly discovered black hole suggests that black holes may form in another way. That means black holes could be “born big,” or eat matter five times faster than previously thought.

According to the Standard Model, supermassive black holes form from the remains of dead stars, which can collapse to form black holes about 100 times the mass of the Sun.

If this newly detected black hole grows as expected, it will take about a billion years to grow to its observed size.

However, when this black hole was detected, the universe was less than 1 billion years old.

Dr Roberto Maiolino, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge, said: “Since the last time such a massive black hole has been observed was in the very early days of the universe, we need to consider other ways in which black holes could form.'' Ta.

“Very early galaxies were so rich in gas that they would have been a buffet for black holes.”

Like all black holes, GN-z11's young black hole is accreting matter from its host galaxy to fuel its growth.

But it turns out that this ancient black hole gulped down matter much more energetically than its later cousins.

GN-z11 is a compact galaxy, about 100 times smaller than the Milky Way, but a black hole may be having a negative impact on its development.

When a black hole consumes too much gas, it pushes it away like a super-fast wind.

This “wind” could stop the star formation process and slowly kill the galaxy, but it would also kill the black hole itself, because it would also cut off its source of “food.”

“This is a new era. The huge leap in sensitivity, especially in the infrared, is like upgrading from Galileo's telescope to a modern telescope overnight,” Dr. Maiorino said.

“Before Mr. Webb came online, I thought the universe beyond what the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope could see might not be all that interesting.”

“But that wasn't the case at all. The universe is very generous with what it shows us, and this is just the beginning.”

“Webb's sensitivity means that even older black holes may be discovered in the coming months or years,” he added.

“We hope to use Webb's future observations to find smaller 'seeds' of black holes. We hope to find out the different ways in which black holes form – do they start out large? “It may help us understand the different ways black holes can form, such as whether they grow rapidly or whether they grow quickly.”

a paper The survey results were published in a magazine Nature.

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R. Maiolino other. A small, active black hole that existed in the early universe. Nature, published online on January 17, 2023. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07052-5

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest Fossilized Skin Preserved in 289-Million-Year-Old Cave System

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Fossilized skin fragments collected from the Richards Spur Cave system in Oklahoma, US, are at least 21 million years older than any previously reported skin fossil.

Fossilized skin is captorinus aguti.Image credit: Moony other., doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.008.

The newly described fossilized skin is captorinus agutia type of early reptile that lived during the Permian period about 289 million years ago.

This reptile specimen and associated skeleton were collected by long-time paleontology enthusiasts Bill and Julie May. Richards Spara limestone cave system in Oklahoma that is currently undergoing quarrying.

The skin fragments are smaller than fingernails and have a pebble-like surface, most similar to crocodile skin.

This is the earliest preserved example of the epidermis, the outermost layer of skin, in terrestrial reptiles, birds, and mammals, and was an important evolutionary adaptation in the transition to terrestrial life.

“Every once in a while, we have a unique opportunity to glimpse deep into time,” said Ethan Mooney, a graduate student at the University of Toronto.

“Discoveries of this kind can really enrich our understanding and appreciation of these pioneering animals.”

Skin and other soft tissue rarely fossilize, but Mooney and colleagues say that this is possible thanks to unique features of the Richards Spur Cave system, including fine clay deposits that slow decomposition, oil seepage, and a cave environment. We believe that in this case it was possible to save the skin. It was probably an environment without oxygen.”

“Animals would have fallen into this cave system during the early Permian period and become buried in very fine clay sediments, slowing down the process of decay,” Mooney said.

“What is surprising, however, is that this cave system was also the site of an active oil seepage during the Permian, and the interaction of the hydrocarbons in the oil with the tar is likely what enabled the preservation of this surface. is.”

Analysis of the specimens revealed epidermal tissue, a characteristic of the skin of amniotes, a group of terrestrial vertebrates that includes reptiles, birds and mammals that evolved from amphibian ancestors during the Carboniferous Period.

“What we saw was completely different from what we expected, so we were in complete shock,” Mooney said.

“Finding ancient skin fossils like this is a unique opportunity to peer into the past and learn what the skin of these early animals looked like.”

The skin shares features with ancient and extant reptiles, including a pebble surface similar to crocodile skin and hinge areas between epidermal scales similar to the skin structure of snakes and earthworm lizards.

However, because the skin fossils are not associated with skeletons or other artifacts, it is not possible to determine which species or body part the skin belonged to.

The fact that this ancient skin resembles the skin of reptiles living today shows how important these structures are for survival in terrestrial environments.

“The epidermis was an important feature for vertebrates to survive on land. It is an important barrier between internal processes and the harsh external environment,” Mooney said.

“This skin may represent the skin structure of an early amniote terrestrial vertebrate ancestor that allowed for the eventual evolution of feathers in birds and hair follicles in mammals.”

of findings appear in the diary current biology.

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Ethan D. Mooney other. Paleozoic cave systems preserve the earliest known evidence of amniote skin. current biology, published online on January 11, 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.12.008

Source: www.sci.news

Oldest Fossilized Crocodile-Like Skin Discovered by Scientists

Posted on January 11, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Researchers have discovered what is believed to be the oldest skin fossil on record.

The alligator-like skin, which is at least 286 million years old, was preserved in an ancient buried cave in what is now Oklahoma. The discovery could help unravel evolutionary mysteries and provide important clues to a time when some animals were transitioning to living on land.

“Finding old skin fossils like this is a great opportunity to peer into the past and learn what the skin looked like on these early animals,” said the University of Toronto graduate student and co-author of the book. says lead author Ethan Mooney. the paper said in a news release.

Three-dimensional skin casting and compacted fossil of an unknown amniote.
Mooney et al. / Current Biology

Discovery announced Thursday Published in the scientific magazine “Current Biology”, created in a quarry and cave system called Richard's Spur. Researchers believe the animals fell into the cave system and were preserved by seeping oil and tar that enveloped them.

Skin is a three-dimensional mold with fossilized tissue attached to it.

“There are very few examples of Paleozoic land animals that have preserved skin,” said Paul Olsen, a paleontologist and Columbia University professor who was not involved in the paper. “He's one of the reasons why this is so important.”

Lepospondyl, temnospondyl, and dermal scales of an unknown quadruped.
Mooney et al. / Current Biology

The preserved skin was discovered at a site full of fossils of lizard-like creatures called lizards. captorinus aguti, However, it was not clearly associated with any particular skeleton.

Olsen said the skin could help solve the mystery of how reptiles and mammals diverged from each other during evolutionary history. Her two branches of life have a common ancestor.

“They hypothesize that the common ancestor of reptiles and mammals had reptilian-like skin, but their reptilian-like skin is not associated with the skeleton, so they have We can't really show that with the materials we have,” Olsen said of the authors. “Maybe this site will reveal that in the future.”

Horny zone of Captorhinus aguti (OMNH 52541).
Mooney et al. / Current Biology

Source: www.nbcnews.com