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Roblox Prohibits Children from Communicating with Unknown Adults Following Legal Actions

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The online gaming platform Roblox is set to restrict interactions between children and adults, as well as older teenagers, starting next month. This decision comes in light of a new lawsuit that alleges the platform has been exploited by predators to groom children as young as seven.

Roblox, known for popular games like “Grow a Garden” and “Steal a Brainrot,” boasts 150 million daily players. However, it now faces legal action claiming that its system design facilitates the predation of minors.

Beginning next month, a facial age estimation feature will be implemented, allowing children to communicate with strangers only if they are within a certain age range.


Roblox claims it will be the first gaming or communication platform to enforce age verification for chats. Similar measures were enacted in the UK this summer for adult sites, ensuring that under-18s cannot access explicit content.

The company likened its new approach to the age structures found in schools, differentiating elementary, middle, and high school levels. The initiative will be launched first in Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, where children will be prohibited from having private conversations with unknown adults starting next month, with a global rollout planned for early January.

Users will be classified into categories: under 9, 9-12, 13-15, 16-17, 18-20, or 21 and older. Children will only be allowed to chat with peers in their age group or a similar age range. For instance, a child whose age is estimated at 12 can only interact with users under 16. Roblox stated that any images or videos used during the age verification process will not be stored.

“We view this as a means to enhance user confidence in their conversations within the game,” stated Matt Kaufman, Roblox’s chief safety officer. “We see it as a genuine chance to foster trust in our platform and among our community.”

This lawsuit emerges alongside growing concerns from family attorneys regarding the “systematic predation of minors” on Roblox. Florida attorney Matt Dolman mentioned that he has filed 28 lawsuits against Roblox, which has rapidly expanded during the pandemic, asserting that “the primary allegations pertain to the systematic exploitation of minors.”

One of the more recent lawsuits, filed in U.S. District Court in Nevada, involves the family of a 13-year-old girl who claims that Roblox conducted its operations “recklessly and deceptively,” facilitating her sexual exploitation.


The alleged incident involved a ‘dangerous child predator’ who posed as a child, developed an emotional connection, and manipulated the girl into providing her phone number and engaging in graphic exchanges. The manipulator then coerced her into sending explicit photos and videos.

The lawsuit claims that had Roblox implemented user screening measures prior to allowing access, the girl “would not have encountered the numerous predators that litter the platform,” and if age and identity checks had been conducted, the abuse could have been prevented.

Other recent cases in the Northern District of California include a 7-year-old girl from Philadelphia and a 12-year-old girl from Texas, both of whom were reportedly groomed and sent explicit materials by predators on Roblox.

“We are profoundly concerned about any situation that places our users at risk,” a Roblox spokesperson remarked. “The safety of our community is our highest priority.”

“This is why our policies are intentionally more stringent than those on many other platforms,” they added. “We have filters aimed at protecting younger users, prohibit image sharing, and restrict sharing personal information.

“While no system is flawless, we are continually striving to enhance our safety features and platform restrictions, having launched 145 new initiatives this year to assure parents that we prioritize their children’s safety online.”

“One platform’s safety standards alone aren’t sufficient; we genuinely hope others in the industry will adopt some of the practices we’re implementing to ensure robust protections for children and teens across the board,” Kaufman commented.

Bevan Kidron, UK founder of the 5Rights Foundation, advocating for children’s digital rights, stated: “It’s imperative for game companies to prioritize their responsibility toward children within their services.

“Roblox’s announcement asserts that their forthcoming measures will represent best practices in this sector, but it is a bold statement from a company that has historically been slow to tackle predatory behavior and granted unverified adults and older children easy access to millions of young users. We sincerely hope they are correct.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Soviet Cosmos 482 Spacecraft Collides with Unknown Locations on Earth

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The Soviet spacecraft, which was launched on a failed mission to Venus in 1972, is thought to have crashed to Earth early Saturday morning.

The European Space Agency monitored the craft’s uncontrolled descent and reported that it was last tracked by German radar. By the time of the anticipated crash, radar could no longer locate Cosmos 482, concluding that “it is likely that re-entry has already occurred.”

No injuries have been reported.

Cosmos 482 was part of the Soviet Venera Program, a series of probes designed to study Venus. While ten of these missions successfully landed on the harsh planet, the rocket carrying Cosmos 482 malfunctioned, leaving its upper stage, including the descent module, trapped in Earth’s orbit.

For the next 53 years, the approximately 3-foot-wide, 1,069-pound spacecraft orbited Earth in a smaller, elliptical path until it was close enough to descend into the atmosphere.

It’s common for space debris to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere. The ESA reports that over 2,400 human-made objects fell from space in 2022. Most burned up upon re-entry, with the majority not landing in the ocean.

However, Cosmos 482 was engineered to withstand the dense atmosphere of Venus and operate on a planet with an average temperature of 867 degrees Fahrenheit (464°C). This design means it was theoretically robust enough to endure a routine re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere.

There are no recorded instances of space debris causing human fatalities. An ESA official stated in a blog post about Cosmos-482, “The risk of a satellite re-entering and causing injury is exceedingly low. The annual chance of an individual being harmed by orbital debris is less than one in 100 billion. By comparison, a person is approximately 65,000 times more likely to be struck by lightning.”

On Friday, U.S. space forces estimated that the spacecraft would re-enter the atmosphere at 1:52 AM on Saturday over the Pacific Ocean, west of Guam.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Soviet Probe’s Imminent Crash with Earth: The Impact Location Remains Unknown

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Model of Kosmos 482, originally set for Venus

Wikimedia Commons

Over 50 years after its launch, the Soviet spacecraft Cosmos 482 is set to return to Earth. Initially designed to land on Venus, it began to disintegrate in low Earth orbit, never completing its intended mission. After orbiting our planet for decades, it is finally on a path to re-enter.

Kosmos 482 was launched in 1972; however, much about its mission and structure remains classified due to its Cold War origins. The intention to reach Venus is inferred from other Soviet missions focused on the planet at that time, and indications suggest that the spacecraft attempted a maneuver in orbit before fragmenting. The exact reason for its failure is unclear, but three out of four pieces landed in New Zealand shortly after launch.

The last fragment has drifted into a higher orbit, approximately 210 km at its closest to Earth and as far as about 9,800 km. Over time, particles from the Earth’s upper atmosphere have slowed its descent, gradually bringing it closer to re-entering. It is projected to crash on May 9th or 10th.

The capsule remains of the spacecraft are estimated to be over one meter wide and weigh nearly 500 kilograms. Given its size and the possibility that it was engineered to withstand the intense conditions during a Venusian descent, impact speeds may exceed 200 km/h.

Predicting the exact impact site for Kosmos 482 is challenging. Based on its current trajectory, it could land anywhere between the latitudes of 52° south and 52° north, covering a vast area from the southern tip of South America to parts of Canada and Russia. Fortunately, despite the extensive range of potential landing sites, the likelihood of it striking a populated area is minimal. “The numbers are infinitesimally small,” stated Marsin Pilinsky from the University of Colorado Boulder. statement. “The ocean is a likely landing zone.”

Pilinsky is part of a team monitoring the debris. As the re-entry date approaches, landing predictions will become more accurate. Instances of space debris falling to Earth are not rare; for instance, NASA tracks one orbital object entering the atmosphere daily, with most either burning up or landing in oceans. However, Kosmos 482 is notably larger and more robust than typical space debris.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

A Runaway Magnetar Travels Across the Milky Way, Origin Point Unknown, According to Astronomers

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SGR 0501+4516 is the most likely candidate for Magnetaru’s Milky Way galaxy, which was not born from the supernova explosion, as originally predicted. The object may be very strange and may provide clues to the mechanism behind the fast radio bursts.

Impressions of Magneter artists. Image credit: ESA.

“A magnetor is a neutron star made up entirely of neutrons. What makes Magnetar unique is the extreme magnetic fields,” says Dr. Ashley Chris, an astronomer at the European Center for Space Research and Technology.

The strangeness of SGR 0501+4516 was identified with the help of ESA’s Gaia spacecraft with the help of a sensitive instrument mounted on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

Initially, Magnetar was discovered in 2008 when NASA’s Swift Observatory discovered a fierce flash of gamma rays from the outskirts of the Milky Way.

As magnetors are neutron stars, the natural explanation for their formation is that they are born in Supernova, where stars can explode and even collapse into ultra-density neutron stars.

This looked like the case of SGR 0501+4516, located near the supernova remnants called HB9.

The separation between the sky magnetor and the center of the supernova remnants is only 80 arcs, or slightly wider than the pinky finger, when seen at the edge of the extended arm.

However, a decade of research with Hubble questions Magnetall’s birthplace.

After the initial observation using ground-based telescopic tunables shortly after the discovery of SGR 0501+4516, astronomers used Hubble’s exquisite sensitivity and stable points to find the faint infrared glow of Magnetaral in 2010, 2012, and 2020.

Each of these images was arranged in a reference frame defined by observations from Gaia Spacecraft. GaiaSpacecraft has created a highly accurate 3D map of almost 2 billion stars in the Milky Way.

This method revealed subtle movements of magnets as they crossed the sky.

“All of this movement we measure is smaller than a pixel in a Hubble image,” said Dr. Joe Lyman, an astronomer at Warwick University.

“The ability to perform such measurements robustly is truly a testament to Hubble’s long-term stability.”

By tracking the magnetor’s location, astronomers were able to measure the apparent movement of the object across the sky.

Both the velocity and direction of movement of SGR 0501+4516 indicated that the magnetor was not associated with the remains of nearby supernova.

Tracking the magnetor’s trajectory thousands of years in the past showed that there were no other supernova remnants or large star clusters that it could be associated with.

If SGR 0501+4516 was not born on a supernova, the magnetors must be older than the estimated age of 20,000, or they may have been formed in a different way.

Magnetors can also be formed through a process called amalgamation or accretion-induced decay of two low-mass neutron stars.

Acceleration-induced decay requires a binary star system containing white dwarves.

When a white dwarf pulls gas from its companions, it grows too large to support itself, leading to an explosion, or perhaps a magnet.

“This scenario usually leads to a nuclear reaction ignition and a white d star explosion, leaving nothing behind,” said Dr Andrew Levan, an astronomer at Ladboo University and Warwick University.

“However, it is theorized that under certain conditions, white dwarfs may instead collapse into neutron stars. I think this is how SGR 0501+4516 was born.”

SGR 0501+4516 is currently the best candidate for galaxy magnetarals and may have been formed by a merger or an adductive decay.

The magnets formed through accretion-induced decays can provide some explanation for the mystical fast radio bursts, which are short but powerful flashes of radio waves.

In particular, this scenario may explain the origins of fast radio bursts that emerge from a group of stars that are too old to recently create a huge star to explode as a supernove.

“The magnetor’s fertility and formation scenarios are one of the most pressing issues of high-energy astrophysics, affecting many of the most powerful temporary events in the universe, including gamma-ray bursts, superilluminating supernovas and fast radio bursts.”

Survey results It will be displayed in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics.

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aa chrime et al. 2025. Magnetor SGR 0501+4516 infrared support and proper movement. A&A 696, A127; doi: 10.1051/0004-6361/202453479

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers may have just found a previously unknown form of life

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Scientists have a passion for categorizing things, especially when it comes to life on Earth. The common categories are animals, plants, fungi, protists (like algae and amoeba), bacteria, and archaea (microscopic single-celled organisms).

However, recent studies have hinted that there might be more to the tree of life than we previously thought. This is due to a prehistoric cylindrical life form that some British scientists believe belongs to a unique branch of life.

The mysterious creature is known as Prototaxite and existed around 44-360 million years ago.

Professor Benjamin J.W. Mills, an expert in the evolution of the Earth system at Leeds University, mentioned that these creatures evolved during a time when Earth was becoming more habitable for organisms like them. The spread of plants and fungi on land increased oxygen levels in the atmosphere, leading to a surge in global photosynthesis.

These Prototaxite towers could reach heights of up to 8 meters and were often mistaken for massive tree trunks, despite only being a few inches wide.

Initially thought to be a type of fungus, recent research on Prototaxite suggests otherwise. By analyzing the fossilized bodies of Prototaxites Taiti found in Scotland, scientists concluded that it was a distinct life form rather than a fungus.

Unlike true fungi, the cells of P. Taiti contained lignin instead of chitin. This difference in molecular composition confirmed that it was not a fungus but rather a member of an extinct lineage.

The implications of these findings raise questions about the evolution of life and its impact on Earth’s atmosphere. The study of P. Taiti sheds light on the intricate relationship between organisms and their environment over time.

Experts like Professor Neil Gow from the University of Exeter emphasize the significance of such discoveries in understanding our planet’s history and potential habitability of other worlds.

To learn more about the experts involved in this research:

About our experts

Benjamin JW Mills is a biogeochemist and professor of the evolution of the Earth System at Leeds University. His work focuses on understanding the environmental changes that shaped Earth’s habitability and whether similar conditions could exist on other planets.

Neil Gow is a former professor of microbiology at the University of Exeter. His research on fungal diseases and cell wall structure has contributed to our understanding of life-threatening infections.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Researchers uncover a previously unknown species of Sauropodmorph dinosaur

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meet xingxiulong yueorum A new species of early extermination Zauropodmorph dinosaurs that lived in present-day China during the early Jurassic period.

Fossilized skeleton of xingxiulong yueorum. Image credit: Chinese Academy of Sciences.

xingxiulong yueorum It belongs to Masopoda A large group of Sauropodomorph dinosaurs described in 2007.

The new species is merely the second member of the previous monopolar genus. xingxiulong.

“xingxiulong yueorum It is distinguished from xingxiulong chengi By owning a pendant-shaped fourth trochanter with a distal end, an Astragalus with a rear almost straight dorsal margin, and a Pedalgiet V with two factors” Paleonanthropology and Chinese Academy of Sciences University, and colleagues.

Partial postcranial skeletal structure of xingxiulong yueorum It was discovered in 2015 near the city of Lufen in Yunnan Province, China.

The specimen is Lufeng Layer.

“The Rufen Formation is one of the most important sedimentary units for understanding the evolution of early Jurassic sauropod dinosaurs,” the paleontologist said.

xingxiulong yueorum Estimated to reach lengths of 8-10 m (26-33 feet) – twice the size xingxiulong chengi.

“Both of both species xingxiulong There are usually four sacral vertebrae associated with delayed sauropods and sauropods, suggesting a complex early evolution of sauropods,” the researchers said.

According to the team, the discovery xingxiulong yueorum Adds diversity of Sauropodomorph dinosaurs from the Lufeng Formation.

“This finding contributes to an understanding of the complex patterns that characterize the early evolution of Asian sauropods,” the authors concluded.

Their paper It was published in the journal on February 3, 2025 Historical Biology.

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Xiang-Yuan Chen et al. New species of xingxiulong (Dinosaur, Sauropodmorpha) from the lower Rufen Formation in the Jurassic region of Yunnan Province, China. Historical BiologyPublished online on February 3, 2025. doi:10.1080/08912963.2025.2458130

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers find previously unknown species of prehistoric crocodile

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New species of early crocodile named Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis was discovered by a team of paleontologists from Spain’s National University of Distance Learning and the University of Salamanca.

Skull Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis Type specimen from the Middle Eocene site of Casaseca de Campean, Spain. Image credit: Narváez others., doi: 10.1002/ar.25422.

The newly identified crocodile lived on Earth during the Middle Eocene Epoch, between 48 and 41 million years ago.

Prehistoric animals Asiatosuchus An extinct genus of crocodilian crocodiles that lived in Europe and Asia during the Paleogene (66 to 23 million years ago).

“During the Palaeogene, a variety of crocodilians with common snouts (i.e. non-elongated snouts) inhabited Europe. The Middle Eocene is particularly notable for its relative abundance and diversity, but also includes fossils from the Late Paleocene and possibly the Early Oligocene and Late Neogene,” said lead author Dr Ivan Narváez and his colleagues.

“Many of the Eocene crocodile fossils are from the Asiatosuchus-like complex.”

“Genus Asiatosuchus was Established The species was defined in 1940 by paleontologist Charles Mook. Asiatosuchus grangeli It is based on an incomplete lower jaw and several skull fragments from the Middle Eocene of the Irdin Mankha Formation in Mongolia.”

“After the definition Asiatosuchus grangeli Several other eupteran forms, generally represented as isolated or rare fossils, have been described from the Paleocene to Oligocene of Europe, Asia and North America and have recently been Asiatosuchus It’s a complex like that.”

Two fossils Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis A similarly sized specimen was discovered at the La Laguna archaeological site in Spain in the 1980s.

The specimen includes a nearly complete skull and a nearly complete left lower jaw.

“The La Laguna fossil site is located in the Tierra del Vino region of the province of Zamora, Spain, approximately 20 kilometres south of the city of Zamora and approximately one kilometre north of the village of Casaseca de Campean,” the paleontologists said.

“The area forms part of the western part of the Duero Basin (Ciudad Rodrigo Basin).”

“The Duero Basin is the largest continental Cenozoic basin on the Iberian Peninsula.”

According to the authors: Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis Increase knowledge of diversity and distribution of Asiatosuchus Crocodile-like complex.

“Asiatosuchus oenotoriensis “This adds valuable information to our knowledge of the systematics of the relatively diverse crocodile fauna of the Duero Basin in Spain,” the researchers said.

Team paper Published in Anatomy record.

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Ivan Narvaez others A new crocodilian superfamily from the Middle Eocene of Zamora (Duero Basin, Spain). Anatomy record Published online March 5, 2024; doi: 10.1002/ar.25422

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists discover unknown species of armadillo

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of Cricket Armadillo (Dasypus novemucinctus) There are actually four different species, including a previously undescribed endemic species. Guiana ShieldAccording to a new study.

Guiana Navajo Armadillo (Dasypus guianensisImage courtesy of Quentin Martinez, https://quentinmartinez.fr.

Armadillos are New World placental mammals. CingulataAlong with anteaters and sloths, they form part of a superclade that dates back 100 million years ago. Xenomorphs.

The cricket armadillo The most widely distributed xenarthropod species Across the Americas.

Recent studies suggest that it consists of four distinct lineages whose taxonomic status is unclear.

“It has been widely believed that the cricket armadillo ranges from northern Argentina to southern Illinois, but in recent years some scientists have presented evidence that it is in fact a complex of several different species,” said Dr. Frédéric Delschuk, research director at the CNRS.

“By studying the DNA of armadillos across their range, we were able to perform a very detailed genomic analysis and become convinced that there are in fact four different species of armadillos.”

“Under the new classification, armadillos found in the United States should be called Mexican long-legged armadillos,” added Dr Anderson Feijo, a researcher at the Field Museum.

“In addition, a new species of Guiana Navajo armadillo (Dasypus guianensis) is the first armadillo described in the past 30 years.

In this study, the researchers analyzed the mitochondrial and nuclear genomes. Dasypus Armadillos were sampled throughout their range.

A combination of genetic data and physical characteristics led them to conclude that cricket armadillos are actually four genetically distinct species.

Thus, some subspecies within this species have come to be recognized as species in their own right.

The armadillo found in Mexico and the United States was formerly a subspecies of Mexican wolfnow just Mexican wolf: Mexican long-legged armadillo.

Subspecies Window StratusThe species that inhabits the central part of its range is now a distinct species, and its original name was Novemucinctas Currently limited to South America.

Meanwhile, the data showed that another branch of the armadillo phylogenetic tree did not belong to any of these three existing groups.

The area of ​​northeastern South America known as the Guiana Shield is home to the newest armadillo species. Dasypus guianensis.

The new armadillo is slightly larger than the other three species, has a hairless shell, a robust domed skull and additional bones in its spine.

Overall, however, to the untrained eye, these four species appear very similar.

“It's nearly impossible to tell in the field,” Dr Delsac said.

a paper The findings were published in the journal. Systematic biology.

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Mathilde Barthes othersExon capture museomics deciphers a cricket armadillo species complex and identifies a new species endemic to the Guiana Shield. Systematic biologyPublished online June 22, 2024, doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syae027

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists discover a previously unknown species of fake scorpion trapped in 50-million-year-old amber

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Paleontologists have reported fossils of a new genus and species of pseudoscorpion from the Eocene Cambay amber of western India.

Geogaranya variensis. Image credit: Agnihotri other, doi: 10.26879/1276.

pseudo scorpion It is the earliest order of arthropods to colonize Earth’s land during the early Devonian period.

This diverse order accounts for more than 3% of all known arachnid species.

“Pseudoscorpions are an ancient lineage of terrestrial arachnids that are morphologically similar to real scorpions, but lack the tail and stinger,” said Dr. Priya Agnihotri of DST’s Birbal Sahni Institute of Paleosciences and colleagues.

“Certain families have unique venom devices in the serrated digits of their palps, which evolved independently of the venom devices of scorpions and spiders.”

“Recent research also supports the inclusion of pseudoscorpions as a sister group to scorpions.”

“Due to their delicate bodies and small size, these fossils are mainly found in amber deposits around the world rather than in sediments,” they added.

“Forty-nine pseudoscorpion species have been recorded from Eocene Baltic amber and Rovno amber.”

Newly discovered pseudoscorpion species belongs to the small scorpion family Goridae.

named Geogaranya variensis showing strong similarities with extant genera. Geogalypus From Sri Lanka, India, and New Guinea.

“The Geogarypidae family is one of a group of bark-dwelling and leaf litter-dwelling species similar to the Geogarypidae family. Gallipidae It has a distinctive subtriangular carapace and eyes located near the leading edge,” the paleontologist said.

“This family includes more than 70 species with habitats suitable for tropical and subtropical regions, some of which have been reported from temperate biomes.”

“Geogarypidae are more common in Baltic and Rovno amber, and there are some records from Cretaceous Burmese amber.”

“Unlike the sparse record of fossils, their modern-day counterparts have been recorded in all major biogeographic regions, including Europe, Central Asia, North America, and North Africa.”

Amber from Cambay from 50 million years ago. Geogaranya variensis It was discovered in the open-pit Valia lignite mine, part of the Cambay Shale Formation, in the Cambay Basin of Gujarat, India.

“The Cambay Shale Formation overlies the Deccan Trap, and below it is the Paleocene to lower Eocene Vagadkol Formation,” the researchers said.

According to the team: Geogaranya variensis It is one of the smallest known adult pseudoscorpion fossils in amber from the Cambay Basin.

This discovery further strengthens the biodiversity of bark-dwelling arthropods identified in Eocene amber from western India.

“The discovery of the smallest known adult pseudoscorpion in Cambay Basin amber aligns it with fossil taxa recorded in Baltic Sea amber and Bitterfeld amber that survived the early Eocene. “This provides insight into similar bark-dwelling arthropod taxa,” the scientists concluded.

“Scanning electron microscopy studies revealed diagnostic features in the fossils, such as abnormally enlarged palps. This strengthened Foresy’s idea that species from non-arboreal habitats could be mistakenly This suggests that it may have been carried in amber and had a connection to a flying host.”

discovery of Geogaranya variensis is reported in paper in diary Old Trogia Electronica.

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priya agnihotri other. 2024. A new genus and species of fossil pseudoscorpion (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) discovered in Eocene amber from western India. Old Trogia Electronica 27 (2):a26; doi: 10.26879/1276

Source: www.sci.news

Discovery of a previously unknown Jurassic Shuotheriid species illuminates early mammalian evolution

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In a new study, a team of paleontologists examined the structure of teeth. Feredkodon Chowi aims to better understand the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary paths of a new species of Xuozalaid mammal that lived in what is now China during the Jurassic period.

rebuilding the life of Feredkodon Chowi (right) and Dianoconodon Yonggi (left). Image credit: Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Professor Patricia Vickers-Rich, a researcher at Monash University and Museums Victoria, said: “Our study challenges current theory and provides a new perspective on the evolutionary history of mammals.”

“By describing the complex tooth shapes and occlusal patterns, we provide important insights into the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary trajectory of the family Xenodiaceae, which was largely unknown until its recent discovery in China. ”

Shoeteraid a mammal-like animal from the Jurassic period, has baffled scientists because of its unique dental features.

These creatures have so-called pseudoclaws (basin-like structures) located in front of the triangular teeth of the mandibular molars, and the claws seen in modern therian mammals are similar to the triangular teeth of the lower molars. It is different from the claw-like pattern located at the back.

“This unique tooth pattern hinders our understanding of schootelid relationships and the first steps in the evolution of mammalian species,” Professor Vickersrich said.

Professor Vickers Rich and her colleagues examined the pseudotribosphene tooth of a new Jurassic schiotelid. Feredkodon Chowi represented by two skeletal specimens.

They were able to more completely dissect the tooth structure using a variety of analyses, and the results suggested that the tooth structure of schootherids is very similar to that of docodontans. Ta.

This study suggests that there are no true trigonids present in the basal teeth of Xuozalidae, indicating that they are more closely related to Docodontans than previously thought.

This reassessment of tooth structure not only resolves outstanding interpretations but also triggers a reconsideration of evolutionary connections within mammals.

“In 1982, a single small Jurassic mandible with four teeth was placed at a single point in the mammal family tree,” said Dr Thomas Rich, also from Monash University and Museums Victoria.

“We now have two virtually complete specimens analyzed in different ways, all of which place them in very different positions on the mammal family tree.”

“Additional specimens and different methods suggest different interpretations. Science often works like this.”

Based on new data, the Xuozidae appears to belong to a separate clade, the Docodontiformes, separate from the Auscutolibospheniformes, and are therefore grouped as follows: docodontance.

This finding highlights the importance of pseudotribosphenic characters in elucidating the initial diversification of mammals.

“This study highlights the presence of a huge variety of tooth morphologies in early mammals, demonstrating unique ecomorphological adaptations throughout the evolutionary development of mammals,” Professor Vickersrich said. Ta.

of findings Published in today's diary Nature.

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F. Mao other. The Jurassic family Xenotheliidae represents the earliest dental diversification of mammals. Nature, published online on April 3, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07258-7

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists uncover five previously unknown hydrothermal vents in the Pacific Ocean

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Scientists on board the research vessel atlantis Five new deep-sea hydrothermal vents have been discovered on the ocean floor at a depth of 2,550 meters (1.6 miles). All exhaust fluids are hotter than 300 degrees Celsius (570 degrees Fahrenheit).

vehicle carried by humans alvin Arrived at the ocean floor. Image credits: J. McDermott, Lehigh University / T. Barreyre, CNRS / R. Parnell-Turner, Scripps Institution of Oceanography / D. Fornari, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution / National Deep Diving Facility / Alvin Group.

Hydrothermal vents are rich in chemicals that provide energy for animal life, fueling rich and productive ecosystems.

The location of the new hydrothermal vent was discovered by a team of scientists during a research expedition funded by the National Science Foundation.

They are located on the East Pacific Ridge near 10 degrees north latitude and are part of the trans-Earth mid-ocean ridge volcanic mountains, where two tectonic plates are breaking apart at a rate of about 11 cm (4.3 inches) per year.

Expedition researchers used underwater robots to map the area at night guard.

rear guard Retrieved each morning, high-resolution maps from the vehicle’s sensors were used to plan the day’s dives by the manned vehicle. alvinThis gives scientists a first-hand look at the complex and ever-changing environments of places like the East Pacific Rise.

“High-resolution maps are guard There is a possibility that new hydrothermal areas will be discovered soon guard will be back on deck,” said Dr. Jill McDermott, a researcher at Lehigh University.

“This gives us great goals such as: alvin And the opportunity to make multiple discoveries in one dive.”

scientists infiltrate alvin He first discovered a hydrothermal vent in 1977 while exploring an oceanic ridge north of the Galapagos Islands.

The discovery has reshaped scientists’ understanding of the conditions that can support life on Earth and elsewhere in the solar system.

“Mid-ocean ridges account for more than 75% of all volcanic activity on Earth,” said CNRS researcher Dr. Thibault Valley.

“There are thousands of these deep-sea hot springs, which together extract 10 percent of the Earth’s total internal heat.”

“We want to better understand how hydrothermal vents release heat and chemicals as they flow beneath the ocean floor, impacting global oceans.”

“new guard “Using the map, we can see vital details of lava flows erupting in the deep ocean and target them for rock sample collection, just as geologists do on land.” said Dr. Daniel Fornari, a researcher at the institute.

“These new perspectives and analysis of rock samples will help us understand how fast the lava erupted, how far it traveled, and how deep-sea lava eruptions affect hydrothermal eruptions. I guess.”

“By working together these two state-of-the-art deep-sea submersibles, we will make surprising new discoveries about how the deep sea floor is constructed in some of the harshest environments on Earth. Yes, we can,” said Dr. Ross Parnell Turner., a researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Source: www.sci.news

Astronomers find previously unknown quasar in far-off galaxy cluster

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Astronomers used NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory and NSF’s Carl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) to locate H1821+643, the closest quasar hosted by a galaxy cluster, about 3.4 billion light years away. The quasar was found to be more powerful than many supermassive black holes in other galaxy clusters.

This composite image shows quasar H1821+643.Image credit: NASA / CXC / University of Nottingham / Russell other. / NSF / NRAO / VLA / SAO / N. Walk.

Quasars are a rare and extreme class of supermassive black holes that violently pull matter inward, producing intense radiation and sometimes powerful jets.

This quasar, known as H1821+643, is about 3.4 billion light-years from Earth and contains a black hole with a mass of 4 billion solar masses.

Most growing supermassive black holes pull matter in at a slower rate than quasars.

Astronomers have been studying the effects of these more common black holes by observing black holes at the centers of galaxy clusters.

Periodic explosions from such black holes prevent the massive amount of superheated gas embedded in the black hole from cooling down, increasing the number of stars forming in its host galaxy and the fuel pouring toward the black hole. limit the amount of

Little is known about how much influence quasars within galaxy clusters have on their surroundings.

“Our research shows that quasars appear to have given up much of the control imposed by slower-growing black holes. The appetite of black holes is unmatched in their influence,” Nottingham said. University astronomer Dr Helen Russell said.

To reach this conclusion, Russell and his colleagues used Chandra to study the hot gas surrounding H1821+643 and its host galaxy.

But the bright X-rays from quasars have made it difficult to study the weaker X-rays from hot gases.

“To reveal the effects of a black hole, we had to carefully remove the X-ray glare. Then we found that it actually had little effect on its surroundings,” says Harvard University. said Dr. Paul Nalsen, an astronomer at the Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.

Using Chandra, astronomers discovered that the density of gas near the black hole at the center of a galaxy is much higher than in more distant regions, and the temperature of the gas is much cooler.

Researchers believe that when there is little or no energy input (usually from an explosion from a black hole), hot gas behaves this way to prevent it from cooling and flowing toward the center of the cluster. Expect.

“The supermassive black hole generates far less heat than other black holes at the center of galaxy clusters. This allows the hot gas to cool rapidly and form new stars, which fuel the black hole. It also acts as a source,” said Dr Lucy Crews, an astronomer at the Open University.

The researchers determined that the equivalent of about 3,000 solar masses per year of hot gas has cooled to the point where it is no longer visible in X-rays.

This rapid cooling easily supplies enough material for the 120 solar masses of new stars observed to form each year within the host galaxy and the 40 solar masses consumed by black holes each year. be able to.

The scientists also investigated the possibility that radiation from quasars directly causes cooling of the cluster's hot gases.

This involves photons of light from the quasar colliding with electrons in the hot gas, increasing the energy of the photons and causing the electrons to lose energy and cool down.

This study showed that this type of cooling is probably occurring within the cluster containing H1821+643, but is too weak to explain the large amount of gas cooling seen.

Dr Thomas Braben, an astronomer at the University of Nottingham, said: “This black hole may not be producing enough because it isn't pumping any heat into its surroundings, but the current situation won't last forever.'' ” he said.

“Ultimately, the rapid uptake of fuel by the black hole should increase the jet's power and strongly heat the gas.”

“After that, the growth of the black hole and its galaxy should slow down significantly.”

team's paper will be published in Royal Astronomical Society Monthly Notices.

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HR Russell other. 2024. Cooling flow around low-redshift quasar H1821+643. MNRAS, in press. arXiv: 2401.03022

Source: www.sci.news

Researchers find five previously unknown species of eyelash pit vipers in South America

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Scientists have identified five mysterious species of the genus Viper Botrykiss They live in the jungles and cloud forests of Colombia and Ecuador.

Botrykis Rahimi. Image credit: Lucas Bustamante.

The eyelash viper is distinguished by a unique feature: a set of huge spine-like scales above the eyes.

These eyelashes give the snake a frightening and ferocious appearance, but the true purpose of this feature is still unknown.

However, what is certain is that certain populations exhibit longer and more stylized eyelashes compared to others.

The changes in the condition of the eyelashes led researchers to hypothesize that an undiscovered species existed.

Eyelash vipers are also famous for another characteristic: they are multicolored. The same patch of rainforest may contain individuals of the turquoise morph, moss morph, or gold morph. They all belong to the same species, even though they have completely different attire.

Alejandro Arteaga, a researcher with the Carmai Foundation and Tropical Helping SA, said: “No two individuals have the same color, even if they belong to the same litter (giving birth to live offspring).”

“Some species have a ‘Christmas’ form, a ghost form, and even a purple form, and different varieties can coexist and even breed with each other.”

“The reasons behind these incredible color changes are still unclear, but it is likely that the pit vipers are able to occupy a wide range of ambush perches, from mossy branches to bright yellow heliconias. is.”

Distribution of palm beetles botry extract schlegeli Species complex including 5 new species.Image credit: Arteaga other., doi: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.114527.

The newly identified species of eyelash viper is Botry extract lasix morum, Botrychus crebai, botry extract kwargi, Botrykis Rahimiand botry extract fusaini.

The first three species are endemic to the eastern Columbia Mountains and live in cloud forests and coffee plantations.

Botrykis Rahimi It stands out because it occurs in the remote and pristine Chocó rainforest on the border of Colombia and Ecuador.

botry extract fusaini It lives in the forests of southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru.

“The venom of some (perhaps all) of the new viper species is much less lethal and hemorrhagic than the venom of typical vipers. Central American eyelash viper (botry extract schlegeli)” said Tropical Helping SA and Savia Foundation researcher Lucas Bustamante, who was bitten on the finger. Botrykis Rahimi When the photo was taken during a research expedition in 2013.

“There was intermittent localized pain, dizziness and swelling, but after three doses of antivenom within two hours of the sting, it quickly resolved and no scarring remained.”

“One of the key conclusions of the study is that four species in the group face high risk of extinction,” the researchers said.

“Their geographic range is very limited, and 50% to 80% of their habitat has already been destroyed.”

“Therefore, rapid response measures are urgently needed to save remaining habitat.”

of study It was published in the magazine evolutionary systematics.

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A. Arteaga other. 2024. Systematic revision of Eyelash Palm-Pitviper botry extract schlegeli (Serpentes, Viperidae), 5 new species descriptions and 3 revalidations. evolutionary systematics 8 (1): 15-64; doi: 10.3897/evolsyst.8.114527

Source: www.sci.news

Scientists identify five previously unknown soft-furred hedgehog species in Southeast Asia

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Five new species of hedgehogs have been discovered by scientists in Southeast Asia.

These are all types of hedgehogs that have soft, spineless fur, and are more hairy than spiny.

Two of the species discovered by researchers are completely new, and the remaining three are subspecies that have been upgraded to species level.

image:
H. maxi is found in Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Photo: David Orcock/SWNS

Researchers at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History used DNA to identify different genetic lineages, which were later confirmed as different species by comparison with museum specimens.

One completely new species, Hylomys vorax, is found in the rainforest on the slopes of Mount Leuser in northern Sumatra.

It is approximately 12 cm (4.7 inches) long, has dark brown fur, a very thin snout, and a completely black tail.

Another completely new species, the H. macaron hedgehog, also has dark brown fur, but is larger than the Hylomys vorax hedgehog, at about 14 cm (5.5 inches) long.

Found in southern rainforests. Vietnam Males of this species have long fang-like incisors, hence their name from the Vietnamese word for vampire (Ma cà rồng).

The researchers said further research would be needed to determine what purpose the tusks serve.

Lead author Dr. Arlo Hinckley said the findings “highlight that even in well-studied animal groups like mammals, there are discoveries still waiting to be discovered.”

The other three new species were previously considered subspecies of Hylomys suillus but have now been elevated to species in their own right and have been named H. dorsalis, H. Maxi, and H. peguensis. Masu.

The H. dorsalis hedgehog is found in the mountains of northern Borneo, and the H. maxi hedgehog is found in the mountains of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula.

Both are about 14 cm long, but H. dorsalis has a prominent black strike that starts at the head and reaches the middle of the body.

The H. pegwensis species is small, usually about 13 cm (5 inches) long, and has slightly more yellow fur than other species.

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It is found in many countries in Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar.

Each of the five species are active during the day and night and, like all other hedgehog species, are omnivorous. They probably eat a mixture of insects and other invertebrates, and fruit whenever possible.

Dr Hinckley said: “Based on field observations and the lifestyle habits of their relatives, these hedgehogs tend to forage in hollow areas, foraging among tree roots, fallen logs, rocks, grassy areas, undergrowth and leaf litter. It is highly likely that they build nests and hide.

“But they are so poorly studied that we are limited in speculating about the details of their natural history.”

Source: news.sky.com

Unknown source of ultra-high energy extraterrestrial particle detected by telescope array

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An artist’s illustration of an extremely high-energy cosmic ray, named the “Amaterasu particle,” observed by the surface detector array of the Telescope Array experiment.Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University/L-INSIGHT, Kyoto University/Ryuunosuke Takeshige

A groundbreaking detection of extremely high-energy cosmic rays by a telescope array experiment points to a void in the universe and casts doubt on current theories about the origin and high-energy physics of cosmic rays. It raises questions about its source.

Discovery of an exceptional extraterrestrial particle

Researchers involved in the telescope array experiment announced that they had detected cosmic rays with unusual energy. This particle originates outside our galaxy and has an incredible energy level of more than 240 exaelectronvolts (EeV). Despite this remarkable discovery, its exact source remains elusive, as its direction of arrival does not point to any known celestial body.

The mystery of ultra-high energy cosmic rays

Cosmic rays are subatomic charged particles that come from space, and ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) are a rare and extremely powerful type. These UHECRs have energies in excess of 1 EeV, which is about a million times the energy reached by man-made particle accelerators. These are thought to originate from the most energetic phenomena in the universe, such as black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and active galactic nuclei. However, its exact physics and acceleration mechanisms are still not fully understood. These high-energy cosmic rays occur infrequently, estimated at less than one particle per square kilometer per century, making their detection a rare event and requiring instruments with large collection areas. .

An artist’s illustration of ultra-high energy cosmic ray astronomy, which elucidates highly energetic phenomena as opposed to weak cosmic rays that are affected by electromagnetic fields.Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University/Kyoto University/Ryuunosuke Takeshige

A unique discovery of telescope arrays

The Telescope Array (TA) experiment, a large-scale surface detector array in Utah with an effective detection area of ​​700 square kilometers, successfully detected UHECR on May 27, 2021 at a breakthrough energy of approximately 244 EeV.

Given the very high energy of this particle, it should experience only a relatively small deflection by the foreground magnetic field, and therefore its direction of arrival should be expected to be more closely correlated with its source. Researchers point out that there is. However, our results show that the direction of arrival does not indicate an obvious source galaxy or other known objects that could be potential sources of UHECRs.

Instead, its direction of arrival points to a cavity in the large-scale structure of the universe, a region where galaxies are almost absent. Scientists believe this indicates a much larger magnetic deflection than predicted by galactic magnetic field models, an unidentified source in the local extragalactic neighborhood, or an incomplete understanding of the high-energy particle physics involved. This suggests that there is a possibility that

For more information on this discovery, see:

Reference: “Extremely high-energy cosmic rays observed by surface detector arrays”*†, RU Abbasi, MG Allen, R. Arimura, JW Belz, DR Bergman, SA Blake, BK Shin, IJ Buckland, BG Cheon, Tetsuya Fujii, Kazuya Fujisue, Kazuya Fujita, Masaki Fukushima, GD Furlich, ZR Gerber, N. Globus, Kazuto Hibino, Tatsuya Higuchi, Kazuya Honda, Daisho Ikeda, Hiroshi Ito, Akira Iwasaki, S. Jeong, HM Jeong, CH Jui, K. Kadota, F. Kakimoto, OE Kalashev, K. Kasahara, K. Kawata, I. Kharuk, E. Kido, SW Kim, HB Kim, JH Kim, JH Kim, I. Komae, Y. Kubota, MY Kuznetsov, KH Lee, BK Rubsandrjiev, JP Lundquist, JN Matthews, S. Nagataki, T. nakamara, A. Nakazawa, T. Nonaka, S. Ogio, M. Ono, H. Oshima, IH Park. , M. Potts, S. Pushilkov, JR Remington, DC Rodriguez, C. Lott, GI Rubtsov, D. Liu, H. Sagawa, N. Sakaki, T. Sako, N. Sakurai, H. Shin, JD Smith, P Sokolsky, BT Stokes, TS Stroman, K. Takahashi, M. Takeda, A. Takeda, Y. Tameda, S. Thomas, GB Thomson, PG Tyniakov, I. Tkachev, T. Tomita, SV Troitsky, Y. Tsunesada, S. Udo, FR Urban, T. Wong, K. Yamazaki, Y. Yuma, YV Zeser, Z. Zunder, November 23, 2023. science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.abo5095

Source: scitechdaily.com