Fossils of two Early Cretaceous species discovered in southwest Arkansas
Two new species dating back to the Early Cretaceous Period were recently discovered in Sevier County in southwest Arkansas. One is a small skink researchers named Sciroseps pawhuskai and the other is a new fish named Anomoeodus caddoi......»»
LLMs keep leaping with Llama 3, Meta’s newest open-weights AI model
Zuckerberg says new AI model "was still learning" when Meta stopped training. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Benj Edwards) On Thursday, Meta unveiled early versions of its Llama 3 open-weights AI model that can be used.....»»
Renovation relic: Man finds hominin jawbone in parents’ travertine kitchen tile
Yes, travertine often has embedded fossils. But not usually hominin ones. Enlarge / Reddit user Kidipadeli75 spotted a fossilized hominin jawbone in his parents' new travertine kitchen tile. (credit: Reddit user Kidipadeli75).....»»
RNA"s hidden potential: New study unveils its role in early life and future bioengineering
The beginning of life on Earth and its evolution over billions of years continue to intrigue researchers worldwide. The central dogma or the directional flow of genetic information from a deoxyribose nucleic acid (DNA) template to a ribose nucleic ac.....»»
Tagging project sheds light on the elusive white shark
Researchers have discovered new white shark behaviors by attaching smart tags and cameras to their fins, revealing never-before-seen details of the lives of the elusive creatures......»»
Skyrmions move at record speeds: A step towards the computing of the future
An international research team led by scientists from the CNRS has discovered that the magnetic nanobubbles known as skyrmions can be moved by electrical currents, attaining record speeds up to 900 m/s......»»
Invasive species sound off about impending ecosystem changes
Anticipating changes to ecosystems is often at best an educated guess, but what if there was a way to better tune into possible changes occurring?.....»»
Africa is full of bats, but their fossils are scarce—why these rare records matter
Africa is home to more than 20% of the world's bat population. There are more than 200 species to be found on the continent. South Africa is particularly diverse, with 72 bat species......»»
Researchers realize hydrogen formation by contact electrification of water microdroplets and its regulation
Direct utilization of water as a source of hydrogen atoms and molecules is fundamental to the evolution of the ecosystem and industry. However, liquid water is an unfavorable electron donor for forming these hydrogen species due to its redox inertnes.....»»
Discovery of new ancient giant snake in India
A new ancient species of snake dubbed Vasuki Indicus, which lived around 47 million years ago in the state of Gujarat in India, may have been one of the largest snakes to have ever lived, suggests new research published in Scientific Reports. The new.....»»
"Human-induced" climate change behind deadly Sahel heat wave: Study
The deadly heat wave that hit Africa's Sahel region in early April would not have occurred without human-induced climate change, according to a study by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group published Thursday......»»
Team finds direct evidence of "itinerant breeding" in East Coast shorebird species
Migration and reproduction are two of the most demanding events in a bird's annual cycle, so much so that the vast majority of migratory birds separate the two tasks into different times of the year......»»
Cheap ransomware for sale on dark web marketplaces is changing the way hackers operate
Since June 2023, Sophos X-Ops has discovered 19 junk gun ransomware variants — cheap, independently produced, and crudely constructed — on the dark web. The developers of these junk gun variants are attempting to disrupt the traditional affiliate.....»»
Fracking the future: How Congolese oil extraction has shaped its history and its fate
In 1969, the recently independent Republic of Congo discovered an enormous oil field off its coast. The find represented both a rare opportunity for the burgeoning nation, and a potential threat—the revenue generated by oil extraction could either.....»»
Researchers identify genetic variant that helped shape human skull base evolution
Humans, Homo sapiens, have unique features compared with other closely related hominin species and primates, including the shape of the base of the skull. The evolutionary changes underlying these features were significant in allowing the evolution o.....»»
Arboviruses, mosquitoes and potential hosts tracked in real time in São Paulo city
The technology used to sequence SARS-CoV-2 at record speed early in the COVID-19 pandemic has been successfully tested as a technique to monitor arboviruses and diseases transmitted mainly by mosquitoes......»»
Rewilding amphibians: Protecting endangered species to restore ecosystems
In a recent paper published in Biological Conservation, iDiv researchers suggest that given amphibians' ability to act as "canaries in the coal mine" for aquatic environments, they should be reintroduced or rewilded. Rewilding would not only help pro.....»»
Paleontologists unearth what may be the largest known marine reptile
The fossilized remains of a second gigantic jawbone measuring more than two meters long has been found on a beach in Somerset, UK. Experts have identified the bones as belonging to the jaws of a new species of enormous ichthyosaur, a type of prehisto.....»»
New class of antimicrobials discovered in soil bacteria
Researchers have discovered toxic protein particles, shaped like umbrellas, that soil bacteria known as Streptomyces secrete to squelch competitors, especially others of their own species......»»
Light pollution affects coastal ecosystems, too—this underwater "canary" is warning of the impacts
In the early 20th century, canaries were used as early warning systems in coal mines to alert miners to rising levels of carbon monoxide......»»
Coffee grinder, old tires spur creation of sulfur-free oil
Using a coffee grinder, a freezer and a furnace, researchers have discovered a chemical synergy between scrap tires and polystyrene can be harnessed to create sulfur-free, light oil......»»