The clams that fell behind, and what they can tell us about evolution and extinction
Every so often, life on Earth steps onto a nearly empty playing field and faces a spectacular opportunity. Something major changes—in the atmosphere or in the oceans, or in the organisms themselves —and the existing species begin to branch out in.....»»
Unraveling an ancient European extinction mystery: Disappearance of dwarf megafauna on paleolithic Cyprus
Scientists have unraveled a mystery about the disappearance of dwarf hippos and elephants that once roamed the picturesque landscape on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus before paleolithic humans arrived......»»
Earth"s greatest mass extinction 250 million years ago shows what happens when El Niño gets out of control
Around 252 million years ago, the world suddenly heated up. Over a geologically brief period of tens of thousands of years, 90% of species were wiped out. Even insects, which are rarely touched by such events, suffered catastrophic losses. The Permia.....»»
Exceptional new fish fossil sparks a rethink of how Earth"s geology drives evolution
Coelacanths are deep-sea fish that live off the coasts of southern Africa and Indonesia and can reach up to two meters in length. For a long time, scientists believed they were extinct......»»
I used the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to indulge in my hobby, and fell in love with it
I used the Pixel 9 Pro Fold during a stay in Germany, where I had fun shooting photos of cars. Google's new folding phone turned out to be amazing at it......»»
Erbium-doped electrocatalyst enhances oxygen evolution reactions in acidic environments
A group of researchers has developed an electrocatalyst that promises to significantly enhance the efficiency and stability of oxygen evolution reactions (OER) in acidic environments. By incorporating a rare earth element, erbium (Er), into the commo.....»»
Scientists discover crude oil decimates sea otter buoyancy
Sea otters are famed for their luscious pelts, but the fur almost led to their extinction. By 1938, only a tiny population of ~50 remained clinging to the central California coast. Since then, the mammals have battled back. However, the charismatic c.....»»
Research reveals reality of puberty for Ice Age teens from 25,000 years ago
New research shows Ice Age teens from 25,000 years ago went through similar puberty stages as modern-day adolescents. In a study published today in the Journal of Human Evolution of the timing of puberty in Pleistocene teens, researchers are addressi.....»»
New research reveals how El Niño caused the greatest ever mass extinction
Mega ocean warming El Niño events were key in driving the largest extinction of life on planet Earth some 252 million years ago, according to new research......»»
New fossil fish species scales up evidence of Earth"s evolutionary march
Climate change and asteroids are linked with animal origin and extinction—and plate tectonics also seems to play a key evolutionary role, "groundbreaking" new fossil research reveals......»»
Researchers uncover new infection-fighting molecules through "molecular de-extinction"
A new study led by Cesar de la Fuente, Ph.D., Presidential Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Microbiology, Chemistry, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, has uncovered sequences for infection-.....»»
Chromium doping enhances catalyst performance for faster oxygen evolution
A group of researchers has made significant progress in developing cost-effective catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a critical component in technologies such as water splitting and metal-air batteries......»»
Multiple ways to evolve tiny knee bone could have helped humans walk upright
The evolution of bones in primates' knees could have implications for how humans evolved to walk upright, a new study has found......»»
Whales are recovering from near extinction, but industrial fishing around Antarctica competes for their sole food source
The Southern Ocean encircling Antarctica is the world's largest feeding ground for baleen whales—species like humpbacks that filter tiny organisms from seawater for food. In the 20th century, whalers killed roughly 2 million large whales in the Sou.....»»
Researchers reveal performance boost mechanism in single-atom catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction
Hydrogen energy, with its green, low-carbon and high-calorific-value properties, is emerging as the new key to solving the energy crisis. Electrochemically, water splitting has garnered much attention as a promising hydrogen production technique. How.....»»
Green hydrogen: MXenes show talent as catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction
The MXene class of materials has many talents. An international team led by HZB chemist Michelle Browne has now demonstrated that MXenes, properly functionalized, are excellent catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in electrolytic water splitti.....»»
Could comets have delivered the building blocks of life to ocean worlds like Europa, Enceladus and Titan?
Throughout Earth's history, the planet's surface has been regularly impacted by comets, meteors, and the occasional large asteroid. While these events were often destructive, sometimes to the point of triggering a mass extinction, they may have also.....»»
Angiosperms study provides insights into genome evolution after whole-genome duplications
Whole-genome duplication (WGD, or polyploidy) is a common and frequent occurrence in plants, providing raw genetic material for evolution. Homoeologs (duplicate genes from a WGD) often diverge in expression levels, while some still maintain similar (.....»»
Under US pressure, Mexico probes loggerhead sea turtle deaths
Scientists in Mexico are investigating the deaths of hundreds of loggerhead sea turtles in recent years, a species considered at risk of extinction in the wild, according to officials......»»
Kara Sprague joins HackerOne as CEO
HackerOne announced that it has appointed Kara Sprague to succeed Marten Mickos as CEO. Sprague joins HackerOne at a powerful moment in its evolution, having seen 200% product growth in its pentesting and AI red teaming business and 120% growth in vu.....»»
Double-peaked supernovae offer clues to pre-supernova outbursts
New research helps in understanding the evolution and final stages of massive stars, the role of binary interactions, and the mechanisms behind mass loss, which ultimately affect the properties of the resulting supernova and its remnant. This work al.....»»