Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds, Space: Structures and Features
Published Extraterrestrial chemistry with earthbound possibilities
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Who are we? Why are we here? We are stardust, the result of chemistry occurring throughout vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust. To better understand how that chemistry could create prebiotic molecules, researchers investigated the role of low-energy electrons created as cosmic radiation traverses through ice particles. Their findings may also inform medical and environmental applications on our home planet.
Published To kill mammoths in the Ice Age, people used planted pikes, not throwing spears, researchers say
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Archeologists say new findings might help resolve the debate about Clovis points and reshape how we think about what life was like roughly 13,000 years ago. After an extensive review of writings and artwork -- and an experiment with replica Clovis point spears -- a team of archaeologists says humans may have braced the butt of their weapons against the ground in a way that would impale a charging animal. The force would have driven the spear deeper into the predator's body, unleashing a more damaging blow than even the strongest prehistoric hunters would have been capable of by throwing or jabbing megafauna.
Published New heaviest exotic antimatter nucleus
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists studying the tracks of particles streaming from six billion collisions of atomic nuclei at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) -- an 'atom smasher' that recreates the conditions of the early universe -- have discovered a new kind of antimatter nucleus, the heaviest ever detected. Composed of four antimatter particles -- an antiproton, two antineutrons, and one antihyperon -- these exotic antinuclei are known as antihyperhydrogen-4.
Published New view of North Star reveals spotted surface
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source High-resolution images show large spots on the surface of Polaris.
Published Explanation found for X-ray radiation from black holes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have succeeded in something that has been pursued since the 1970s: explaining the X-ray radiation from the black hole surroundings. The radiation originates from the combined effect of the chaotic movements of magnetic fields and turbulent plasma gas.
Published Fossil hotspots in Africa obscure a more complete picture of human evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows how the mismatch between where fossils are preserved and where humans likely lived may influence our understanding of early human evolution.
Published Right on schedule: Physicists use modeling to forecast a black hole's feeding patterns with precision
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The dramatic dimming of a light source ~ 870 million light years away from Earth confirms the accuracy of a detailed model.
Published Rethinking the dodo
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers are setting out to challenge our misconceptions about the Dodo, one of the most well-known but poorly understood species of bird. Researchers have undertaken the most comprehensive review of the taxonomy of the Dodo and its closest relative, the Rodriguez Island Solitaire.
Published Galaxies in dense environments tend to be larger, settling one cosmic question and raising others
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has found galaxies with more neighbors tend to be larger than their counterparts that have a similar shape and mass, but reside in less dense environments. The team, which used a machine-learning algorithm to analyze millions of galaxies, reports that galaxies found in denser regions of the universe are as much as 25% larger than isolated galaxies. The findings resolve a long-standing debate among astrophysicists over the relationship between a galaxy's size and its environment, but also raise new questions about how galaxies form and evolve over billions of years.
Published SwRI-led team finds evidence of hydration on Asteroid Psyche
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have confirmed hydroxyl molecules on the surface of the metallic asteroid Psyche. The presence of hydrated minerals suggests a complex history for Psyche, important context for the NASA spacecraft en route to this interesting asteroid orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter.
Published Early mammals lived longer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What distinguishes the growth and development patterns of early mammals of the Jurassic period? Paleontologists have been able to gauge the lifespan and growth rates of these ancient animals, and even when they reached maturity, by studying growth rings in fossilized tooth roots.
Published When mammoths roamed Vancouver Island
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Mammoths, the massive pre-historic ice age cousins of the modern-day elephant, have always been understood to have inhabited parts of British Columbia, but the question of when has always been a bit woolly. Now, a new study has given scientists the clearest picture yet when the giant mammals roamed Vancouver Island.
Published Giant prehistoric flying reptile took off using similar method to bats, study finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The pterosaur likely used all four limbs to propel itself in the air, as seen in bats today, researchers have found.
Published Astronomers uncover risks to planets that could host life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A groundbreaking study has revealed that red dwarf stars can produce stellar flares that carry far-ultraviolet (far-UV) radiation levels much higher than previously believed.
Published Cold antimatter for quantum state-resolved precision measurements
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Why does the universe contain matter and (virtually) no antimatter? Scientists have achieved an experimental breakthrough in this context. It can contribute to measuring the mass and magnetic moment of antiprotons more precisely than ever before -- and thus identify possible matter-antimatter asymmetries. They have developed a trap, which can cool individual antiprotons much more rapidly than in the past.
Published Fossil shows how penguins' wings evolved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A tiny fossil penguin plays a huge role in the evolutionary history of the bird, an international study shows.
Published Key to rapid planet formation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new model to explain the formation of giant planets such as Jupiter, which furnishes deeper insights into the processes of planet formation and could expand our understanding of planetary systems.
Published The rotation of a nearby star stuns astronomers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have found that the rotational profile of a nearby star, V889 Herculis, differs considerably from that of the Sun. The observation provides insights into the fundamental stellar astrophysics and helps us understand the activity of the Sun, its spot structures and eruptions.
Published What no one has seen before -- simulation of gravitational waves from failing warp drive
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Physicists have been exploring the theoretical possibility of spaceships driven by compressing the four-dimensional spacetime for decades. Although this so-called 'warp drive' originates from the realm of science fiction, it is based on concrete descriptions in general relativity. A new study takes things a step further -- simulating the gravitational waves such a drive might emit if it broke down.
Published Dark matter: A camera trap for the invisible
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source AI-powered image recognition could give researchers a new tool in hunt for dark matter.