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Categories: Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology, Space: Structures and Features
Published Scientists report 'benchmarks' for extreme space weather
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Extreme space weather threatens vital satellites orbiting the Earth, including the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) which pass through the heart of the outer radiation belt. New research has now determined a series of benchmarks for the likely severity of extreme space weather events in GPS orbit.
Published First hominin muscle reconstruction shows 3.2 million-year-old 'Lucy' could stand as erect as we can
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Digital modelling of legendary fossil's soft tissue suggests Australopithecus afarensis had powerful leg and pelvic muscles suited to tree dwelling, but knee muscles that allowed fully erect walking.
Published Astronomers discover new link between dark matter and clumpiness of the universe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers reveal a theoretical breakthrough that may explain both the nature of invisible dark matter and the large-scale structure of the universe known as the cosmic web. The result establishes a new link between these two longstanding problems in astronomy, opening new possibilities for understanding the cosmos. The research suggests that the 'clumpiness problem,' which centres on the unexpectedly even distribution of matter on large scales throughout the cosmos, may be a sign that dark matter is composed of hypothetical, ultra-light particles called axions. The implications of proving the existence of hard-to-detect axions extend beyond understanding dark matter and could address fundamental questions about the nature of the universe itself.
Published Earth was created much faster than we thought: This makes the chance of finding other habitable planets in the Universe more likely
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Over the past decades, researchers thought Earth was created over a period of more than 100 million years. However, a new study from suggests that the creation of Earth was much more rapid, and that water and other essential ingredients for life were delivered to Earth very early on.
Published A scorching-hot exoplanet scrutinized by astronomers
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Through the Gemini-North Telescope in Hawai'i, the chemical composition of WASP-76 b is revealed in unprecedented detail, giving new insights also into the composition of giant planets.
Published The life below our feet: Team discovers microbes thriving in groundwater and producing oxygen in the dark
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A survey of groundwater samples drawn from aquifers beneath more than 80,000 square miles of Canadian prairie reveals ancient groundwaters harbor not only diverse and active microbial communities, but also unexpectedly large numbers of microbial cells. Strikingly, some of these microbes seem to produce 'dark oxygen' (in the absence of sunlight) in such abundance that the oxygen may nourish not only those microbes, but may leak into the environment and support other oxygen-reliant microbes that can't produce it themselves.
Published Sun's coldest region stores secret to heating million-degree corona
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have unveiled the discovery of intense wave energy from a relatively cool, dark and strongly magnetized plasma region on the Sun, capable of traversing the solar atmosphere and maintaining temperatures of a million degrees Kelvin inside the corona. Researchers say the finding is the latest key to unraveling a host of related mysteries pertaining to Earth's nearest star.
Published Remains at Crenshaw site are local, ancestors of Caddo
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hundreds of human skulls and mandibles recovered from the Crenshaw site in southwest Arkansas are the remains of ancestors of the Caddo Nation and not foreign enemies, according to a new study.
Published The Viking disease can be due to gene variants inherited from Neanderthals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Many men in northern Europe over the age of 60 suffer from the so-called Viking disease, which means that the fingers lock in a bent position. Now researchers have used data from over 7,000 affected individuals to look for genetic risk factors for the disease. The findings show that three of the strongest risk factors are inherited from Neanderthals.
Published First side-necked turtle ever discovered in UK
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first side-necked turtle ever to be found in the UK has been discovered by an amateur fossil collector and palaeontologists.
Published Pass the salt: This space rock holds clues as to how Earth got its water
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The discovery of tiny salt grains in a sample from an asteroid provides strong evidence that liquid water may be more common in the solar system than previously thought.
Published Skipping evolution: Some kangaroos didn't hop
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Extinct kangaroos used alternative methods to their famous hop according to comprehensive analysis.
Published DESI early data release holds nearly two million objects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The first batch of data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument is now available for researchers to explore. Taken during the experiment's 'survey validation' phase, the data include distant galaxies and quasars as well as stars in our own Milky Way.
Published Flaring star could be down to young planet's disc inferno
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New simulations offer new explanation for star's 85-year flare. In this scenario, a young giant planet is burning up very close to its star, suggesting solar systems may have hosted many of such planets that have since 'evaporated'.
Published A new Tatooine-like multi-planetary system identified
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of astronomers has announced the second-ever discovery of a multiplanetary circumbinary system.
Published Astronomers discover supernova explosion through rare 'cosmic magnifying glasses'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scientists recently discovered an exceptionally rare gravitationally lensed supernova, which the team named 'SN Zwicky.' Located more than 4 billion light years away, the supernova was magnified nearly 25 times by a foreground galaxy acting as a lens. The discovery presents a unique opportunity for astronomers to learn more about the inner cores of galaxies, dark matter and the mechanics behind universe expansion.
Published 'Hot Jupiters' may not be orbiting alone
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers challenge longstanding beliefs about the isolation of 'hot Jupiters' and proposes a new mechanism for understanding the exoplanets' evolution.
Published Lingering effects of Neanderthal DNA found in modern humans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Recent scientific discoveries have shown that Neanderthal genes comprise some 1 to 4% of the genome of present-day humans whose ancestors migrated out of Africa, but the question remained open on how much those genes are still actively influencing human traits -- until now.
Published Elusive planets play 'hide and seek' with CHEOPS
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Astronomers have clearly identified the existence of four new exoplanets. The four mini-Neptunes are smaller and cooler, and more difficult to find than the so-called Hot Jupiter exoplanets which have been found in abundance.
Published New dino, 'Iani,' was face of a changing planet
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A newly discovered plant-eating dinosaur may have been a species' 'last gasp' during a period when Earth's warming climate forced massive changes to global dinosaur populations.