Showing 20 articles starting at article 1421
Categories: Computer Science: Encryption, Environmental: Ecosystems
Published Megadrought likely triggered the fall of the Assyrian Empire
(via sciencedaily.com) The Neo-Assyrian Empire, centered in northern Iraq and extending from Iran to Egypt -- the largest empire of its time -- collapsed after more than two centuries of dominance at the fall of its capital, Nineveh, in 612 B.C.E. Despite a plethora of cuneiform textual documentation and archaeological excavations and field surveys, archaeologists and historians have been unable to explain the abruptness and finality of the historic empire's collapse.
Published Can machine learning reveal geology humans can't see?
(via sciencedaily.com) Identifying geological features in a densely vegetated, steep, and rough terrain can be almost impossible. Imagery like LiDAR can help researchers see through the tree cover, but subtle landforms can often be missed by the human eye.
Published Evidence for past high-level sea rise
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists, studying evidence preserved in speleothems in a coastal cave, illustrate that more than three million years ago -- a time in which the Earth was two to three degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial era -- sea level was as much as 16 meters higher than the present day.
Published Field research in Turkmenistan's highest mountain reveals high biological diversity
(via sciencedaily.com) Well-known for its unique landscapes and rare wildlife, the Koytendag State Nature Reserve was yet to reveal the scale of its actual biodiversity when a series of international expeditions.
Published Cave secrets unlocked to show past drought and rainfall patterns
(via sciencedaily.com) Global trends in cave waters identify how stalagmites reveal past rainfall and drought patterns.
Published Holy Pleistocene Batman, the answer's in the cave
(via sciencedaily.com) Examining a 3-meter stack of bat feces has shed light on the landscape of the ancient continent of Sundaland. The research could help explain the biodiversity of present-day Borneo, Sumatra, and Java. It could also add to our understanding of how people moved through the region.
Published Cherokee inscriptions in Alabama cave interpreted
(via sciencedaily.com) For the first time, a team of scholars and archaeologists has recorded and interpreted Cherokee inscriptions in Manitou Cave, Alabama. These inscriptions reveal evidence of secluded ceremonial activities at a time of crisis for the Cherokee, who were displaced from their ancestral lands and sent westward on the Trail of Tears in the 1830s.
Published Stalagmite holds key to predicting droughts, floods for India
(via sciencedaily.com) By studying the last 50 years of growth of a stalagmite from Mawmluh Cave, they found an unexpected connection between winter rainfall amounts in northeast India and climatic conditions in the Pacific Ocean.
Published Ice Age survivors or stranded travellers? A new subterranean species discovered in Canada
(via sciencedaily.com) The discovery of a new to science species of rare and primitive arthropod in a cave that was covered by a thick ice sheet until recently is certain to raise questions. Researchers describe a new species of cave-dwelling, insect-like dipluran from the island of Vancouver (Canada) and discuss its origin.
Published Central Texas salamanders, including newly identified species, at risk of extinction
(via sciencedaily.com) Biologists have discovered three new species of groundwater salamander in Central Texas, including one living west of Austin that they say is critically endangered. They also determined that an already known salamander species near Georgetown is much more endangered than previously thought. They warn that more severe droughts caused by climate change and increasing water use in Central Texas have left groundwater salamanders 'highly vulnerable to extinction.'
Published Volcanoes fed by 'mush' reservoirs rather than molten magma chambers
(via sciencedaily.com) Volcanoes are not fed by molten magma formed in large chambers finds a new study, overturning classic ideas about volcanic eruptions.
Published Evolution: South Africa's hominin record is a fair-weather friend
(via sciencedaily.com) The fossil record of early hominins in South Africa is biased towards periods of drier climate, suggests a study of cave deposits. This finding suggests there are gaps in the fossil record, potentially obscuring evolutionary patterns and affecting our understanding of both the habitats and dietary behaviors of early hominins in this region. South Africa's highest concentration of early hominin fossils comes from the 'Cradle of Humankind' caves northwest of Johannesburg.
Published A Mexican cavefish with a scarred heart
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists are studying a guppy-sized, blind, translucent fish that lives in the cave systems of northern Mexico to figure out why some animals can regenerate their hearts, while others just scar.
Published Scientists find stable sea levels during last interglacial
(via sciencedaily.com) The magnitude and trajectory of sea-level change during the Last Interglacial, more specifically Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e, is uncertain. To date the consensus view has been that sea-level may have been six to nine meters above present sea level. However, scientists are now questioning if those sea level fluctuations are accurate.
Published Cold climates contributed to the extinction of the Neanderthals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Climate change may have played a more important role in the extinction of Neanderthals than previously believed, according to a new study.
Published When cozying up with would-be predators, cleaner shrimp follow a dependable script
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It's a mystery how cleaner shrimp partner with would-be fish predators -- sometimes even climbing in their mouths -- without getting eaten. A new study reveals how the shrimp convinces fish not to eat them, and the fish conveys that it's a friend and not a foe.