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Categories: Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology, Space: The Solar System
Published James Webb Space Telescope captures the end of planet formation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How much time do planets have to form from a swirling disk of gas and dust around a star? A new study gives scientists a better idea of how our own solar system came to be.
Published Research uncovers a rare resin fossil find: A spider that aspires to be an ant
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Spiders that disguise themselves as ants live in many locations around the globe but until now most had been able to avoid detection from fossil researchers as well as predators.
Published Signs of life would be detectable in single ice grain emitted from extraterrestrial moons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Could life be found in frozen sea spray from moons orbiting Saturn or Jupiter? New research finds that life can be detected in a single ice grain containing one bacterial cell or portions of a cell. The results suggest that if life similar to that on Earth exists on these planetary bodies, that this life should be detectable by instruments launching in the fall.
Published Tudor era horse cemetery in Westminster revealed as likely resting place for elite imported animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Archaeological analysis of a near unique animal cemetery discovered in London nearly 30 years ago has revealed there was an international horse trading network, orchestrated by the elites of late medieval and Tudor England, which brought superior physical specimens to the UK for jousting and for use as status symbols.
Published Secrets of the Van Allen belt revealed in new study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A challenge to space scientists to better understand our hazardous near-Earth space environment has been set in a new study.
Published Researchers name prehistoric amphibian ancestor discovered in Smithsonian collection after Kermit the Frog
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic Muppet, Kermit the Frog.
Published Icy impacts: Planetary scientists use physics and images of impact craters to gauge the thickness of ice on Europa
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New study reveals that Europa's ice shell is at least 20 kilometers thick.
Published Study reveals 'cozy domesticity' of prehistoric stilt-house dwellers in England's ancient marshland
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Detailed reports on thousands of artifacts pulled from 'Britain's Pompeii' reveals the surprisingly sophisticated domestic lives of Bronze Age Fen folk some 3,000 years ago -- from home interiors to recipes, clothing, kitchenware and pets.
Published New archive of ancient human brains challenges misconceptions of soft tissue preservation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study has challenged previously held views that brain preservation in the archaeological record is extremely rare. The team compiled a new archive of preserved human brains, which highlighted that nervous tissues actually persist in much greater abundances than traditionally thought, assisted by conditions that prevent decay.
Published Across oceans and millennia: decoding the origin and history of the bottle gourd
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have uncovered intriguing details about the origins and spread of the bottle gourd, one of the oldest domesticated crops. Their work unveils the genetic diversification and population history of this hard-shelled plant that was used to make bottles, instruments, and containers for over 10,000 years by ancient civilizations.
Published Tanks of the Triassic: New crocodile ancestor identified
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Dinosaurs get all the glory. But aetosaurs, a heavily armored cousin of modern crocodiles, ruled the world before dinosaurs did. These tanks of the Triassic came in a variety of shapes and sizes before going extinct around 200 million years ago. Today, their fossils are found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
Published Protein fragments ID two new 'extremophile' microbes--and may help find alien life
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Perfectly adapted microorganisms live in extreme environments from deep-sea trenches to mountaintops. Learning more about how these extremophiles survive in hostile conditions could inform scientists about life on Earth and potential life on other planets.
Published Surprising insights about debris flows on Mars
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The period that liquid water was present on the surface of Mars may have been shorter than previously thought. Channel landforms called gullies, previously thought to be formed exclusively by liquid water, can also be formed by the action of evaporating CO2 ice, according to a new study.
Published Ancient ice may still exist in distant space objects, researchers find
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new paper presents findings about the Kuiper Belt Object 486958 Arrokoth, shedding new light on the preservation of volatile substances like carbon monoxide in such distant celestial bodies. The research uses Arrokoth as a case study to propose that many Kuiper Belt Objects -- remnants from the dawn of our solar system -- could still retain their original volatile ices, challenging previous notions about the evolutionary path of these ancient entities.
Published Cheers! NASA's Webb finds ethanol, other icy ingredients for worlds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What do margaritas, vinegar, and ant stings have in common? They contain chemical ingredients that NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has identified surrounding two young protostars known as IRAS 2A and IRAS 23385. Although planets are not yet forming around those stars, these and other molecules detected there by Webb represent key ingredients for making potentially habitable worlds.
Published Do astronauts experience 'space headaches'?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Space travel and zero gravity can take a toll on the body. A new study has found that astronauts with no prior history of headaches may experience migraine and tension-type headaches during long-haul space flight, which includes more than 10 days in space.
Published Giant volcano discovered on Mars
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A deeply eroded giant volcano, active from ancient through recent times and with possible remnants of glacier ice near its base, had been hiding near Mars' equator in plain sight. Its discovery points to an exciting new place to search for life, and a potential destination for future robotic and human exploration.
Published Scientists propose new theory that explains sand ripples on Mars and on Earth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sand ripples are symmetrical. Yet wind -- which causes them -- is very much not. Furthermore, sand ripples can be found on Mars and on Earth. They would be even more fascinating if the same effect found on Mars could be found here on Earth as well. What if one unified theory could explain their formation on both planets?
Published CSI in space: Analyzing bloodstain patterns in microgravity
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source As more people seek to go where no man has gone before, researchers are exploring how forensic science can be adapted to extraterrestrial environments. A new study highlights the behavior of blood in microgravity and the unique challenges of bloodstain pattern analysis aboard spacecraft.
Published Interstellar signal linked to aliens was actually just a truck
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sound waves thought to be from a 2014 meteor fireball north of Papua New Guinea were almost certainly vibrations from a truck rumbling along a nearby road, new research shows. The findings raise doubts that materials pulled last year from the ocean are alien materials from that meteor, as was widely reported.