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Categories: Anthropology: Early Humans, Paleontology: General
Published 50-million-year-old katydid fossil reveals muscles, digestive tract, glands and a testicle
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source 50 million years ago in what is now northwestern Colorado, a katydid died, sank to the bottom of a lake and was quickly buried in fine sediments, where it remained until its compressed fossil was recovered in recent years. When researchers examined the fossil under a microscope, they saw that not only had many of the insect's hard structures been preserved in the compressed shale, so had several internal organs and tissues, which are not normally fossilized.
Published Megalodon was no cold-blooded killer
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source How the megalodon, a shark that went extinct 3.6 million years ago, stayed warm was a matter of speculation among scientists. Using an analysis of tooth fossils from the megalodon and other sharks of the same period, a study suggests the animal was able to maintain a body temperature well above the temperature of the water in which it lived. The finding could help explain why the megalodon went extinct during the Pliocene Epoch.
Published Humans' evolutionary relatives butchered one another 1.45 million years ago
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have identified the oldest decisive evidence of humans' close evolutionary relatives butchering and likely eating one another.
Published Cave excavation pushes back the clock on early human migration to Laos
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Fifteen years of archaeological work in the Tam Pa Ling cave in northeastern Laos has yielded a reliable chronology of early human occupation of the site. The team's excavations through the layers of sediments and bones that gradually washed into the cave and were left untouched for tens of thousands of years reveals that humans lived in the area for at least 70,000 years -- and likely even longer.
Published Modern horses have lost their additional toes, scientists confirm
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The distant ancestors of modern horses had hooved toes instead of a single hoof, which vanished over time, according to researchers.
Published Focus on function helps identify the changes that made us human
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Research sheds light on human evolution, and demonstrates an approach for identifying significant differences in how genes are used between closely-related species.
Published These long-necked reptiles were decapitated by their predators, fossil evidence confirms
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the age of dinosaurs, many marine reptiles had extremely long necks compared to reptiles today. While it was clearly a successful evolutionary strategy, paleontologists have long suspected that their long-necked bodies made them vulnerable to predators. Now, after almost 200 years of continued research, direct fossil evidence confirms this scenario for the first time in the most graphic way imaginable.
Published New dinosaur discovered: Ankylosaurs may have been far more diverse than originally thought
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source First armoured dinosaur to be described from the Isle of Wight in 142 years, shows Ankylosaurs may have been far more diverse than originally thought
Published Fossil study sheds light on famous spirals found in nature
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A 3D model of a 407-million-year-old plant fossil has overturned thinking on the evolution of leaves. The research has also led to fresh insights about spectacular patterns found in plants.
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 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 Scientists investigate the evolution of animal developmental mechanisms, show how some of Earth's earliest animals evolved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lacking bones, brains, and even a complete gut, the body plans of simple animals like sea anemones appear to have little in common with humans and their vertebrate kin. Nevertheless, new research shows that appearances can be deceiving, and that a common genetic toolkit can be deployed in different ways to drive embryological development to produce very different adult body plans. It is well established that sea anemones, corals, and their jellyfish relatives shared a common ancestor with humans that plied the Earth's ancient oceans over 600 million years ago. A new study from the Gibson Lab, published in Current Biology on June 13, 2023, illuminates the genetic basis for body plan development in the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis. This new knowledge paints a vivid picture of how some of the earliest animals on earth progressed from egg to embryo to adult.
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 New method traces ancestry of hybrid plants and animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Hybrid plants and animals have complicated genomes. A biologist has discovered a way to reveal their parent species.
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 Which came first: The reptile or the egg?
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The earliest reptiles, birds and mammals may have borne live young, researchers have revealed.
Published Ancient herbivore's diet weakened teeth leading to eventual starvation, study suggests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shed light on the life of the ancient reptile Rhynchosaur, which walked the earth between 250-225 million years ago, before being replaced by the dinosaurs.
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 Lost giants: New study reveals the abundance decline of African megafauna
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A groundbreaking new paper focuses on the size and abundance of living and fossil African large mammals, shedding light on the ecological dynamics behind the decline of these iconic creatures. The findings challenge previous assumptions about the causes of megafaunal extinctions in Africa and provide new insights into the restructuring of ecosystems over millions of years.
Published Greenhouse gas emissions at 'an all-time high' -- and it is causing an unprecedented rate of global warming, say scientists
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Human-induced warming, largely caused by the burning of fossil fuels, reached an average of 1.14°C for the most recent decade (2013 to 2022) above pre-industrial levels. This is up from 1.07°C between 2010 and 2019. Human-induced warming is now increasing at a pace of over 0.2°C per decade. The analysis also found that greenhouse gas emissions were 'at an all-time high', with human activity resulting in the equivalent of 54 (+/-5.3) gigatonnes (or billion metric tonnes) of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere on average every year over the last decade (2012-2021). Given the speed at which the global climate system is changing, the scientists argue that policymakers, climate negotiators and civil society groups need to have access to up-to-date and robust scientific evidence on which to base decisions.