Around 500 million years ago, a strange ancestor of the modern sea star, sea urchin, and sand dollar swam above the Paleozoic seafloor. Classified as a pleurocystitid, the animal resembled an armored stingray in its appearance, armed with what looked like a set of swooping antennae. One of the first of its phylum to move around autonomously, its segmented tail swept from side-to-side to swim forward. Robotics researcher Richard Desatnik and colleagues identified the creature’s method of movem ...read more

As the world gears up for an inevitable spike in temperatures over the coming decades, a newly found deposit of fossils might provide insight on the future actions of modern species. "The distant past gives us a glimpse of our possible near future," said Jonathan Antcliffe, researcher at the University of Lausanne and co-author of the study, in a press release.Two paleontology enthusiasts came across the fossil site in Montagne Noire, a mountain range in southern France, where they unearthed ove ...read more

While on Earth dust may mostly seem like a housecleaning nuisance, in the far reaches of space, it plays an exciting role in galaxy research. Although the existence of dust in space continues to be surrounded by intrigue, an international team of astronomers recently identified a type Ia supernova creating cosmic dust. A new study published in Nature Astronomy highlighted this previously unknown source of cosmic dust. Prior to the study, dust formation has been observed in supernovae, but only i ...read more

Does life exist elsewhere in the universe? If so, how do scientists search for and identify it? Finding life beyond Earth is extremely difficult, partly because other planets are so far away and partly because we are not sure what to look for.Yet, astrobiologists have learned a lot about how to find life in extraterrestrial environments, mainly by studying how and when the early Earth became livable.While research teams at NASA are directly combing the surface of Mars for signs of life, our� ...read more

If every rock has a tale to tell, those of the Waitaki District on New Zealand’s South Island would fill a library. This is a land of limestone, sandstone, siltstone, and mudstone — basic sedimentary rock. Yet from this simple matter, time, wind, and rain have composed a wondrous story.The narrative is in the Elephant Rocks, giant dollops of limestone scattered among grazing sheep on a farmer’s field. Their scooped shapes take on different forms, depending on where you stand and at what el ...read more

Have you ever been out on a walk and as you take that next step, you feel the slippery squish of poop under your foot?It’s not just gross. Beyond the mess and the smell, it’s potentially infectious. That’s why signs reminding pet owners to “curb your dog” and scoop their poop have been joined in some places by posted warnings that pet waste can spread disease.As a small-animal primary care veterinarian, I deal with the diseases of dog and cat poop on a daily basis. Feces represent pote ...read more

It’s no surprise that modern-day human bone structure varies greatly from that of our ancient ancestors. As society has advanced and new technologies developed, so too has our bone structure. Thanks to modern technology, researchers are now better able to pinpoint just when those bony changes began. Food played a major factor in shaping our skeletal frame, but not in the way you may think. Biological Anthropology and the Evolution of BonesAlthough the study of anthropology dates back centurie ...read more

Researchers have commonly found that just like humans, elephants have a strong ability to show empathy. These massive animals can understand and share feelings with other elephants and even different animals. Despite their intimidating size, elephants are emotionally intelligent and form deep familial bonds within their herd. Masson and McCarthy, in their book, "When Elephants Weep," described elephants clustered around a dying matriarch. They stroked her, and put food into her mouth, knowing sh ...read more

The Euphrates River has been one of the most important rivers throughout human history. Along with the Tigris River, it makes up the cradle of civilization, known as the Fertile Crescent. The river was critical to the development of some of the world’s first agricultural societies like the Sumerians and the Mesopotamians. In the Bible, the Euphrates was even mentioned as one of the four rivers that served the Garden of Eden.But now, in the face of global climate change and human impact, the ri ...read more

Flexible dieting isn’t really dieting at all. It’s about meeting your nutritional needs on a daily basis while having the flexibility to choose your favorite foods from within the five food groups: fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. For those who find traditional dieting constraining and downright ineffective, flexible dieting might be just the thing that moves the scale. What Is Flexible Dieting?According to registered dietitian Catherine Gervacio from the E-Health Project, th ...read more