When the first fossil of the blue-jay-sized Longipteryx chaoyangensis was found in 2020, paleontologists thought its elongated skull with an extended, toothed beak suggested it ate fish. But a more recent look inside a specimen’s stomach showed the bird — which lived 120 million years ago in what’s now northeastern China — fed on fruit-like plants, according to a report in Current Biology.Comparing Longipteryx to Other Ancient BirdsPaleontologists initially compared the ancient bird to t ...read more
A lunar eclipse is one of the universe’s many captivating light shows. During this particular cosmic alignment, the Moon slips into our planet’s shadow, often transforming Luna’s familiar gray face into a stunning red orb. But what exactly causes a lunar eclipse, and why doesn’t it happen every month? Let's dive into everything you need to know about lunar eclipses, from their causes and frequency, to what makes them so captivating to stargazers worldwide.What Is a Lunar Eclipse?Total lu ...read more
Medical diseases have existed since ancient times. We’ve read about the horrors of the bubonic plague in history lessons, but did you know that even the plague technically still exists today? Over time, modern medicine has eradicated some of the most devastating diseases in the U.S., like smallpox, polio, rubella, malaria, and diphtheria. However, diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and the mumps do continue to exist. While it may surprise you that the following five diseases still exist today, we ...read more
Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect women nine times more often than men, often turning up in women in their 20s and 30s. It can cause joint pain, rashes, fatigue, and damage to organs — especially the kidneys. The root cause is still unclear, but it may have to do with genetics.“[Lupus] can cause injury to a number of different organs, all mediated by this particular autoimmune process,” says Deepak Rao, a rheumatologist at Harvard Medical School.New research is improving docto ...read more
Deep beneath the waves of the sea, hidden ecosystems have thrived for millennia. Scientists continue to discover more of them, including the recent find of a whole new underwater mountain and 20 potentially new deep-sea species about 900 miles off the coast of Chile. Discovering so many rare and likely new species is exciting, but far more unknown species lurk in the abyss just waiting to be discovered. While their ecosystems have long escaped human notice, there’s no guarantee they’ll escap ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine