Earth’s largest mass extinction eliminated a lot of marine species. But it didn’t eliminate them all. According to a study in Science Advances, warm, oxygen-depleted waters may have helped select survivors of the end-Permian extinction in the aftermath of the event around 252 million years ago, allowing them to expand their ranges throughout Earth’s oceans. The results reveal how marine animals have recovered from past mass extinctions and how they could recover from mass extinctions in th ...read more
Spring brings warmer temperatures, fresh greenery, and the return of birdsong. Songbirds are known for performing species-specific tunes to attract mates and defend their territories. But how do birds learn these signature songs? Much like humans, it takes time and practice to master a skill.To understand the brain signals involved in birds’ intrinsic desire to learn their songs, a research team from Duke University, North Carolina, closely studied how zebra finches practice their songs until ...read more
A surprising observation from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed a vestige of a galaxy that peeked through the early universe’s dense fog just 330 million years after the Big Bang. The recent sighting of ultraviolet light from this distant galaxy — called JADES-GS-z13-1 — has astonished researchers, shattering prior expectations of early galaxy formation. Shortly after the Big Bang, the developing universe was clouded by a thick fog of neutral hydrogen, blocking the l ...read more
Cold plunging has become all the rage. Whether in the ocean, rivers, lakes, or your own personal cold plunge bath, enthusiasts claim that the therapy has a host of benefits, both mentally and physically, from reducing anxiety to reducing brain fog and improving focus. It’s also been touted for improving athletic performance, reducing inflammation and joint pain, improving immunity, and increasing metabolism. But are any of these benefits backed by science?Shock the Body with Cold Water Plunge ...read more
After 25 years of research, a 444-million-year-old inside-out fossil has finally been named. The fossil, which researchers at the University of Leicester have identified as a new species of multisegmented fossil, has been named Keurbos susanae, or “Sue” for short, after the lead researcher’s mom. And while its insides seem to have been well-preserved, researchers are still debating what this organism may have been. The researchers published their findings in the journal Palaeontology. � ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine