Researchers recently cleaned up a family of dinosaurs that once served as a “waste basket” for loosely related species. The group now represents small herbivores that appear to be unique to Europe, according to a new paper.The study announces the discovery of Vectidromeus insularis, a specimen found in the fossil beds that line the coast of the Isle of Wight, off the coast of England. These fossils belonged to a juvenile, chicken-size dinosaur with bird-like hind limbs that lived about 125 m ...read more
When exactly humans took to the water in boats is unclear. Long considered a practice exclusive to our own species – Homo sapiens – researchers are gathering evidence that our early ancestors may have crafted and sailed boats thousands of years ago. But this theory remains contentious.What Is the Oldest Boat Ever Found?The world’s oldest boat dates back around 10,000 years. Discovered in 1955 in the Netherlands, the dugout canoe – known as the Pesse canoe – was crafted by axe from a Sc ...read more
Back in 2005, the European Space Agency’s Huygens probe made a dramatic landing on the surface of Saturn’s largest moon Titan. During its descent through the dense nitrogen-rich atmosphere, Huygens sent back pictures of a complex landscape shaped by familiar forces. The images showed hills and valleys, meandering rivers leading to complex deltas that eventually fed into lakes and seas with vast shorelines. Titan, it appeared, had many features in common with Earth.But there is a crucial diff ...read more
For someplace so cold, Antarctica sure is a hotbed of scientific endeavors, from geology and meteorology to astronomy and archaeology.Wait, archaeology?That’s right. Even in one of the most desolate places on Earth, archaeologists have conducted research on the ice, although not in the way that you might think.The Mystery Beneath the IceHere, we have to acknowledge that, among a subset of pop-culture theorists and conspiracy buffs, it’s a popular pastime to imagine that somewhere beneath the ...read more
It’s dawn in the savanna, and its inhabitants are already starting to stir. Giraffes are munching on the tops of trees, and gazelles are ambling through the shrub-spotted grasslands. Elephants are trampling the thirsty turf, sending sprays of dust into the dry savannah air, and buffalos are bent with their snuffling snouts to the ground. Rarely are any of these grazing animals alone, at this time of day or any other. And though they typically travel in herds, including tens to hundreds to thou ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine