Within rocks found in the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation dating between 66 and 145 million years, paleontologists excavated a new species of ankylosaur on the Isle of Wight. The previously unknown giant reptile was dubbed Vectipelta barretti and is the first armored dinosaur found on the British island in over a century. The find shines light on the diversity of the ankylosaur fauna during the early Cretaceous period in England, which was published this month in the Journal of Systematic P ...read more
Many American workers have heard that familiar ding just as they sit down to dinner or plop in front of the television. A glance at their smartphone shows a preview of a work-related message. A co-worker has a “quick question” or is “just circling back” to an earlier discussion.Technically, the worker is off the clock and not required to respond. But people admit to engaging in email during their off time. Twenty-eight percent of American workers said they check their work email “extre ...read more
The real “Lucy” skeleton, the famous 3.2-million-year-old specimen of Australopithecus afarensis, resides within a specially constructed safe at the National Museum of Ethiopia in Addis Ababa. Sophisticated molds of the bones, however, can be found all over the world, in such places as Arizona State University’s Institute of Human Origins, where they are used for scientific study. Or you can buy your own from Bone Clones, Inc., for $7,495, assuming you want the articulated version that fil ...read more
What do a velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex and Spinosaurus all have in common? For starters, the carnivorous trio clawed their way to superstar status as antagonists in the first three films in the Jurassic Park franchise. But on a more basic level, these dinosaurs are all theropods. Put simply, this group of dinosaurs mostly walked on two legs, had three claws on their feet, and of course, ate meat.“Theropods are the most charismatic of the dinosaurs,” says Joseph Frederickson, museum direct ...read more
This story was originally published in our Jul/Aug 2023 issue as "Mind Games." Click here to subscribe to read more stories like this one.I’m slouching over my desk, smartphone in hand, furiously tapping at the screen. In a game that looks straight out of a 1980s Atari console, I’m trying to direct little multicolored trains to stations of the same color by selecting the tracks as fast as I can. This task is supposed to assess my attention skills. I don’t do well. Luckily for me, the app ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine
