The Earth beneath our feet teems with life invisible to the naked eye, and the discovery of an unfamiliar type of soil-dwelling microbe adds to the complexity of this hidden world. A recent study has dug up evidence of a new phylum of microbes — called CSP1-3 — in a part of Earth referred to as the critical zone. This layer of the planet is where air, water, soil, rocks, and plants interact to create the living skin of Earth. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy o ...read more
Feeling sluggish, depressed, anxious, and having trouble concentrating while being sick might not just be due to physical weakness. Extensive reports from health professionals have pointed out that these symptoms, labeled "sickness behavior," are more than just side effects of the body fighting off an infection. They appear to be part of an intentional behavior pattern driven by a collaboration between the brain and the immune system.This pattern may have evolutionary significance, helping to pr ...read more
The pursuit of de-extinction has broken new ground yet again, as three young wolves are carrying on the legacy of the dire wolf species that disappeared from Earth around 12,500 years ago. Dallas-based Colossal Biosciences, the company leading the de-extinction charge, recently declared that the dire wolf has returned for good.The three wolves brought to life by the company — Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi — emulate many unmistakable dire wolf characteristics, seen in their size, skull shape, ...read more
A buried ancient altar at the center of the Maya city of Tikal points to the tensions between the Maya and their neighbors in the late 300s C.E. According to a new study in Antiquity, the altar wasn’t made by artisans trained in Tikal. Instead, it was made by artisans trained in Teotihuacan, an ancient city around 630 miles away that had a heavy influence — and a heavy hand — over Tikal in the fourth century C.E. “It’s increasingly clear that this was an extraordinary period of turbule ...read more
Dinosaurs were living their best life, so legend goes, until the unwelcome arrival of a killer asteroid — Chicxulub — triggered an extinction-level event 66 million years ago. That was until more recent research suggested dinosaurs were already in a state of decline and the asteroid was just the final nail in the coffin. Now, new findings turn this theory on its head once again, arguing that the dinosaurs’ supposed decline may, in fact, be the result of a poor fossil record.“It’s been ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine