The demise of dinosaurs around 66 million years ago sent major ripples throughout ecosystems, and it may have even paved the way for fruit to evolve. New research has scoured through the evolutionary history of fruit and seeds to determine when and how they changed in size over time, confirming that dinosaur extinction led to the growth of large fruit that fueled our primate ancestors’ diets. A recent study published in the journal Palaeontology shows the ebbs and flows of seed size throughou ...read more
While bird flu has rendered eggs expensive, are they still safe to eat? In April 2024, when Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) began taking hold in U.S. poultry flocks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a consumer guidance assuring the public that eggs remain safe for human consumption. “The likelihood that eggs from infected poultry are found in the retail market is low and proper storage and preparation further reduce the risk,” according to the FDA guidance.The risk ...read more
On August 10, 1628, Vasa, the would-be jewel of Sweden’s navy sank only minutes after departing Stockholm. This tragedy – that claimed the lives of 30 of those on board – launched an inquest probing how the hulking 64-cannon ship met such an shameful end. Since the ship still exists almost in its entirety – held at a dedicated museum near Stockholm – we know that investigation was largely correct in its findings. The Sinking of the Swedish WarshipOn the day itself, Vasa set sail on cal ...read more
Though hardly a household name like Velociraptor or Tyrannosaurus rex, Megalosaurus holds a key place in the history of paleontology. That’s not because it’s an exceptional dinosaur but as it was the first dinosaur discovered, even before the term dinosaur was ever coined. For that reason, it is “phenomenally important,” according to Emma Nicholls, Collections Manager of Vertebrate Palaeontology at Oxford University’s Museum of Natural History.What we Know About the MegalosaurusMegalos ...read more
Whether you’re talking about sharks, crocodiles, lions, or even velociraptors, some of the most fearsome traits of these predators involve their rows of sharp, crushing, or jagged teeth.Only vertebrate animals have real teeth, though some invertebrates have hard tooth-like plates they use to eat. One of the earliest creatures with teeth were conodonts, an eel-like creature that first appeared around 500 million years ago. These creatures also have the record for the sharpest teeth, according t ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine