With so many elusive creatures occupying the forgotten corners of Earth, scientists are always knee-deep in mysteries that form the fabric of the animal kingdom. A big part of the puzzle is understanding how certain animals have developed distinct characteristics from ancestors that lived hundreds of millennia ago; for one group of animals, Ecdysozoa, the debate surrounding the ancient evolution of their nervous systems is now settled thanks to a new study published in Science Advances. What Ar ...read more
There aren’t many comets that are visible to observers without binoculars or telescopes. But one may be coming, and coming soon. Dubbed the "New Years Comet" for its imminent arrival, Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is currently traveling closer and closer to the center of our Solar System, and is set to come closest on Monday, January 13, 2025. The comet will theoretically be brightest to observers on and around that date, with the best chances of catching it being in the Southern Hemisphere. A South ...read more
Paleontologists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have uncovered Ahvaytum bahndooiveche, in modern-day Wyoming. This find is monumental, as it could indicate that dinosaurs inhabited the northern hemisphere millions of years earlier than previously thought, according to the findings published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. "We have, with these fossils, the oldest equatorial dinosaur in the world — it's also North America's oldest dinosaur," said Dave Lovelace, a rese ...read more
The curved teeth of the saber-tooth tiger represents an evolutionary paradox. Gaining its trademark curved fangs made it functionally optimal for piercing the flesh of its prey. But that level of evolutionary specialization may have also contributed to the big cat's demise about 10,000 years ago, according to a new study published in Current Biology. “Our study helps us better understand how extreme adaptations evolve – not just in saber-toothed predators but across nature,” Tahlia Pollock ...read more
Chimps are amazingly adaptable. Unlike other nonhuman primates, they live in a variety of habitats and have developed different behaviors to thrive in them. A recent study now shows that chimps also adjust genetically to environmentally specific challenges. Perhaps most notably, forest chimps have shown changes in the same genes known to help fight malaria in humans, according to a study in the journal Science. The study has implications for both chimp conservation and human health. “The fact ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine