Rate of relative evolution of brain mass. Credit: Nature Ecology & Evolution (2024). DOI file: 10.1038/s41559-024-02451-3 The largest animals don’t have proportionally larger brains, and humans are an exception to this trend, according to a study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution has revealed. Researchers from the University of Reading and the University of Durham … Read more
Scientists have long debated why woolly mammoths, giant sloths and 44 other giant, plant-eating “megaherbivores” became extinct about 50,000 years ago. Some paleontologists, biologists and others have argued that drastic climate changes during the past two ice ages were responsible for the extinction of these majestic creatures. But a new study has found another culprit: … Read more
Prehistoric humans hunt a woolly mammoth. A growing body of research shows that this species—and at least 46 other megaherbivores—were driven to extinction by humans. (Source: Engraving by Ernest Grise, photographed by William Henry Jackson. Courtesy Getty’s Open Content Program) AARHUS, Denmark — Imagine a world where elephants roamed Europe, giant ground sloths lumbered across … Read more
They once carried a sun god through the sky, kept watch over golden treasures and even protected the mighty Zeus with their sharp beaks; myths about griffins flourished in many ancient civilizations and continue in popular culture to this day. The prevalence of such monstrous, beaked hybrids in various cultures has led some researchers to … Read more
This article was reviewed according to Science fact checked peer-reviewed publication trusted source proofread OK! Optical and particle observations by the DMSP satellites in both hemispheres. (A) UV image of the SSUSI on board the DMSP F17 satellite in the Northern Hemisphere (B) UV image of the SSUSI on board the DMSP F17 satellite in … Read more
Researchers identified a prehistoric marine reptile found in 1935 as a thalattosaur and not a choristodere, using CT scans and a new specimen. Reconstruction of Pachystrofeus rhaeticuspictured next to a hybodont shark feeding on a Birgeria fish. Credit: James Ormiston Scientists have reclassified a prehistoric marine reptile discovered in 1935 as one of the last … Read more
A 10,000-year-old mystery about what led to the extinction of one of the world’s last megafauna has been solved. The woolly rhino was almost two meters tall and had a meter-long horn. But the creature, which roamed Eurasia for about 3.6 million years, was wiped out by human activity, according to new research from the … Read more
Researchers from KAIST, in collaboration with multiple institutions, have experimentally confirmed the three-dimensional vortex-shaped polarization distribution in ferroelectric nanoparticles. Using atomic electron tomography, they mapped atomic positions in barium titanate nanoparticles and calculated the internal polarization distribution. This finding confirms theoretical predictions from two decades ago and holds potential for the development of ultra-high-density memory … Read more
The early universe contained much less miniature black holes than previously thought, making the origin of the missing matter in our cosmos an even bigger mystery, a new study suggests. Miniature or primordial black holes (PBHs) are black holes that are believed to have formed in the first fractions of a second after the Big … Read more
Circular depressions about 500 feet wide off the coast of Central California are quite old and owe their longevity to sediment flows, new research shows. However, the original cause has yet to be discovered. The Sur Pockmark Field has puzzled oceanographers since its discovery in 1998. More than 5,000 shallow circular depressions are packed into … Read more