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☆ ‘Extraordinary’ archive of ancient brains could help shed light on mental illness
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —An undertaker turned academic, Alexandra Morton-Hayward became interested in brains — specifically how they decompose — during her former job. To understand why, the anthropologist has compiled a unique archive of information about 4,405 brains unearthed by archaeologists. No other soft tissue survived amongst the bones, which were dredged from a heavily waterlogged grave. Morton-Hayward works in a lab in Oxford, England, where she has helped build a collection of 570 ancient brains. Interestingly, many of the oldest brains are preserved in this unknown way, Morton-Hayward said.

Persons: Alexandra Morton, Hayward, “, ”, Martin Wirenfeldt Nielsen, wasn’t, He’s, ” Wirenfeldt Nielsen, Alexandra L, Morton, It’s, “ I’m Organizations: CNN, University of Oxford, Morton, South Denmark University Hospital, University of Southern, Stone Age, Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Hayward Locations: Morton, Bristol, England, Russia, Oxford, Stone, Stone Age Sweden, Sint, Ypres, Belgium, Polish

☆ Sanfordiacaulis: New ancient tree species looks like it could be from the mind of Dr. Seuss
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Ayurella Horn-Muller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The authors said these new and unusual fossil trees not only bear a surprising shape reminiscent of a Dr. Seuss illustration, they reveal clues about a period of life on Earth of which we know little. Few tree fossils that date back to Earth’s earliest forests have ever been found, according to Gastaldo. Most ancient tree specimens are relatively small, he noted, and often discovered in the form of a fossilized trunk with a stump or root system attached. Wilf noted via email that the “unusual” new fossil tree was a relic of a time period from which there are almost no tree fossils. The peculiar set of tree fossils presents proof of a “failed experiment of science and evolution,” Stimson added.

Persons: Seuss, ”, Robert Gastaldo, sedimentologist, “, Coauthors Olivia King, Matthew Stimson, Gastaldo, “ gobsmacked, Tim, Laurie Sanford, Stimson, ” Stimson, Peter Wilf, Wilf, ” Wilf, Dr, King, “ We’re, fossilization, ” Gastaldo Organizations: CNN, Colby College, New Brunswick Museum, geosciences, Pennsylvania State University Locations: Canadian, New Brunswick, Waterville , Maine, paleobotanist

☆ 29 million-year-old grasshopper nest found intact with eggs, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The eggs and overall nest construction closely resemble the eggs and pods of modern grasshopper species. Insect eggs are extremely rare in the fossil record, and intact egg cases are even rarer. This wasn’t just a cluster of eggs — it was a type of subterranean egg pod called an ootheca, with the eggs cradled by a protective layer that had mineralized into a stony rind. So Lee consulted a global insect egg database, containing more than 6,700 living species, to identify the eggs in the fossil pod. The virtually pristine specimen also speaks to the level of preservation in the national park site’s fossil beds, Famoso added.

Persons: ”, Jaemin Lee, Nick Famoso, Famoso, Ricardo Pérez, la Fuente, Christopher Schierup, Schierup, “, Lee, Angela Lin, ” Famoso, ” Lee, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Parks Stewardship, University of California, National Parks Service, University of Oxford’s, University of Oregon’s, Imaging, Scientific Locations: Oregon, Berkeley, Mitchell , Oregon, United Kingdom, Eugene

☆ Newly identified species could shed light on evolution of prehistoric ‘sea monsters’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Paleontologists recently described the previously unknown mosasaur from fossils found near the North Dakota town of Walhalla. The town’s name comes from Valhalla, the feasting hall of Norse mythology where dead heroes gather, so the scientists dubbed the mosasaur Jormungandr walhallaensis. When the scientists examined the skull, they quickly realized they had something unusual on their hands. This combination of traits convinced the researchers that what they were looking at was a new genus and species. Here is a line drawing of the skull of the Jormungandr walhallaensis.

Persons: Amelia Zietlow, Richard Gilder, Jormungandr, Zietlow, “ He’s, ” Zietlow, Henry Sharpe, Takuya Konishi, Jormungandr walhallaensis, “, it’s, Konishi, walhallaensis, ” Konishi, Clint Boyd, ”, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, American Museum of, American Museum, Natural, Richard Gilder Graduate, North, North Dakota Geological Survey, American, of, University of Cincinnati, Scientific Locations: North Dakota, Walhalla, Valhalla, New York City, Clidastes, United States

☆ Huge ancient solar storm revealed by tree rings in French Alps
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Researchers said on Monday the solar storm - the sun sending a large burst of energetic particles into space - occurred 14,300 years ago. Nine such extreme solar storms now have been identified using tree-ring radiocarbon evidence, with the most recent in 774 and 993 AD. The largest directly observed solar storm, called the Carrington Event, occurred in 1859, wreaking havoc on telegraphs and creating a nighttime aurora so bright that birds sang as if the sun was rising. The effects of solar storms can disable electronics. "If similar solar storms happened today, they could be catastrophic for society, as we are so reliant upon technology," Heaton said.

Persons: Cecile Miramont, eked, Tim Heaton, Heaton, Edouard Bard, Cécile Miramont, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, University of Leeds, Engineering Sciences, Marseille University, Thomson Locations: Gap, Handout, England, France, paleoclimates, Aix, Washington

☆ Long before whales, pioneering marine reptile was a filter-feeder
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Artist's reconstruction shows the Triassic Period marine reptile Hupehsuchus nanchangensis, based on fossils unearthed in China's Hubei Province. Hupehsuchus is believed to have been a filter-feeder, akin to some of today's baleen whales. "Baleen whales are mammals and Hupehsuchus are reptiles. Marine reptiles asserted themselves. Two other ancient marine reptiles - Paludidraco, which lived about 230 million years ago, and Morturneria, which lived about 70 million years ago - appear to have used some type of filter-feeding.

Persons: Shi Shunyi, Long Cheng, Handout, Hupehsuchus, Mike Benton, Cheng, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, University of Bristol, BMC, Wuhan Center, China Geological Survey, Hupehsuchus, Thomson Locations: Hubei Province, Hupehsuchus, England, Siberia, Washington

☆ Ancient pendants made from giant sloth bones suggest humans were in Americas earlier than thought
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While G. phoenesis was thought to have been a relatively small species of giant sloth, some ancient sloth species were so big that their fossilized burrows are now caves in southern Brazil that humans can walk through. One of the three pendants made from giant sloth bone. However, Pansani said the team dated other material — sediment, charcoal and other giant sloth bones — from the same layer as where the artifacts were recovered. Many experts are skeptical that humans occupied the Americas any earlier than 16,000 years ago, the study noted. For the new study, Pacheco said the team hadn’t considered the possibility of trying to extract genetic material from the sloth-bone pendants.

Persons: —, Thais Pansani, Federal University of São Carlos, phoenesis, Thaís Pansani, Pierre Gueriau, Mírian Pacheco, Pacheco, ” Pansani, Pansani, “, ” Pacheco, hadn’t, ” Organizations: CNN, Federal University of São, Paleobiology, Royal Society Locations: Brazil, Santa, Americas, South America, New Mexico, Russia

☆ Up to 1.7 billion T. rex dinosaurs lived on Earth, a new study found. But scientists aren't sure where all the bones went.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Erin Heger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

New calculations suggest that 1.7 billion T. rexes lived on Earth from 65.5-68 million years ago. This dichotomy between how many T. rexes lived and how few fossils we have of them shows us just how rare fossilization is and how much more we have to learn about these majestic creatures. Warpaintcobra/Getty ImagesMarshall was the lead author of an earlier study that estimated 2.5 billion T. rexes once roamed Earth. Of the roughly 1.7 billion, or so, T. rexes who roamed our planet, scientists have only uncovered a few hundred fossils, equating to fewer than 100 total dinosaurs. Despite their prime conditions for fossilization, if Giebeler's calculations are correct, scientists have only found about 0.0000002% of the T. rex that lived on Earth.

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