Researchers uncovered rare azurite traces on a Final Paleolithic artifact, overturning assumptions that early Europeans used only red and black pigments. The find suggests ancient people possessed deeper knowledge of minerals and colors than believed. It also hints at vanished forms of decoration or artistic practices. The discovery opens new...
Fossil brain scans show pterosaurs evolved flight in a flash
Ancient pterosaurs may have taken to the skies far earlier and more explosively than birds, evolving flight at their very origin despite having relatively small brains. Using advanced CT imaging, scientists reconstructed the brain cavities of pterosaur fossils and their close relatives, uncovering surprising clues—such as enlarged optic lobes—that hint...
This rare bone finally settles the Nanotyrannus mystery
Scientists have confirmed that Nanotyrannus was a mature species, not a young T. rex. A microscopic look at its hyoid bone provided the key evidence, matching growth signals seen in known T. rex specimens. This discovery suggests a richer, more competitive tyrannosaur ecosystem than previously believed. It also highlights how...
Seagrass Study Points to Promising Pathway for Ocean Restoration
A new study led by UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies reveals the potential of a new hybrid seagrass to advance ocean restoration efforts in California and beyond.
Study Reveals Opportunity to Improve Blue Carbon Measurements in Coastal Wetlands
Coastal wetlands, like salt marshes, keep pace with sea-level rise by accumulating sediment and burying organic carbon in their soils, an important natural process that also helps sequester carbon.
Testing Drones for Mars in the Mojave Desert
Researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory monitor a research drone in this September 2025 photo.
Gut molecule shows remarkable anti-diabetes power
Researchers revealed that the microbial metabolite TMA can directly block the immune protein IRAK4, reducing inflammation and improving insulin sensitivity. The molecule counteracts damage caused by high-fat diets and even protects mice from sepsis. Since IRAK4 is a known drug target, this pathway could inspire new diabetes therapies. The study...
Scientists capture most detailed look inside DNA droplets
High-resolution imaging has revealed the internal layout of chromatin condensates, showing how DNA fibers fold and interact within these droplet-like structures. The findings connect molecular architecture to the broader behaviors of these droplets in cells.
Scientists uncover a volcanic trigger behind the Black Death
A newly analyzed set of climate data points to a major volcanic eruption that may have played a key role in the Black Death’s arrival. Cooling and crop failures across Europe pushed Italian states to bring in grain from the Black Sea. Those shipments may have carried plague-infected fleas. The...
Researchers solve a century-old North Atlantic cold spot mystery
A century-old North Atlantic cold patch is now linked to a long-term slowdown in the AMOC, the climate-regulating conveyor belt of ocean water. Only weakened-AMOC models match observed temperature and salinity patterns, overturning recent model trends. This slowdown affects weather systems, jet streams, and marine life throughout the Northern Hemisphere....