Scientists have uncovered new clues about some of Earth’s earliest fish, shedding light on the ancient origins of vertebrates that eventually moved onto land. By reanalyzing mysterious fossils from Australia’s famed Gogo Formation and studying a newly reconstructed 410-million-year-old lungfish skull from China, researchers are revealing how these primitive creatures...
A “ghost” great white shark just reignited a Mediterranean mystery
A rare encounter with a juvenile great white shark caught by fishermen in April 2023 has reignited scientific interest in the mysterious population of these apex predators in the Mediterranean Sea. By reviewing records spanning more than 160 years, researchers found that great whites still appear sporadically in Spanish Mediterranean...
A massive asteroid hit the North Sea and triggered a 330-foot tsunami
A long-running debate about the Silverpit Crater beneath the North Sea has finally been resolved. Scientists now confirm it formed when a roughly 160-meter asteroid struck the seabed about 43–46 million years ago. New seismic imaging and rare shocked minerals in rock samples provided the crucial proof. The impact would...
A particle accelerator helped scientists create stunning 3D ants
Researchers have developed a high-tech system that rapidly scans ants and converts them into detailed 3D models. Using a synchrotron accelerator, X-ray imaging, robotics, and AI, the team scanned 2,000 specimens in just a week and produced models of 800 species. The images reveal microscopic anatomy that was previously difficult...
This 2-pound dinosaur is rewriting what scientists know about evolution
A nearly complete dinosaur skeleton discovered in Patagonia is helping scientists crack the mystery of alvarezsaurs, a bizarre group of bird-like dinosaurs. The fossil of Alnashetri cerropoliciensis reveals that these animals became tiny before developing their later specialized features, such as stubby arms and ant-eating adaptations. Weighing under two pounds,...
Scientists detect a sudden acceleration in global warming
Global warming has picked up speed in the past decade, according to a new analysis from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). By removing short term natural influences such as El Niño, volcanic eruptions, and solar cycles from temperature records, researchers uncovered a clear acceleration in the planet’s...
Light-guided evolution creates proteins that can switch, sense, and compute
Researchers have created a method called optovolution that uses light to guide the evolution of proteins with dynamic behaviors. By engineering yeast cells so their survival depended on proteins switching states at the right time, scientists could rapidly select the best-performing variants. The technique produced new light-sensitive proteins that respond...
Scientists discover oxygen tug of war inside plant cells
Plants constantly juggle oxygen inside their cells, but scientists have now discovered a surprising twist in how that balance works. Researchers at the University of Helsinki found that mitochondria—the cell’s energy generators—can actively pull oxygen away from chloroplasts, the structures responsible for photosynthesis. This previously unknown interaction suggests mitochondria can...
Scientists discover hidden species among Borneo’s “fanged frogs”
DNA is revealing that many animals once thought to be a single species may actually be several hidden ones. But research on Bornean fanged frogs shows the line between species can be blurry—an important challenge when deciding what wildlife needs protection most.
Scientists stunned to find signs of ancient life in a place no one expected
While exploring ancient seabeds in Morocco, scientists discovered strange wrinkle-like textures in deep-water sediments that shouldn’t have been there. These structures are usually made by sunlight-loving microbial mats in shallow waters. But the rocks formed far below the reach of light, suggesting a different explanation. Evidence points to chemosynthetic microbes—organisms...