Vintana sertichi =Fossil From Dinosaur Era Reveals Big Mammal With Super Senses

Dinosaurs that roamed Madagascar more than 66 million years ago had a most unusual fuzzy mammal living in their shadows—one so large, and with such strange features, that scientists say they could have never predicted its existence. Share Share on emailEmail More » That is, until 2010, when a team of scientists looking for fish fossils accidentally collected its nearly complete skull from a site along Madagascar's west coast. Since then, researchers have learned that the groundhog-like critter had supersensory capabilities, with a large portion of its brain devoted to smell, and that it weighed about 20 pounds (9 kilograms)—much more than most mammals alive during the age of the dinosaurs. "Not only does it have bizarre features, it's bizarre in being so humongous," says vertebrate paleontologist David Krause of Stony Brook University, in New York, who reports the find Wednesday in the journal Nature. Krause compares the critter's appearance to nutria, which are semiaquatic rodents, or an overgrown groundhog. "It's Punxsutawney Phil on steroids," he jokes. What's more, the lucky find is helping paleontologists fill in the mammalian evolutionary tree, especially during the age of the dinosaurs.-READ MORE -http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141105-mammal-evolution-vintana-fossil-science/

First Europeans 'weathered Ice Age'

The genetic ancestry of the earliest Europeans survived the ferocious Ice Age that took hold after the continent was initially settled by modern people. That is the suggestion of a study of DNA from a male hunter who lived in western Russia 36,000 years ago. His genome is not exactly like those of people who lived in Europe just after the ice sheets melted 10,000 years ago. But the study suggests the earliest Europeans did contribute their genes to later populations. Europe was first settled around 40,000 years ago during a time known as the Upper Palaeolithic. But conditions gradually deteriorated until ice covered much of the European landmass, reaching a peak 27,000 years ago. The ice melted rapidly after 10,000 years ago, allowing populations from the south to re-populate northern Europe - during a time known as the Mesolithic. But the genetic relationships between pre- and post-Ice Age Europeans have been unclear. Some researchers have in the past raised the possibility that pioneer populations in Europe could have gone extinct some time during the last Ice Age. And one recent study looking at the skull features of ancient Europeans found that Upper Palaeolithic people were rather different from populations that lived during the later Mesolithic period. In the latest study, an international team of researchers sequenced the genome (the genetic "blueprint" for a human) of a man buried in Kostenki, Russia. They discovered a surprising genetic "unity" running from the first modern humans in Europe, through to later peoples. This, they claim, suggests that a "meta-population" of Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers managed to survive the Ice Age and colonise the landmass of Europe for more than 30,000 years. "That there was continuity from the earliest Upper Palaeolithic to the Mesolithic, across a major glaciation, is a great insight into the evolutionary processes underlying human success," said co-author Dr Marta Mirazón Lahr, from Cambridge's Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies (LCHES).-READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29940694

Bats sabotage rivals' senses with sound in food race

Bats were "jammed" the moment they were about to hone in on their insect prey, making them miss their target. Jump media playerMedia player helpOut of media player. Press enter to return or tab to continue. Listen to the bat's jamming sound The rival that emitted the call was then able to capture and eat the insect for itself. This is the first time scientists have witnessed this behaviour in one species - the Mexican free-tailed bat - a team reports in Science journal. When bats swoop in darkness to catch prey, they emit high-pitched sound waves - a process called echolocation - which speeds up as they get closer to their target. This well-known skill is vital for them to hunt for food and to navigate their environment. This new research shows that others can effectively push them off their tracks mid-hunt. Lead author of the work, Aaron Corcoran from Wake Forest University in North Carolina, was initially studying moths when he heard these bat calls. "One bat was trying to capture an insect using its echolocation. The second bat was making another sound that looked to me like it might be trying to jam or disrupt the echolocation of the other bat," said Dr Corcoran. "Most of the time when another bat was making this jamming call, the bat trying to capture the moth would miss", he added.READ MORE-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-29931995

New Loch Ness Monster photo emerges suggesting creature could exist

Whether or not it actually exists, the Loch Ness Monster has become a pop culture staple. The creature has been mentioned in several works of literature, music, and movies which has helped to keep interest in the Loch Ness Monster steady. Now, though, there may be new evidence to support that the legendary Scottish creature does exist. According to a Nov. 7 report, new photographic evidence of the creature has emerged. The photograph in question shows what appears to be the head of a creature peeking out from the rough waves of the Loch. Jonathon Bright took the photograph three years ago and it took him six months to sift through all the images that he took while in Scotland. This is the one photo which showed possible evidence of the monster, but Bright makes it clear that he is not touting this photo as evidence that the Loch Ness Monster is indeed real. “Some people will say it is physical and the monster, others will say it is a trick of the water, others will say it is a hoax. It is what it is and I hope to find more proof now and in the future about what the Loch Ness Monster really is,” Bright explained. While the photograph may not be of the best quality, it does provide a jumping off point for folks who want to discuss the possibility of the existence of the creature. Speaking to Scotland Now, Bright seemed to echo those sentiments saying, “Of course, a picture alone will never be able to stand out as unambiguous evidence, let alone provide adequate answers to all of our questions on the exact nature of the phenomenon that we call Nessie. Whatever is the truth, there is no denying that Nessie will continue to intrigue the world for years to come." There is no doubt that Jonathon Bright is correct with that statement. It isn’t just the Loch Ness Monster that intrigues the world, however, but a lot of people are interested in several animals that are studied by cryptozoologists. Cryptozoology is the study of “hidden animals” and includes not only the Loch Ness Monster, but also Big Foot, Ogopogo, and the giant anaconda. While most people do not take the study of these creatures seriously, there have been instances where animals that were thought to not exist were discovered in the wild. These include the giant squid, the okapi, and the Komodo dragon. Will the Loch Ness Monster one day join these former creatures and be found to exist?

New Species of Deep-Sea Coral Discovered Off California

SAN FRANCISCO — Scientists have discovered a new species of deep-sea coral in underwater canyons off the Northern California coast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Wednesday. A NOAA research team using small submersibles found the coral in September near national marine sanctuaries off the coast of Sonoma County, the agency said. The coral from the genus Leptogorgia was discovered about 600 feet deep in the first intensive exploration of underwater canyons near the Gulf of Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries. Collecting data on the 4-inch-long white and red coral will help scientists determine the ecological importance of deep sea communities in the area and the threats they face, said the Farallones sanctuary's superintendent, Maria Brown. Before the research expedition two months ago, scientists knew little about the marine life in the area, NOAA said. After multiple dives in the area, researchers also found a "highly unusual" nursery area for catsharks. Image: A new species of deep-sea white coral found off the coast of Sonoma County, California NOAA VIA AP A new species of deep-sea white coral found by NOAA researchers off the coast of Sonoma County, California.

Sydney region's first new plant find in decades

The discovery of Sydney's newest plant was not a quick or simple exercise. Andrew Robinson, a bushland officer with the Ku-ring-gai Council, was on his first visit to a nature reserve back in 2006 when his eyes fixed on a "straggly little thing" less than a metre from the track. Kneeling down, Mr Robinson examined the plant up close. Clearly a native hibbertia, it was one the then-24-year-old couldn't identify from the thousand or so plant species he'd memorised. Julian's Hibbertia in full flower in the Ku-ring-gai Council region. Julian's Hibbertia in full flower in the Ku-ring-gai Council region. Photo: Wolter Peeters "I've just been a plant nerd basically my entire life," said Mr Robinson, a keen bushwalker formerly from Narara near Gosford. "From about the age of 7or 8 ... I remember thinking how cool it would be to come across a new plant and have it named after myself." Research and further visits to the reserve failed to produce a species to match the one Mr Robinson had spotted. What he needed, though, was to catch the plant in flower, which took another three years of luck and patience. Flowers "are so crucial in ID-ing hibbertia species," Mr Robinson said. "It's how many stamens and carpels [the male and female parts of the plant] are present inside the flower, and their arrangement." Still finding no close resemblance in the plant record, Mr Robinson's confidence he was "on to something funky" grew. The soils and other vegetation in the reserve – the location of which the council wishes to keep secret – were other clues he was dealing with at least a regionally significant species. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/sydney-regions-first-new-plant-find-in-decades-20141107-11ii10.html#ixzz3ITnmyw8H

Egg shape 'helped birds survive' asteroid impact

A clutch of the theropod Troodon’s eggs seen from below in the museum of the Rockies, Montana Fossil records of theropod eggs allowed scientists to analyse their geometric properties Continue reading the main story Related Stories Dinosaurs had 'flight-ready' brains Bird ancestor reshuffles fossil pack Asteroid 'killed off early birds' The shape of birds' eggs could have helped them survive the mass extinction event that killed off the dinosaurs, new research proposes. A team analysed the geometric properties of eggs from 250 million years ago (Mesozoic Era) to today. Before the extinction event about 65 million years ago, eggshells had notable differences to the lineage that survived. It is these survivors that all modern day birds descend from. But the authors note that egg shape is but a "small piece of the puzzle" of the evolutionary conundrum of why one lineage of birds made it through the mass extinction event, whereas others did not. Their findings are published in the Royal Society journal Open Science. The analysis found that Mesozoic eggs were elongated and significantly more symmetrical than all other bird eggs. Mesozoic bird eggshells were also more porous than expected for their size. Lead author of the work, Dr Charles Deeming from Lincoln University in the UK, found that fossil remains of eggs from 65 million years ago onwards were indistinguishable from modern bird eggs. The Mesozoic eggs, however, differed significantly. "This implies that Mesozoic birds were doing something more akin to theropod-like ancestors than to modern birds," he said. Microraptor is a feathered dinosaur discovered in the Early Cretaceous period (128-124 million-year-old) Microraptor is thought to be an evolutionary link between birds and dinosaurs Theropod dinosaurs include the largest carnivorous predators which dominated the Earth during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. A branch of these, referred to as avian theropods are on the lineage that gave rise to birds. Although eggshell shape could be a contributing factor, how exactly one group survived still largely remains a mystery. "We don't know why this iconic group disappeared and the relatives of modern birds survived," Dr Deeming told BBC News. "We're not claiming in our paper that this tells us the answer." It could also be down to their behaviour, he explained. "I suspect modern birds survived the major extinction event because they used contact incubation that's prevalent now; they built nests and sat on their eggs whereas most of the birds prior to that were burying the eggs like their theropod ancestors, potentially making them more vulnerable." King penguins incubating eggs Scientists compared modern eggs to extinct eggs from early birds and feathered dinosaurs Dr Gareth Dyke at the University of Southampton specialises in the evolution of birds. Commenting on the work, he said it was "perhaps intuitive" that eggshells differed in shape and that it was interesting to show this for the first time. "We know that in the late Cretaceous there were at least two or three other lineages of flying birds that were anatomically quite similar to the group that went on to radiate and become all of the living [bird] species after the extinction event." Dr Dyke added that the differences between these groups represented one of the big unanswered questions for palaeontologists. "It's got to be some biological or ecological reason. If it was more random you would expect that stragglers from some groups in the Cretaceous would have limped across the extinction events, but that didn't happen." Guillemots breeding Modern birds like guillemots incubate their eggs Expanding on this point, Gary Kaiser, a biologist at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Canada, said that egg shapes were certainly important. "We know that some dinosaurs incubated eggs but we also know from fine structure of the bones that their hatchlings were small and took a long time to reach adult size. A slow or extended reproductive period may have been the type of problem that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs." Prof Xu Xing from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing commented: "The authors have done a nice piece of work demonstrating the shape changes among amniote eggs. "However, I could not find how this study helps to understand the big extinction. Because the authors group birds based on geological time, they effectively eliminate the possibility of finding any pattern for birds surviving the extinction event."