The tail of a 99-million-year-old dinosaur, including bones, soft tissue, and even feathers, has been found preserved in amber, according to a report published today in the journal Current Biology.
A micro-CT scan of the delicate feathers that cover the dinosaur tail. Image: Lida Xing.
While individual dinosaur-era feathers have been found in amber, and evidence for feathered dinosaurs is captured in fossil impressions, this is the first time that scientists are able to clearly associate well-preserved feathers with a dinosaur, and in turn gain a better understanding of the evolution and structure of dinosaur feathers.
We clearly need a new Jurassic Park movie featuring cute feathery dinosaurs.
A reconstruction of a small coelurosaur Credit: Chung-tat Cheung
The Titanoboa, is a 48ft long snake dating from around 60-58million years ago. It had a rib cage 2ft wide, allowing it to eat whole crocodiles, and surrounding the ribcage were muscles so powerful that it could crush a rhino. Titanoboa was so big it couldn’t even spend long amounts of time on land, because the force of gravity acting on it would cause it to suffocate under its own weight.
GIF made by Sixpenceee. Original video via YouTube.
The Chimaera, known informally as the “ghost shark” or “rat fish”, is a deep sea cartilaginous fish in the order Chimaeriformes. Living at over 8,000 ft below the surface, the Chimaera is well adapted to the deep, dark sea. The dots on its nose are sensory organs that detect electrical fields in the water - helping the Chimera find its prey. While little is known about the Chimaera’s diet, it’s speculated that it feeds on molluscs and crustaceans that it crushes open with the grinding plates in its mouth. The spines on the top of its body are loaded with venom; the Chimaera uses these spines to defend itself.
New comic! (link)
I’m going to be honest, this it the most I have ever used the science courses I took in undergrad. Glad all those thousands of dollars finally paid off.
NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson achieved a new milestone at the International Space Station on Sunday, when she became the first woman to command the ISS twice.
Whitson is replacing astronaut Robert Shane Kimbrough, who will depart the space station Monday.
“Up here we don’t wear shoes, but Shane is leaving me some pretty big socks to fill,” Whitson said during a live broadcast as she assumed her new position. Read more. (4/9/2017 3:40 PM)
The total area of solar panels it would take to power the world, Europe, and Germany
Stardate: 2258.42...or, uh, 4... Whatever. Life is weird, at least we've got science.
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