Scientists discover Welsh ‘dragon’ dinosaur – the size of a chicken
Pendraig milnerae was related to T rex and likely to have been apex predator despite its size, say expertsA dinosaur distantly related to Tyrannosaurus rex – but with a body the size of a chicken – that would probably have ruled the roost about 200m years ago has been discovered.The diminutive but fearsome creature, whose fossilised remains were found in a quarry in south Wales, is the oldest theropod – a group that includes T rex and modern birds – found in the UK.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - October 6, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Steven Morris Tags: Dinosaurs Evolution Biology Fossils Science Zoology Palaeontology Natural History Museum Wales Culture UK news Museums Source Type: news
Fossilised ‘hell heron’ dinosaur unearthed on Isle of Wight
Discovery along with another species enhances island ’s reputation as Europe’s best place to find dinosaursThe fossilised remains of a dinosaur, nicknamed “the horned crocodile-faced hell heron”, have been unearthed on the Isle of Wight.The 125m-year-old predator had a 9 metre-long body, powerful claws, a gigantic skull covered in horns and bumps, and long crocodile-like teeth. The fearsome creature lived on the fringes of ancient floodplains where it would have lain in wait for aquatic prey, research suggests.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - September 29, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Hannah Devlin Tags: Dinosaurs Evolution Fossils Science UK news Zoology Animals Archaeology World news Biology Source Type: news
Quentin Bone obituary
My friend Quentin Bone, who has died aged 89, was an outstanding marine zoologist whose publications on how fish swim made him a leader in this field while still in his 30s.His 1966 paper comparing and contrasting details of fine structure, innervation and performance of the two very different sorts of muscle that drive a fish through water, became a citation classic. His jointly authored Biology of Fishes (1982) is now in its third edition.Born in Hampstead, north London, Quentin was the eldest child of the muralistMary Adshead and painterStephen Bone, art critic for the Manchester Guardian in the 1950s, and grandson of t...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - September 27, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Andrew Packard Tags: Zoology Marine life Biology University of Oxford Higher education Plymouth Source Type: news
Two-legged dinosaurs may have swung tails to run faster, say scientists
A computer simulation could help us better understand the evolution of movement in animalsTwo-legged dinosaurs may have swung their tails as they crashed through the undergrowth – just like humans swing their arms – according to scientists who have modelled their movements in 3D at Harvard University.Until now, it was widely believed that bipedal (two-legged) dinosaurs grew long tails to counterbalance the weight of their heads, and the tail was merely a rigid extension of the pelvis. But it is now thought that swinging their tails reduced the muscular effort required to propel themselves forwards, meaning they could r...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - September 22, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Linda Geddes Tags: Dinosaurs Evolution Zoology Fossils Biology Science Harvard University Source Type: news
River of life: zoo ’s yearly count finds seals thriving on Thames
Hundreds of dozing seals show how much cleaner the river is since it was declared dead in the 1950s“This is a sushi conveyor belt,” says the boat’s skipper, Stuart Barnes, as we watch the customers, dozens of harbour seals slumbering on sandbanks at the mouth of the Thames estuary, a 15-minute ride from Ramsgate marina.August is moulting season, when seals shed their coats and grow new ones, spending much of their day on the sandbanks as a result. This makes it a good time for scientists to count them, with the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) running its three-day annual seal survey, using boats and a specially ch...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - September 5, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Phoebe Weston Tags: Marine life Wildlife Rivers Environment London UK news Pollution Fish Zoology Biology Biodiversity Conservation Science The Thames Source Type: news
Cuttlefish remember details of their last meal, study finds
The large-brained cephalopods can remember details of what, where and when even in their old ageCuttlefish have one of the largest brains among invertebrates and can remember what, where, and when specific things happened right up to their final days of life, according to new research.The cephalopods – which have three hearts, eight arms, blue-green blood, regenerating limbs, and the ability to camouflage andexert self-control– only live for roughly two years.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - August 17, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Natalie Grover Tags: Animals Zoology Biology Science Neuroscience World news Source Type: news
Well-preserved 28,000-year-old lion cub found in Siberian permafrost
Female cave lion cub named Sparta in Russia ’s Yakutia region may even have traces of mother’s milk in itScientists have said that an astonishingly well-preserved cave lion cub found in Siberia ’s permafrost lived 28,000 years ago and may even have traces of its mother’s milk in it.The female cub, named Sparta, was found at the Semyuelyakh River in Russia ’s Yakutia region in 2018 and a second lion cub called Boris was found the year before, according toa study published in the Quaternary journal.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - August 13, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Reuters in Yakutsk Tags: Fossils Russia Extinct wildlife Evolution Climate change Europe World news Biology Zoology Source Type: news
Culture shock: how loss of animals ’ shared knowledge threatens their survival
From whales to monkeys, elephants and even fruit flies, researchers say they are starting to understand animal culture just ‘as it disappears before our eyes’At the peak of the whaling industry, in the late 1800s, North Atlantic right whales were slaughtered in their thousands. With each carcass hauled on to the deck, whalers were taking more than just bones and flesh out of the ocean. The slaughtered whales had unique memories of feeding grounds,hunting techniques and communication styles; knowledge acquired over centuries, passed down through the generations, and shared between peers. The critically endangered whale ...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - August 13, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Zoe Kean Tags: Conservation Environment Biodiversity Wildlife Endangered habitats Endangered species Biology Zoology Animals Science Marine life Whales Cetaceans Illegal wildlife trade Oceans Source Type: news
Sulphur-crested cockatoos learn to open wheelie bins in Sydney – video
Sulphur-crested cockatoos are learning to pry open bins, with researchers finding the new skill has caught on in 44 Sydney suburbs in just two years. With help from the public, Australian and German ecologists have documented cockatoos learning the bin-diving behaviour through social interactions. The research, published in the journalScience, also found differences in the cockatoos ’ bin-opening technique between different suburbs, arising from 'local subcultures'.Video courtesy of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Australian Museum Research Institute and Taronga Conservation Society Australia. Continue...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - July 22, 2021 Category: Science Tags: Birds Animals Australia news Science Zoology Animal behaviour Sydney Wildlife New South Wales Source Type: news
‘Real’ T rex goes on show in England for first time in over a century
The skeleton of Titus, discovered in the US in 2018, makes its world debut at Nottingham museumThe first ‘real’ Tyrannosaurus rex to be exhibited in England for more than a century will go on show in Nottingham on Sunday.The skeleton of Titus, discovered in the US state of Montana in 2018, will make its world debut at the Wollaton Hall Natural History Museum as part of a new exhibition on the dinosaur ’s life and environment.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - July 3, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Jessica Murray Tags: Museums Dinosaurs Fossils Science Biology Zoology UK news Palaeontology Nottingham Source Type: news
Dinosaurs lived in the Arctic, research suggests
Discovery of tiny fossils indicates dinosaurs raised young in freezing region – and may have been warm-bloodedIt had long stretches of winter darkness, freezing temperatures and often scarce resources, but an array of tiny fossils suggests dinosaurs not only roamed the Arctic, but hatched and raised their young there too.While dinosaur fossils have previously been found in the Arctic, it was unclear whether they lived there year-round or were seasonal visitors.Continue reading... (Source: Guardian Unlimited Science)
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - June 24, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Nicola Davis Science Correspondent Tags: Dinosaurs Fossils Science Arctic Zoology World news Evolution Source Type: news
Barks in the night lead to the discovery of new species
(Yale University) A new study in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society co-authored by Yale anthropologist Eric Sargis finds that the barking hyraxes are a separate species from their shrieking neighbors. The newly described species, Dendrohyrax interfluvialis, populates the wet and dry forests that lie between the two rivers in coastal regions of southeastern Ghana, southern Togo and Benin, and southwestern Nigeria. The researchers based their conclusion on the distinctive calls combined with anatomical and genetic differences they identified among tree hyrax populations. (Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science)
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - June 14, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
Mary Jane West Eberhard receives Linnean Medal for Zoology
(Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute) One of only seven women to win the Linnean Medal for Zoology since its inception in 1888, Mary Jane West Eberhard, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute emerita, significantly advanced evolutionary theory by unifying developmental plasticity and genetics. (Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health)
Source: EurekAlert! - Medicine and Health - June 13, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news
24,000-year-old organisms found frozen in Siberia can still reproduce
Russian scientists find bdelloid rotifers deep in remote permafrostA microscopic worm-like creature, labelled an “evolutionary scandal” by biologists for having thrived for millions of years without having sex, has now been shown to persist for at least 24,000 years in Siberian permafrost and then reproduce, researchers have found.Multicellular invertebrates that are solely female, bdelloid rotifers are already renowned for theirresistance to radiation and ability to withstand rather inhospitable environments: drying, starvation and low oxygen. They ’ve also existed for at least 35m years – and can be found today i...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - June 7, 2021 Category: Science Authors: Natalie Grover Science correspondent Tags: Zoology Biology Science World news Source Type: news
Telling up from down: How marine flatworms learn to sense gravity
(Okayama University) All life forms are endowed with the ability to sense gravity. However, the mechanism is not well-understood in acoels, a group of marine flatworms that represent a primitive invertebrate (without backbone) lifeform. In a new study, zoologists from Okayama University suggest necessary conditions for this ability to develop in hatchlings of an acoel species native to Okayama sea coasts, opening doors to understanding evolution better and pathology treatment applications in humans. (Source: EurekAlert! - Biology)
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - May 21, 2021 Category: Biology Source Type: news
