Study: Dinosaur species survived extreme volcanic eruptions

Some dinosaur species survived horrendous volcanic eruptions about 183 million years ago, a study shows.A crew of scientists located fossilized trails from dinosaurs on a farm in South Africa. Evidence shows that extreme volcanic activities took place in the said area during the Early Jurassic period. Fossils found from the period mentioned support the idea that the mass extinction of both land and ocean species is attributed to the catastrophic volcanic phenomenon. On top of that, this natural phenomenon is also believed to have triggered the change in the chemical composition and structure of the atmosphere.

When there is a scarcity of skeletons in sight, fossil footprints are used as evidence to identify which animals were present in earlier eras. These traces are often found on layers of volcanic rocks. The fossil footprints belonged to a minimum of three dinosaur species — a small two-legged carnivore, a similarly four-legged herbivore, and a possibly ancient mammal species.

20-million-year-old tree found in Greece

A 20-million-year-old fossilized tree has been discovered by Greek scientists on the island of Lesbos. They added that it was the first tree to be spotted in good condition with branches and roots still intact. This makes it an extraordinary discovery even for the experts themselves.

Preserved by large amounts of volcanic ash, the said tree is estimated to be 19 meters in length. Leaves from fruit trees were also spotted surrounding the tree. The existence of trees and animal bones suggests that life existed on the volcanic island approximately 17 to 20 million years ago.

The team of scientists is looking into reconstructing the ecosystem that once existed in the area. In the meantime, the fossilized tree is subject to further research.

The petrified forest where they recovered the fossilized tree was a result of a volcanic explosion that took place 20 million years earlier. Prior to the destructive volcanic activity, the 15,000-hectare land used to be a subtropical forest.

Study: Full moon affects sleep

A recent study concluded that a full moon has impacts on human sleep cycles. They found that during the nights leading up to a full moon, more natural light was observed after sunset. This prompts people to go to bed at a later time and have shorter sleeping time.

Upon spotting this pattern, the experts inferred that the human sleep cycle is synchronized with the cycle of the moon. The same study revealed that people went to sleep 30 minutes later and slept more or less 52 minutes shorter on nights prior to a full moon.Experts share that it takes the moon 27.3 days to go around the Earth, while it takes 29.5 days to finish an entire cycle.

The scientists explained that more studies are needed to determine other factors that contribute to the sleeping patterns of the participants. This includes biological disparities among test subjects and differences in community formats.

Study: Shark population declined by 71 percent in 50 years

A new study conducted by scientists shows the severity of the decline in shark population worldwide in the last 50 years. As per records, the count of sharks and rays dropped beyond 70 percent from 1970 to 2018. Particularly, 24 out of 31 shark and rays species are at risk of extinction, while 3 other species are believed to be critically endangered.

According to the experts, both sharks and rays do not have bones. What they have is a skeleton consisting of cartilage. It also takes them more years to reproduce unlike other kinds of fish. On top of that, they produce smaller numbers of young fish.

Scientists convey that sharks are good at hunting, can swim fats, and have heightened senses. Although they sound beneficial, the same extraordinary characteristics also put them in danger. Since they can speedily sense food in the open ocean, they become an easy target for fishermen.

Ancient conch shell still produces sound after thousands of years

The 31-centimeter long, spiral-shaped conch shell which is known to be the oldest seashell is gaining popularity rapidly. What makes this object interesting is that it still produces a sound similar to a foghorn from ancient times even after 18,000 years.

The said shell was believed to be a ceremonial cup until experts examined it anew. Now they believe that the shell was turned into a wind instrument thousands of years ago. Eventually, the scientists requested a French horn player to try the conch shell. The deep sound produced by the shell stirred emotions among them. They also relayed their concern as playing it might damage the instrument, but it remained intact anyway. According to them, the instrument created clear sounds in C, C sharp, and D notes.

The ancient wind instrument was recovered during a cave exploration with prehistoric wall paintings in the Pyrenees Mountains. It is currently displayed in a French museum.

Oldest DNA found in mammoths

The oldest DNA ever discovered was found in the teeth of mammoths that lived about 1.2 million years ago in northeastern Siberia. Mammoths are an ancient kind of elephant that existed during the Ice Age. Scientists are convinced that this discovery will provide them a deeper understanding of the long-dead species.

The remains of three mammoths were found in the 1970s, but scientists did not have the means to detect and extract DNA back then. DNA is the carrier of genetic information in the cells of creatures.

As stated by scientists, DNA can provide more comprehensive data regarding the organism than fossils. However, DNA may get gradually damaged. Good thing is that new research methodologies are now available for scientists to repair older DNA. With the continuous development of these methods, scientists anticipate they can work with up to three million years old DNA in the future.

Scientists emphasized that these ancient discoveries can offer substantial information about how new species are formed.

American Scientists announce successful cloning of ferrets

U.S. scientists announced the first successful cloning of an endangered animal native to the country. The animal, a black-footed ferret, was cloned with the cells of the same species that died over 30 years earlier, as the remains of the dead animal were frozen when it died in 1981. The product of genetic reproduction was born on December 10 and named Elizabeth Ann.

Prior to the cloning project, conserving the number of black-footed ferrets had been a success. The team in charge of the project did it by initiating a captive mating program for the remaining creatures after they found a surviving animal of the same species in 1981. Roughly ten years later, thousands of black-footed ferrets were released in the Western U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

The purpose of the cloning process is to revive animal species that have gone extinct. Elizabeth Ann’s cloning was part of an extensive effort to boost the population of the endangered animal.

Noise pollution poses threat to marine life

Aside from the surface and temperature, new study suggests human activities also change the sound of oceans and seas on our planet. While this may seem trivial, this actually has an impact on sea animals regardless of size.

According to experts, sound can extend far downward underwater. It is also easier for fish to sense their environment with sound rather than light. It turns out that sound helps sea animals to communicate with each other. Many of them rely on sound to locate food and steer clear of predators. It is also useful for spotting suitable places for mating. Having said that, sound is crucial in marine life’s survival and sustainability.

However, louder noises generated by humans overpower the natural sounds undersea. Sounds derived from human activities such as marine vessel traffic, motorized fishing vessels, deep-sea exploration, and coastal construction interrupt the sounds underwater marine animals need for survival.

Experts have also observed that the population of sea animals has declined by about half since 1970. According to their records, marine creatures singing and calling are now fewer. They stress that noise pollution needs as much attention as climate change, plastic pollution, and overfishing.

Robots as part of workforce

The use of robotics has been prevalent in the manufacturing industry.
In particular, warehouses, where products are kept and arranged, utilize robots to aid in their processes.

Robots are manufactured to carry out monotonous and arduous tasks. On the other hand, the same technology is also evoking stressful conditions and even posing hazards in the workplace, according to some authorities.
Additionally, this collaboration between humans and machines impairs employees’ morale and health. It is because the use of artificial intelligence puts pressure on human workers to pick up the pace of production.

It was found out that injury rates at Amazon warehouses with machines are higher than in robot-free depositories. It was further revealed that the rate of injuries was beyond twice the average in the industry.

Despite the alarming reports, businesses claim that this new technology that includes automation paves the way in fulfilling the demands of customers efficiently. They add that workplace safety remains a high priority.