How solar wind may have eroded the atmosphere of Mars
The study, published in the journal Science on May 29, helps to further reconstruct the turbulent history of the Red Planet, especially its early years, which continue to intrigue scientists. Mars was not always the cold, desert-like, reddish planet we know today. Examination of its surface indicates the past presence of liquid water, implying much higher temperatures than today's average of -63°C, as well as a much denser atmospheric layer than the current one, whose pressure is only 0.6% that of Earth's.
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France 24
4 days ago
- France 24
Cook Islands wages war on 'plague' of hungry starfish
These makeshift tools are their best weapons in the war against crown-of-thorns starfish, a coral-munching species eating through tropical reefs already weakened by climate change. The Cook Islands, a South Pacific nation of about 17,000 people, is in the grips of a years-long outbreak, says marine biologist Teina Rongo. "It can completely kill off the entire reef, right around the island," said Rongo, who organises volunteers protecting the reefs fringing the isle of Rarotonga. "I think there seems to be a Pacific-wide outbreak at the moment, because we're hearing other countries are facing similar challenges." A single crown-of-thorns adult can eat more than 10 square metres (110 square feet) of reef each year, squeezing its stomach through its mouth to coat coral in digestive juices. They pose a major threat to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, where scientists have developed robots that hunt down the prickly invertebrates and inject them with poison. "At the moment, you basically kill them by injection," said researcher Sven Uthicke, from the Australian Institute of Marine Science. "It could be vinegar, it could be lime juice or ox bile. "Others are building chemical attraction traps. It's all very promising -- but it's in the development stage." Rongo finds it quickest to pry the feasting starfish loose using a wooden stick cut from the dense timber of the Pacific Ironwood tree. "Basically, we use a stick with a hook at the end," he said. "We've made some modifications over time because we were getting pricked by these starfish. It's painful." Named for their hundreds of venomous spikes, crown-of-thorns starfish have as many as 21 fleshy arms and can grow larger than a car tyre. They are typically found in such low numbers that they are not considered a problem. But sporadically populations explode in a feeding frenzy that rapidly strips the life from reefs. 'Plague proportions ' They spawn in "plague proportions", according to the Australian Institute of Marine Science, and are a major driver of coral loss. From the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean, crown-of-thorns outbreaks appear to be becoming both more frequent and more severe. "Some argue that the crown-of-thorns has become chronic in the last few decades," said Rongo, talking about the reefs of the South Pacific. Scientists suspect these outbreaks are triggered by a mix of factors, including nutrients leached into the sea from agriculture and fluctuations in natural predators. But the damage they can cause is getting worse as reefs are weakened by climate change-fuelled coral bleaching and ocean acidification. "This is why it's important for us to help the reef," says Rongo. Scuba divers scour the Cook Islands' reefs for hard-to-spot starfish wedged into dimly lit crevices. Once peeled off the coral, the starfish are pierced with a thick rope so they can be dragged back up to a waiting boat. The day's haul is dumped into a plastic chest before the starfish are lugged ashore to be counted, measured and mulched for garden fertiliser. They are known as "taramea" in Cook Islands Maori, which loosely translates to "spiky thing". The volunteer divers working with Rongo and his environmental group Korero O Te Orau -- or Knowledge of the Land, Sky and Sea -- remove thousands of starfish every year. Rongo is spurred by the devastation from the nation's last major infestation in the 1990s. "I was part of that eradication effort. © 2025 AFP
Sustainability Times
01-07-2025
- Sustainability Times
'100 Million Years Buried': Ancient Rock Unleashes Shock Discovery of 40 Squid Species Scientists Never Knew Existed
IN A NUTSHELL 🦑 Scientists discovered 40 new squid species from a 100-million-year-old rock, highlighting ancient ocean diversity. from a 100-million-year-old rock, highlighting ancient ocean diversity. 🔬 The team used grinding tomography to reveal a dense assemblage of fossilized cephalopod beaks . to reveal a dense assemblage of fossilized . 🌊 Findings suggest squids were dominant swimmers in the Cretaceous ocean, challenging previous assumptions. in the Cretaceous ocean, challenging previous assumptions. 📚 Published in the journal Science, this research reshapes our understanding of ancient marine ecosystems. In a groundbreaking discovery that reshapes our understanding of ancient marine life, a team of paleontologists has unearthed a treasure trove of fossilized squid beaks from a 100-million-year-old rock. This remarkable find, which includes 263 squid specimens and reveals 40 previously unknown species, highlights the richness of squid diversity during the Cretaceous period. By employing advanced fossil analysis techniques, scientists have opened a new window into the past, challenging long-held beliefs about ocean ecosystems in the age of dinosaurs. The Ancient Ocean: A Squid Paradise The high seas of the dinosaur era were teeming with a plethora of squids, a fact that has been brought to light through this new study. A collaboration between paleontologists in Japan and Germany has led to the discovery of a vast number of fossilized cephalopod beaks hidden in a 100-million-year-old rock. Among these were 263 squid samples, including 40 species of ancient squids that scientists had never seen before. This finding underscores the abundance of squids in the Cretaceous ocean, despite the rarity of their fossilized remains. The presence of these large and numerous squids suggests they played a significant role in the marine food chain, possibly as dominant predators or agile survivors in a competitive ecosystem. Shin Ikegami, a paleobiologist from Hokkaido University and the first author of the research, highlights the significance of this discovery. 'In both number and size, these ancient squids clearly prevailed the seas,' he says. 'Their body sizes were as large as fish and even bigger than the ammonites we found alongside them. This shows us that squids were thriving as the most abundant swimmers in the ancient ocean.' '8,000 Dinosaur Bones Found': Canada's Fossil Graveyard Reveals One of the Most Terrifying Prehistoric Mass Death Sites Ever Unearthed The Science Behind the Discovery To truly appreciate this remarkable find, one must understand the scientific process that led to its discovery. Fossilization typically requires body parts that decompose slowly, allowing the rigorous fossilization process to preserve them. Most fossils consist of bones, teeth, shells, and claws, while soft body parts require exceptional fossilization circumstances. Squids, being composed mostly of soft body parts, leave behind few traces in the fossil record. However, their hard, chitinous beaks can survive the test of time, providing vital clues about the evolution of cephalopods—a group that includes octopuses, nautiluses, and cuttlefish. Before this study, only a single fossilized squid beak had ever been found. The challenge of extracting and studying small marine fossils from jumbled assemblages often hindered research. To overcome this, researchers employed a technique called grinding tomography. This method involves gradually sanding away a rock sample, layer by thin layer, while capturing high-resolution images of each layer. Although the sample itself is destroyed, the resulting images can be compiled digitally to reveal the rock's interior contents in three dimensions, offering highly detailed reconstructions of the fossils within. 'Hidden for 80 Million Years': Rare Dinosaur Egg Reveals Stunning Secrets Through Groundbreaking CT Scan Analysis Revolutionizing Fossil Analysis with Grinding Tomography Ikegami and his colleagues utilized grinding tomography to examine a piece of fossil-rich rock dating back approximately 100 million years. Within this dense assemblage of animal remnants, they discovered around 1,000 cephalopod beaks, among which the squid beaks emerged. These beaks were tiny and thin, ranging in length from 0.05 to 0.76 inches, with an average length of about 0.15 inches. The minimum thickness was always less than 0.0004 inches. The scientists assert that these results demonstrate how numerous squid beaks are hidden as millimeter-scaled microfossils, explaining why they have been overlooked in previous studies. This breakthrough has profound implications for our understanding of Cretaceous marine ecosystems. Based on their findings, the researchers inferred that the Cretaceous squid biomass would have far exceeded the biomasses of fishes and ammonites. This suggests that squid diversification had exploded by around 100 million years ago, contradicting the previous assumption that squids only began to thrive after the mass extinction event that ended the dinosaur age, approximately 66 million years ago. 'I Seen Predatory Horse With Razor Teeth': Scientists Unveil 86-Million-Year-Old T. Rex Ancestor That Redefines Dinosaur Evolution Implications for Our Understanding of Ancient Marine Life These findings offer a fresh perspective on the evolution of marine life. According to paleontologist Yasuhiro Iba of Hokkaido University, 'Squids were probably the pioneers of fast and intelligent swimmers that dominate the modern ocean.' This research challenges long-held assumptions about marine ecosystems in the past and highlights the adaptability and resilience of squids over millions of years. The study, published in the prestigious journal Science, underscores the significance of advanced fossil analysis techniques in uncovering hidden aspects of Earth's history. The discovery of these ancient squid beaks not only enriches our understanding of cephalopod evolution but also invites further exploration into the mysteries of the deep past. As scientists continue to push the boundaries of fossil analysis, one question remains: What other secrets lie hidden beneath layers of rock, waiting to reshape our understanding of Earth's ancient inhabitants? Our author used artificial intelligence to enhance this article. Did you like it? 4.5/5 (21)
France 24
01-07-2025
- France 24
The Bright Side: Runners in T-rex costumes turn US racecourse into prehistoric playground
Spectators cheered as participants ran down the track cloaked in inflatable Tyrannosaurus rex costumes during the T-Rex World Championship Races at Emerald Downs in Auburn, Washington. The Sunday event started in 2017 as a pest control company's team-building activity. The actual dinosaur roamed the planet between 65 million and 67 million years ago. A study published four years ago in the journal Science estimated about 2.5 billion of the dinosaurs roamed Earth over the course of a couple million years. Hollywood movies such as the 'Jurassic Park' franchise have added to the public fascination with the ancient carnivorous creature.
