Latest news with #BeringStrait
CBC
22-07-2025
- Science
- CBC
A Chinese research vessel returns to Arctic waters — and it appears Canada is watching
Social Sharing The Canadian military and possibly the coast guard appear to have been keeping tabs on a Chinese research vessel as it returns to Arctic waters off Alaska for the second year in a row. Data compiled by an independent researcher and ship tracker, Steffan Watkins, shows a Canadian air force CP-140 surveillance plane was flying in the vicinity of the Xue Long (Snow Dragon) 2 as it exited the Bering Strait on Sunday. The aircraft, according to Watkins's research, relocated to Anchorage, Alaska, from its base in Comox, B.C., on July 9. It has conducted four patrols since then, including the most recent one involving the vessel, which is China's first domestically built polar research ship. Despite publicly available flight tracking showing the CP-140's patrol route, the Department of National Defence would not confirm on Monday the presence of the aircraft and said it couldn't immediately answer questions on the deployment. The air force appears to have picked up where the Canadian Coast Guard left off. Coast guard says it's monitoring illegal fishing The Chinese ice ship left Shanghai on July 6 and passed close to Japan a few days later, before heading north into Russian waters. "Shadowing the Xue Long 2 all of the way from Japan was CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, which unmistakably paralleled their transit, staying in international waters," Watkins wrote in his latest post, which included ship-tracking data. The coast guard ship, the data shows, stuck with the Xue Long 2 until it crossed into the Bering Strait, between Alaska and Russia. Asked about the mission of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the coast guard at first provided a circumspect response and pointed CBC News to a June 9 media release which said the ship would be conducting high seas patrols in the North Pacific to counter "illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing." Then late Monday, the agency denied it was shadowing the Xue Long 2. The stated mission of the coast guard ship was to focus on "migratory routes for key species like Pacific salmon," it said. However, when ship-tracking data is overlaid with publicly available data on salmon migration routes, only one-third of the recent voyage involved known salmon paths. The ship's helicopter was also slated to conduct patrols with Canadian fishery officers in Japan to "monitor fishing vessels and support partner countries to ensure compliance with international law," according to the statement. Prime Minister Mark Carney pledged to expand the reach, security mandate and abilities of the Canadian Coast Guard as part of the Liberal government's plan to beef up the country's defences. Eventually, the federal government intends to integrate the civilian agency, currently under the Fisheries Department, into Canada's NATO defence capabilities to, as Carney put it last June, "better secure our sovereignty and expand maritime surveillance." Last summer, the Royal Canadian Navy dispatched a frigate to monitor the Xue Long 2 during its voyage to the Arctic — a mission the Department of National Defence took more than a week to acknowledge. Military experts have described the Chinese ice research ship as a dual-use vessel — suggesting it has a military or defence capacity. WATCH | Canada plots military expansion in the North: Canada plans Arctic military expansion as part of sovereignty push 2 months ago University of British Columbia Arctic expert Michael Byers said he believes Canadian officials need to be more forthcoming about the security threat they believe the vessel poses. "One has to actually do a proper threat assessment," Byers told CBC News in an interview. Byers acknowledged the Chinese ship could be collecting data that's militarily relevant, but he questions if the term "dual-use" is relying on assumptions rather than evidence. Relations with China continue to be strained and Byers said statements that are "potentially escalatory" about what the Chinese are — and are not — doing in the Arctic need to be examined carefully. Having said that, he fully supports the military and coast guard's monitoring activities. "We're very concerned as a country about China as a rising military power, and obviously China is very strongly supporting Russia with regards to its invasion of Ukraine," Byers said.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Where Did the T. rex Come From? Paleontologists Think They've Finally Figured It Out
Fossils of the T. rex, tyrant lizard and queen of the dinosaurs, are found exclusively in North America. Strangely, they have more in common with other large theropod dinosaurs in Asia than they do with their predatory peers in the United States and Canada. A new study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science may have finally figured out why that is. Analyzing the fossils and evolutionary history of T. rex and related dinosaur groups, paleontologists suggest that T. rex (prehistoric star of Universal's Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films) originated in North America but descended from ancestors which migrated from Asia about 70 million years ago. Paleontologists debate over whether the direct ancestors of Tyrannosaurs came from North America or Asia. A new study led by University College London Ph.D student Cassius Morrison may have answered the question once and for all. 'Our modelling suggests the 'grandparents' of T. rex likely came to North America from Asia, crossing the Bering Strait between what is now Siberia and Alaska,' explained researcher Cassius Morrison, via the Natural History Museum, London. 'This is in line with past research finding that the T. rex was more closely related to its Asian cousins than to North American relatives such as Daspletosaurus. Our findings indicate that, while dozens of T. rex fossils have been unearthed in North America, the fossils of its direct ancestor may lie undiscovered still in Asia.' The world 90 million years ago looked a little bit different. If you go back about 250 million years ago, all the world's land masses were gathered together in the supercontinent Pangaea. It began to break up about 200 million years ago, separating into the ancient continents of Laurasia in the north and Gondwanaland in the south. By the time we reached the Cretaceous (144 - 66 million years ago), the modern continents had separated but were still squished together tightly. North America was separated into two continents, Laramidia in the west and Appalachia in the east, separated by the Western Interior Seaway. Travel between the land masses was a little easier then than it is now. Those long-extinct ancestors of Tyrannosaurs were significantly smaller than their more famous descendants. Some were roughly equivalent to a medium-sized dog while others were small enough to sit comfortably on your shoulders. They first started getting big about 90 million years ago, when the large-statured carcharodontosaurid theropods went extinct. Exploiting a vacant niche, Tyrannosaurs evolved from their diminutive ancestors to become apex predators of the Late Cretaceous. Around the same time the carcharodontosaurids were going extinct, the planet was going through a period of rapid cooling. The world reached a peak in global temperatures known as the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum about 92 million years ago, then temperatures dropped. Tyrannosaurids and a related group of large predators known as the megaraptors survived because they were better equipped for colder temperatures and grew to gigantic sizes to fill the empty niche. 'Our findings have shined a light on how the largest tyrannosaurs appeared in North and South America during the Cretaceous and how and why they grew so large by the end of the age of dinosaurs,' said Charlie Scherer, also from University College London, via Sci News. However Rexy got here, we're just glad she did, cause she makes for great entertainment! Catch Jurassic World Dominion, , and for Jurassic World Rebirth, in theaters July 2.
CNN
06-05-2025
- Science
- CNN
T. rex ancestors crossed from Asia to North America via land bridge 70 million years ago, says study
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. CNN — The direct ancestor of Tyrannosaurus rex would have arrived in North America after crossing a land bridge from Asia, according to a new study. The report is the latest to weigh in on the fierce debate among paleontologists over the origins of the king of the dinosaurs. A team led by Cassius Morrison, a doctoral student of paleontology at University College London, or UCL, used mathematical modeling to conclude that T. rex precursors likely arrived in North America after crossing the Bering Strait between modern-day Siberia and Alaska around 70 million years ago. The finding tracks with past research that suggests T. rex was more closely related to the large carnivore Tarbosaurus in Asia compared with top predators in North America such as Daspletosaurus, Morrison said in a statement. At the time, the area would have been home to temperate rainforests, with a climate somewhat similar to British Columbia today, Morrison told CNN on Tuesday. T. rex ancestors — tyrannosaurids — would have been fewer in number within their environment compared with the herbivorous dinosaurs they preyed on, much like apex predators such as lions are today, Morrison said. 'And because they are fewer, there are also fewer chances for them to then be preserved in the fossil record,' he said. Faced by this lack of evidence, Morrison and his coauthors instead used mathematical models that incorporate data from the existing fossil record and the T. rex family tree, as well as climatic and environmental conditions, Morrison said. The modeling also accounts for gaps in the fossil record, meaning that it can be updated if new discoveries are made in future research, he added. For example, Morrison said the new study's findings suggest fossils of these T. rex ancestors may still remain undiscovered in Asia. The team also found that tyrannosaurids such as T. rex experienced a rapid increase in size during a period in which global temperatures were falling, suggesting that these dinosaurs were better able to thrive in cooler climates, perhaps thanks to their feathers or the fact that they were more warm-blooded. The rapid growth in size also came after another group of giant meat-eating dinosaurs known as carcharodontosaurids went extinct, leaving 'a vacuum at the top of the food chain,' according to a news release from UCL on Tuesday. This growth meant that, by the time dinosaurs went extinct, T. rex could have weighed as much as 9 metric tons, 'about the same as a very large African elephant or a light tank,' according to the release. Related article Hiking family discovers rare T. rex fossil Study coauthor Charlie Scherer, a master's graduate in Earth sciences and soon-to-be doctoral student at UCL, said in a statement that the 'findings have shined a light on how the largest tyrannosaurs appeared in North and South America during the Cretaceous (Period) and how and why they grew so large by the end of the age of dinosaurs.' 'They likely grew to such gigantic sizes to replace the equally giant carcharodontosaurid theropods that went extinct about 90 million years ago,' Scherer said. 'This extinction likely removed the ecological barrier that prevented tyrannosaurs from growing to such sizes.' Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland who was not involved in the study, told CNN that the paper 'is fine scholarly work that forensically tracks tyrannosaurs and other meat-eating dinosaurs over time, and compares their evolution with changes in climate. 'Even the very largest and most dominant dinosaurs were affected by the weather. It seems like tyrannosaurs were able to get big multiple times independently, when cooler climates promoted increases in size,' he said. 'It was easier to be big when temperatures were cool. The kings of the dinosaurs were not predestined to rule, but were helped along by the climate,' Brusatte added. The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
CNN
06-05-2025
- Science
- CNN
T. rex ancestors crossed from Asia to North America via land bridge 70 million years ago, study finds
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. The direct ancestors of Tyrannosaurus rex would have arrived in North America after crossing a land bridge from Asia, according to a new study. The report is the latest to weigh in on the fierce debate among paleontologists over the origins of the king of the dinosaurs. A team led by Cassius Morrison, a doctoral student of paleontology at University College London, or UCL, used mathematical modeling to conclude that T. rex precursors likely arrived in North America after crossing the Bering Strait between modern-day Siberia and Alaska around 70 million years ago. The finding tracks with past research that suggests T. rex was more closely related to the large carnivore Tarbosaurus in Asia compared with top predators in North America such as Daspletosaurus, Morrison said in a statement. At the time, the area would have been home to temperate rainforests, with a climate somewhat similar to British Columbia today, Morrison told CNN on Tuesday. T. rex ancestors — tyrannosaurids — would have been fewer in number within their environment compared with the herbivorous dinosaurs they preyed on, much like apex predators such as lions are today, Morrison said. 'And because they are fewer, there are also fewer chances for them to then be preserved in the fossil record,' he said. Faced by this lack of evidence, Morrison and his coauthors instead used mathematical models that incorporate data from the existing fossil record and the T. rex family tree, as well as climatic and environmental conditions, Morrison said. The modeling also accounts for gaps in the fossil record, meaning that it can be updated if new discoveries are made in future research, he added. For example, Morrison said the new study's findings suggest fossils of these T. rex ancestors may still remain undiscovered in Asia. The team also found that tyrannosaurids such as T. rex experienced a rapid increase in size during a period in which global temperatures were falling, suggesting that these dinosaurs were better able to thrive in cooler climates, perhaps thanks to their feathers or the fact that they were more warm-blooded. The rapid growth in size also came after another group of giant meat-eating dinosaurs known as carcharodontosaurids went extinct, leaving 'a vacuum at the top of the food chain,' according to a news release from UCL on Tuesday. This growth meant that, by the time dinosaurs went extinct, T. rex could have weighed as much as 9 metric tons, 'about the same as a very large African elephant or a light tank,' according to the release. Study coauthor Charlie Scherer, a master's graduate in Earth sciences and soon-to-be doctoral student at UCL, said in a statement that the 'findings have shined a light on how the largest tyrannosaurs appeared in North and South America during the Cretaceous (Period) and how and why they grew so large by the end of the age of dinosaurs.' 'They likely grew to such gigantic sizes to replace the equally giant carcharodontosaurid theropods that went extinct about 90 million years ago,' Scherer said. 'This extinction likely removed the ecological barrier that prevented tyrannosaurs from growing to such sizes.' Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland who was not involved in the study, told CNN that the paper 'is fine scholarly work that forensically tracks tyrannosaurs and other meat-eating dinosaurs over time, and compares their evolution with changes in climate. 'Even the very largest and most dominant dinosaurs were affected by the weather. It seems like tyrannosaurs were able to get big multiple times independently, when cooler climates promoted increases in size,' he said. 'It was easier to be big when temperatures were cool. The kings of the dinosaurs were not predestined to rule, but were helped along by the climate,' Brusatte added. The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
CNN
06-05-2025
- Science
- CNN
T. rex ancestors crossed from Asia to North America via land bridge 70 million years ago, says study
Sign up for CNN's Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. CNN — The direct ancestors of Tyrannosaurus rex would have arrived in North America after crossing a land bridge from Asia, according to a new study. The report is the latest to weigh in on the fierce debate among paleontologists over the origins of the king of the dinosaurs. A team led by Cassius Morrison, a doctoral student of paleontology at University College London, or UCL, used mathematical modeling to conclude that T. rex precursors likely arrived in North America after crossing the Bering Strait between modern-day Siberia and Alaska around 70 million years ago. The finding tracks with past research that suggests T. rex was more closely related to the large carnivore Tarbosaurus in Asia compared with top predators in North America such as Daspletosaurus, Morrison said in a statement. At the time, the area would have been home to temperate rainforests, with a climate somewhat similar to British Columbia today, Morrison told CNN on Tuesday. T. rex ancestors — tyrannosaurids — would have been fewer in number within their environment compared with the herbivorous dinosaurs they preyed on, much like apex predators such as lions are today, Morrison said. 'And because they are fewer, there are also fewer chances for them to then be preserved in the fossil record,' he said. Faced by this lack of evidence, Morrison and his coauthors instead used mathematical models that incorporate data from the existing fossil record and the T. rex family tree, as well as climatic and environmental conditions, Morrison said. The modeling also accounts for gaps in the fossil record, meaning that it can be updated if new discoveries are made in future research, he added. For example, Morrison said the new study's findings suggest fossils of these T. rex ancestors may still remain undiscovered in Asia. The team also found that tyrannosaurids such as T. rex experienced a rapid increase in size during a period in which global temperatures were falling, suggesting that these dinosaurs were better able to thrive in cooler climates, perhaps thanks to their feathers or the fact that they were more warm-blooded. The rapid growth in size also came after another group of giant meat-eating dinosaurs known as carcharodontosaurids went extinct, leaving 'a vacuum at the top of the food chain,' according to a news release from UCL on Tuesday. This growth meant that, by the time dinosaurs went extinct, T. rex could have weighed as much as 9 metric tons, 'about the same as a very large African elephant or a light tank,' according to the release. Related article Hiking family discovers rare T. rex fossil Study coauthor Charlie Scherer, a master's graduate in Earth sciences and soon-to-be doctoral student at UCL, said in a statement that the 'findings have shined a light on how the largest tyrannosaurs appeared in North and South America during the Cretaceous (Period) and how and why they grew so large by the end of the age of dinosaurs.' 'They likely grew to such gigantic sizes to replace the equally giant carcharodontosaurid theropods that went extinct about 90 million years ago,' Scherer said. 'This extinction likely removed the ecological barrier that prevented tyrannosaurs from growing to such sizes.' Steve Brusatte, a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland who was not involved in the study, told CNN that the paper 'is fine scholarly work that forensically tracks tyrannosaurs and other meat-eating dinosaurs over time, and compares their evolution with changes in climate. 'Even the very largest and most dominant dinosaurs were affected by the weather. It seems like tyrannosaurs were able to get big multiple times independently, when cooler climates promoted increases in size,' he said. 'It was easier to be big when temperatures were cool. The kings of the dinosaurs were not predestined to rule, but were helped along by the climate,' Brusatte added. The study was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.
