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In our daily environment there are constant reminders of the many parts of life that originated on Earth.
Rocks and soil preserve evidence of ages before our own, such as the oldest known fossilized forest on the planet, where unusual trees grew 390 million years ago.
Fossils reveal the diversity of life that evolved and disappeared over thousands of years; The graves tell the stories of people who lived with difficulties unimaginable centuries ago.
The only constant of life on Earth is that it constantly changes. Even scientists disagree on whether a new page has opened in Earth history.
Although it seems impossible to bring back to life long-extinct creatures, scientists are making discoveries that may make the return of these creatures possible in the not-too-distant future.
Return to the future
An ambitious plan to genetically engineer the woolly mammoth, a giant that has not walked the Earth for 4,000 years, has taken another step towards reality.
Aiming to create a mammoth hybrid exactly like its extinct counterpart, Colossal Biosciences, a Dallas-based company, has reprogrammed the cells of an Asian elephant. The species is the closest living relative of the woolly mammoth.
Now the modified cells could eventually be used to help the hybrid mammoth grow a woolly coat and develop other traits needed to survive in the Arctic.
The company believes that reviving the woolly mammoth could possibly help restore vulnerable Arctic tundra, which is at risk as the world warms.
All Over the Universe
The James Webb Space Telescope’s far-reaching infrared look has observed a mysterious galaxy that exists when the universe is only 700 million years old, i.e. in its adolescence in astronomical terms.
The discovery surprised scientists, who found that it was the oldest “dead” galaxy ever observed, and that star formation stopped as soon as star birth began in the universe.
Violent interactions between stars or black holes can starve galaxies of the gas needed to form stars, but so far there is no theory that fully explains what is happening in this distant galaxy.
curious things
Bread and cheese are among the best culinary pairings, but perhaps not considering the bread in question is 8,600 years old and cheese is known for its tangy flavor.
Archaeologists have discovered a palm-sized spongy residue in an ancient furnace structure in Turkey, dating back to B.C. They determined that it was an unbaked round fermented bread made in 6600 BC. This relic indicates that this is the world’s oldest known loaf.
Meanwhile, France’s favorite Camembert cheese may also be facing an extinction crisis.
The lack of stock of the fungus used during cheese making, which gives Camembert both its unique smell and rich flavor, causes experts to worry that Camembert’s days are numbered.
fantasy creatures
Wandering through Earth’s forests 120 million years ago would have greeted a familiar sight in birds, a landscape normally dominated by dinosaurs. Until the furry creatures open their beaks and reveal rows of teeth.
Back then, toothy birds were normal. But researchers have unearthed a fossil of a newly discovered species, dubbed “Attenborough’s strange bird” in honor of British naturalist Sir David Attenborough. This fossil was odd because it was toothless.
The discovery of the robin-like bird is changing the way scientists think about the complex story of bird evolution.
Separately, a sharp-eyed amateur palaeontologist out for a walk with his dog noticed an exposed bone, leading to the discovery of a nearly complete titanosaur skeleton connected from skull to tail.
Long time ago
Scientists used a unique celestial method to determine that ancient humans were in Europe 1.4 million years ago.
Pebbles buried in a Ukrainian quarry and stone tools found beneath layers of soil were analyzed for radioactive particles locked within mineral grains.
In the distant past, when the rocks were still on the surface, cosmic rays or charged particles traveling through the universe and landing on Earth penetrated the stone, creating radioactive signatures that helped researchers determine how long the archaeological layer had been buried. .
The newly dated artifacts are the earliest known evidence of hominins in Europe. The team is still trying to pinpoint which early human species made these tools, but the study findings provided clues.
discoveries
Grab a cup of coffee and watch these fascinating reads:
— Towering pyramid-like star dunes are some of the tallest features in Earth’s deserts, and researchers have uncovered evidence that the distinctive mounds began forming thousands of years ago.
— A 13-year-old boy may have cracked the code on how ancient Greek inventor Archimedes’ legendary “death ray” used sunlight to burn ships.
— Did you see the total solar eclipse in 2017? We expect this year’s eclipse on April 8 to be different in many important ways, including the duration and visibility of the celestial event.
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