home
> current paleo-news > paleo-news
archive: Oct-Dec 2006
Paleo-news archive: October-December 2006
Europe's largest dinosaur unearthed in Spain
(Dec 21, 2006)
The biggest European dinosaur on record died near Riodeva in Spain
about 150 million years ago, say palaeontologists who have uncovered
its remains. It was a giant plant-eater, now named Turiasaurus. The
size of the bones puts Turiasaurus among the largest dinosaurs to
walk the Earth, and its skeleton is the most complete of the super-giants,
says Paul Upchurch at University College London, who took part in
the study.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Earliest flying mammal discovered
(Dec 14, 2006)
Mammals took to the skies at least 70 million years earlier than previously
thought, scientists say. A fossil uncovered in China suggests mammals
were trying out flight at about the same time – or even earlier
– than birds, the team reports in Nature. The researchers
said the squirrel-sized animal, which lived at least 125 million years
ago, used a fur-covered skin membrane to glide through the air.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Ancient 'Jaws' had monster bite
(Dec 1, 2006)
A prehistoric "Jaws" that roamed the seas 400 million years ago had
the most powerful bite of any known fish. The extinct creature, Dunkleosteus
terrelli, could bring its jaws together with a remarkable force of
5,000 newtons (1,100lbs-force). This performance surpasses all living
fish, including today's great white shark, and puts it up with some
of the most powerful bites in all animals.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Neanderthal DNA secrets unlocked
(Nov 15, 2006)
A genetic breakthrough could help clear up some long-standing mysteries
surrounding our closest evolutionary relatives: the Neanderthals.
Scientists have reconstructed a chunk of DNA from the genome of a
Neanderthal man who lived 38,000 years ago. The genetic information
they extracted from a thigh bone has allowed them to identify more
than a million building blocks of Neanderthal DNA so far.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Ice-age genome project faces cold storage
(Nov 13, 2006)
After a tantalisingly successful run at sequencing parts of the extinct
woolly mammoth's genome, the project is now stalled for lack of funds.
Hendrik Poinar of the McMaster Ancient DNA Centre at McMaster University
in Hamilton, Ontario, and his team hope that sequencing the genomes
of extinct animals will reveal otherwise inaccessible data on their
evolutionary history, population, diversity and other key traits.
Read
more. Source: New Scientist |
Bee fossil, DNA generate a buzz
(Oct 26, 2006)
Scientists have identified the oldest known bee, a 100 million-year-old
specimen preserved in amber. The discovery coincides with the publication
of the genetic blueprint of the honeybee, which reveals surprising
links with mammals and humans. The ancient insect, trapped in tree
sap, is at least 35-45 million years older than any other known bee
fossil.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
Tiny fossils reveal inner secrets
(Oct 16, 2006)
The exact moment when a 550 million year old cell began to divide
has been captured in an exquisite 3-D image. The picture is one of
a series taken by researchers examining ancient fossil embryos from
Guizhou Province, China. The specimens, described in the journal Science,
are the oldest known examples of fossil embryos, and shed light on
the early evolution of complex life.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
'Monster' fossil find in Arctic
(Oct 7, 2006)
Norwegian scientists have discovered a "treasure trove" of fossils
belonging to giant sea reptiles that roamed the seas at the time of
the dinosaurs. The 150 million-year-old fossils were uncovered on
the Arctic island chain of Svalbard – about halfway between
Norway and the North Pole. The finds belong to two groups of extinct
marine reptiles - the plesiosaurs and the ichthyosaurs. One skeleton
has been nicknamed The Monster because of its enormous size.
Read
more. Source: BBC |
BACK TO TOP
|
You
are here:
Home
> Paleo-news
> Paleo-news archive
Oct-Dec 2006
Other news sections
Latest science news
Archeo news
Eco news
Health news
Living world news
Robot diaries
Strange news
Tech news
Also on this site:
Encyclopedia of Science
Encyclopedia of Alternative Energy
and Sustainable Living
News archive
Bookshop
Contact
|
