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Why some people are mosquito magnets, and what science now explains
10 days ago•Source: Earth.com
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37.325 min•21 days ago
Dog-sized Middle Jurassic dinosaur hints at earlier herbivore diversification in Scotland
A 166-million-year-old, dog-sized, plant-eating dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic was unearthed on Scotland’s Isle of Skye. Although the skeleton was long spotted, difficult access and protected coastline kept it from extraction until now. The fragmentary remains suggest an early ornithischian (possibly an early ornithopod or ceratodan) and show it was at least eight years old when it died, based on growth rings. This could push back the appearance of iguanodontians and shed light on small herbivores in Jurassic ecosystems; researchers aim to find more fossils in the Kilmaluag Formation to better understand dinosaur evolution in this period.
49.235 min•22 days ago
Dolphins’ sponge tools reveal culture-driven hunting in Shark Bay
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Oldest Humboldt Penguin Turns 38, Celebrated with Fish Ice Cake
Good News Network•29 days ago
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Senior Golden Retriever Turns Vet Wait Into a Solo Walkabout
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Welsh 10-Year-Old Sparks Rescue of Endangered Axolotl Hidden Under a Bridge
A 10-year-old girl, Evie Hill, spotted a critically endangered axolotl under a bridge by the River Ogmore in Bridgend, Wales, prompting her family to rescue it, name it Dippy D, and seek expert care. Researchers note axolotls are often kept as pets and warn that releasing non-native species into the wild is illegal; the salamander is now recovering in Leicester after the family’s quick行动 and consultation with breeders.
Girl on a UK beach uncovers jaw of giant Triassic ichthyosaur
On a Somerset beach, 11-year-old Ruby Reynolds and her father found jaw fragments dating to about 202 million years ago, leading scientists to name Ichthyotitan severnensis, a colossal ichthyosaur potentially around 82 feet long—the largest marine reptile known—based on skeletal jaw evidence; the discovery, described in PLOS ONE, highlights how citizen science and coastal erosion can rewrite natural history.
Hong Kong pond yields a new 24-eyed box jellyfish
Researchers in Hong Kong’s Mai Po Nature Reserve describe Tripedalia maipoensis, a tiny box jellyfish about 0.6 inches long, as a new species—the fourth described in the Tripedaliidae family. DNA analysis shows it is distinct from Tripedalia cystophora (16S rRNA ~17.4% difference). The jellyfish has 24 eyes arranged in four rhopalia, with two lens eyes likely forming images to aid navigation under mangroves. Found during nocturnal sampling of shrimp ponds, this is the first box jellyfish formally reported from Chinese coastal waters and underscores hidden biodiversity in human-modified habitats. The study was published in Zoological Studies.
Midlife Habits in a Tiny Fish May Forecast Lifespan Across Vertebrates
Stanford researchers tracked 81 African turquoise killifish with automated surveillance and found that midlife differences in sleep timing and daytime activity already distinguish longer‑ from shorter‑lived individuals. Using machine learning, just a few days of middle‑aged behavior could predict ultimate lifespan, revealing a stepwise aging pattern and linking behavioral changes to liver‑gene activity. The findings suggest wearable‑type monitoring in humans could detect early aging signals and guide preventive interventions in the future.
Wildlife as vectors for antibiotic‑resistant bacteria across ecosystems
A study of wildlife in northern Italy finds foxes and several bird species carry hospital-linked Klebsiella pneumoniae strains that resist multiple antibiotics, including the NDM-5 gene, signaling that antibiotic resistance is present beyond clinical settings. Researchers say wildlife can act as sentinels for environmental contamination and help map how resistance travels through ecosystems, aided by factors like wastewater and waste runoff. The findings show a low prevalence (about 2%) but indicate environmental reservoirs of high‑risk clones (like ST307) and shared plasmids, highlighting the need for broader wildlife monitoring and cleaner wastewater to slow the spread.
Peaceful queen succession observed in naked mole rats, challenging the species' bloody reputation
In a Science Advances study, researchers at the Salk Institute observed a rare peaceful transfer of power in a naked mole rat colony: after relocating the Amigos colony, the reigning queen Teré paused reproduction for almost a year, two of her daughters began reproducing in sequence, and Arwen ultimately became the new breeding queen by the end of 2025, showing that even highly eusocial mammals can exhibit flexible, nonviolent queen succession.
Headless Chickens: What the Science Really Says
Live Science explains that chickens do not stay alive for long after their heads are removed: brain death typically occurs within about 30 seconds of neck injury, with the heart dying a few seconds later, and any movement seen is usually reflexive from residual neural activity rather than conscious life. Movements after decapitation can last up to a minute or so, but are not signs of the bird being alive in any meaningful sense. The famous Miracle Mike case involved partial brain preservation and is not representative; it occurred because only part of the brain and brainstem remained, allowing limited life support-like activity under unusual conditions.
Cat-Linked Fungus Detected in Uruguay, Sparking South American Health Alarm
Uruguay has detected Sporothrix brasiliensis, a fungus that causes skin infections, in cats, other pets, and people, signaling cat-to-human transmission and a potential regional spread across South America. The fungus thrives in warm-blooded hosts and spreads through scratches or bites; diagnosis is by microscopy or culture, and treatment is antifungal but lengthy. Public health efforts emphasize fast diagnosis, treating both humans and pets, and controlling stray cats to prevent wider outbreaks, amid reports of thousands of human cases across the region over the past decade.
Millions of ground-nesting bees found thriving beneath a cemetery
Scientists discovered a massive underground colony of ground-nesting bees (Andrena regularis) beneath East Lawn Cemetery in Ithaca, New York, estimating 3.1 to 8 million bees emerged in a single season—enough activity to rival hundreds of honeybee hives—highlighting the crucial role of solitary bees in pollination and biodiversity and underscoring cemeteries as overlooked habitats that deserve protection; the study notes low parasitism and timing patterns in bee emergence that aid survival.
Fatou’s 69th birthday marks Berlin Zoo’s oldest captive gorilla
Fatou, the world’s oldest gorilla in captivity, turned 69 at Berlin Zoo with a vegetable feast and a Guinness World Records nod. A western lowland gorilla who has lived at the zoo since 1959, Fatou is a mother and grandmother whose keeper says she has a “dignified manner” and serves as an ambassador for her species, highlighting conservation concerns for gorillas in the wild.