New species revealed after 25 years of study on ‘inside out’ fossil – and named after discoverer’s mum
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Updates every hour. Last Updated: 18-Jun-2025 13:10 ET (18-Jun-2025 17:10 GMT/UTC)
- Study from University of Leicester describes a new species of fossil that is 444 million years-old with soft insides perfectly preserved
- Research ‘ultramarathon’ saw palaeontologist puzzled by bizarre fossil for 25 years
- Revealed to be an entirely new kind of arthropod and named after lead researcher’s mum
New research led by a York University professor sheds light on the earliest days of the earth’s formation and potentially calls into question some earlier assumptions in planetary science about the early years of rocky planets. Establishing a direct link between the Earth’s interior dynamics occurring within the first 100 million years of its history and its present-day structure, the work is one of the first in the field to combine fluid mechanics with chemistry to better understand the Earth's early evolution.
Jorge Mira Pérez of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela and José María Martín Olalla of the Universidad de Sevilla have analysed the responses to the public consultation organised by the European Commission in 2018 on changing the clocks.
The South Atlantic Anomaly represents a region within near-Earth space characterized by a significantly weaker geomagnetic field and a higher flux of energetic particles compared to other areas. It is a space weather hazards to Low-Earth-Orbit satellites. There has been evidence that the Very Low Frequency (VLF) waves from the powerful ground VLF radio transmitter in Australia, known as NWC, have the capacity to scatter energetic electrons’ pitch angle in the inner radiation belt. In a paper published in Science China: Earth Sciences, scientists report the initial observation of a 'wisp' precipitation resulted from NWC, an unusual occurrence with peak intensity detected inside the SAA. With the full pitch angle distribution observed via the Macao Science Satellite – 1 at Low-Earth-Orbit, scientists attribute the 'wisp' within the anomaly to a specific pitch angle range just outside the drift loss cone.
Austrian researchers have successfully converted a by-product of wood gasification into high-quality activated carbon. The material, known for its ability to capture micropollutants, was produced by physical activation using hot gases that create fine pores. Their method increased the adsorption capacity by 11 times, outperforming commercial alternatives. With growing demand in water treatment, this discovery offers a renewable alternative to fossil-based activated carbon.