Tyrannosaurus rex jaw tip may have played a vital role as a sensitive touch sensor | Paleontology

[ad_1] Paleontologists analyzed the morphology of the neurovascular channel in the well-preserved jaw of Tyrannosaurus Rex using computed tomography techniques. Their results show that the dinosaur’s neurovascular channel had quite a complex branching among dinosaurs, and its complexity was comparable to that of living crocodiles and tactile foraging birds. Tyrannosaurus Rex. Image credit: Amanda Kelley. … Read more

The Milky Way has a broken arm

[ad_1] This illustration shows what the Milky Way looks like, with two large spiral arms. NASA / JPL-Caltech Astronomers have done an impressive job of figuring out what the Milky Way looks like. We know it’s a spiral galaxy with two main arms. A new study reveals that one of the galaxy’s minor arms has … Read more

Fossil leaves could reveal the climate of the last dinosaur era

[ad_1] WASHINGTON (AP) – Richard Barclay opens a metal drawer in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum archives containing fossils nearly 100 million years old. Despite their age, these rocks are not fragile. The geologist and botanist manipulates them with casual ease, placing one in his palm for further examination. Embedded in the ancient rock is … Read more

Consent and choice of NPR cookies

[ad_1] NPR sites use cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about the device you use to access our sites (together, “cookies”) to improve your viewing experience, listening and usage, personalizing content, personalizing messages from NPR sponsors, providing social media features and analyzing NPR traffic. This information is shared with social media, sponsorship, analytics … Read more

Volcanoes Act as a Safety Valve for Earth’s Long-Term Climate – Stabilize Surface Temperatures

[ad_1] Continental volcanic arcs like that of Kamchatka, Russia, are rapidly altered, causing CO2 to be removed from the atmosphere over geological time. Credit: Tom Gernon, University of Southampton Scientists at the University of Southampton found that vast chains of volcanoes were responsible for both the emission and then removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) … Read more

Fossil leaves could reveal the climate of the last dinosaur era

[ad_1] WASHINGTON (AP) – Richard Barclay opens a metal drawer in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum archives containing fossils nearly 100 million years old. Despite their age, these rocks are not fragile. The geologist and botanist manipulates them with casual ease, placing one in his palm for further examination. Embedded in the ancient rock is … Read more