Ninety percent of sharks died 19 million years ago: Fossils in the sediments of the Pacific Ocean have revealed a shark extinction event we didn’t know about. Shark populations have fallen by 90%, but researchers have no idea what caused the mass extinction. “It’s a great mystery,” says Elizabeth Sibert of Yale University. “Sharks have been around for 400 million years. They went through hell and came back. And yet, this event wiped out 90% of them.

The T-Rex’s biting force secret revealed: A new study has found that a small boomerang-shaped bone was responsible for the T-Rex’s fierce bite. The bone helped stiffen the lower jaw. Without it, the T-Rex’s lower jaw would have been flexible and not as powerful. Computer models have shown that the T-Rex may have generated a bite force of more than six metric tons.

 

 

NASA will send two new missions to Venus: NASA has chosen two new space missions to study Venus. In the first, a probe (DAVINCI +) will enter Venus’ atmosphere and attempt to determine if Venus has an ocean. In the second, an orbiter (VERITAS) will spin overhead, map the surface in detail, and search for active volcanoes. Both are expected to leave Earth at the end of this decade. They will mark NASA’s first expeditions to the planet in 30 years. “We’ll have a whole different view of the situation when we’re done,” said Tom Wagner, the NASA scientist who heads the program.

Why are these elephants moving?

Elephants on 500 km hike near the Chinese city: Last week, images of 15 Asian elephants walking through a residential area in China went viral on social media. It is so unusual that Chinese authorities have launched a 360-person task force to monitor unusual migration and ensure public safety. The elephants left their natural habitat in March 2020, and the country’s wildlife authorities are unsure why. In November, they took a five-month hiatus after an elephant in the herd gave birth to a baby. Since April, they have moved again.

 

Puppies are born with the innate ability to communicate with humans: Dog owners know that when you show something, dogs can follow you. Researchers have long questioned whether dogs learn to do this by spending time with humans, or whether this skill is innate. A new study has found that eight-week-old puppies with little human exposure understand the gesture “All of this suggests that dogs are biologically prepared to communicate with humans,” says Emily Bray, lead author of the study.

Scottish grave yields oldest carvings ever made

Prehistoric sculptures found in a Scottish Neolithic tomb: Prehistoric red deer carvings have been unearthed at Kilmartin Glen in Argyll, Scotland. The recently discovered sculpture represents two male red deer and several young deer. Archaeologists estimate the sculptures to be between 4,000 and 5,000 years old. These may be the first carvings of prehistoric animals ever discovered in Scotland.

The sinking of a cargo ship causes a maritime disaster in Sri Lanka: A cargo ship carrying toxic chemicals caught fire on May 20 off the coast of Sri Lanka. For two weeks, the authorities tried to control the chemical fire on board the ship loaded with nitric acid, caustic soda, sodium methoxide and methane. This toxic material spilled into the ocean and tons of plastic pellets began to wash up on the shore. “This is one of the worst marine disasters that has ever occurred in Sri Lanka,” said Dr Asha de Vos, marine biologist. “Our only saving grace is that there was no oil spill. If that happens, it will be incredibly tragic. “