Bizarre fossil may have been an entirely new type of life
Chemical analysis suggests the 400-million-year-old fossil Prototaxites was neither plant, animal or fungus – hinting at a mysterious life form that went extinct long ago
Author
James Woodford
131 rundowns
50%composite score
50%uncos score
50%user score
Colossal's plans to "de-extinct" the giant moa are still impossible
After a controversial project claiming to have resurrected the dire wolf, Colossal Biosciences has now announced plans to bring back nine species of the extinct moa bird
These ants are one of the most effective teams in the natural world
Typically, individuals work less effectively in bigger teams, but weaver ants buck this trend by increasing their power output when they pull together
How PsiQuantum plans to build world's largest quantum computer by 2027
With an investment of AU$1 billion, PsiQuantum is planning to build a photonic quantum computer with a million qubits, far larger than any in existence today - and the firm says it will be ready in just two years
Early humans may have begun butchering elephants 1.8 million years ago
A 1.78-million-year-old partial elephant skeleton found in Tanzania associated with stone tools may represent the oldest known evidence of butchery of the giant herbivores
Atmospheric chaos has sent temperatures soaring in Antarctica
Stratospheric temperatures in Antarctica are spiking, which could see strange weather unfold across the southern hemisphere in the coming months
The ocean is losing its ability to store heat as the planet warms up
Until now, 90 per cent of the excess heat created by greenhouse gas emissions has been drawn down into the ocean, but this capacity for heat absorption is now being lost, which could lead to longer marine heatwaves and harm ocean life
'Sexome' microbes swapped during sex could aid forensic investigations
Forensic scientists investigating cases of sexual assault may be able to use the genital microbiome to identify the perpetrator, as researchers have found that this "sexome" is exchanged between partners during intercourse
Enigmatic lizards somehow survived near Chicxulub asteroid impact
The night lizards may have been the only terrestrial vertebrates that survived in the region of the asteroid impact 66 million years ago, which led to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs
Virus from marine animals is causing weird eye problems in people
A virus seems to have jumped from marine animals into people for the first time ever, and it is causing serious vision problems