Thursday, April 30, 2020

science news 30.4.2020

Today's selection of science news. Links are normally to press releases on EurekAlert (at the bottom end I may also add a couple of newspaper stories). I include quotes from the summary in italics in cases where the title alone doesn't reveal what the story is about. My own thoughts appear without italics if I have any.



astrobiology

4-billion-year-old nitrogen-containing organic molecules discovered in Martian meteorites

Newly discovered exoplanet dethrones former king of Kepler-88 planetary system


evolution

Bizarre 66 million-year-old fossil from Madagascar provides clues on early mammals

New fossils rewrite the story of dinosaur evolution and ecology -- and change the appearance of Spinosaurus
Scientists have long opposed the idea that dinosaurs lived in aquatic habitats. Now, an international team of researchers, supported by the National Geographic Society, has discovered unambiguous evidence that Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, the longest predatory dinosaur known to science, was aquatic.


conservation

Thousands of miles of planned Asian roads threaten the heart of tiger habitat
This reminds me of my feature on the world with 2 billion cars (open access).

Tuning into dolphin chatter could boost conservation efforts

Simulated deep-sea mining affects ecosystem functions at the seafloor


biomedical

Antibodies from llamas could help in fight against COVID-19



Scientists were inspired by antibodies produced by this llama, named Winter, to develop their antibody against SARS-CoV-2. Winter is four years old and still living on a farm in the Belgian countryside operated by Ghent University's Vlaams Institute for Biotechnology.
Credit: Tim Coppens


sustainability

Upcycling spongy plastic foams from shoes, mattresses and insulation
The material known as polyurethane foam, in the chemical lingo.

Heat-friendly microbes provide efficient way to biodegrade plastic
PET, this time.

Engineers make a promising material stable enough for use in solar cells
A Purdue University-led research team has found a way to make halide perovskites stable enough by inhibiting the ion movement that makes them rapidly degrade, unlocking their use for solar panels as well as electronic devices.

humans

Evidence of Late Pleistocene human colonization of isolated islands beyond Wallace's Line

Deformed skulls in an ancient cemetery reveal a multicultural community in transition
That's in the settlement of Mözs, today's Hungary, established around 430 AD.


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From the news media:

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