A remarkable fossil find in Australia has scientists buzzing—literally. In the Talbragar Fish Beds of New South Wales, researchers discovered a beautifully preserved midge fossil, Telmatomyia talbragarica. The study, published in Gondwana Research, identifies it as the oldest known freshwater midge in the Southern Hemisphere.1 With its delicate wings and unusual anchoring disc, this fossil offers a fascina... More...
There is nothing so beautiful (and sometimes breathtaking) than observing creatures designed with the ability to undergo fluorescence, the biological emission of light (also called bioluminescence).1 Five scientists defined bioluminescence as “the chemical reaction between a substrate (luciferin) and an enzyme (luciferase) resulting in light emission in a living organism.”2 What was the origin of such an am... More...
by Brian Thomas, Ph.D., and Frank Sherwin D.Sc,(Hon)*
Recently, the prestigious Royal Society published a fascinating paper regarding partial haemoglobin preservation in dinosaur fossils. The study’s authors are from North Carolina State University—a world leader in this area. They wrote,
Still soft, hollow, flexible structures mo... More...
New species that are 100% dinosaur continue to be discovered by paleontologists with increasing frequency. One such recent discovery, described as “both the oldest and most complete skeleton of [the pachycephalosaur] group found to date,”1 has generated interest within the scientific community.
The specimen, named Zavacephale rinpoche, was found in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert and is dated to approxi... More...