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Earth’s oceans are full of life and mysteries.
To better understand the ocean floor, enterprising marine scientists decided to tag tiger sharks with cameras as they patrol the shallow tropical waters of the Bahamas.
Thanks to data collected by these apex predators, researchers have uncovered the world’s largest known seagrass ecosystem, covering an area of about 35,000 square miles (92,000 square kilometers), according to a 2022 study. It is said to extend.
Dr. Austin Gallagher, a marine biologist and study co-author, recently told CNN that seagrasses store large amounts of carbon, which could be an important tool to help alleviate the climate crisis. Gallagher is the CEO of the research group Beneath the Waves.
And as scientists look back at Earth’s history, fossils are beginning to paint a portrait of other aquatic ecosystems from the past.
Researchers found unusual rock fragments sticking out of the ground near the Napo River in Peru’s Loreto region, pieced them together, and realized they were looking at something unexpected.
“We started screaming, ‘Dolphins!’ Dolphins!” said Aldo Benitez Palomino, a doctoral candidate in paleontology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
A newly identified dolphin species lived in freshwater lakes in the Peruvian Amazon 16 million years ago. And the creature was about 11 feet (3.2 meters) long, twice the size of some humans.
This discovery helps fill in the gaps in the evolutionary history of freshwater dolphins, which are incredibly rare in the fossil record.
Genetic material recovered from the tomb of a 6th century Chinese emperor has allowed scientists to create a 3D reconstruction of the emperor’s face.
Emperor Wu ruled China from 560 to 580, unifying northern China during a period of turmoil when dynasties rose and fell rapidly.
The cause of Wu’s death, who died suddenly at the age of 36, could not be determined, but ancient DNA analysis revealed that he had a genetic susceptibility to stroke.
Most intriguing to the researchers was that Wu belonged to a little-studied nomadic group called the Xianbei, who lived across modern-day Mongolia and northeastern China.
On April 8, astrophotographer Stan Honda will be stationed in Fredericksburg, Texas, equipped with four cameras to document the total solar eclipse.
And Honda offers tips for anyone looking to capture historic celestial events in photos, whether they’re using a DSLR camera or a smartphone. Use a safe sun filter on your camera and never look at the sun through a camera without a filter, even if you are wearing eclipse glasses.
Honda recommends using manual focus to capture the different phases of the eclipse, including the “diamond ring” effect where the moon slowly blocks the sun’s light.
Experts also warn against counterfeit eclipse glasses on the market. Here’s how to test your glasses to make sure they’re safe and everything you need to know about eye safety before a solar eclipse.
And now it’s the countdown to April 8th! Mark your Apple iCal or Outlook, Google, or Office365 calendar for the date of the total solar eclipse, which will be broadcast live by CNN.
The Marble Tomb in Mount Vernon, Virginia is the final resting place of George Washington, the first president of the United States. However, questions remain about the fate of some of his family members, including Washington’s brother Samuel, who died in 1781.
He and 19 other members of the Washington family were buried in the cemetery at Samuel’s Harewood estate near Charles Town, West Virginia. Some tombs, including Samuel’s, were unmarked, likely to deter grave robbers.
Now, researchers have taken remains excavated from Harewood in 1999 and used new DNA analysis techniques to identify two of Samuel’s grandchildren and their mother.
The location of Samuel’s grave remains shrouded in mystery, but modern technology could help identify the unknown remains of those who served in the military.
Meanwhile, new excavations in Pompeii have uncovered the site of house renovations that may have been carried out during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
Inside the mansion, archaeologists found a pile of building materials near the reception area, which was decorated with mythological paintings.
This site details Roman building techniques used thousands of years ago that are still applicable today, including sustainable materials and recipes for strengthening concrete.
Separately, researchers discovered what Francesca Giarelli, head of sites at the Red River Archaeological Group, called a “remarkable” complex of Roman villas in a village in England’s Oxfordshire county. It also contained a collection of small, tightly wound lead scrolls.
Grab your favorite beverage this weekend and settle in with some insightful reading below.
— An astonishing archive of human brains dating back hundreds to thousands of years is changing the way researchers understand the complexities of human health.
— Scientists believe they have discovered a volcano taller than Mount Everest on the surface of Mars — and the oddly shaped formation has likely been hidden in obscurity for decades.
— Germany’s famous sausage dog, the dachshund, may be under threat in the country after a new bill could ban the breeding of dogs with “skeletal abnormalities.”
— Colorful paintings found in an ancient Egyptian cemetery show what daily life was like for people living south of Cairo 4,300 years ago.
Did you like what you read? Oh, but there’s more to it. Please register here Get the next issue of Wonder Theory from CNN’s space science writers in your inbox. ashley strickland and katie hunt. They find wonder in discovering planets and ancient worlds beyond our solar system.
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