Life Science:
Fish Fossils Shed Light on Origin of Jaws
Several fossil specimens of a Cambrian fish called Metaspriggina walcotti recently
discovered in Canada shed new light on the development of the earliest
vertebrates, including the origin of jaws.
The details in the fossils are stunning; even the eyes are beautifully
preserved and clearly evident. The
fossils, which date from 505 million years ago, also show pairs of
exceptionally well-preserved arches near the front of the fish’s body. These arches have long been known to have
played a key role in the evolution of vertebrates, including the origin of
jaws. Until now, however, a lack of
quality fossils has meant that the arrangement of these arches in the first
vertebrates had been hypothetical. So here
we have another example where a prediction is actually verified by observation
— a hallmark of science.) The first of
the pairs or arches, closest to the head, eventually led to the evolution of
jaws in vertebrates. Also, the
arrangement of the muscles shows that Metaspriggina
walcotti were active swimmers, not unlike a trout, and the animals saw the
world through a pair of large eyes and sensed their surrounding environment
with nasal structures.
http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/science-fish-fossils-metaspriggina-walcotti-origin-jaws-01986.html
http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/science-fish-fossils-metaspriggina-walcotti-origin-jaws-01986.html
Earth Science:
Canadian Scientists Discover Northernmost
Perennial Spring
A team of researchers has announced the discovery
of the earth’s highest latitude perennial spring, located in the polar desert
of the Canadian High Arctic. The Ice
River Spring demonstrates that deep groundwater circulation through the
cryosphere occurs, and can form gullies in a region of extreme low temperatures
and with morphology remarkably similar to those on Mars. Recordings show that this spring flows
year-round, even during 24 hours of darkness in the winter months, when air
temperatures are as low as –50°C (–58°F).
Climate Change:
Earth Has Its Warmest May
on Record
Two of the leading centers that track global surface temperatures have
reported their data for May, and they both found it to be the warmest such
month on record for the planet. NASA
found that May had an average global temperature that was 1.38 degrees Fahrenheit
above average, which would make it the warmest such month, coming out far ahead
of May 2012. The Japanese Meteorological
Agency's separate analysis also found both May and the meteorological spring
months of March through May to be the warmest on record. Later this week, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will release their global numbers, which
typically closely match the other centers’.
http://mashable.com/2014/06/17/earth-warmest-may-spring/
http://mashable.com/2014/06/17/earth-warmest-may-spring/
Physical Science and
Technology:
Silicon Could Be Replaced By Carbon Nanotubes
in Many Circuits
When it
comes to electronics, silicon will now have to share the spotlight. Researchers have developed a flexible,
energy-efficient circuit using carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes consist of carbon atoms
arranged into microscopic tubes. These
could take the place of silicon as the traditional material used in electronic
chips, since carbon nanotubes are more transparent, flexible, and lower cost. The potential applications for this kind of
integrated circuitry are numerous, including light-emitting diodes, digital
circuits, radio frequency identification tags, sensors, and wearable
electronics. Even heads-up displays on vehicle dashboards could soon be a
reality. The new technology also has
medical applications. To obtain medical
information from a patient such as heart rate or brainwave data, stiff
electrode objects are placed on several fixed locations on the patient's body.
With this new flexible circuit, electrodes could be placed all over the
patient's body with just a single large but flexible object.
Astronomy:
Galaxy Images Extended to Ultraviolet
Astronomers
previously captured long-exposure photos of galaxies in the direction of the
constellation Fornax in visible and infrared light. Galaxies were revealed that are so far away
that the light we see today left those galaxies over 10 billion years ago. Now new photos have been acquired in the
ultraviolet part of the spectrum, which reveal the formation process of
galaxies, particularly at their younger stages.
The previous lack of information from ultraviolet light made studying
the galaxies like trying to understand the history of families without knowing
about the grade-school children. The addition of the ultraviolet fills in this
missing range.
Science & Society
Thirst for water moves and shakes California
In California’s Central Valley, removing
groundwater to irrigate crops may trigger small earthquakes and uplift nearby
mountains. California’s thirst for water
is creating unrest. During the dry season, tiny earthquakes rattle the state. And GPS measurements show that its mountains
have begun creeping higher, bit by bit.
Scientists have linked the two phenomena to the heavy pumping of water
from natural reserves below California’s Central Valley. The groundwater provides drinking water and
irrigates some of the country’s most productive farms. All that water has a lot of mass. The ground
acts similar to a mattress after you get out of bed. So removing all that water weight from beneath
the Central Valley has allowed the ground nearby to rise back up. In California, that upward movement has taken
the surrounding mountains with it.
https://student.societyforscience.org/article/thirst-water-moves-and-shakes-california
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