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Dinosaurs and extinction are two ideas inextricably linked in my mind, largely thanks to the famous meteor that brought about dinos’ demise. But it was in the wake of an earlier mass extinction event about 250 million years ago that dinosaurs really got their toehold in the world.
How the dinosaurs that evolved from a few lucky survivors of what scientists call the Great Dying came to dominate the Earth has been a bit of a mystery.
Kristi Curry Rogers, a vertebrate paleontologist at Macalester College, and her colleagues decided to look for clues within fossilized bones. They were interested in animals’ growth rates: Could growing quickly be one of the factors, when “combined with luck, that finally allowed dinosaurs to rise and rule?” Probably, Rogers writes – but they weren’t the only creatures at that time with the same grow-fast strategy.
Also in this week’s science news:
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Eoraptor lunensis lived roughly 230 million years ago, at a time when dinosaurs were small and rare.
Jordan Harris courtesy of Kristi Curry Rogers
Kristi Curry Rogers, Macalester College
By examining fossilized bone tissue, a new study finds rapid growth was an asset for survivors of the Great Dying 250 million years ago, Earth’s largest mass extinction event.
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Massive dying stars emit large amounts of radiation.
NASA/ESA/Hubble SM4 ERO Team via AP
Chris Impey, University of Arizona
Some ancient texts record what were likely dying stars, faintly visible from Earth. If close enough, these events can disturb telescopes and even damage the ozone layer.
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A genetic match to an ancient person doesn’t mean you’re more related genealogically.
Mark Edward Atkinson/Tetra Images via Getty Images
Shai Carmi, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Harald Ringbauer, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
Genealogical and genetic ancestors aren’t the same thing. A DNA match − or a lack of one − may not tell you what you imagine it does about your family tree.
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Robin Chataut, Quinnipiac University
The 485 multiterabit-per-second undersea data cables that span the world’s oceans link the globe and maintain the digital realm.
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Jason Sawyer, Bryant University
Both high- and moderate-intensity exercise provides similar overall health benefits.
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Richard Forno, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Chinese state-sponsored hackers are targeting critical infrastructure. Here’s what they’re doing, how the US government is responding and how you can help.
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Dana R. Fisher, American University
Not all activists are in the media spotlight, but they’re crucial to promoting action to slow climate change.
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Giridhar Kalamangalam, University of Florida
Some scientists theorize that artificial intelligence may be able to deduce thoughts from EEGs.
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James Morton Turner, Wellesley College
New charts and data show how corporate demand could boost clean energy investment in regions where renewable energy potential is strong but wind and solar power have lagged.
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Mary Hagedorn, Smithsonian Institution
Just as the world’s zoos breed critically endangered animals in captivity to repopulate the wild, scientists are building a global effort to freeze corals for reef restoration.
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Ned Randolph, Tulane University
Carbon capture is turning the oil and gas industry into a critical player for mitigating climate change – while its products continue to heat up the planet.
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