MADRID ,Spain (AFP) — A new species of bat has been discovered in wooded areas of Europe, an international team of researchers said on Tuesday, as well as another “very rare” species that lives in caves in North Africa. The findings add to the family of roughly a thousand species of bats, an order of mammals which are capable of transmitting and receiving ultrasound, allowing them to fly and navigate in total darkness. The new […]
Tag: Discovery
New Universe map unearths 300,000 more galaxies
by Patrick GALEY Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — The known Universe just got a lot bigger. A new map of the night sky published Tuesday charts hundreds of thousands of previously unknown galaxies discovered using a telescope that can detect light sources optical instruments cannot see. The international team behind the unprecedented space survey said their discovery literally shed new light on some of the Universe’s deepest secrets, including the physics of black […]
‘Super-Earth’ discovered orbiting Sun’s nearest star
by Patrick Galey Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — A “super-Earth” has been discovered orbiting the closest single star to our Sun, scientists said Wednesday in a breakthrough that could shine a light on Earth’s nearest planetary neighbours. Astronomers studied Barnard’s Star, a red dwarf just six light years away — practically in our back garden, galactically speaking — and noticed the presence of a “frozen, dimly lit world” at least 3.2 times heavier […]
World’s oldest intact shipwreck found in Black Sea
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — An ancient Greek trading ship dating back more than 2,400 years has been found virtually intact at the bottom of the Black Sea, researchers said on Tuesday. The vessel is one of more than 60 shipwrecks identified by the Black Sea Maritime Archaeology Project including Roman ships and a 17th-century Cossack raiding fleet. During the three-year project, researchers used specialist remote deep-water camera systems previously used in offshore oil and […]
Egypt unearths one of oldest Nile Delta villages
CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — One of the oldest villages in the Nile Delta has been discovered after archaeologists unearthed artifacts dating to the fifth millennium BC, Egypt’s antiquities ministry has said. Remains of the village were uncovered by a French-Egyptian team at Tel Samara, in northeastern Egypt, the ministry said Sunday. Similar structures dating to the period between 4,200 BC and 2,900 BC “have never been found in that region,” said Ayman Ashmawy, the ministry’s […]
New Zealand sinkhole reveals glimpse into 60,000-year-old volcano
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — A new sinkhole on a North Island farm as deep as four double-decker buses and almost the length of two football fields has grabbed the attention of New Zealand volcanologists. The chasm appeared after heavy rainfall near the town of Rotorua and left a jagged scar on the landscape, exposing rock deposits from 60,000 years ago. Experts believe rain dissolved underground limestone over thousands of years, eventually causing the ground to […]
First fluorescent frog found in Argentina
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AFP) — The first naturally fluorescent frog was discovered recently in Argentina — almost by chance, a member of the team of researchers told AFP Thursday. Argentine and Brazilian scientists at the Bernardino Rivadaiva Natural Sciences Museum made the discovery while studying the metabolic origin of pigments in a tree-frog species common to South America. Under normal light the frog’s translucent skin is a muted yellowish-brown color with red dots, but when the […]
Complete skeleton of new marine reptile discovered in Mexico
MONTERREY, Mexico (Reuters) — Mexico’s arid desert area has revealed the well-preserved complete skeleton of a new marine reptile that is reportedly 93 million years old, revealing such details of tissue mass and scales previously unseen in other fossils. The reptile christened the Mauriciosaurus fernandezi was discovered in 2011 by former mayor Mauricio Fernandez in Vallecillo in northeastern Mexico, an area that was once a large ancient seaway. The fossilized remains of the ancient reptile reveal […]
Pre-incan pyramid discovered in Peru
ANCASH REGION, Peru (Reuters) — A newly uncovered pyramid structure in central Peru could upend the way researchers have thought of the area regarding its importance in Incan hierarchy. After a year of investigation, researchers say they believe the structure is what is known as an “ushnu.” Ushnus are terraced pyramid structures researchers believe were used by ancient local rulers during some of their most significant ceremonies in which they drank and gave liquid offerings […]
Antibodies found which ‘neutralise’ Zika virus: study
by Mariëtte Le Roux PARIS, France (AFP) — European scientists announced Thursday they had found antibodies which attack Zika, a discovery they hope will pave the way for a protective vaccine against the brain-damaging virus. The antibodies — frontline soldiers in the immune system — “efficiently neutralize” Zika in human cells in lab dishes, and are also effective against its cousin virus dengue, the team reported. The discovery “could lead to the development of a […]
Discovery of exoplanet sheds light on planet formation
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Astronomers announced Monday the discovery of the youngest planet ever found outside our solar system, lending new insight into how planetary systems form. The 11 million-year-old exoplanet, named K2-33b, swiftly orbits around its star — K2-33 — in just 5.4 days. The exoplanet’s existence suggests that planets can quickly finalize their orbital distances after forming. Astronomers have published details of their findings in the Astronomical Journal, a scientific review published […]
Recent discoveries of Mayan artifacts give archaeologists a glimpse into ancient daily life
MEXICO CITY, Mexico (Reuters) – Archaeologists said on Tuesday (April 5) they expect 180 artifacts unearthed from 14 sites near an ancient Mayan city known as T’hó, located in the Yucatan state capital of Merida, will shed light on pre-Hispanic life in southern Mexico. During a news conference held at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, archaeologists said the 14 peripheral sites are part of 223 sites located close to T’hó. Four of […]
