ExtantScience
@extantscience.bsky.social
Science magazine covering the living, breathing world of science: Extantscience.substack.com
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ExtantScience
@extantscience.bsky.social
· Nov 15
Newsletter 10/7/24 - Monday Science Update
Space bacteria, arctic cannibalism, Keanu Reeves endorses pseudo-archaeology, Neanderthal-Homo sapiens "interbreeding zones," and more!
open.substack.com
Space bacteria, arctic cannibalism, Keanu Reeves endorses pseudo-archaeology, and more! open.substack.com/pub/extantsc...
Reposted by ExtantScience
Tiny life-forms with bright colors might point the way to big dinosaur bone discoveries.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/lichen-dinosaur-fossils
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/lichen-dinosaur-fossils
This bright orange life-form could point to new dino discoveries
Colorful lichen living on dinosaur bones reflect infrared light that can be detected by drones, which might lead to finds in remote areas.
www.sciencenews.org
November 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Tiny life-forms with bright colors might point the way to big dinosaur bone discoveries.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/lichen-dinosaur-fossils
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/lichen-dinosaur-fossils
Reposted by ExtantScience
Today, the deserts of the Arabian peninsula are inhospitable – but 100,000 years ago, the area was full of animals and ancient humans
Ancient human artefacts found near caves in Arabian desert
Today, the deserts of the Arabian peninsula are inhospitable – but 100,000 years ago, the area was full of animals and ancient humans
www.newscientist.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Today, the deserts of the Arabian peninsula are inhospitable – but 100,000 years ago, the area was full of animals and ancient humans
Reposted by ExtantScience
Springer Nature tells @jacksonwryan.com that Scientific Reports paper about autism with the nonsensical figure will be retracted.
nobreakthroughs.substack.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Springer Nature tells @jacksonwryan.com that Scientific Reports paper about autism with the nonsensical figure will be retracted.
Reposted by ExtantScience
Monument from the mountain of Cerro Patlachique, south of Teotihuacan, depicting a jaguar clutching a bleeding heart #JaguarDay
A common depiction throughout Teotihuacan, it suggests the mountain was sacred to the powerful Mesoamerican city-state.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
A common depiction throughout Teotihuacan, it suggests the mountain was sacred to the powerful Mesoamerican city-state.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
November 29, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Monument from the mountain of Cerro Patlachique, south of Teotihuacan, depicting a jaguar clutching a bleeding heart #JaguarDay
A common depiction throughout Teotihuacan, it suggests the mountain was sacred to the powerful Mesoamerican city-state.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
A common depiction throughout Teotihuacan, it suggests the mountain was sacred to the powerful Mesoamerican city-state.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
Reposted by ExtantScience
Scientists find fossil-loving lichen might act as a beacon for new dino discoveries.
The new research used drones to detect light reflected by colorful lichen species that prefer to inhabit dinosaur bones in the Canadian badlands.
#Paleontology #Lichenology
🏺🧪
New at @sciencenews.bsky.social
The new research used drones to detect light reflected by colorful lichen species that prefer to inhabit dinosaur bones in the Canadian badlands.
#Paleontology #Lichenology
🏺🧪
New at @sciencenews.bsky.social
This bright orange life-form could point to new dino discoveries
Colorful lichen living on dinosaur bones reflect infrared light that can be detected by drones, which might lead to finds in remote areas.
www.sciencenews.org
November 29, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Scientists find fossil-loving lichen might act as a beacon for new dino discoveries.
The new research used drones to detect light reflected by colorful lichen species that prefer to inhabit dinosaur bones in the Canadian badlands.
#Paleontology #Lichenology
🏺🧪
New at @sciencenews.bsky.social
The new research used drones to detect light reflected by colorful lichen species that prefer to inhabit dinosaur bones in the Canadian badlands.
#Paleontology #Lichenology
🏺🧪
New at @sciencenews.bsky.social
Reposted by ExtantScience
An enigmatic group of fossil organisms has finally been identified—and is changing the story of how plants took root on land
This Fossil Is Rewriting the Story of How Plants Spread across the Planet
An enigmatic group of fossil organisms has finally been identified—and is changing the story of how plants took root on land
www.scientificamerican.com
November 25, 2025 at 2:02 PM
An enigmatic group of fossil organisms has finally been identified—and is changing the story of how plants took root on land
Reposted by ExtantScience
A new analysis suggests lichen evolved millions of years earlier than previously believed.
The discovery shows that fungi-algae symbiotes might have helped pave the way for early land-dwelling plants to successfully colonize Earth.
🏺🧪
#Paleontology #Lichenology
New at @sciam.bsky.social
The discovery shows that fungi-algae symbiotes might have helped pave the way for early land-dwelling plants to successfully colonize Earth.
🏺🧪
#Paleontology #Lichenology
New at @sciam.bsky.social
This Fossil Is Rewriting the Story of How Plants Spread across the Planet
An enigmatic group of fossil organisms has finally been identified—and is changing the story of how plants took root on land
www.scientificamerican.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:05 PM
A new analysis suggests lichen evolved millions of years earlier than previously believed.
The discovery shows that fungi-algae symbiotes might have helped pave the way for early land-dwelling plants to successfully colonize Earth.
🏺🧪
#Paleontology #Lichenology
New at @sciam.bsky.social
The discovery shows that fungi-algae symbiotes might have helped pave the way for early land-dwelling plants to successfully colonize Earth.
🏺🧪
#Paleontology #Lichenology
New at @sciam.bsky.social
Reposted by ExtantScience
Scientists can analyze tree rings from coffins for clues to past climates. https://scim.ag/43AUj2n
Tree rings from ancient coffins offer clues to Earth’s past
Wood from gravesites can help reconstruct historic temperatures, floods, and droughts
scim.ag
November 5, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Scientists can analyze tree rings from coffins for clues to past climates. https://scim.ag/43AUj2n
Reposted by ExtantScience
McGraths Flat is an incredible fossil site in New South Wales that reveals Australia’s rich tropical past.
In a new study, scientists discover what caused the area’s exceptional fossilization—and where similar fossil sites might be unearthed.
#Paleontology #Lagerstatte
🧪🏺
New for @science.org
In a new study, scientists discover what caused the area’s exceptional fossilization—and where similar fossil sites might be unearthed.
#Paleontology #Lagerstatte
🧪🏺
New for @science.org
Australia’s red rocks hold mysteriously detailed fossils. We finally know how they formed
Chemical analysis could help predict locations of other ancient sites with impeccable fossils
www.science.org
November 4, 2025 at 7:02 PM
McGraths Flat is an incredible fossil site in New South Wales that reveals Australia’s rich tropical past.
In a new study, scientists discover what caused the area’s exceptional fossilization—and where similar fossil sites might be unearthed.
#Paleontology #Lagerstatte
🧪🏺
New for @science.org
In a new study, scientists discover what caused the area’s exceptional fossilization—and where similar fossil sites might be unearthed.
#Paleontology #Lagerstatte
🧪🏺
New for @science.org
Reposted by ExtantScience
Researchers find that discarded cigarette butts in parks are hotspots of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens and may act as an overlooked source of health risks in a public setting. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/cycX50XkuZP
October 30, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Researchers find that discarded cigarette butts in parks are hotspots of antibiotic resistance genes and pathogens and may act as an overlooked source of health risks in a public setting. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/cycX50XkuZP
Reposted by ExtantScience
Scientists are turning to tree rings from ancient coffins to glean novel insights into our past.
Beyond withered corpses and grave goods, the buried woods reveal unparalleled details about historic temperatures, droughts, and floods.
#Dendrochronology #Paleoclimatology
New at @science.org 🧪🏺
Beyond withered corpses and grave goods, the buried woods reveal unparalleled details about historic temperatures, droughts, and floods.
#Dendrochronology #Paleoclimatology
New at @science.org 🧪🏺
Tree rings from ancient coffins offer clues to Earth’s past
Wood from gravesites can help reconstruct historic temperatures, floods, and droughts
www.science.org
October 30, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Scientists are turning to tree rings from ancient coffins to glean novel insights into our past.
Beyond withered corpses and grave goods, the buried woods reveal unparalleled details about historic temperatures, droughts, and floods.
#Dendrochronology #Paleoclimatology
New at @science.org 🧪🏺
Beyond withered corpses and grave goods, the buried woods reveal unparalleled details about historic temperatures, droughts, and floods.
#Dendrochronology #Paleoclimatology
New at @science.org 🧪🏺
Reposted by ExtantScience
An analysis of over 5,000 fossils found dung beetles developed a taste for fetid meat significantly earlier than previously believed.
The 37-million-year-old discovery suggests fierce fecal competition drove some species to start eating flesh.
#Paleontology #FossilFriday
🧪🏺
New for @science.org
The 37-million-year-old discovery suggests fierce fecal competition drove some species to start eating flesh.
#Paleontology #FossilFriday
🧪🏺
New for @science.org
How poop-eating beetles evolved to eat rotting flesh
Analysis of thousands of fossils pushes back change in beetles’ diets by more than 37 million years
www.science.org
October 17, 2025 at 10:28 PM
An analysis of over 5,000 fossils found dung beetles developed a taste for fetid meat significantly earlier than previously believed.
The 37-million-year-old discovery suggests fierce fecal competition drove some species to start eating flesh.
#Paleontology #FossilFriday
🧪🏺
New for @science.org
The 37-million-year-old discovery suggests fierce fecal competition drove some species to start eating flesh.
#Paleontology #FossilFriday
🧪🏺
New for @science.org
Reposted by ExtantScience
Scientists just found several fossil bumblebees covered in pollen that directly matches fossil flowers nearby.
The 24-million-year-old discovery reveals the oldest known evidence connecting pollinators to the pollinated.
#Paleontology #NationalFossilDay
🧪🏺
New at @sciencenews.bsky.social
The 24-million-year-old discovery reveals the oldest known evidence connecting pollinators to the pollinated.
#Paleontology #NationalFossilDay
🧪🏺
New at @sciencenews.bsky.social
These ancient bumblebees were found with their pollen source
Insects have long pollinated plants, but evidence of ancient pairing is rare. Fossils now show bees and linden trees goes back 24 million years.
www.sciencenews.org
October 15, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Scientists just found several fossil bumblebees covered in pollen that directly matches fossil flowers nearby.
The 24-million-year-old discovery reveals the oldest known evidence connecting pollinators to the pollinated.
#Paleontology #NationalFossilDay
🧪🏺
New at @sciencenews.bsky.social
The 24-million-year-old discovery reveals the oldest known evidence connecting pollinators to the pollinated.
#Paleontology #NationalFossilDay
🧪🏺
New at @sciencenews.bsky.social
Reposted by ExtantScience
About 120 million years ago, a pterosaur fell from the sky and died in a pond. A layer of sediment washed over it, preserving not only its skeleton, but also its stomach.
The resulting fossil is the first pterosaur ever found with a belly full of plants. #NationalFossilDay https://scim.ag/4hbaedc
The resulting fossil is the first pterosaur ever found with a belly full of plants. #NationalFossilDay https://scim.ag/4hbaedc
October 15, 2025 at 4:51 PM
About 120 million years ago, a pterosaur fell from the sky and died in a pond. A layer of sediment washed over it, preserving not only its skeleton, but also its stomach.
The resulting fossil is the first pterosaur ever found with a belly full of plants. #NationalFossilDay https://scim.ag/4hbaedc
The resulting fossil is the first pterosaur ever found with a belly full of plants. #NationalFossilDay https://scim.ag/4hbaedc
Reposted by ExtantScience
A study of the Classic Period Maya sheds light on conditions that give rise to cities. Collective projects of agricultural irrigation and defense during an arid era were likely catalysts. As environmental conditions improved, the cities fell. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/9TJq50XaCPB
October 14, 2025 at 6:40 PM
A study of the Classic Period Maya sheds light on conditions that give rise to cities. Collective projects of agricultural irrigation and defense during an arid era were likely catalysts. As environmental conditions improved, the cities fell. In PNAS: https://ow.ly/9TJq50XaCPB
Reposted by ExtantScience
Mushrooms from the genus Psilocybe can provoke psychedelic experiences thanks to compounds including psilocybin.
A new study finds that within another genus of “magic” mushrooms, psilocybin is synthesized using a completely different chemical pathway. https://scim.ag/47hEBv1
A new study finds that within another genus of “magic” mushrooms, psilocybin is synthesized using a completely different chemical pathway. https://scim.ag/47hEBv1
In mind-bending twist, ‘magic’ mushrooms evolved twice independently
Study identifies entirely new suite of enzymes that can make psilocybin
www.science.org
October 14, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Mushrooms from the genus Psilocybe can provoke psychedelic experiences thanks to compounds including psilocybin.
A new study finds that within another genus of “magic” mushrooms, psilocybin is synthesized using a completely different chemical pathway. https://scim.ag/47hEBv1
A new study finds that within another genus of “magic” mushrooms, psilocybin is synthesized using a completely different chemical pathway. https://scim.ag/47hEBv1
Reposted by ExtantScience
Carloman I and Charlemagne were crowned kings of the Franks #OnThisDay in AD 768. Charlemagne in particular had a profound influence on the Middle Ages and much coinage across north-west Europe was made of Carolingian silver due to his economic reforms.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
October 9, 2025 at 9:45 AM
Carloman I and Charlemagne were crowned kings of the Franks #OnThisDay in AD 768. Charlemagne in particular had a profound influence on the Middle Ages and much coinage across north-west Europe was made of Carolingian silver due to his economic reforms.
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
Reposted by ExtantScience
Ancient fire starters for #FirePreventionDay 🔥
At the #Maya site of Ucanal, Guatemala the ritual burning of royal remains appears to have been an intentional, public act of desecration, signifying a revolutionary political regime change.
Learn more 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
At the #Maya site of Ucanal, Guatemala the ritual burning of royal remains appears to have been an intentional, public act of desecration, signifying a revolutionary political regime change.
Learn more 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
October 9, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Ancient fire starters for #FirePreventionDay 🔥
At the #Maya site of Ucanal, Guatemala the ritual burning of royal remains appears to have been an intentional, public act of desecration, signifying a revolutionary political regime change.
Learn more 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
At the #Maya site of Ucanal, Guatemala the ritual burning of royal remains appears to have been an intentional, public act of desecration, signifying a revolutionary political regime change.
Learn more 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🏺 #Archaeology
Reposted by ExtantScience
Scientists recently found two evolutionarily distinct mushrooms converged to produce the same psychedelic molecule—psilocybin.
The “surprising” results underscore the significance of the hallucinogen but leave questions about its ultimate purpose.
#Psilocybe #MagicMushrooms
New at @science.org 🧪🏺
The “surprising” results underscore the significance of the hallucinogen but leave questions about its ultimate purpose.
#Psilocybe #MagicMushrooms
New at @science.org 🧪🏺
In mind-bending twist, ‘magic’ mushrooms evolved twice independently
Study identifies entirely new suite of enzymes that can make psilocybin
www.science.org
October 9, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Scientists recently found two evolutionarily distinct mushrooms converged to produce the same psychedelic molecule—psilocybin.
The “surprising” results underscore the significance of the hallucinogen but leave questions about its ultimate purpose.
#Psilocybe #MagicMushrooms
New at @science.org 🧪🏺
The “surprising” results underscore the significance of the hallucinogen but leave questions about its ultimate purpose.
#Psilocybe #MagicMushrooms
New at @science.org 🧪🏺
Reposted by ExtantScience
Hunter-gatherers may have used engravings to find water in the parched deserts of the Arabian Peninsula 12,000 years ago. https://scim.ag/4nql413
Prehistoric camel art pointed to precious water sources in the Arabian Desert
Hunter-gatherers may have used the engravings to find water 12,000 years ago
scim.ag
October 1, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Hunter-gatherers may have used engravings to find water in the parched deserts of the Arabian Peninsula 12,000 years ago. https://scim.ag/4nql413
Reposted by ExtantScience
The first leech body fossil predates estimated hirudinidan origins by 200 million years @peerj.bsky.social
The first leech body fossil predates estimated hirudinidan origins by 200 million years
Clitellata is a major annelid clade comprising oligochaetes (e.g., earthworms) and hirudineans (e.g., leeches). Due to their scant fossil record, the origins of clitellates, particularly Hirudinea, are poorly known. Here, we describe the first leech body fossil, Macromyzon siluricus, gen. et sp. nov., from the Brandon Bridge Formation (Waukesha Lagerstätte). This fossil, which is preserved in exceptional detail, possesses several hirudinean soft-tissue synapomorphies–including a large sucker at the posterior end and sub-divided segments–and phylogenetic analyses resolve Macromyzon siluricus as a stem leech. Its age, 437.5–436.5 Ma, is consistent with early age estimates for the origin of clitellates, and predates molecular-clock-based estimates of hirudinidan origins by at least 200 million years. These findings suggest that the earliest true leeches were marine and that, contrary to prevailing hypotheses, were unlikely to have fed on vertebrate blood.
dlvr.it
October 1, 2025 at 1:18 PM
The first leech body fossil predates estimated hirudinidan origins by 200 million years @peerj.bsky.social
Reposted by ExtantScience
In this issue: Pre-Neolithic mummification in southeastern Asia, rapid-charging and temperature-tolerant solid-state batteries, and public health effects of time policy shifts. In PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
October 2, 2025 at 3:57 PM
In this issue: Pre-Neolithic mummification in southeastern Asia, rapid-charging and temperature-tolerant solid-state batteries, and public health effects of time policy shifts. In PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Reposted by ExtantScience
Two colorful contenders in today’s #MinCup25 semifinal, but we just ❤️ the essence of #tugtupite.
Er, make that the "-escents" of tugtupite—fluorescent, phosphorescent, and tenebrescent. Tough to compete with all that.
Er, make that the "-escents" of tugtupite—fluorescent, phosphorescent, and tenebrescent. Tough to compete with all that.
#MinCup25 Semifinals 2: Beautiful optics are in play for our last semifinal round between reindeer blood #tugtupite and desert queen #dioptase.
Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r4...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...
Vote: www.mineralcup.org/2025/vote/r4...
Results: www.mineralcup.org/2025/results...
Vote in Semifinal 2 — Mineral Cup
Click here to vote in Tugtupite vs Dioptase Photo credits: Parent Géry and Michael Roarke
www.mineralcup.org
September 30, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Two colorful contenders in today’s #MinCup25 semifinal, but we just ❤️ the essence of #tugtupite.
Er, make that the "-escents" of tugtupite—fluorescent, phosphorescent, and tenebrescent. Tough to compete with all that.
Er, make that the "-escents" of tugtupite—fluorescent, phosphorescent, and tenebrescent. Tough to compete with all that.
Reposted by ExtantScience
New research finds that 12,000-year-old camel art in Saudi Arabia’s Nefud Desert once marked ancient water sources.
Hunter-gatherers may have used the ephemeral water bodies to penetrate deeper into the barren landscape.
#RockArt #Archaeology
New for @science.org 🧪🏺
Hunter-gatherers may have used the ephemeral water bodies to penetrate deeper into the barren landscape.
#RockArt #Archaeology
New for @science.org 🧪🏺
Prehistoric camel art pointed to precious water sources in the Arabian Desert
Hunter-gatherers may have used the engravings to find water 12,000 years ago
www.science.org
September 30, 2025 at 3:26 PM
New research finds that 12,000-year-old camel art in Saudi Arabia’s Nefud Desert once marked ancient water sources.
Hunter-gatherers may have used the ephemeral water bodies to penetrate deeper into the barren landscape.
#RockArt #Archaeology
New for @science.org 🧪🏺
Hunter-gatherers may have used the ephemeral water bodies to penetrate deeper into the barren landscape.
#RockArt #Archaeology
New for @science.org 🧪🏺
Reposted by ExtantScience
The fossil is the first of its kind found with skin and partially webbed feet.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-reptile-fossilized-skin
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-reptile-fossilized-skin
An ancient reptile’s fossilized skin reveals how it swam like a seal
A reptile fossil is the first of its kind with skin and partially webbed feet, possibly showing how later species like plesiosaurs adapted to water.
www.sciencenews.org
September 26, 2025 at 9:10 PM
The fossil is the first of its kind found with skin and partially webbed feet.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-reptile-fossilized-skin
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ancient-reptile-fossilized-skin