MI weekly selection #592
How did the brain of Vesuvius victim turn into glass?
A victim of the Vesuvius volcano eruption in 79 CE experienced a unique condition when his brain turned into glass. Researchers determined that the brain was subjected to temperatures over 510 degrees Celsius, followed by rapid cooling that kept “the ultra-fine neural structure of the brain,” researchers wrote.
Full Story: ScienceAlert
Skeletons evolved before feathers in flightless birds
A study highlights how birds such as penguins and ostriches evolved to be flightless, with the research showing that skeletal changes happen before feathers adapt, providing a framework for identifying flightlessness in extinct birds. This work also enhances the understanding of avian evolutionary processes and the role of environmental adaptation.
Full Story: Earth
A Neanderthal population bottleneck
A team of researchers has identified a genetic bottleneck in Neanderthals approximately 110,000 years ago that may have weakened their resilience to environmental challenges, contributing to their extinction. Researchers used CT scans to examine the semicircular canals in Neanderthal skulls, finding a notable reduction in variation in later Neanderthals.
Full Story: Live Science
How the river shaped Colorado Plateau
Researchers used luminescence and isochron dating to analyze river terraces and uncover details on how Colorado River incision shaped the Colorado Plateau. A rapid erosion followed a significant pause in incision from 1.8 million to around 350,000 years ago, according to the study, which highlights base-level changes as a key factor in creating the Grand Canyon and other dramatic landscapes in the region.
Full Story: Eos
New study challenges the long-standing Peto’s paradox
A study challenges the long-known observation called Peto’s paradox by showing that larger animals like elephants and giraffes actually experience higher cancer rates compared to smaller creatures like mice. The study, which analyzed a dataset of 263 different species, highlighted outliers such as the cancer-resistant naked mole rat and suggests evolutionary adaptations have enabled some species to develop robust defenses against the disease.
Full Story: ZME Science