Latest news with #Cambrian
India Today
a day ago
- Science
- India Today
Scientists discover 540-million-year-old secret that fuels life on Earth
A new study by Nasa scientists has revealed a deep, previously unrecognised connection between the ebb and flow of Earth's magnetic field and the rise and fall of atmospheric oxygen over the past 540 million years — a discovery that could reshape our understanding of what makes Earth magnetic field, generated by the swirling motion of molten iron in its core, acts as a vast shield, protecting the atmosphere from being stripped away by the relentless solar scientists have long speculated that this field is crucial for preserving the planet's life-sustaining gases, direct evidence linking magnetic field strength to oxygen levels has been elusive until now. By meticulously analysing two independent datasets — one recording ancient magnetic field strength in rocks and minerals, and the other tracking atmospheric oxygen through geochemical proxies — researchers found that the two have fluctuated in near lockstep since the Cambrian explosion, a period when complex life first flourished on in magnetic field intensity coincided with spikes in oxygen, while troughs in one matched dips in the other, with the strongest correlation occurring with virtually no time lag.'This is the first discovery we've ever had to establish the link between the geomagnetic field and the oxygen level,' said study coauthor Weijia Kuang, a geophysicist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The findings suggest that processes deep within Earth—such as the movement of continents or changes in the core—may simultaneously influence both the magnetic field and the chemical makeup of the only does this research offer new clues about how Earth has maintained the delicate balance needed for life, but it may also help scientists identify the conditions necessary for habitability on other the exact mechanisms behind this connection remain unclear, and researchers caution that more work is needed to unravel the complex interplay between Earth's interior dynamics and its surface scientists probe deeper into Earth's past, this discovery opens a fresh perspective on the forces that have shaped—and continue to sustain—life on our planet.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
520-million-year-old 3D preserved tiny fossil has the brain and nerves intact and it is shocking the scientists
Each newly discovered fossil adds a page to the history of living beings on Earth, and sometimes, a single page can change what we know so far. All creatures on this planet, including the Arthropods like insects, spiders, and crabs, have evolved into the complex multicellular creatures we know today. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Their early stages of evolution, especially during the Cambrian period, more than 500 million years ago, are quite difficult to study because only a few fossils from that time are preserved well enough to give a detailed anatomy of their body structures from the past. Most ancient fossils are flat, only two-dimensional imprints, giving us limited views of external shapes. But what if we could look inside an ancient creature to its brain, organs, even nerves that tell us about the evolution in progress? Recently, researchers have found a fossil from the Cambrian period that provides one of the most detailed looks at early arthropod anatomy. Youti Yuanshi fossil is from around 520 million years ago and is preserved in 3D. Despite being no larger than a poppy seed, it has given a look into some extraordinary internal features through advanced imaging techniques. named Organ systems of a Cambrian euarthropod larva, led by Dr. Martin Smith of Durham University, the research team examined Youti yuanshi using synchrotron X-ray tomography at the UK's national facility, Diamond Light Source. This allowed them to create detailed 3D models of the fossil without damaging it. According to Dr. Smith said in a press release, 'When I used to daydream about the one fossil I'd most like to discover, I'd always be thinking of an arthropod larva'. 'But larvae are so tiny and fragile, the chances of finding one fossilized are practically zero—or so I thought!' Unexpected anatomy from half a billion years ago The fossil showed many internal organs, including brain structures, digestive glands, and early signs of a circulatory system. The most surprising part was the traces of nerves leading to the creature's legs and eyes. 'I already knew that this simple worm-like fossil was something special,' Dr. Smith added, 'but when I saw the amazing structures preserved under its skin, my jaw just dropped—how could these intricate features have avoided decay and still be here to see half a billion years later?' This tells about how the arthropods developed over time According to reports by Dr. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Katherine Dobson of the University of Strathclyde said, 'It's always interesting to see what's inside a sample using 3D imaging, but in this incredibly tiny larva, natural fossilisation has achieved almost perfect preservation.' The fossil's internal brain structure, particularly the protocerebrum, provides important information on how arthropods developed segmented body parts and complex organs. Why does it matter for today's biodiversity? Youti Yuanshi doesn't just show us where insects came from; it helps us understand why biodiversity looks the way it does today. Fossils like this help scientists trace the roots of body plans that are still successful hundreds of millions of years later. It's a powerful reminder of how adaptable and innovative life can be through evolution.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists discover strong, unexpected link between Earth's magnetic field and oxygen levels
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Earth's magnetic field and oxygen levels are inextricably linked, new research suggests. The strength of the geomagnetic field has gone up in lockstep with the percentage of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere over the past 540 million years, a new study finds — but it remains unclear if one of these influences the other, or whether other unknown factors explain the link. "This is the first discovery we've ever had to establish the link between the geomagnetic field and the oxygen level," lead author Weijia Kuang, a senior scientist in the Geodesy and Geophysics Laboratory at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, told Live Science. Earth's magnetic field and oxygen levels have increased more or less in parallel since the start of the Cambrian period (541 million to 485.4 million years ago), and both factors spiked between 330 million and 220 million years ago, the results indicate. The research could help to narrow down requirements for life on other planets, Kuang and study co-author Ravi Kopparapu, a planetary scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, said in a joint video interview. It may be that the geomagnetic field controls oxygen levels, or vice versa — but there is another possible scenario, which is that both factors are related to a third geochemical or geophysical process that the researchers haven't yet pinpointed, Kuang said. For the new study, scientists used two independent datasets spanning the past 540 million years. One of the datasets showed atmospheric oxygen, derived from multiple indicators such as the abundance in sediments of fossilized charcoal, which remains after wildfires and gives clues about how much oxygen was available at a given time. The other dataset showed the strength of the geomagnetic field, derived from magnetic information that is recorded in ancient rocks and sediments. The researchers plotted these datasets against each other and found there was a strong correlation between them. If the geomagnetic field controls oxygen levels, its influence would likely be due to the protection it offers Earth's atmosphere against space weather. Previous research indicates that the geomagnetic field can prevent or reduce the escape or erosion of atmospheric molecules. The magnetic field also shields life on the planet, including plants that produce oxygen, from X-ray and extreme ultraviolet radiation. If, in contrast, atmospheric oxygen levels dictate the strength of Earth's magnetic field, then plate tectonics would play a central role. Plate tectonics is the process that continuously recycles Earth's crust into the mantle, which is the planetary layer that covers Earth's liquid outer core. Earth's geomagnetic field originates from currents in the outer core, so it's possible that the recycling of crustal material and oxygen into the mantle could impact the lower mantle, which could then affect the geomagnetic field, Kuang said. Related: Did plate tectonics give rise to life? Groundbreaking new research could crack Earth's deepest mystery. "Plate tectonics [...] will definitely impact the thermal and the dynamical conditions at the base of the mantle where it borders the liquid outer core," he said. "On the other hand, plate tectonics also impacts the cycling of chemicals and other elements from the interior to the surface, which certainly will impact oxygenation, or the production of oxygen." It's more likely that the geomagnetic field affects oxygen levels, rather than the other way round, Kuang said. That's because scientists know the geomagnetic field originates deep inside the planet and propagates to Earth's surface and into space. "The other direction is less well understood," he said. The third possible scenario is that another, separate process is pushing the geomagnetic field and oxygen levels in the same direction over time. The study's authors don't know what that process might be yet, but a spike that exists in both datasets may hold the answer. The spike coincides with the existence of the ancient supercontinent Pangaea, which formed about 320 million years ago and broke up about 195 million years ago. Due to the massive tectonic rearrangements involved, supercontinents might be the missing link between Earth's magnetic field and oxygen levels — but the evidence for this is still very tentative at this point, Kuang and Kopparapu cautioned. "This is one of the conjectures we didn't really put out strongly in our paper, but it is something we think is a very enticing mechanism for us to pursue," Kuang said. The reason the researchers held back with this idea is that they have robust data for only one supercontinent — Pangaea — and not the ones that came before, he said. RELATED STORIES —Earth's magnetic field formed before the planet's core, study suggests —Listen to haunting sounds of Earth's magnetic field flipping 41,000 years ago in eerie new animation —'A force more powerful than gravity within the Earth': How magnetism locked itself inside our planet "There seems to be some eye-sight correlation between oxygen and magnetic field and all the other supercontinents," Kopparapu said. "However, we don't have reliable data for oxygen [going farther back] than 540 million years, and so we are unable to make that kind of a conclusion for [farther back in time] and past supercontinents." The researchers are already working on the next step, which is to search for other geophysical and geochemical factors that might link to the geomagnetic field and oxygen levels. For this, the authors say communication and collaboration between scientists is of paramount importance. "One single mind cannot comprehend the whole system of the Earth," Kopparapu said. "We're like kids playing with Legos, with each of us having a separate Lego piece. We're trying to fit all of it together and see what's the big picture."
Powys County Times
12-06-2025
- Science
- Powys County Times
Insects never logged in Wales discovered at Powys hotel
INSECTS never previously logged in Wales have been discovered at a Powys hotel that has teamed up with a local volunteer group to transform its garden into a thriving biodiversity habitat. The Metropole Hotel & Spa in Llandrindod Wells has teamed up with Wild Llandrindod having been awarded a local places for nature grant by Powys County Council (PCC). Wild Llandrindod, a local volunteer group with 855 members that studies biodiversity and microbiology within the town, is helping the famous hotel turn its large solar panel garden into a thriving biodiversity habitat and sensory garden. 'The group has already found insects in our gardens that have never been logged before in Wales,' said Lauren Bingley, the Metropole's sales manager. 'Phase one of planting 150 wild thyme plants in between the solar panels is now completed and the next stage is the build of our habitat pods.' Lauren said that the two insects previously unrecorded in Wales are mites species which were found on an initial survey of the gardens by Dr Joseph Botting, a renowned local palaeontologist. He was recently in the news along with Dr Lucy Muir as they discovered a fossil which could help plug gaps in how evolution proceeded after the Cambrian explosion, roughly 541 million years ago. 'While the project is still in its early stages, we are keen to involve more people in the research, so if anybody is interested in contributing, please feel free to contact me directly,' added Lauren. 'We've also just begun a really promising conversation with Grace Marston, community wildlife officer at the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust. 'She's leading a project called 'Wilder Communities' and we are exploring how we might collaborate, particularly in finding ways to make use of other areas around the hotel to support urban wildlife. 'Grace is especially passionate about creating habitats in built-up spaces, so there's real potential for exciting developments here.' If you're interested in the project, email Lauren at salesmanager@
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Student discovers 500-million-year-old ‘Living Fossil' on science expedition-- here's what it is
Sometimes, the most extraordinary discoveries occur when one is not even looking for them, and nature surprises us by quietly hiding secrets in the most unexpected corners of the world. It reminds us that there's still so much we don't know about the Earth we live on. And occasionally, someone stumbles upon something that alters our perspective on the past and our vision of the future of life on our planet. That's exactly what happened in South Africa's dry and rugged Karoo region, where it is unexpected to find something ancient, soft-bodied, and hidden. What started as a simple exploration by a university student ended up becoming a major scientific discovery of a completely new species of velvet worm. In March 2022, Stellenbosch University student Rohan Barnard went on a routine exploration in the Swartberg Mountains, situated between Calitzdorp and Oudtshoorn. While turning over rocks in search of ants and reptiles, he stumbled upon a slate-black velvet worm that was lying beneath damp sand and leaf litter near a small river. Recognising how rare the creature was, Barnard documented it on the biodiversity observation app iNaturalist. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo This specimen was later identified as a new species, Peripatopsis barnardi, named in his honour. Living fossils from the Cambrian period Velvet worms, belonging to the phylum Onychophora, are often referred to as "living fossils." Their lineage dates back over 500 million years to the Cambrian period. With soft bodies and non-jointed legs, they have remained largely unchanged over time. The discovery of P. barnardi in the Karoo region suggests that this area was once more temperate and forested, providing a suitable habitat for such ancient species. The discovery tells about the ancient climate history of the region The presence of P. barnardi in the Karoo indicates that the region's current arid conditions are relatively recent. According to Prof. Savel Daniels, an evolutionary biologist from Stellenbosch University, the Cape Fold Mountains, where the species was found, were once part of a more temperate and sub-tropical environment during the early Miocene period. Over time, climatic shifts and tectonic events led to the area's current dry state, isolating species like the velvet worm and driving their evolution into distinct forms. The role of citizen science in biodiversity discovery By documenting and sharing observations, individuals can play a pivotal role in identifying new species and understanding ecological patterns. Prof. Daniels tells about the importance of such efforts, noting that many of South Africa's velvet worm species have been found through citizen science initiatives. Why are velvet worms so special? Velvet worms are one of those rare creatures that feel like they've stepped straight out of prehistory. Much like the famously tough water bears or Tardigrades, velvet worms belong to their evolutionary group, which is a completely separate branch of life. Scientists believe they evolved from an ancient marine ancestor, possibly something like the weird, spiky Hallucigenia. But something which makes them special is that they haven't changed in over 500 million years. Fossil records show that these animals have looked pretty much the same since the Cambrian period, long before dinosaurs even existed. That's why they're often called 'living fossils.' Today, velvet worms are land-dwellers, but they're extremely picky about where they live. One can only find them in cool, damp places, like the kind of environments that used to exist widely across the ancient supercontinent Gondwana. With inputs from: 'Perched on the Plateau: Speciation in a Cape Fold Mountain Velvet Worm Clade, With the Description of Seven New Species (Onychophora: Peripatopsidae: Peripatopsis) From South Africa' by Savel R. Daniels and Aaron Barnes, 20 April 2025, Ecology and Evolution.
