Latest news with #RoyalSocietyOpenScience
NDTV
a day ago
- Science
- NDTV
All Sharks Follow This Centuries-Old Mathematical Rule
Townsville, Australia: From hand-sized lantern sharks that glow in the deep sea to bus-sized whale sharks gliding through tropical waters, sharks come in all shapes and sizes. Despite these differences, they all face the same fundamental challenge: how to get oxygen, heat and nutrients to every part of their bodies efficiently. Our new study, published today in Royal Society Open Science, shows that sharks follow a centuries-old mathematical rule – the two-thirds scaling law – that predicts how body shape changes with size. This tells us something profound about how evolution works – and why size really does matter. What Is The Two-Thirds Scaling Law? The basic idea is mathematical: surface area increases with the square of body length, while volume increases with the cube. That means surface area increases more slowly than volume, and the ratio between the two – crucial for many biological functions – decreases with size. This matters because many essential life processes happen at the surface: gas exchange in the lungs or gills, such as to take in oxygen or release carbon dioxide, but also heat loss through skin and nutrient uptake in the gut. These processes depend on surface area, while the demands they must meet – such as the crucial task of keeping the body supplied with oxygen – depend on volume. So, the surface area-to-volume ratio shapes how animals function. Despite its central role in biology, this rule has only ever been rigorously tested in cells, tissues and small organisms such as insects. Until now. Why Sharks? Sharks might seem like an unlikely group for testing an old mathematical theory, but they're actually ideal. For starters, they span a huge range of sizes, from the tiny dwarf lantern shark (about 20 centimetres long) to the whale shark (which can exceed 20 metres). They also have diverse shapes and lifestyles – hammerheads, reef-dwellers, deep-sea hunters – each posing different challenges for physiology and movement. Plus, sharks are charismatic, ecologically important and increasingly under threat. Understanding their biology is both scientifically valuable and important for conservation. How Did We Test The Rule? We used high-resolution 3D models to digitally measure surface area and volume in 54 species of sharks. These models were created using open-source CT scans and photogrammetry, which involves using photographs to approximate a 3D structure. Until recently, these techniques were the domain of video game designers and special effects artists, not biologists. We refined the models in Blender, a powerful 3D software tool, and extracted surface and volume data for each species. Then we applied phylogenetic regression – a statistical method that accounts for shared evolutionary history – to see how closely shark shapes follow the predictions of the two-thirds rule. What Did We Find? The results were striking: sharks follow the two-thirds scaling rule almost perfectly, with surface area scaling to body volume raised to the power of 0.64 – just a 3% difference from the theoretical 0.67. This suggests something deeper is going on. Despite their wide range of forms and habitats, sharks seem to converge on the same basic body plan when it comes to surface area and volume. Why? One explanation is that what are known as 'developmental constraints' – limits imposed by how animals grow and form in early life – make it difficult, or too costly, for sharks to deviate from this fundamental pattern. Changing surface area-to-volume ratios might require rewiring how tissues are allocated during embryonic development, something that evolution appears to avoid unless absolutely necessary. But Why Does It Matter? This isn't just academic. Many equations in biology, physiology and climate science rely on assumptions about surface area-to-volume ratios. These equations are used to model how animals regulate temperature, use oxygen, and respond to environmental stress. Until now, we haven't had accurate data from large animals to test those assumptions. Our findings give researchers more confidence in using these models – not just for sharks, but potentially for other groups too. As we face accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss, understanding how animals of all sizes interact with their environments has never been more urgent. This study, powered by modern imaging tech and some old-school curiosity, brings us one step closer to that goal. (Authors: Jodie L. Rummer, Professor of Marine Biology, James Cook University and Joel Gayford, PhD Candidate, Department of Marine Biology, James Cook University) (Disclosure Statement: Jodie L. Rummer receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is affiliated with the Australian Coral Reef Society, as President. Joel Gayford receives funding from the Northcote Trust.)
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
A new species of dinosaur was discovered sitting in a jar since 2005
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. A new species of dinosaur has been discovered after its fossil sat in a jar in a museum for 20 years. The Bolg amondol, which is named after the goblin from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, was first discovered in 2005, according to New Scientist. However, its fossil sat in a jar in the back of the Natural History Museum of Utah until recently when Hank Woolley spotted it and finally popped off the top. Woolley, who is the leader author on a new study published in Royal Society Open Science, says, 'I opened this jar of bones labeled 'lizard' at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and was like, oh wow, there's a fragmentary skeleton here.' Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 Woolley says he then went on to identify the new species of dinosaur as a raccoon-sized lizard. The study was published this month, and breaks down the discovery and what we know about B. amondol so far. The species is believed to be an ancient ancestor to modern Gila monsters and is estimated to have roamed the Earth around 76 million years ago. Finding new species is always an exciting prospect, as it unlocks new information about our planet's storied past. Sure, we're still not 100% sure how life on Earth originated, or even if the these creatures would have continued living had Earth not been struck by the asteroid that killed all the dinosaurs. But with this discovery, we unlock a little more of the story. Woolley says they went with the name of the creature from The Hobbit because he thinks of these lizards as 'goblin-like,' especially when looking at their skulls. This is another example of how huge discoveries like this can sometimes go years without being uncovered, as storage can often become bogged down with skeletons in jars and other collection materials. Still, it's exciting to see a new species of dinosaur added to the list, especially when it is something that was found somewhere like southern Utah. Back when B. amondol roamed the Earth, Utah would have likely been a sub-tropical region. That's a marked difference from the often dusty landscapes we know and love today. More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Bones of a raccoon-sized prehistoric lizard sat in a jar for 20 years
For 20 years, the remains of a giant lizard that lived alongside dinosaurs were tucked away in a jar at the Natural History Museum of Utah. Simply labeled 'lizard,' the fragmented and several millennia-old bones actually belonged to an entirely new species of giant lizard dug up from the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah in 2005. Bolg amondol was a raccoon-sized armored mostesaurian lizard that lived about 77 million years ago, similar to today's Gila monsters (Heloderma horridum). It is named after the goblin prince from The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien and is described in a study published June 17 in the open-access journal Royal Society Open Science. It also serves as another reminder to double check those museum cabinets. The living and fossil lizards in the clade Monstersauria are defined by their large size and distinctive features, including pitted, polygonal armor attached to their skulls and sharp, spire-like teeth. While these lizards have been on Earth for roughly 100 million years, their fossil record is largely incomplete. Finding this new species of Bolg was a step towards understanding more about these lizards–and Bolg would have been quite the formidable monster. 'Three feet tip to tail, maybe even bigger than that, depending on the length of the tail and torso,' said Hank Woolley, a study co-author and paleontologist at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles' Dinosaur Institute who found the unsuspecting glass jar. 'So by modern lizard standards, a very large animal, similar in size to a Savannah monitor lizard; something that you wouldn't want to mess around with.' [ Related: Giant lizards could keep flesh-eating maggots off Australia's sheep. ] Finding this new species of monstersaur indicates that there were probably many more kinds of big lizards roaming the Earth during the Late Cretaceous–just before the dinosaurs went extinct. Bolg's closest known relative, Gobiderma pulchrum, once stalked Asia's Gobi Desert. While paleontologists have long known that dinosaurs traveled between the once connected continents during the Late Cretaceous Period, Bolg reveals that smaller animals made similar treks. According to the team, this suggests common patterns of biogeography across land-dwelling vertebrates during this time. The specimens in this study were first uncovered in 2005 in the Kaiparowits Formation of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. This area overseen by the United States Bureau of Land Management has emerged as a paleontological hotspot over the past 25 years, producing dozens of new species. Discoveries like this also underscore the importance of keeping public lands in the United States safe for future scientific research. The team used tiny pieces of the skull, vertebrae, girdles, limbs, and the bony armor called osteoderms to identify this new species. 'What's really interesting about this holotype specimen of Bolg is that it's fragmentary, yes, but we have a broad sample of the skeleton preserved,' Woolley said. 'There's no overlapping bones—there's not two left hip bones or anything like that. So we can be confident that these remains likely belonged to a single individual.' Most of the fossil lizards that lived during the Age of Dinosaurs were even more fragmented. Only single isolated bones or teeth are left over. Even though Bolg was found in pieces, the parts of its skeleton that survived so many millions of years contain a treasure trove of information. 'That means more characteristics are available for us to assess and compared to similar-looking lizards,' said Woolley. 'Importantly, we can use those characteristics to understand this animal's evolutionary relationships and test hypotheses about where it fits on the lizard tree of life.' Paleontologist and co-author Randy Irmis from the University of Utah adds, 'Bolg is a great example of the importance of natural history museum collections. Although we knew the specimen was significant when it was discovered back in 2005, it took a specialist in lizard evolution like Hank to truly recognize its scientific importance, and take on the task of researching and scientifically describing this new species.' Woolley used Sindarin—the language Tolkien created for his elves—to craft the species epithet. 'Amon' means 'mound,' and 'dol' means 'head' in the Elvish language, referencing the mound-like osteoderms found on the skulls of Bolg and other monstersaurs. 'Bolg is a great sounding name. It's a goblin prince from The Hobbit, and I think of these lizards as goblin-like, especially looking at their skulls,' Woolley said in a statement. [ Related: Gila monster spit inspired a new way to detect rare pancreatic tumors. ] Some of the other fossils described in the study include well-armored skull bones. This indicates that the ancient, seasonally tropical forests that once covered present day southern Utah were home to at least three species of large, predatory lizards. This land was once part of a 'lost continent' called Laramidia. Laramidia formed about 99 million years ago, when an ancient shallow sea flooded central North America. The seaway split eastern and western portions of the continent for millions of years. 'Even though these lizards were large, their skeletons are quite rare, with most of their fossil record based on single bones and teeth,' said co-author Joe Sertich from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Colorado State University. 'The exceptional record of big lizards from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument may prove to be a normal part of dinosaur-dominated ecosystems from North America, filling key roles as smaller predators hunting down eggs and small animals in the forests of Laramidia.'
Observer
27-05-2025
- Science
- Observer
This Fossil's 3 Eyes Are Not Its Most Surprising Feature
More than 500 million years before 'The Simpsons' introduced us to Blinky, a fish with an extra eye swimming through Springfield's Old Fishin' Hole, a three-eyed predator chased prey through seas of the Cambrian Period. Known as Mosura fentoni, this creature is a worthy addition to the bizarre bestiary preserved in the Burgess Shale, a fossil deposit in the Canadian Rockies. But the animal's anatomy, described in the journal Royal Society Open Science, shows it may not be as alien as it looks. The first Mosura specimen was unearthed by a paleontologist more than a century ago. Over recent decades, paleontologists at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto have uncovered many more Mosura fossils, which they nicknamed 'sea moths' because of flaps that help them swim. Sea moths were not fish, but they were related to radiodonts, a group of arthropods that dominated Cambrian food chains. But a closer inspection would not occur until Mosura specimens were unearthed in 2012 in a Burgess Shale outcrop. Having both old and new specimens encouraged researchers to 'finally figure this animal out,' said Joseph Moysiuk, who studied the Marble Canyon fossils as a doctoral student. Moysiuk teamed up with his adviser at the Royal Ontario Museum, Jean-Bernard Caron, to examine 60 sea moth specimens. The specimens were photographed under polarized light to capture the flattened fossils' detailed anatomy. A defining feature of living arthropods is the division of their bodies into specialized parts. For example, crustaceans like crabs have different appendages adapted to perform certain functions like feeding or walking. Fossils of many early arthropod ancestors reveal relatively simple body plans. Researchers have therefore long proposed that segmentation took a long time to evolve. Mosura bucks this trend. Despite measuring only 2.5 inches long, the creature's body was divided into as many as 26 segments. 'It's something that we've never seen in this group of animals before,' said Moysiuk, who is now at the Manitoba Museum in Winnipeg. In addition to its wide swimming flaps, the animal possessed a highly segmented trunk at the back of its body brimming with gills, resembling the abdomenlike structures that horseshoe crabs, woodlice and some insects use to breathe. — JACK TAMISIEA / NYT
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Can mushrooms really talk? Study suggests fungi have a vocabulary of 50 words
For decades, the concept of communication has largely been reserved for humans, animals, and occasionally plants. From birdsong to bee dances, the idea that living organisms can share information is well-established. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now However, a groundbreaking study has opened the doors to a new realm of communication—one that takes place underground, in the hidden world of fungi. Until now, we've marveled at robotic chefs and AI-driven food technologies. But few could have imagined that mushrooms—yes, the same kind you might toss into your salad—could potentially "talk" to one another using a language-like system. This might sound like science fiction, but recent research conducted by Professor Andrew Adamatzky from the University of the West of England challenges our understanding of intelligence in non-human life forms. By analyzing the electrical signals passed through fungal networks called mycelium, Adamatzky found patterns that closely resemble the structure and complexity of human language. According to the study, these signal patterns can be grouped into "words" and may serve as a form of communication between fungi. The findings, published in Royal Society Open Science, propose that mushrooms may not only be sentient in some form but could also possess a rudimentary vocabulary of up to 50 distinct "words." The implications of such a discovery are immense, potentially redefining how we perceive intelligence, communication, and life itself in the natural world. Do mushrooms have a language? 50 'words' found in fungal signals At the heart of this discovery lies mycelium, a vast network of fungal threads that not only facilitate nutrient exchange but may also serve as a communication superhighway. Often likened to the internet for plants, mycelium connects various organisms across forest ecosystems. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It is through this web that fungi transmit electrical impulses—signals that are now believed to carry complex information. To explore these signals, Professor Adamatzky and his team monitored the electrical activity of four mushroom species: Enoki (Flammulina velutipes) Split gill (Schizophyllum commune) Ghost fungus (Omphalotus nidiformis) Caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps militaris) Using a set of microelectrodes inserted into the mycelium, researchers recorded electrical spikes over several days. They then used computational models to analyze the data, identifying spike clusters that resembled word-like structures. Remarkably, some of these patterns shared statistical properties with human language, including average word length and recurrence of certain "core" signals. The research revealed that: The fungi produced spike clusters resembling up to 50 distinct "words". The average word length was 5.97 characters, compared to 4.8 characters in English. The core vocabulary—the most frequently used signals—consisted of 15 to 20 recurring patterns. Electrical activity increased when fungi encountered food sources or damage, suggesting the signals could indicate environmental status or alert other fungi. This structured communication implies a level of complexity not previously attributed to fungi. While not equivalent to human language, the findings suggest that fungi might share information about resources, environmental conditions, or danger—fundamental aspects of any form of intelligent communication. Mushroom communication: Fascinating insight or scientific overreach? Despite the groundbreaking nature of the study, Professor Adamatzky himself remains cautious. He acknowledges that while the patterns resemble human speech statistically, there's no definitive evidence that fungi are conscious or possess language as we define it. 'I do not claim they are talking in the same way humans do,' Adamatzky stated. 'But there are lots of similarities in information processing.' Skepticism is natural with a discovery this bold. Some researchers argue that calling these electrical spikes "words" is misleading and anthropocentric. Fungal communication, they argue, could be a byproduct of basic biological processes, rather than deliberate messaging. Others believe the study is a significant first step, but caution that further peer-reviewed work is essential to validate these conclusions. Fungi talk? Rethinking intelligence and consciousness If fungi can indeed communicate using a vocabulary-like system, it challenges our traditional definitions of intelligence and consciousness. It also raises ethical and philosophical questions about how we interact with the natural world. Could forests be engaging in silent dialogues below our feet? Understanding fungal communication could inspire new bio-mimetic technologies. Electrical signal-based messaging systems in fungi might pave the way for environmentally sensitive AI, sustainable agriculture practices, and even new forms of computing modeled on biological substrates. What comes next? Future research and exploration The study has already prompted calls for deeper investigation into fungal intelligence and cross-species communication. Future research may include: Real-time monitoring of fungal networks in natural ecosystems. Exploring whether fungal signals influence plant behavior. Decoding the "syntax" or order of fungal words. Investigating potential responses to music, light, or human speech. With thousands of mushroom species still unstudied in this context, the field of fungal linguistics is only just beginning.
