Latest news with #Dinosaurs
Time of India
6 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Are Monitor lizards modern dinosaurs? Scientists discover they share a hidden bone structure with the extinct species!
The past often hides clues about the present, especially when it comes to evolution. And sometimes, the most surprising discoveries don't come from deep expeditions into the wild, but from the hidden fossils or preserved museum archives. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Using technological advances like micro-CT scanning, researchers can now revisit old specimens and find out secrets hidden beneath the surface, without damaging the samples. These breakthroughs allow us to find connections across time, between the creatures that walked the earth millions of years ago to animals still living today. One among these is an area of recent study involving osteoderms, which are small bony plates located under the skin. While this is commonly associated with dinosaurs, armadillos, and crocodiles, new research shows they may be much more widespread in today's reptiles than anyone previously thought. Monitor Lizards share an ancient bone structure with Dinosaurs Scientists have found that monitor lizards, known as goannas in Australia, have hidden bone structures called osteoderms beneath their skin. Surprisingly, it is a feature they share with prehistoric creatures like the Stegosaurus. This research, published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, represents the first large-scale study of osteoderms in lizards and snakes. The team scanned over 2,000 reptile specimens using high-resolution micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), according to Museums Victoria. 'We were astonished to find osteoderms in 29 Australo-Papuan monitor lizard species that had never been documented before,' said Roy Ebel, lead author of the study and researcher at Museums Victoria Research Institute and the Australian National University. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'It's a fivefold increase in known cases among goannas,' he added in a press release. What are Osteoderms Osteoderms are well-known bone structures in animals like armadillos, crocodiles, and dinosaurs, including the iconic Stegosaurus. Their purpose isn't completely understood, but researchers believe they provide protection, help regulate body temperature, store calcium, and may even support movement. Jane Melville, Senior Curator of Terrestrial Vertebrates at Museums Victoria Research Institute, explained the bigger picture, 'What's so exciting about this finding is that it reshapes what we thought we knew about reptile evolution. It suggests that these skin bones may have evolved in response to environmental pressures as lizards adapted to Australia's challenging landscapes.' The researchers also talked about the vital role of museum archives in this discovery. Some of the studied specimens were over 120 years old. By using the non-destructive micro-CT scanning, these preserved reptiles could be examined in detail for the first time. The study reveals that more than half of all lizard species may have osteoderms, about 85% more than previously thought. With this growing dataset, researchers are now poised to look for even more secrets hiding in plain sight, bridging the gap between ancient dinosaurs and the reptiles we see today.
BBC News
21-07-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Earth spinning faster makes today one of the shortest on record
If you are counting down to something exciting, then you might be happy to hear this Tuesday 22 July 2025, will be one of the shortest days on record, as Earth will complete its full rotation in slightly less time than usual. But, don't get too excited, you probably won't notice the difference, as the day will be just 1.34 milliseconds less than the standard 24 what's going on? Read on to find more. Normally, we think of the Earth taking 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds to rotate fully on its axis in a day. However, this isn't an exact figure, as the speed of Earth's rotation depends on many factors, including the positions of the Sun and the Moon, and Earth's gravitational have found that on average the Earth has been slowing down by about two milliseconds per means that 250 million years ago - when dinosaurs roamed the Earth - a day was shorter, at around 23 hours long. A big factor in the slowing down of the rotation over many centuries is due to the pull of the Moon. The Moon affects our planet's spin through something known as tidal braking. This is when the gravitational pull from the Moon causes our planet to bulge (expand) in places, and this slows the momentum of the Earth's this case the Moon acts almost like a handbrake slowing down the Earth's spin. The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) is constantly measuring the length of our days to a high level of use atomic clocks to monitor Earth's rotation with millisecond precision, and have been keeping records since 2020, Earth has repeatedly broken its own speed shortest day ever measured occurred on 5 July 2024, when Earth's rotation was completed 1.66 milliseconds faster than to the IERS, earlier this month, 9 July, was the shortest day recorded this year, clocking in at 1.36 milliseconds less than 24 today - 22 July - Earth is expected to complete its spin 1.34 milliseconds early, making it a close runner-up.
Pink Villa
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Jurassic World: Rebirth hits USD 600 million globally, Scarlett Johansson starrer racing towards USD 800 million at worldwide box office
Jurassic World: Rebirth, starring Scarlett Johansson in the lead, along with Mahershala Ali, is performing exceptionally well at the box office. Directed by Gareth Edwards, the sci-fi movie surpassed the USD 600 million mark at the global box office, following a remarkable box office trend. Jurassic World: Rebirth clocks USD 648 million worldwide Distributed by Universal Pictures, Jurassic World: Rebirth recorded another banger weekend at the box office. It added USD 23.4 million to the tally in its third weekend at the domestic box office, while the international markets contributed a sum of USD 40.3 million. Globally, the movie wrapped its third weekend by grossing over USD 63.7 million, bringing the total 17-day cume to a massive USD 648 million. Based on the strong trends and buzz among cinegoers, the Dinosaurs are expected to surpass the USD 700 million mark by next weekend at the worldwide box office. After which, it will march towards the USD 800 million club. The movie is performing well in China and has taken the #1 spot among Hollywood movies with a smashing collection of USD 71.8 million. Talking about its performance in India, the Scarlett Johansson film has already surpassed the Rs 80 crore net mark in 17 days. It is expected to wind its theatrical run in India at around the Rs 100 crore mark. Box office collections of Jurassic World: Rebirth are as follows: Jurassic World: Rebirth In Theatres Jurassic World: Rebirth plays in theatres now. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates. Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
‘Jurassic World: Rebirth' box office collections day 2: Film clocks Rs 22 crore; Thanks to Saturday boost
(Picture Courtesy: Facebook) 'Jurassic World: Rebirth' seems to be doing exactly what fans hoped — bringing back the thrill of the original series while drawing solid crowds to theatres. According to the Sacnilk website, the film opened with Rs 9 crore on Friday and jumped to an estimated Rs 13 crore on Saturday, taking the two-day total to Rs 22 crore. Dinosaurs still have box office power Directed by Gareth Edwards, this new chapter stars Scarlett Johansson , Mahershala Ali, and Jonathan Bailey. There was already buzz leading up to its release, and now with early numbers looking strong, it's clear that people are turning up — maybe out of nostalgia, maybe for the spectacle, or maybe just to see dinosaurs wreck things on a giant screen. 03:50 Kareena Kapoor FANGIRLS Over Brad Pitt after watching 'F1' Evening shows drove the Saturday climb The big shift came Saturday evening. While morning shows started off slow, occupancy picked up across languages — especially for the English 3D version. Tamil screenings also held up well, particularly in major cities. Hindi audiences came in stronger than expected by nightfall, which helped push the day's total up. Even premium screens — Dolby, IMAX, and 3D — saw decent footfall. That's always a good sign. When people are choosing better formats over basic ones, it usually means there's genuine excitement about the film, not just casual interest. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top Arduino Projects for Beginners CircuitDigest Learn More Undo Will Sunday keep the momentum going? With Sunday being the most crucial day of the weekend, trade experts believe Rebirth could comfortably go past Rs 35 crore before Monday morning. If it happens, the film might just cement itself as a mid-year hit. At the moment, things are looking up. The dinosaurs aren't just stomping around on screen — they're pulling crowds, filling seats, and giving theatres something to cheer about. ETimes review for the film reads, "It's a heartwarming family watch that blends comedy, compassion, and charm, and is definitely worth a trip to the theatre."
IOL News
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Fun and learning: the best kids' books and games for 2025
Luna is about to start school for the new year, but she's not feeling well. Image: Loot Description: Luna's journey Luna is about to start school for the new year, but she's not feeling well. She is scared anddoes not know what awaits her. Luckily, her mom's wise words comfort and guide her. Hermom says: be good, be kind, but always speak your mind. This is why Luna knows how to answer the girl who is mean to her. And this is how Luna faces all the obstacles on her journey. In the process she learns what it means to have grit and courage. Price: R139 Visit: The laughter never ends with Oi Frog and Friends! Image: Loot Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Description: Oi Dinosaurs! The laughter never ends with Oi Frog and Friends. Get your hands on this roaring, stomping, dino-packed new title in the award-winning, bestselling Oi Frog and Friends series. Price: R210 Visit: This Exit Puzzle for kids mixes a richly-illustrated 368-piece jigsaw, an exciting storyline and 6 mathematical riddles hidden within the jigsaw image. Image: Loot Description: Ravensburger Exit Puzzle Kids Jigsaw Puzzle - Jungle Expedition (368 Pieces) Imagine you and your family have won a night at the natural history museum. On reachingthe home of the Brachiosaurus you suddenly hear a loud crunching noise. What is it? Can you discover what's making that strange and scary sound and then exit? This Exit Puzzle for kids mixes a richly-illustrated 368-piece jigsaw, an exciting storyline and 6 mathematicalriddles hidden within the jigsaw image. Price: R339 Visit: Get into the fast fun for everyone with UNO - America's #1 Brand of Card Game. Image: Loot
