Latest news with #PLOS
The National
2 days ago
- Science
- The National
Dead Sea Scrolls a century older than previously thought
Fragments from a collection of ancient Jewish manuscripts found on the northern shores of the Dead Sea are 100 years older than previously thought, a study found. The Dead Sea Scrolls, as they are best known, were discovered in the mid 20th century at the Qumran caves in the occupied West Bank. They include the oldest surviving manuscripts of entire books from the Bible, and for decades were generally dated from the 3rd to 2nd century BCE. But new AI technologies have allowed researchers to date some of the scrolls back to the 4th century BCE. Two of the biblical scrolls – the Book of Daniel and Ecclesiasts - are now believed to have come from the time of their presumed authors. The Book of Daniel is long believed to have been completed in the 160s BCE and Enoch's findings placed the scroll back in the same time period. The same was true for a scroll fragment of the Ecclesiastes, which is commonly assumed to have been written by an anonymous author in the 3rd century BCE. Researchers at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands developed a date-prediction programme called Enoch, which they say provides more accurate date estimates for individual manuscripts. Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS on Wednesday. Enoch uses AI to combine the traditional study of old handwriting with radiocarbon dating, which calculates the age of a material by measuring the amount of a specific carbon molecule in the sample. Traditionally, researchers studying ancient handwriting have been unable to more accurately date texts between 4th and 2nd century BCE, but researchers say this 'gap' has now been closed through Enoch's additional use of carbon dating. They say that the programme can predict radio carbon-based dates and handwriting style with an uncertainty of about 30 years. The work was a collaboration between historians of the ancient world and computer scientists, led by Mladen Popovic, professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism and director of the Qumran Institute and Dr Maruf Dhali, assistant professor in Artificial Intelligence. The first results showed that many of the texts were much older than previously thought. 'This also changes how researchers should interpret the development of two ancient Jewish script styles which are called 'Hasmonaean' and 'Herodian',' the researchers said. The two scripts are now believed to have existed at the same time since the second century BCE, and manuscripts in the Hasmonian script could be older than their current estimate of 150-50 BCE. 'This new chronology of the scrolls significantly impacts our understanding of political and intellectual developments in the eastern Mediterranean during the Hellenistic and early Roman periods -late fourth century BCE until second century CE,' the authors said. 'It allows for new insights to be developed about literacy in ancient Judaea in relation to historical, political, and cultural developments such as urbanization, the rise of the Hasmonaean dynasty, and the rise and development of religious groups such as those behind the Dead Sea Scrolls and the early Christians,' they said.
Forbes
25-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Meet America's Only 3 Native Parrots — One Is Extinct, One Relocated To Mexico, And One Thrives In This Southern State
Parrots are among the most vibrant and loquacious birds in the world — and are typically found in ... More equatorial habitats. Here are three that make, or have made, their home in the USA. Bird species are abundant throughout the world. However, they used to be much more abundant. One study published in PLOS ONE reports that at least 279 bird species have gone extinct since 1500. If you go back to the late Pleistocene epoch (about 10,000+ years ago), research suggests that number grows to about 1,400 species. That said, it's difficult to correctly estimate the number of extinct birds due to what scientists refer to as 'low fossilization potential.' In other words, birds, being smaller than, say, saber-toothed cats or woolly mammoths, are less likely to have been adequately preserved in the fossil record. We know, definitively, that the following three parrot species inhabited what is now considered the continental United States — and one still does. Here's their story. The extinct Carolina parakeet once brightened eastern U.S. forests with its vibrant green, yellow, ... More and orange plumage. Once common across the eastern and midwestern United States, the Carolina parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis) was a striking sight with its vivid green body, yellow head and orange face. This parrot was the only native parrot species known to inhabit such a broad range of temperate North America, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico. These birds were often found in old-growth forests and swamps, nesting in hollow trees and foraging for seeds and fruit. Unfortunately, by the early 20th century, the Carolina parakeet was extinct. Habitat destruction played a significant role in their decline, as forests were cleared for agriculture and urban development. (Sidebar: From America's forests to Asia's jungles, human pressure has erased countless animals — including three tiger subspecies lost in our lifetime. Read their story here.) But the most devastating impacts came from human persecution: farmers killed them in large numbers, believing they were crop pests, and the birds' habit of returning to mourn fallen flockmates made them easy targets. They were also captured for the pet trade and for use in hat-making. The last known wild specimen was seen in Florida in the early 1900s, and the final captive bird, named "Incas," died in the Cincinnati Zoo in 1918 – coincidentally in the same aviary where the last passenger pigeon died. Despite scattered unconfirmed sightings over the years, the Carolina parakeet is officially extinct. Now found only in Mexico, the thick-billed parrot was once native to Arizona and New Mexico's ... More high-elevation pine forests. Unlike the extinct Carolina parakeet, the thick-billed parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) still exists, but not in the United States. Once found in the highlands of Arizona and New Mexico, this robust green parrot with a bright red forehead and loud, crow-like call was driven out of its U.S. range by the mid-20th century due to logging, hunting, and habitat fragmentation. Its reliance on old-growth coniferous forests, particularly those containing large pines, made it especially vulnerable to deforestation. In the 1980s and 1990s, efforts were made to reintroduce the thick-billed parrot to the U.S., but these attempts were unsuccessful. Captive-bred birds released into the wild faced multiple challenges, including predators, inadequate survival skills and a lack of suitable habitat. Some also flew back to Mexico, where the species still survives in the Sierra Madre Occidental. (Sidebar: The thick-billed parrot and Carolina parakeet aren't the only U.S. birds lost to time. Meet three more beautiful birds that vanished from America forever.) Today, the thick-billed parrot is classified as endangered and is found only in northern Mexico. Conservationists are working to protect its remaining habitat and stabilize its population. Discussions about future reintroduction efforts in the U.S. continue, but any such plan would require significant restoration of its native forest ecosystem. Unlike the other two native parrots, the green parakeet (Psittacara holochlorus) is alive and well in southern Texas. Native to northeastern Mexico, this medium-sized parrot with vivid green feathers and a loud, screeching call has successfully expanded its range northward. Small flocks have established breeding populations in the Rio Grande Valley and surrounding areas, thanks in part to urban environments providing plenty of food and nesting spots. Green parakeets are social birds, often seen in large flocks roosting in palm trees or on utility lines. They're highly adaptable, feeding on fruits, seeds, and cultivated crops. Some ornithologists debate whether the Texas populations are entirely natural or partly the result of escaped or released pets blending with wild flocks. Regardless, these birds have become a charismatic part of the regional ecosystem. Unlike the Carolina parakeet or thick-billed parrot, the green parakeet's presence in the U.S. isn't tied to ancient history but rather to more recent cross-border expansion. While not officially listed as threatened or endangered, their status is monitored, especially as urban sprawl and climate change continue to reshape the landscape. Does thinking about the extinction of a species instantly change your mood? Take the Connectedness to Nature Scale to see where you stand on this unique personality dimension.
NDTV
27-04-2025
- Science
- NDTV
First-Ever Proof Found Of Gladiator Mauled By Lion In Roman Britain
New Delhi: Archaeologists have discovered the first direct evidence of a gladiator mauled by a lion. The skeleton, discovered two decades ago in a Roman settlement in Britain, offers new insight into the brutal spectacles that once captivated audiences in the Roman Empire. The remains were found in an excavation initiated by a couple hoping to renovate their backyard in York, England. The site contained over 80 buried individuals, primarily young men showing signs of trauma, as per a study published in the journal PLOS. Many of these individuals are believed to have fought as gladiators in York, then a Roman outpost, around 1,800 years ago. One skeleton, identified as 6DT19, stood out due to unusual injuries: small indentations on its hip bones, which appeared to be bite marks from a large animal, possibly a lion. Gladiators were armed fighters in ancient Rome who entertained audiences by battling each other or wild animals in arenas. Tim Thompson, an anthropologist at Maynooth University in Ireland, who co-authored a paper on the discovery, described Britain as being "rich" in Roman archaeology, as per The NY Times, adding, "You pretty much can't shove a spade in the ground without hitting something ancient and archaeological." Mr Thompson, upon further investigation, realised no physical evidence had been found until now to confirm gladiator combat with big cats. To explore the origins of these bite marks, he and his team compared the indentations on 6DT19's hip bones to bite marks found on animal carcasses in British zoos. By analysing cheetah, lion, and tiger remains, they concluded that the bite marks on the ancient skeleton matched those of a lion. Mr Thompson suggested that the lion's bite was not likely the cause of death. He said, "We think the individual was incapacitated in some way, and then the animal came along, bit and dragged the body away." Kathryn Marklein, an anthropologist at the University of Louisville, said the discovery offered insight into life at the edges of the Roman Empire and the state-sponsored violence inherent in public gladiatorial games. These spectacles, often involving wild animals like lions, were not only a form of entertainment but also a demonstration of Roman power. "The amount of resources - animal, human - that went into these spectacles to reinforce what it meant to be a Roman, and to be a good Roman, is staggering," Ms Marklein said. Public gladiatorial games, she added, were designed to impress upon the audience the might of the empire.
