ScienceDaily: Fossils & Ruins News

One of the ocean's little known carnivores has been allocated a new place in the evolutionary tree of life after scientists discovered its unmistakable resemblance with other sea-floor dwelling creatures.

Continental rift valleys are huge fractures on the surface of the Earth that break continental plates with the eventual development of new oceans. Although instrumental in driving climate and biosphere in certain regions, this process is poorly documented and understood. In a new study, an international group of scientists has shed new light into the recent evolution of the African rift valley by conducting fieldwork, and integrating the results with laboratory analysis of volcanic rocks, analysis of the seismicity, morphology and numerical modelling.

Using their own laser imaging technology, scientists have determined the lifestyle of a special hatchling bird by revealing the previously unknown feathering preserved in the fossil specimen found in the ~125 million-year-old Early Cretaceous fossil beds of Los Hoyas, Spain.

To identify genes involved in photosynthesis, researchers built a library containing thousands of single-celled algae, each with a different gene mutation. The library, which took nine years to construct, has already helped researchers identify 303 genes associated with photosynthesis including 21 newly discovered genes with high potential to provide new insights into this life-sustaining process.