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Unusual beak bone discovery reveals new pterosaur
A team of palaeontologists in the UK have discovered a new species of small pterosaur, similar in size to a turkey.
The dinosaur is unlike any other pterosaur discovered due to its long and slender toothless beak, similar to that of a kiwi bird, according to the study published in Cretaceous Research.
Scientists were surprised when they discovered the fossil and initially assumed it was part of the fin spine of a fish.
Image: The beak was similar to a modern kiwi bird’s
However, palaeontologists from Portsmouth and Bath universities realised the bone had an unusual texture, seen only in pterosaurs, and figured out it was indeed a piece of beak.
Professor David Martill, of the University of Portsmouth, said: “We’ve never seen anything like this little pterosaur before. The bizarre shape of the beak was so unique, at first the fossils weren’t recognised as a pterosaur.”
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The fossil was found in Morocco and subsequent searches have revealed more fossils of the animal, which dates back to the late Cretaceous era.
Roy Smith, lead author of the project and a PhD student at Portsmouth, said: “Just imagine how delighted I was, while on field work in Morocco, to discover the lower jaw to match the upper jaw found by Dr Longrich of this utterly unique fossil animal.”
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The new species, named Leptostomia begaaensis, is believed to have used its beak to probe into dirt and mud for hidden prey, hunting like present-day sandpipers or kiwis to find worms, crustaceans, and maybe even small hard-shelled clams.
Pterosaurs are the winged cousins to dinosaurs and over 100 species of the reptiles have been discovered, varying between the size of a fighter jet to as small as a sparrow.
Professor Martill said: “The diets and hunting strategies of pterosaurs were diverse – they likely ate meat, fish and insects. The giant 500-pound pterosaurs probably ate whatever they wanted.
“Some species hunted food on the wing, others stalked their prey on the ground. Now, the fragments of this remarkable little pterosaur show a lifestyle previously unknown for pterosaurs.”
Newly classified pterosaur was one of history’s largest flying animals
Using a computerised tomography scan, the scientists were able to discover a network of internal canals within the beak for nerves that helped the pterosaur detect prey underground.
Dr Nick Longrich, from the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath, said: “Leptostomia may actually have been a fairly common pterosaur, but it’s so strange – people have probably been finding bits of this beast for years, but we didn’t know what they were until now.”
He added: “We’re underestimating pterosaur diversity because the fossil record gives us a biased picture.
“Pterosaur fossils typically preserve in watery settings – seas, lakes, and lagoons – because water carries sediments to bury bones,” Dr Longrich said.
“Pterosaurs flying over water to hunt for fish tend to fall in and die, so they’re common as fossils.
“Pterosaurs hunting along the margins of the water will preserve more rarely, and many from inland habitats may never preserve as fossils at all.
“There’s a similar pattern in birds. If all we had of birds was their fossils, we’d probably think that birds were mostly aquatic things like penguins, puffins, ducks and albatrosses.
“Even though they’re a minority of the species, their fossil record is a lot better than for land birds like hummingbirds, hawks, and ostriches,” Dr Longrich said.
Astronauts smash record to reach ISS in just three hours
A US astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts have reached the International Space Station (ISS) in record time. Expedition 64 saw Kate Rubins, Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10.45am local time on Wednesday.Three hours and three minutes later, their Soyuz MS-17 capsule docked with the ISS after just two orbits of the Earth.Russian space agency Roscosmos said it was the “first time in history” that so few orbits were needed to reach the space station.Before 2013, journeys to the ISS typically took around two days but improvements since then mean they now take around six hours.Read moreSpacecraft need to match the velocity and altitude of the space station before they can use small boosters to safely navigate the final few metres and attach to it.Unfavourable conditions meant that the last crewed launch to the ISS, Demo-2, took an entire day to dock with the ISS after launch.The latest trip was not just quicker than any crewed mission before it, but also any cargo mission.
Google Pixel 5 and 4A with 5G review: Humble upgrades make for a grand phone
Get Google’s Pixel phones out of their box and there’s nothing much new you can do. The new phones have no spicy new features, no novelty that marks them out, and even the 5G connection that gives them their name is largely useless given the infrastructure is not yet ready to take full advantage of it.But turn them on, live with them for a while, and you realise that these phones might be humble but they are far from humdrum. Google’s Pixel phones have occasionally felt like an experiment, which has made them both exciting and sometimes alienating; the new phones, despite being the first with 5G, feel like the end of that experimenting.Everything else that’s true of the Pixel line-up is true here. They remain the best way to experience Android, since Google installs a clean version of the operating system without the cruft that is often added to other manufacturers phones. The camera is still astonishing, and is improved this time.But Google is not just leaning on those perennial facts, but introducing a phone that is a great all-rounder, with everything you might want out of a handset. It’s not just the best way to experience Android, but a great Android phone, too; it’s still got a great camera, but it’s no longer quite so built around that technology, meaning that it doesn’t feel quite so much like a bunch of lenses with a phone attached.What’s more, Android 11 is more quietly smart than other recent updates. It’s very clever – it includes improvements to the Recorder app which has the astonishing ability to transcribe in real time, for instance – but it’s not quite so clever-clever.Read moreIt’s a tame phone, rather than the thrillingly wild beast that some other Pixels have been, and which some of its competitors aim for. That may be somewhat boring, but it’s no bad thing: this phone is a workhorse.In keeping with the feel of the phone, the new Pixel’s change from their predecessor in all the ways you’d expect, and not really any others: vastly improved battery life, a more symmetrical design, the adoption of a wider camera lens. They are, in short, a fix for everything wrong with the Pixel 4, which had a battery that ran out worryingly quickly and left out the wide-angle camera that Apple had adopted at the same time.It also looks different on the outside, thanks to an aluminium back. The Pixel 4 had a smooth glass black, which looked classy but left it open to smudges and scratches. The glass was thought to be required for wireless charging – as it turns out, however, Google has found a way to send that wireless charging through the phone’s aluminium back, which is something of a surprise.But the miracle is actually the feel of the thing: it doesn’t feel like metal at all, with all the cold and smooth texture that evokes, but rather rough and comfortable. It’s something like a pebble, lightly hewn and sitting neatly in the hand. Gone is the heft of the Pixel 4, and the 5 feels both lighter and more comfortable. (The 4A does not have this feeling: the back is made of plastic, and you can tell.)That’s helped out by both phones having received the same design improvements. They’re now symmetrical, top to bottom, with the notch in the top that stored a range of different hardware swapped out for a holepunched camera lens in the corner of the screen. That might sound like it would get in the way, but it is neatly integrated with the software, and very quickly blends into the phone in the same way as the first notches did.The lack of “forehead” means that much of the technology that was stored in there has gone, with only the camera lens remaining. The Pixel 4 had been the first to incorporate Google’s “Project Soli” technology, which allows it to precisely monitor the movements of people in front of the phone – and had been one of those exciting new upgrades introduced with last year’s phones that the Pixel 5 and 4A with 5G have avoided.The lack of the more extravagant features that the Project Soli technology had enabled can’t really be missed: the phone was launched with much discussion about how you could make gestures in front of it to skip tracks, for instance, but it’s hard to imagine that anyone did that for very long, not least because it made you feel a little ridiculous.But it also means that the more useful, simple features are gone, too – the phone’s ability to sense that you were coming near and wake up the screen made it feel very smart, and crucially there’s no longer a facial recognition scanner to allow you to unlock the phone just by unlocking it. There’s nothing wrong with this – the fingerprint sensor on the back is both nice placed and neatly disguised, and works quickly enough that you won’t resent it – but it does feel odd to be taking such a clear step bacIn the fingerprint sensor on the back is both nice placed and neatly disguised, and works quickly enough that you won’t resent itThe Pixel 4A and 5G are actually generally far more similar than they are different, and the cheaper version still gets almost all of the new hardware that Googel has added. It’s easier to list the differences than the similarities: for the reduced price, you get a slightly slower refresh rate, a larger display but one with bigger bezels, a plastic rather than aluminium body, 6GB of RAM rather than 8GB, and no wireless charging or water resistance.They’re not minor differences, but they are subtle enough that the 4A does not feel like a cheap phone, or just a budget version of the 5. Instead, it feels like a good phone in its own right – with the potential exception of the plastic back, Google could probably have got away with introducing the 4A as its premium phone.In fact, the names are a little misleading because the 4A with 5G is far more like the 5 than it is the standard version of the 4A. The Pixel 4A only arrived in the UK earlier this month, but already looks out of date compared with the 5G: it has a smaller display, a much smaller battery, and none of the new camera hardware or features. The price difference is not insubstantial – it costs $150 to upgrade to the 5G version – but it’s worth noting that you’re getting far more than just a better internet connection.In fact, the usefulness of that network connection is just about the least interesting thing about the phone, despite the fact that its nominally what marks out the new 4A from the slightly older version. 5G networks still remain few and far between and using them means having the right data plan; the best case for having it is that its future-proofing, which is true, but also another way of saying that you can’t really take advantage of it yet.It’s an indication of what’s going on with the Pixel 5 and 4A with 5G that their most exciting feature is actually their least charming. They are quotidian phones – and that’s surely good for something we use every day, and rely on now maybe more than ever.
Solar energy breakthrough extracts drinkable water from ‘dry’ air
Researchers have developed a groundbreaking system that uses the sun’s energy to harvest drinkable water from the air, even in dry regions.A team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated how the device uses solar energy to extract moisture from the air before condensing it on a collection plate.They said the system could be a practical water source for remote regions with limited access to water and electricity.A similar device was developed by the same team a few years ago, however it had some significant flaws.Professor Evelyn Wang, the lead researcher and head of MIT’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, said the earlier system was not practical for real-world use on a largescale because it required specialised materials and did not produce a high enough water output.Professor Wang said: “It’s great to have a small prototype, but how can we get it into a more scalable form?”Read moreThe system works by harnessing the temperature difference between the air and the device, allowing an adsorbent material to collect liquid on its surface.By using readily available materials and greatly improving the efficiency, the researchers were able to produce a “potentially widespread product”.The device also overcomes limitations of other fog harvesting and dew harvesting systems, which typically only work in a few coastal deserts, where there is 100 per cent relative humidity.Those that work in other desert areas require energy-intensive refrigeration to provide cold surfaces for the moisture to condense on, as well as humidity of at least 50 per cent.The latest device is able to operate at relative humidity levels as low as 20 per cent and requires no external energy input beyond the solar energy it receives.A paper detailing the device was published in the scientific journal Joule on Wednesday.
'No good epidemiological reasons to delay' circuit break which could save thousands of lives, SAGE scientists say
A “short, sharp” two-week lockdown over the October half-term could prevent more than 7,000 deaths, according to a paper by two of the government’s leading scientific advisers.
The paper, which has not been peer-reviewed, suggests that a full lockdown, with stay-at-home orders and school closures, could reduce COVID-19 deaths from 19,900 to 12,100 over the rest of the year.
It also suggests hospitalisations could be reduced from 132,400 to 66,500, assuming moderate growth in the infection rate.
The findings have been used to support Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s warning that without a “circuit breaker” lockdown Britain will “sleepwalk into a long and bleak winter”.
Labour leader demands two to three week ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown over half-term
But the paper does not consider crucial factors which would determine the success of any restrictions, including the level of public support, and what action would be taken during the “precautionary break” to ensure further restrictions aren’t needed in future.
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“A precautionary break is not a lasting control measure, but effectively buys more time to put other controls in place; it takes us ‘back to a time when cases were lower'”, said the paper’s authors.
“The reduction in cases also allows measures which are resource limited (such as test-trace-and-isolate) to potentially have a greater impact.”
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One of the paper’s authors, Graham Medley of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, attends SAGE, the government’s most senior committee for scientific advice. Another, Matt Keeling of the University of Warwick, is a member of modelling committee SPI-M.
Northern Ireland imposes four-week circuit breaker lockdown
Their model predicted that the impact of the lockdown would be greater if the infection rate was growing faster, saving as many as 107,000 deaths in the most extreme case – although the scientists stress that this is not a realistic possibility, as “the worst-case scenarios would never be allowed to continue without intervention”.
Stricter lockdowns are more effective, they found. A less strict lockdown, where schools stayed open but hospitality venues were closed, would have less impact, the scientists estimate, cutting deaths to 15,600 under the moderate growth scenario.
The scientists also conclude that lockdowns work better if they are introduced earlier.
“There are no good epidemiological reasons to delay the break,” they write. “This will simply push back any benefits until later, leaving more time for additional cases to accumulate.”
Minister plays down prospect of national lockdown as England’s three-tier system comes into force
Asked on Sky News this morning whether the government was considering such a measure, cabinet minister Therese Coffey said: “I do not believe that the Prime Minister wants to set off on a national lockdown,” adding that the move would “not be fair” on areas where the rate of infection is low.
The paper does not consider the economic costs of a circuit breaker lockdown, although it does note that “a short lockdown period would limit the economic costs of such a measure,” if it avoided the need to introduce a longer break.
UK may have 'missed the boat' for circuit breaker lockdown, govt scientist warns
The UK may have already “missed the boat” for a pre-planned lockdown, forcing the government to introduce emergency restrictions like the ones in March, a leading government scientific advisor has warned.
Professor Graham Medley, who sits on the Scientific Group for Emergencies (SAGE), told journalists that a two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown could “buy time” to improve systems such as Test and Trace.
But, he said, with coronavirus cases rising exponentially across the country, the UK might have run out of time to act pre-emptively.
Image: Professor Graham Medley says the UK may have ‘missed the boat’ for a circuit breaker lockdown
“The whole point of this is to do it before you have to,” Prof Medley said. “We are moving into a regime where we are going to have to do something.”
The idea of a planned “circuit breaker” lockdown was one of five “interventions for immediate introduction” suggested by SAGE on 21 September, only one of which was implemented by the government.
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The concept came from Prof Medley and scientists at the University of Warwick, including Professor Matt Keeling, a member of modelling committee SPI-M, who presented a paper to SAGE suggesting that a lockdown could be scheduled across the October half-term in order to minimise disruption to students.
Prof Medley said that it was now probably too late to introduce a “precautionary break” at that point, as it would not be possible to give advance notice to people, businesses and public services, a crucial part of minimising the damage caused by such lockdowns.
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He added: “In some ways we kind of missed the boat a little bit for these precautionary breaks. But I think they are something certainly to think about in terms of the future.”
Labour leader demands two to three week ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown over half-term
Possible times for circuit breakers, he said, could be early December or over the spring half term.
As cases would invariably rise again after the break – the scientists said – the short lockdowns might have to be introduced repeatedly.
The news that all but one of SAGE’s recommendations were ignored by the government in September has caused controversy, with opposition politicians accusing the government of failing to “follow the science”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has warned that without a “circuit breaker” lockdown, Britain will “sleepwalk into a long and bleak winter”. The Liberal Democrats have also joined the call for a pre-emptive lockdown.
Asked why his paper had not been released until today, despite being presented to SAGE in September, Prof Medley said: “I don’t know why the SAGE version of the paper has not been published.”
Asked on Sky News this morning whether the government was considering such a measure, cabinet minister Thérèse Coffey said: “I do not believe that the prime minister wants to set off on a national lockdown.”
She added that the move would “not be fair” on areas where the rate of infection is low.
Northern Ireland imposes four-week circuit breaker lockdown
The paper, which has not been peer-reviewed, suggests that a full lockdown, with stay-at-home orders and school closures, could save more than 7,000 deaths over the rest of the year if the virus was growing by 3% a week, although the scientists stress that this number is not a forecast.
But the paper does not consider crucial factors which would determine the success of any restrictions, including the level of public support, and what action would be taken during the “precautionary break” to ensure further restrictions are not needed in future.
“A precautionary break is not a lasting control measure, but effectively buys more time to put other controls in place; it takes us ‘back to a time when cases were lower’,” the authors said in a statement.
“The reduction in cases also allows measures which are resource limited [such as test, trace, and isolate] to potentially have a greater impact.”
The scientific paper, which used a model to estimate the impact of various interventions, concluded that stricter lockdowns were more effective. Another key factor, according to the model, was timeliness.
Which tier is my area – and what are the new rules of the three-tier lockdown?
“There are no good epidemiological reasons to delay the break,” the scientists write. “This will simply push back any benefits until later, leaving more time for additional cases to accumulate.”
Other epidemiologists disagreed about conclusions of the model, which they said only considered new infections, and thus did not take into account the fact that case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths would continue to rise even after the lockdown was introduced, because of the lag in diagnosis.
Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, said lockdowns “need more than a couple of weeks to achieve a substantial reduction in numbers”.
In order to keep cases at a steady rate, he said: “You would need to have as many as twice as many days in circuit-break lockdown as relaxed days, making such short lockdowns little different from the more prolonged lockdown we saw in March, April and May.”
The paper does not directly consider the economic costs of a circuit breaker lockdown, although it does note that “a short lockdown period would limit the economic costs of such a measure”, if it avoided the need to introduce a longer break.
Asked about this, the scientists said that while any lockdown would inevitably cause significant economic harm, as well as harm to mental and physical health, planning the intervention would mean the worst of these costs could be avoided.
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If the outbreak was growing at 3%, then the paper suggests a circuit-breaker lockdown could reduce hospitalisations from 132,400 to 66,500.
If the infection rate was growing faster, the impact of the lockdown would be greater, saving as many as 107,000 deaths – although the scientists stress that this is not a realistic possibility, as “the worst-case scenarios would never be allowed to continue without intervention”.
A less strict lockdown, where schools stay open but hospitality venues are closed, would have less impact – the scientists estimate – cutting deaths to 15,600 under the moderate growth scenario.
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