​Mummified dinosaurs may be more common than thought ● What DNA from sediments tells us about life in prehistoric communities ● Men with higher IQs are more likely to bet on horse races ● Wild animal populations have declined by nearly 70% in the last 50 years

Mummified dinosaurs may be more common than previously thought

In order to be able to carry out the process of natural mummification, some exceptional and rare conditions must be met in nature. For example, an animal must be covered almost immediately or immediately after death with an anaerobic layer of soil, which prevents the decomposition of tissues and allows their fossilization.

However, a recently discovered case suggests that mummification can occur long after an animal’s death, and mummies of animals from the distant past may be more common than previously thought. At least this is what paleontologists from the University of Tennessee–Knoxville claim in a study published in the specialized journal Plos ONE.

In this case, the mummified remains of the Edmontosaurus, or duck-billed dinosaur, discovered in 1999 in South Dakota were analyzed. What is interesting about the animal in question is that although the skin is particularly well mummified, it shows holes made by the teeth of several predators, clearly showing that the animal was not covered by sediment for a long time after death.

It seems that this is what helped to mummify the specimen. More precisely, his body attracted the attention of several crocodiles or young individuals of the T-Rex species, which pierced the victim’s skin in search of soft tissues. After consuming internal organs, the role of predators was taken over by insects. They completed the job by absorbing the parts prone to rapid decomposition, and thus the skin could be preserved longer until it too was covered by a landslide.

It’s not exactly an image to start the day with, but it’s big news for paleontologists. This means that mummies of dinosaurs and other ancient organisms are more common than previously thought. It’s just that they are still somewhere waiting to be discovered.

What else does DNA in sediments tell us about the lives of prehistoric communities

A relatively new method of taking DNA samples from cave sediments, in use for a maximum of two years, continues to provide new images of the past, some of which would never have been found by traditional methods.

This also applies to the Agitu-3 cave, a cave in the karst system located in the south of Armenia. The site was already known to archaeologists as it already offered a rich collection of fossilized animal remains, hearth marks, decorative objects and stone artifacts. They come from several levels of occupation that occurred between 39,000 and 24,000 years ago.

DNA analysis from the sediment showed that the various communities that roamed the area used the plants extensively for consumption as well as for weaving, dyeing and medicinal purposes. A total of 43 different types of plants, of which only five are not used for food. Most likely, experts from the University of Oslo, who conducted the above-mentioned studies, suggest that prehistoric people made cords from plant material to attach ornaments to, but they also knew how to sew their own clothes. The fact was also confirmed by the discovery of several needles in the bone.

Between us, the find is more than interesting, but in no way carries new information. In fact, this is only a confirmation obtained by other methods, known for decades.

Men with a higher IQ are more likely to bet on horse races

The higher a man’s IQ, the more likely he is to bet on horse races, choose complex betting options, and spend more money on such activities. So claim some researchers from the University of Liverpool, who collaborated with their colleagues from the University of Eastern Finland.

The fact that it was published in the specialized journal Journal of Behavioral Decision Making shows us that the specialists succeeded in this research. And they say 15,000 people were analyzed, all men and all from Finland. In fact, they were all in the military for the semester, and participation in the study was a must.

Experts analyzed their betting habits, income, socio-economic status, education, etc. It turns out that people with a higher IQ, as I said, tend to bet on horse races or engage in other types of betting that require a little more sophisticated knowledge.

Now we don’t know what to say. It is known that a smart person does not spend money on bets, but not if science says otherwise…

Over the past 50 years, the population of wild animals has decreased by almost 70%.

More than 5,000 species of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish from more than 32,000 populations spread across the globe are showing accelerated declines. These are more than alarming statistics, which were made public by specialists of the organization WWF International.

In regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean, wildlife populations have declined by as much as 94%, but the global average is 69%. All these harmful effects are the result of human activities: pollution, introduction of invasive species, climate change, disease, intensive hunting or fishing, destruction of natural habitats, etc. All these data are simply devastating, according to WWF specialists.

They also state that only immediate action can stop this decline, which will also have huge negative consequences for people. World leaders meeting in Montreal in December are expected to make the first global decisions to protect wildlife, along the lines of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. Now that’s expected. Whether they will do so remains to be seen.

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