Tag

Pangaea

All articles tagged with #pangaea

science-and-exploration2 years ago•4 min saved

Cutting-edge Moon camera undergoes successful testing in Europe

European astronauts and scientists are collaborating with NASA's Artemis imagery team to develop the Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) for future Moon missions. The camera, tested in lunar-like landscapes in Spain, is built from off-the-shelf cameras with modifications for space, including dust and thermal protection. Astronauts used the camera during geological field trips to document their exploration work, and the camera's design was praised for its simplicity and reliability. The camera will be the first mirrorless camera for handheld use in space and will record videos to provide situational awareness and document lunar exploration. Further testing and modifications will be done before the Artemis III lunar landing.

via European Space Agency|

#esa #lunar-exploration #moon-camera

paleontology2 years ago•5 min saved

Saber-Toothed Predator Unveils Insights into the "Great Dying" Extinction Event.

Fossils of Inostrancevia, a saber-toothed predator the size of a tiger, were discovered in South Africa's Karoo Basin, 7,000 miles from its original habitat in Russia. The creature filled a gap left by extinct top predators in a far-flung ecosystem before becoming extinct itself, indicating that apex predators could serve as early indicators of impending mass extinctions. Researchers draw parallels between these prehistoric patterns and current ecological crises, underscoring the importance of understanding ancient extinction events to predict and possibly mitigate today's biodiversity loss.

via SciTechDaily|

#apex-predators #great-dying #inostrancevia

science2 years ago•3 min saved

The Epic Journey and Extinction of an Ancient Saber-Toothed Predator.

Fossils of an apex predator called Inostrancevia, a tiger-sized, saber-toothed mammal forerunner, were discovered in South Africa, revealing that it migrated over time, about 7,000 miles across Earth's ancient supercontinent Pangaea, in a desperate, and ultimately failed, bid to survive the mass extinction called "the Great Dying" that occurred roughly 252 million years ago at the end of the Permian Period. The mass extinction was triggered by runaway global warming caused by calamitous volcanism in Siberia, dooming perhaps 90% of species. The researchers see parallels between the Permian crisis and today's human-induced climate change.

via The Jerusalem Post|

#climate-change #fossils #mass-extinction

science2 years ago•3 min saved

The Rise and Fall of a Saber-Toothed Predator Before the Great Dying.

Fossils of the saber-toothed mammal forerunner Inostrancevia, found in South Africa, reveal that it migrated over 7,000 miles across Earth's ancient supercontinent Pangaea in a bid to survive the mass extinction event at the end of the Permian Period. The apex predator filled the ecological niche of top predator in South Africa after four other species had vanished, but ultimately disappeared in the mass extinction called "the Great Dying." The event was triggered by runaway global warming caused by volcanic activity in Siberia, which caused the extinction of perhaps 90% of species. Researchers see parallels between the Permian crisis and today's human-induced climate change.

via Reuters|

#climate-change #extinction #fossils