by Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, register for free here.
The Earth’s oceans are teeming with life — and mystery.
To gain a better understanding of the ocean floor, enterprising marine scientists decided to attach tags with cameras to tiger sharks that patrol the shallow tropical seas of the Bahamas.
Thanks to data collected by these apex predators, researchers have revealed what is known as the largest seagrass ecosystem in the world, covering an area of about 35,000 square miles (92,000 square kilometers), according to a 2022 study.
Sea grass can store huge amounts of carbon that could be a critical tool to help mitigate the climate crisis, said marine biologist and study co-author Dr. Austin Gallagher with CNN recently. Gallagher is CEO of research group Beneath the Waves.
As scientists look back on Earth’s history, fossils are painting a portrait of other aquatic ecosystems from the past.
Dig this
When the researchers spied unusual rock fragments floating from the ground near the Napo River in the Loreto region of Peru, they put them together and realized they were looking at something unexpected.
“We started screaming: ‘It’s a dolphin! It’s a dolphin!” said Aldo Benites-Palomino, a doctoral candidate in paleontology at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.
The newly identified dolphin species lived in a freshwater lake in the Peruvian Amazon 16 million years ago. And the creature measured about 11 feet (3.2 meters) long, making it twice the size of some people.
The discovery helps fill in the gaps in the evolutionary history of freshwater dolphins, which are extremely rare in the fossil record.
Long long ago
Genetic material recovered from the tomb of a sixth-century Chinese emperor has enabled scientists to create a 3D reconstruction of the monarch’s face.
Emperor Wu ruled China from 560 to 580 and united the northern part of China during a chaotic period when dynasties rose quickly and fell.
Although the cause of death could not be determined for Wu, who died suddenly at the age of 36, ancient DNA analysis found that he had a genetic susceptibility to stroke.
Most interesting to researchers was that Wu belonged to a small-scale nomadic group called the Xianbei, who lived throughout modern Mongolia and northeastern China.
Solar update
On April 8, astrophotographer Stan Honda will be based in Fredericksburg, Texas, armed with four cameras to document the total solar eclipse.
And Honda has tips for those who want to photograph the historic celestial event, whether you’re using a DSLR camera or a smartphone. Get a safe solar filter for your camera and never look at the sun through an unfiltered camera, even when wearing eclipse glasses.
Honda recommends using manual focus to capture the different phases of an eclipse, such as the “diamond ring” effect, as the moon slowly blocks the sunlight.
Experts have also warned of counterfeit eclipse glasses entering the market. Here’s how to test your glasses to make sure they’re safe, and everything you need to know about eye safety before the eclipse.
And now, it’s time to count down to April 8! Mark your Apple iCal or Outlook, Google, or Office365 calendar with the date of the upcoming total solar eclipse, which CNN will be covering live.
We are a family
The marble tomb in Mount Vernon, Virginia, is the final resting place of George Washington, the first US president. But questions remain about the fate of some of his family, such as Samuel, Washington’s younger brother, who died in 1781.
He and 19 other members of the Washington family were buried in the cemetery of Samuel’s Harewood estate near Charles Town, West Virginia. Some of the graves, including Samuel’s, were unmarked, presumably to deter grave robbers.
Now, researchers have taken remains excavated from Harewood in 1999 and used new DNA analysis techniques to identify Samuel’s two grandsons and their mother.
Although the location of Samuel’s grave remains a mystery, the latest techniques could help identify the unknown remains of those who served in the army.
Found
Meanwhile, new Pompeii excavations have revealed the site of a house renovation that occurred when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79.
Inside the residence, the archaeologists found piles of building materials near a reception area decorated with mythological painting.
The site provides an insight into the Roman building techniques used thousands of years ago, including sustainable materials and a stronger recipe for concrete, which could be applied today.
Separately, researchers at the site described by site director Francesca Giarelli of Red River Archeology Group discovered a “remarkable” Roman villa complex, including a collection of tiny, lead-lit scrolls, in a village in the English county of Oxfordshire.
Please note
Grab your favorite weekend drink and settle in with these insightful reads:
— A mental archive of human brains ranging from hundreds to thousands of years old is changing the way researchers understand the complexities of human health.
– Scientists believe they have located a volcano taller than Mount Everest on the surface of Mars – and the odd-shaped formation was probably hidden for years.
— Dachshunds, Germany’s famous sausage dogs, could be at risk within the country because a new draft law could ban the breeding of canines with “skeletal anomalies”.
— Colorful paintings found in an ancient Egyptian necropolis show the daily life of people south of Cairo 4,300 years ago.
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