May 2016

Reproduction of a marine environment in Antarctica at the end of the Cretaceous (Image courtesy James McKay)

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An article published in the journal “Nature Communications” describes a research based on the analysis of more than 6,000 fossils of Antarctic marine organisms concluding that the mass extinction occurred at the end of the Cretaceous period that wiped out the dinosaurs was as deadly in the polar regions. This contradicts the idea that in far south regions of the world there would be less danger during that event.

The Iron Thorn, also known as The Amsirs And The Iron Thorn by Algis Budrys

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The novel “The Iron Thorn”, also known as “The Amsirs And The Iron Thorn” by Algis Budrys was published for the first time in 1967 serialized in the magazine “If” and later as a book.

Honor White Jackson is young human hunter who has to kill a Amsir, a humanoid bird, for the first time. The success in that trial leads him to be initiated within the caste of the Honors, as human hunters are called, and to discover various secrets of the Iron Thorn.

The revelations allow Jackson to understand that his entire world is very different from what he had known until then. That’s just the beginning of an journey which is also an inner one to the discovery of a much larger truth but to obtain it he’s forced to leave his people and take many risks.

Sclerocormus parviceps complete (a), in close-ups (b, c, d) and in reconstructions (e, f, g, h)

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An article published in the journal “Scientific Reports” describes the analysis of an ichthyosauriform reptile that lived at the beginning of the Triassic period, about 248 million years ago, in today’s Anhui province in China. Called Sclerocormus parviceps, it has very different characteristics from most other members of the same group. This shows that those marine reptiles had rapidly evolved and diversified after the great extinction at the end of the Permian period, far quicker than previously thought.

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The short story “The Mind of a Pig” by Ekaterina Sedia was published for the first time in 2009.

Joel would like to be understood by Cassie and her family but he’s a pig and can’t speak. He’s unique thanks to genetic engineering so his brain is human. How can he make humans understand that he’s a sentient being before part of his brain is used for a transplant?

Teconstruction of Spiclypeus shipporum's skull with the missing parts faded (Image Jordan C. Mallon et al.)

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An article published in the journal “PLOS ONE” describes the analysis of the bones of a dinosaur that was called Spiclypeus shipporum. It’s a so-called horned dinosaur that belongs to the family of the ceratopsids (Ceratopsidae). The only specimen found lived about 76 million years ago in today’s Montana, USA.