March 2020

Dr. Daniel Field holding a replica of Asteriornis maastrichtensis skull (Photo courtesy University of Cambdridge)

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An article published in the journal “Nature” reports the identification of a new primitive bird that lived near the end of the Cretaceous period, almost 67 million years ago, near the border between today’s Belgium and Holland. A team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge subjected the fossil bones of what was named Asteriornis maastrichtensis to a high resolution CT-scan to create 3D reconstructions. In particular, the skull is one of the best preserved among bird fossils. Its characteristics bring together those of modern chickens and ducks, suggesting that it’s a species very close to their last common ancestor.

Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and 7 di 9 (Jeri Ryan) in Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1 (Image courtesy CBS All Access / Amazon Prime Video)

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“Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 1” is the ninth episode of the TV show “Star Trek: Picard” and follows “Broken Pieces”. It’s available in the USA on the CBS All Access streaming platform and in many other countries on Amazon Prime Video.

The starship La Sirena reaches the home planet of Soji (Isa Briones), where it’s intercepted by the starship piloted by Narek (Harry Treadaway) and subsequently reached by the Borg cube, reactivated by 7 of 9 (Jeri Ryan). The planet’s defenses disable all the starships, which are forced to land. On the planet, the first truths about synthetic organisms emerge.

Little Foot's skull

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An article published in the journal “Scientific Reports” reports a study on the characteristics of the skull of the specimen of Australopithecus nicknamed “Little Foot” that offers information on this species’ life. A team of researchers from Wits University led by Dr Amélie Beaudet examined a 3D reproduction of the fossil generated by subjecting it to a high resolution micro-CT scan. The presence of the first cervical vertebra has a crucial role in the biology of vertebrates and the Little Foot’s one is in its place offering information on the possible head movements for this species of Australopithecus, different from those possible for modern humans.

The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Koontz

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The novel “The Eyes of Darkness” by Dean Koontz was published for the first time in 1981.

Christina “Tina” Evans is rebuilding her life after losing her son Danny in a tragic accident. She finally seems to have reached a positive turning point in her job when she starts see messages of various kinds that have in common the fact that they claim that Danny is not dead.

Initially Tina thinks that her ex-husband Michael is lashing out to her after the bitter divorce that followed their son’s death, but when she confronts him she realizes that he has nothing to do with it. She turns to Elliot Stryker, a lawyer she met through mutual acquaintances, to get Danny’s body exhumed, but someone tries to kill her.

Oculudentavis khaungraae fossil

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An article published in the journal “Nature” reports the identification of a small bird-like dinosaur from the examination of a skull preserved in a piece of amber dating back to about 99 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period, found in Myanmar. A team of researchers named it Oculudentavis khaungraae and it could be the smallest dinosaur ever, with a size comparable to a hummingbird’s. However, the identification is disputed even if, at least for now, counterarguments have only been published in an article of the Chinese Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP).