Dino with 'perfect and unique' butthole also had the oldest belly button known to science

Dino with 'perfect and unique' butthole also had the oldest belly button known to science | Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits Afghanistan, killing at least 1,000 | NASA suddenly aborts moon rocket test launch with 29 seconds on the clock Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( June 23, 2022 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](  [] Top Science News [] [Dino with 'perfect and unique' butthole also had the oldest belly button known to science]( [Dino with 'perfect and unique' butthole also had the oldest belly button known to science]( (Jagged Fang Designs) Paleontologists have discovered the oldest belly button known to science — and the first ever found on a non-avian dinosaur — on a 125 million-year-old fossil of a parrot-beaked biped in China. The faint navel mark belongs to a reptile in the genus Psittacosaurus, which lived during the Cretaceous period (145 million to 66 millions years ago). Scientists spotted the long, thin trace of an umbilical scar when they exposed the fossil to a concentrated beam of laser light. The scar is a slight misalignment in the pattern of skin and scales over the dinosaur's abdomen and is the reptile equivalent of a mammalian belly button. Full Story: [Live Science]( (6/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Just the Facts, Ma'am "I stopped watching TV news a year ago, so sick of the bias everywhere. But in doing so, I was out of the loop. I decided to give 1440 a try & I've not been disappointed. Finally, Walter Cronkite style reporting! Just the facts. I also love that I can click a link to see more on many stories. Keep up the good work!" [Join for free now](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Natural Disasters [] [Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits Afghanistan, killing at least 1,000]( [Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits Afghanistan, killing at least 1,000]( (U.S. Geological Survey) A powerful earthquake rattled eastern Afghanistan in the early hours of Wednesday morning (June 22), killing at least 1,000 people and wounding hundreds more, although casualty numbers are expected to rise. State-level disaster management officials reported at least 600 injured, while local officials put the count closer to 1,500, according to Reuters. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre initially estimated the quake's magnitude to be 6.1, but the organization has since reported a slightly lower magnitude of 5.9. This latter estimate matches the one reported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Full Story: [Live Science]( (6/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Space Exploration [] [NASA suddenly aborts moon rocket test launch with 29 seconds on the clock]( [NASA suddenly aborts moon rocket test launch with 29 seconds on the clock]( (NASA/MSFC) NASA abruptly aborted a rehearsal launch for its massive "Mega Moon rocket," which will one day return humans to the moon's surface, 20 seconds ahead of schedule on Monday (June 21), with just 29 seconds left on the countdown clock. Agency officials cited a liquid hydrogen leak within the rocket as the primary reason for the rehearsal's abrupt ending. This is the fourth consecutive aborted attempt to complete a rehearsal launch of the mighty rocket — officially called the Space Launch System (SLS) — according to The Verge. However, even with the last-minute leak putting a damper on things, engineers completed more of their launch objectives than ever before, successfully fueling the deep-space rocket for the first time. Full Story: [Live Science]( (6/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Your Health [] [Poliovirus detected in London sewage, UK officials warn]( [Poliovirus detected in London sewage, UK officials warn]( (KATERYNA KON/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images) A strain of poliovirus that can sometimes cause paralysis has cropped up in the sewers of London and may be spreading among closely-linked individuals in the north and east regions of the city, the U.K. Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned Wednesday (June 22). The UKHSA has launched an investigation to understand the scope of this spread and flag any suspected cases. In general, the virus poses an "extremely low" risk to the general public, but it does have the potential to spread in areas with patchy vaccine coverage, the agency advised. Full Story: [Live Science]( (6/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] In the Sky [] [This is the best time to spot a rare alignment of five planets. Here's how to watch it.]( [This is the best time to spot a rare alignment of five planets. Here's how to watch it.]( (Oliver Taylor via Alamy) The early bird catches the spectacular skywatching this week, as five planets march across the predawn sky. This rare planetary alignment has been visible since early June. But the view should be particularly impressive this week, as Mercury is at its brightest and the waning moon joins the parade of planets. Full Story: [Live Science]( (6/23) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Curious Creatures [] [Swarm of rainbow-colored starfish devour sea lion corpse on seafloor]( [Swarm of rainbow-colored starfish devour sea lion corpse on seafloor]( (David Slater) An award-winning photographer has captured the somber moment when dozens of colorful starfish set about devouring a lifeless sea lion on the seafloor in California. Wildlife photographer David Slater captured the haunting photo in the shallow waters of Monterey Bay. The dead sea lion and its compatriots swimming in the background are most likely California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), but they could also be Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), based on the two species' geographical ranges. The sea stars are all bat stars (Patiria miniata), scavenging starfish that come in a wide range of colors. The bat stars play a key role in recycling the sea lion into energy and nutrients, returning its remains to the marine food web. Full Story: [Live Science]( (6/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Poll Question [] POLL QUESTION: Have you seen the planetary alignment that's been visible in the sky this month, and is particularly impressive looking this week? 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