Mummified, spread-eagled Triassic 'shovel lizards' look like roadkill and likely died in a drought

Mummified, spread-eagled Triassic 'shovel lizards' look like roadkill and likely died in a drought | Cryptic 4,000-year-old writing system may finally be deciphered | Oldest human-made structure in the Americas is older than the Egyptian pyramids Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( August 30, 2022 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](  [] Top Science News [] [Mummified, spread-eagled Triassic 'shovel lizards' look like roadkill and likely died in a drought]( [Mummified, spread-eagled Triassic 'shovel lizards' look like roadkill and likely died in a drought]( (Gina Viglietti) About 251 million years ago, groups of pig-size herbivores with tusks and beaks huddled together, died, shriveled up and then fossilized looking like squashed roadkill, with impressions of their pebbly skin still present in the rocks around them. These strange layers of fossils suggest that recurring drought was a big problem for the animals, which were members of the genus Lystrosaurus, meaning "shovel lizard" in ancient Greek. Lystrosaurs were rare survivors of the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, a period of runaway climate change 252 million years ago that killed an estimated 70% of land vertebrates and 96% of marine animals. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/29) [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: [] History & Archaeology [] [Cryptic 4,000-year-old writing system may finally be deciphered]( [Cryptic 4,000-year-old writing system may finally be deciphered]( (Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art) A mysterious ancient writing system called Linear Elamite, used between about 2300 B.C. and 1800 B.C. in what is now southern Iran, might have finally been deciphered, although some experts are skeptical about the findings. What's more, it's unclear whether all the artifacts used to decipher the writings were legally acquired. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/30) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Oldest human-made structure in the Americas is older than the Egyptian pyramids]( [Oldest human-made structure in the Americas is older than the Egyptian pyramids]( (LSU) To find the oldest known human-made structures in the Americas, you don't need to hike into the wilderness or paddle down a raging river — all you need to do is visit Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At the north end of Louisiana State University's (LSU) campus sit two grassy mounds, rising in a gentle slope to a height of about 20 feet (6 meters). The mounds are just two of more than 800 similar human-made mounds in Louisiana, built by Indigenous Americans. Although researchers knew they were old, a new study has determined just how old these ancient structures are. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Life’s Little Mysteries [] [Why do I feel sleepy after eating?]( [Why do I feel sleepy after eating?]( (Getty Images) Few things are as irresistible as slumber's post-lunch siren call, but why do we feel sleepy after eating? After all, food is an energy source, not an energy sapper — right? Unfortunately, the human body isn't that simple, with a cornucopia of factors coming into play to determine how tired a person feels. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Space Exploration [] [NASA calls off Artemis 1 moon rocket launch over engine cooling issue]( [NASA calls off Artemis 1 moon rocket launch over engine cooling issue]( (NASA) CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — An engine cooling issue on NASA's giant new rocket for deep-space exploration forced the agency to call off the booster's much-anticipated launch debut early Monday (Aug. 29). NASA had mostly fueled its first Space Launch System (SLS) megarocket to launch the Artemis 1 moon mission on Monday when launch controllers were unable to chill one of the four main engines to the temperatures needed to handle its super-cold propellant. The issue stalled plans to launch the SLS rocket and its uncrewed Orion spacecraft on an ambitious 42-day test flight around the moon. Liftoff was scheduled for 8:33 a.m. EDT (1233 GMT). Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/29) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Four key 'nail-biter moments' to watch for during the Artemis launch]( [Four key 'nail-biter moments' to watch for during the Artemis launch]( (NASA) On Monday (Aug. 29), NASA was set to launch the most powerful rocket ever built on a roughly 40-day trip around the moon and back, but ultimately, the launch was postponed for a later date. This mission, named Artemis 1, is the first of three planned Artemis missions that will culminate in 2025 with astronauts setting foot on the moon for the first time in 50 years, and will include the first woman and person of color ever to do so. Full Story: [Live Science]( (8/28) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Quiz [] POLL QUESTION: How old is the oldest Egyptian pyramid? (Learn the answer [here]() [Vote]( [12,000 years old]( [Vote]( [10,000 years old]( [Vote]( [4,700 years old]( [Vote]( [3,000 years old](   [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Cookies Policy]( | [Terms and Conditions]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:livescience@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE]( Future US LLC © 1100 13th St. NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005