Massive 'bullseye' in Australian desert is evidence of an ancient reef

Lion-size otters prowled Ethiopia 3 million years ago | Massive 'bullseye' in Australian desert is evidence of an ancient reef | Arctic 'ghost island' that vanished may have actually been a dirty iceberg Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( September 13, 2022 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [Twitter](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](  [] Top Science News [] [Lion-size otters prowled Ethiopia 3 million years ago]( [Lion-size otters prowled Ethiopia 3 million years ago]( (Sabine Riffaut/PALEVOPRIM/Université de Poitiers/CNRS) The fossilized remains of a gigantic, lion-size otter that lived alongside early humans have been unearthed in Ethiopia, a new study finds. The species, named Enhydriodon omoensis, lived about 3.5 million to 2.5 million years ago and co-existed with a group of extinct human relatives known as australopithecines, bipedal hominids that lived from 4.2 million to about 2 million years ago. E. omoensis was colossal compared with its cute contemporary counterparts, and the study authors estimated that it weighed more than 440 pounds (200 kilograms). Full Story: [Live Science]( (9/13) [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: [] Amazing Earth [] [Massive 'bullseye' in Australian desert is evidence of an ancient reef]( [Massive 'bullseye' in Australian desert is evidence of an ancient reef]( (Courtesy of Curtin University) A strange doughnut-shaped mound in a desert in southern Australia recently made a surprise appearance in high-resolution satellite images. The odd formation, which from space resembles a big bullseye, is likely the remains of an ancient reef, made by microbes and left over from a time when a vast ocean covered the now-arid environment, new research suggests. Full Story: [Live Science]( (9/13) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Arctic 'ghost island' that vanished may have actually been a dirty iceberg]( [Arctic 'ghost island' that vanished may have actually been a dirty iceberg]( (Martin Nissen) In 2021, an expedition off the icy northern Greenland coast spotted what appeared to be a previously uncharted island. It was small and gravelly, and it was declared a contender for the title of the most northerly known land mass in the world. The discoverers named it Qeqertaq Avannarleq — Greenlandic for “the northernmost island.” But there was a mystery afoot in the region. Just north of Cape Morris Jesup, several other small islands had been discovered over the decades, and then disappeared. Full Story: [Live Science]( (9/13) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Life’s Little Mysteries [] [Did Nero really fiddle while Rome burned?]( [Did Nero really fiddle while Rome burned?]( (Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) The Roman emperor Nero ranks among the most infamous rulers of the Roman Empire for supposedly fiddling while Rome burned. But did that really happen? And does Nero really deserve his bad reputation? As with all stories, we have to consider the source. Full Story: [Live Science]( (9/10) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Innovation in HIV Research Sponsored Content from Gilead Sciences [Advancing Transformational Innovation in HIV Research]( Learn about Gilead Sciences' innovative approach to continuous scientific discovery as part of the company's leadership and commitment that aims to help end the HIV epidemic for everyone, everywhere. [Find out more]( [] Curious Creatures [] [A megalodon's powerful jaws cracked the back of its wriggling whale prey, fossils suggest]( [A megalodon's powerful jaws cracked the back of its wriggling whale prey, fossils suggest]( (Art by Clarence (Shoe) Schumaker, image courtesy of the Calvert Marine Museum) About 15 million years ago in a warm coastal sea covering what is now southern Maryland, the ocean surface suddenly erupted in a violent upheaval as a shark the size of a five-story building — the mighty and massive megalodon (Otodus megalodon) — launched itself at a whale near the surface, clamping its 250 serrated teeth around the whale's midsection. As the struggling pair broke the surface in a bloody breach, the force of the attack bent the whale's back and caused a violent compression fracture. Full Story: [Live Science]( (9/9) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   [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