Cool Science News

New Fossils, Ancient Candy, and Cute Owls

Md. Scientists Monitor Saw-Whet Owls from PhysOrg.com

(AP) -- The high-pitched, staccato mating call of a northern saw-whet owl pierces the night and lures birds into a gossamer net that researchers have strung along the Appalachian Trail.

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Rare great ape fossil challenges evolutionary theory: study from PhysOrg.com

Archaeologists have discovered the ancient jawbone of what appears to be a new species of ape that was very close to the last common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees and humans, a study released Monday said.

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CentrAm natives savored chocolate before 1000 BC from PhysOrg.com

Natives of Central America were drinking beverages made from cacao before 1000 BC, 500 years earlier than previously thought, a study to be released Monday said.

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Utah announces 'major dinosaur fossil discovery' from PhysOrg.com (AP) -- A newly discovered batch of well-preserved dinosaur bones, petrified trees and even freshwater clams in southeastern Utah could provide new clues about life in the region some 150 million years ago. [...] Finally, the…
tags: Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Aegolius acadicus, birds, mystery bird, bird ID quiz [Mystery bird] Northern Saw-Whet Owl, Aegolius acadicus, photographed in Arizona. [I will identify this bird for you tomorrow] Image: Richard Ditch, 2007 [larger view]. Date Time Original: 2007:01:03 16:32:23…
Is the earth falling apart? Have they started using the Hadron Colider early and not mentioned it to anyone? Are we experiencing a Global Coincidence? Have science reporters suddenly gotten interested in earthquakes? There must be some explanation for the nearly simutaneious occurrence of a…
Fossil teeth can be tricky things. In 1922 paleontologist H.F. Osborn believed that he had found the first evidence of an extinct fossil ape from North America on the basis of a worn molar from Nebraska, but it later turned out to be the tooth of a prehistoric peccary. Four years later, by contrast…

Hey, just wanted to say I really like your blog: along with Tetrapod Zoology it is one of my favorites.

It's refreshing to click on a science blog and see a discussion of real science and not complaining about ID or politics (not that it's not warranted, but I like to compartamentalize that stuff sometimes).

Chocolate yes, candy no! The Mayan word for chocolate, chocolatl, means bitter water. The fatty, chocolate seeds were ground into a paste, whipped into a froth in hot water, and flavored with powdered chili pepper and allspice. This hot chocolate packed a stimulating jolt of theobromine and spicy bitterness. Another early use of chocolate that is more to our liking is mole, a nice spicy, chocolaty, nutty cooking sauce. Try it on some leftover turkey.