Thomas Lee

Breugnathair Elgolensis (~167 Ma) Is The Most Complete Jurassic Lizard Fossil. At 41cm, This New Squamate Species (Parviraptoridae) Bridges The Lizard-Snake Transition. Found On Skye, Scotland, In 2016, It Features Lizard Limbs But Snake-Like Jaws & Python Fangs, Proving That Specialized Feeding Traits Evolved Before Snakes Lost Their Legs.

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Australian Researchers Made A World-First Discovery In A Lab Study Of 60 Captive Endangered Alpine Tree Frogs (Litoria Verreauxii Alpina). They Found That Frogs Infected With Chytrid Fungus Jumped ~24% Farther Than Healthy Frogs By Week Six, Potentially Aiding The Fungus Spread Or Allowing The Frog To Find Mate Faster & Mate Before Death.

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Scientists Discovered The World’s First Natural Fiber-Optic Cables In Heart Cockle Shells. Aragonite Tube Bundles And Microlenses In The Shell Focus Sunlight To Symbiotic Algae That Feed The Clam, While Blocking UV. Unlike Man-Made Fibers, No Coatings Are Needed To Trap Light. The Clam May Inspire Cheaper Optics, UV Protection, & Adv Tech.

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U.K Scientists Found The Oldest Known Lepidosaur (Lizard Relative) In Devon, England. The Palm-Sized Agriodontosaurus Helsbypetrae Lived ~242 Myr Ago In The Middle Triassic. Synchrotron CT Scans Revealed An Insect-Eating Predator With Large Triangular Blade-Like Teeth And Unique Skull Features, Extending The Lepidosaur Record By 3–7 Myrs.

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In A First, Researchers In Norway Filmed The Full Process Of Wild Orca Birth. Drone Footage Showed Mostly Female & Juvenile Pod Members Lifting A Limp Newborn For ~15 Mins To Help It Breathe Until It Swam. The Calf Had Fetal Folds & A Floppy Fin. Led By Mother NKW-591, The Pod Showed Midwife-Like Care, Revealing Rare Natural Orca Behavior.