Scientists and medical experts are taking a leaf out of influencers’ books. Plus, one of the earliest known vertebrate herbivores and China has been shut out of most Horizon Europe funding programmes.
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Tyrannoroter heberti, a reptile-like animal that lived in the Late Carboniferous Period, was probably around 30 centimetres in length with a stocky build. (Illustration by Hannah Fredd)
A fossilized skull dated to more than 300 million years ago has been identified as belonging to Tyrannoroter heberti, a newly described ‘microsaur’ species and one of the oldest-known vertebrate herbivores. From a 3D reconstruction of the skull, researchers found that the species had specialized teeth that resemble those of other plant-eating animals and that had been worn down from a grinding motion consistent with herbivory. The discovery suggests that vertebrate herbivores emerged around several million years earlier than scientists had previously estimated.
Reuters | 5 min read
Reference: Nature Ecology & Evolution paper
Horizon Europe — the European Union’s €93.5-billion research-funding programme — has announced that Chinese organizations can no longer take part in most of the research projects it funds. Starting this year, organizations based in or controlled by China cannot apply for grants to fund projects that involve artificial intelligence, telecommunications, health, semiconductors, biotechnology or quantum technologies. Only select projects related to climate, biodiversity, food and agriculture remain on the table. The EU cites concerns about sharing sensitive technologies with China that could jeopardize the union’s security as the reason for the change.
Nature | 5 min read
Some sex differences in brain-connectivity patterns seem to become more pronounced with age. Researchers studying brain-imaging data found that sex differences in the brain’s connections are minimal in early life, but then increase drastically from puberty. Some of these differences continue to grow throughout adult life, which could explain why men and women have different likelihoods of developing some mental-health disorders such as anxiety and depression. However, some experts argue that these brain differences might reflect other factors that affect brain development, such as differences in education and gender roles, rather than sex.
Nature | 6 min read
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