Led by palaeontologist Martín D. Ezcurra, the research team found the fossil remarkably well preserved — a rare opportunity to study one of the earliest steps in dinosaur evolution. According to Ezcurra, the specimen stood out immediately because of its size. While most dinosaurs from that era were under a metre long and weighed less than ten kilograms, Huayracursor measured roughly two metres in length and weighed about twenty kilograms.

Another distinctive feature is its unusually elongated neck, which links the species to the sauropodomorph lineage — the group that would later produce the colossal, long-necked giants such as Argentinosaurus and Patagotitan . Ezcurra explained that these early anatomical traits offer valuable insight into how such massive plant-eating dinosaurs evolved from their smaller ancestors.

The species’ name reflects both scientific precision and cultural homage. Huayra means “ wind ” in Quechua, while cursor translates as “runner” in Latin — together, “runner of the wind ,” a nod to the fierce winds of La Rioja that accompany every field expedition.

The discovery adds a vital piece to the puzzle of dinosaur origins in South America, a region that continues to yield some of the most ancient and complete fossils on record.

This challenges what experts previously believed about plasma movement around the Moon.

The study revealed that electron levels in the Moon’s ionosphere can be nearly 100 times higher than usual when it moves through this part of space.

Researchers believe that weak magnetic fields on the Moon’s surface could be trapping these charged particles and stopping them from escaping.

Scientists used a special technique to measure these changes.

The Chandrayaan-2 orbiter sent radio signals back to Earth, allowing experts to track electron levels in different parts of the Moon’s atmosphere.

They found a sharp increase in electron density—up to 23,000 electrons per cubic centimetre—especially in certain regions.

These findings could be important for future Moon missions.

High plasma levels could affect communication, equipment, and even how lunar dust moves.

Understanding these changes will help space agencies prepare better for future robotic and human missions to the Moon.

Queen Suthida captained Thailand's ice hockey team in a friendly match against China, celebrating two significant anniversaries: the King's 72nd birthday and the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. The match, held at the Thailand International Ice Hockey Arena in Bangkok, ended in a draw after Thailand won the first set 6:2, China took the second set 4:3, and the final set culminated in a 6:6 tie, Nation Thailand News reported.

Flooding hits 23 provinces

In light of recent climate challenges, Thailand is facing significant flooding across 23 provinces, affecting more than 66,000 families in 1,647 villages. Currently, flood levels are declining in the northern provinces, but certain areas continue to experience rising waters. The Northeast sees seven inundated provinces with stable water levels, while five provinces in the Central Plains report increasing floods. The southern regions, notably Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla, are reporting descending flood levels. According to Bangkok Post , the adverse effects of this flooding have tragically resulted in 52 fatalities and 28 injuries since mid-August.

Imported goods

Addressing quality control in the market, Thailand's Industry Minister Akanat Promphan has announced enhanced screening procedures for imported goods to restrict the smuggling of inferior products. The closure of the EXEMPT 5 import channel, effective from October 1, aims to eliminate loopholes that allow low-quality imports into the country, Vietnam News explained. It is now mandated that all controlled goods enter through the National Single Window system, regardless of volume. Non-compliance may lead to harsh penalties, including imprisonment and substantial fines. Consumers are encouraged to verify product quality by seeking TISI logos and scanning QR codes.

The Fisheries project

To combat the ecological threat posed by invasive species, the Department of Fisheries in Thailand is repurposing blackchin tilapia into 'pla ra,' a traditional fermented fish sauce. According to Bangkok Post , this project targets the removal of 200,000 kilograms of this invasive species from local areas while fostering economic initiatives. Funding is allocated for local communities to acquire necessary production equipment. Currently, 20 communities have participated in this initiative, which not only aims to lessen ecological disruption but also bolster local economies through the development of marketable fish products.

Discovery of new animal species

In a notable discovery, researchers have identified a new species of frog, Microhyla peninsularis, or the Peninsular narrow-mouthed frog, in southern Thailand. Initially aiming to study Berdmore’s narrow-mouthed frog, scientists recognised this new species through distinct genetic and morphological traits, including its characteristic triangular body and muscular thighs, News Observer reported. These nocturnal frogs, measuring just over one inch in length, are predominantly grey-brown with lighter underbellies and are found in lowland forest ecosystems on the Thai-Malay peninsula.

The gecko, which is about 7 inches long, has clawed toes, spiky spurs near its tail, and dark brown markings on its back. It was found living inside and around the cave, emerging at night to hunt for food.

They are brown in colour with black and light brown stretches across the back.

The species is named after the area where it was discovered, the Khao Nam Phu hill in Saraburi Province, about 90 miles northeast of Bangkok.

The research team, including Thai and international scientists, published their findings on September 19. The research team included Montri Sumontha, Nonn Panitvong, Kirati Kunya, Nattasuda Donbundit, Winai Suthanthangjai, Maneerat Suthanthangjai, Eakarit Phanamphon and Olivier S. G. Pauwels.

Alongside the Khao Nam Phu gecko, researchers also found another new species, the Erawan bent-toed gecko. Both discoveries add to the growing list of unique wildlife hidden in Thailand’s caves.

Published in Time and Mind: The Journal of Archaeology, Consciousness and Culture , the study reveals carvings at Göbekli Tepe, dated to around 12,000 years ago, which may represent an ancient lunisolar calendar. This calendar appears to include 12 lunar months plus 11 extra days, making it the oldest known example of its kind.

Led by Chemical Engineer Martin Sweatman, the research identifies the symbols as records of celestial phenomena. Among the carvings are depictions of a meteor shower lasting 27 days, linked to constellations like Aquarius and Pisces. The study suggests that the people of Göbekli Tepe were tracking solstices and the precession of equinoxes earlier than previously believed.

The pillars, standing about 18 feet tall, are adorned with abstract human figures and animals. Sweatman identified 365 V-shaped symbols on one pillar, interpreted as daily markers, and square symbols denoting lunar months of roughly 29.5 days. A “V” on a bird figure is interpreted as marking the summer solstice.

Sweatman believes the carvings not only mark astronomical events but also reflect Göbekli Tepe’s role as a religious site.

“​​Overall, it appears that naked-eye astronomical capabilities of ancient people were far in advance of what is generally assumed for this time,” Sweatman said .

The study , conducted by scientists from Stanford University and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, was published in the journal Nature Aging. It involved tracking 108 participants over several years to monitor molecular changes associated with ageing. The findings reveal that these accelerated bursts of ageing are not evenly spread across a person’s lifespan, but rather concentrated around these specific ages.

In total, the study analyzed 135,239 biological features, generating a staggering 246.5 billion data points. The average participant was monitored for 626 days and contributed 47 samples, allowing researchers to create a detailed picture of how molecular changes progress over time. One participant was particularly deeply monitored over 6.8 years, contributing 367 samples, which offered a unique, in-depth view of ageing-related changes. 

“135,239 biological features (including 10,346 transcripts, 302 proteins, 814 metabolites, 66 cytokines, 51 clinical laboratory tests, 846 lipids, 52,460 gut microbiome taxons, 8,947 skin microbiome taxons, 8,947 oral microbiome taxons and 52,460 nasal microbiome taxons) were acquired, resulting in 246,507,456,400 data points. The average sampling period and number of samples for each participant were 626 days and 47 samples, respectively,” the study report read in part. 

The participants, 51.9% of whom were female, provided a wide range of biological samples, including blood, stool, skin swabs, oral swabs, and nasal swabs.

“Understanding the Martian water cycle is critical for understanding the evolution of the climate, surface and interior,” said Dr Vashan Wright, a geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, who led the study.

The discovery came from data collected by NASA’s Mars InSight Lander, which has been studying Mars since 2018. The lander’s seismometer recorded vibrations from Marsquakes over four years, revealing “seismic signals” that indicated the presence of liquid water.

Professor Michael Manga from the University of California, Berkeley, a co-author of the study, discussed the implications for Mars’ habitability. “Establishing that there is a big reservoir of liquid water provides some window into what the climate was like or could be like," Manga said.

"Without liquid water, you don't have life," Prof Manga told the BBC . "So if there are habitable environments on Mars, those may be now deep underground."

Prof Manga has also explained that the techniques used in the discovery are "the same techniques we use to prospect for water on Earth, or to look for oil and gas."

Despite the exciting possibilities, accessing this water would be challenging. Although there is water ice at the Martian poles and evidence of vapour in the atmosphere, this is the first confirmation of liquid water on Mars.

The study, led by Paulos Yohannes, a chemistry professor and associate dean for research at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College, focuses on the medicinal benefits of plants native to Ethiopia.

Yohannes, participating under the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program , emphasised the importance of natural products in African traditional medicine.

"There are many medicinal plants that have been used by traditional healers for centuries. At this moment, preliminary studies have shown that we are working with plant extracts that exhibit anticancer activities," he noted.

The research aims to contribute to the reduction of cervical cancer deaths which according to the WHO , is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, with approximately 660,000 new cases and around 350,000 deaths reported in 2022.

The Ethiopian team, led by Professor Ermias Dagne, who has over 45 years of experience in the chemistry of medicinal plants, extracts materials from these plants. These extracts are then sent to Georgia State as crude extracts or isolated pure compounds to test their effectiveness in combating disease.

Georgia State Regents’ Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar Binghe Wang highlighted two crucial aspects of the project.

"The first is to assess these extracts or purified compounds for biological activity, starting with cell culture experiments. In searching for anticancer compounds, we look for those that exhibit potent cytotoxicity against cancer cells. Once the activity is confirmed, there is a set of spectroscopic experiments that we conduct to confirm the structures of the compounds," Wang explained.

A study by a group of international researchers revealed that elephants invent arbitrary names for each other and they can relate to these names accordingly.

As part of the study, the team of international researchers used an artificial intelligence algorithm to examine the calls of two wild herds of African savanna elephants in Kenya.

Researchers also analysed elephant "rumbles" collected over the years at Kenya's Samburu and Amboseli national parks between 1986 to 2022.

They used a machine-learning algorithm that identified 469 distinct calls. Out of this, 101 elephants issued a call and 117 received one.

When names were called out by the elephants, it was often over a long distance and mostly by adults to address young elephants, indicating that it takes years for calves to learn the art of name-calling.

According to the study in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution , the most common call was “a harmonically rich, low-frequency sound”.

The research “not only shows that elephants use specific vocalisations for each individual, but that they recognise and react to a call addressed to them while ignoring those addressed to others”, the lead study author, Michael Pardo, was quoted as having said.

Recordings were played to other family or friend elephants and the receiving elephant will always respond positively. But the elephants responded with less enthusiasm when the names of others were played.

“This indicates that elephants can determine whether a call was intended for them just by hearing the call, even when out of its original context,” the behavioural ecologist at Colorado State University said in a statement.

Name-calling between elephants makes them the only other animals aside from humans that have this unique ability.

Despite our differences, humans and elephants share many similarities such as “extended family units with rich social lives, underpinned by highly developed brains”, the CEO of Save the Elephants, Frank Pope, said . “That elephants use names for one another is likely only the start of the revelations to come.”

Scientists say the Musankwa is linked to the earliest-branching lineage within Massopoda (a group of sauropodomorph dinosaurs that lived during the Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous epochs). The dinosaur might have lived in a swampy woodland 210 million years ago.

The thigh, shin, and ankle bones were the parts of the Musankwa found and studied, leading researchers to believe there may be many other dinosaurs waiting to be discovered within the region.

Dr. Kimi Chapelle, a co-author of the research from Stony Brook University says this may be a result of undersampling of fossils within Africa compared to other areas of the world.

“African dinosaur fossils are underrepresented as a result of undersampling compared to other areas of the world,” Kimi says. “As a result, Musankwa sanyantiensis is the first dinosaur of its kind from Zimbabwe, and just the fourth dinosaur species ever found in the whole country. It highlights just how much potential the region has for further palaeontological discoveries,” The Zimbabwean quoted Kimi Chappelle as saying.

The team also discovered a variety of fossils, including the remains of crocodile-like phytosaurs, conifer trees, and ancient amphibians leading to suggestions that the area could have been a swampy woodland filled with water channels where dinosaurs lived some 210 million years ago.  

Lead author of the research Professor Paul Barett described Zimbabwe as a “potential gold mine” for scientists who may be looking into the exploration of dinosaurs within the region.

The paper was published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica .

For years, archaeologists have speculated that these monumental structures must have utilised a nearby waterway to transport the massive stone blocks required for their construction. The newly uncovered evidence supports this theory, providing insights into pyramid-building techniques.

"Locating the actual branch and having the data that shows there was a waterway that could be used for the transportation of heavier blocks, equipment, people, everything, really helps us explain pyramid construction," Dr Suzanne Onstine, one of the study's co-authors, told the BBC .

Professor Eman Ghoneim, another co-author, emphasised the significance of the discovery.

"Nobody was certain of the location, the shape, the size, or proximity of this mega waterway to the actual pyramids site," Ghoneim explained.

The team employed radar technology to penetrate the sand surface, revealing hidden features detailed in their study published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment.

Among these features were buried rivers and ancient structures located at the foothills where most of the Egyptian pyramids stand.

The researchers found that the ancient river branch, named "Ahramat" meaning pyramids in Arabic bordered 31 pyramids constructed between 4,700 and 3,700 years ago, shedding light on the logistical capabilities of ancient Egyptians in pyramid construction.

Currently, there are at least 118 identified Egyptian pyramids . These ancient masonry structures were predominantly built as tombs for the country’s pharaohs and their consorts during the Old Kingdom (2575 BC to 2150 BC) and Middle Kingdom (2050 BC to 1550 BC) periods.

Biologist Flavio Gallo-Cardozo, inspired by the TV show 'River Monsters,' has made a remarkable discovery in Bolivia's Amazon Basin. His research led to the identification of a new species of piranha , named Serrasalmus magallanesi. “My dream of being able to discover a new species actually began long before my training as a biologist, it began during my time at school when in natural science subjects I saw the great diversity of species that exist, and I always thought that being able to discover a serious something that at the time considered unreal and impossible,” Gallo-Cardozo said. The biologist stated that the fish was compared to current collections from national natural history museums, which included 153 specimens in total.

Bolivarian Youth Games

The 2024 Bolivarian Youth Games are set to commence in Sucre, the capital of the Latin American nation from April 4 – 14 with the inauguration to be officiated by the President of Bolivia Luis Arce. Over 1,500 athletes from seven countries will compete in 27 disciplines, with Bolivian participants striving for a prominent position in the medal table. According to Prensa Latina , Bolivia’s Vice Minister of Sports, Karen Palenque, said that the Bolivian athletes will participate in a host of fields including athletics, swimming, wrestling, and weight lifting among others.

Argentina, Brazil negotiate gas pipeline reversal

Argentina and Brazil are engaged in discussions regarding the reversal of the flow of a Bolivian gas pipeline due to potential shortages. A preliminary proposal has failed to gain traction with Bolivia, leaving Brazil exposed to volatile liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices. Argentina possesses the second largest shale gas reserves in the world, and Brazil has made it clear in recent months that gas from Argentina will be required to balance supplies, according to Reuters . Experts suggest that Bolivia, which was formerly a major producer in the area, may not have any exports available after 2029 due to its sharp fall in exports.

Highway crash kills four

A tragic highway crash in southern Bolivia has claimed the lives of four individuals and left 36 injured. The incident, near Yotala, a small town located 14 kilometres away from Bolivia’s capital Sucre involved a passenger bus and another vehicle. Authorities are investigating the cause, with initial beliefs pointing to the possibility of one of the vehicles crossing into the opposing lane.

Bolivia warns of interference in Venezuela elections Bolivia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has warned against extreme right-wing organisations that may destabilise the upcoming elections in Venezuela. The Bolivian ministry urged that the United States respect the Venezuelan process and not interfere in its internal affairs, Radio Habana Cuba reports.  "We express our concern for the threats and actions of some extreme right-wing organizations that, instead of joining the electoral competition as other opposition organizations decided to do, are in line to destabilize the elections and the Venezuelan political system," they said. According to Radio Habana Cuba, Other organisations and countries have expressed support for the democratic process of the Venezuelan elections, with the Union of Journalism and Communication Workers of Peru expressing support for Venezuelans' participation in the elections.

Among these is the discovery of the world’s 8 th continent, an entire world mostly underwater. Zealandia as it is named consists of a group of islands about six times the size of Madagascar according to the BBC , covering 1.89 million square miles or 4.9 million square kilometers.

The continent which is considered the youngest yet by scientists is similar to New Zealand with 94 percent of it under water and was part of Gondwana, a supercontinent that existed a billion years ago from which most of the world’s continents including Africa, and South America emerged.

According to the BBC, the continent was originally found by an experienced Dutch sailor Abel Tasman in 1642 but later rediscovered by a group of geologists in 2017, 375 years after the initial discovery by Tasman.

The Zealandia Island also known as Te Riu-a-Māui in the Māori language is considered the smallest, and thinnest in the world.

Its crust is said to have began being stretched that it now only extends 20km down. Scientists describe the area as a continent because its crust is made up of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks while the ocean floor is made up of basalt.

While there is more scientific exploration underway to retrieve more findings about the origin of the island, living things that were on the island among other things, Rupert Sutherland, a Professor of Geophysics and Tectonics at the Victoria University of Wellington says that it will take a lot more time and years to discover more about Zealandia.

“It's quite hard to make discoveries, when everything is 2km (1.2 miles) underwater, and the layers that you need to sample are 500m (1,640ft) beneath the seabed as well," he says. "It's really challenging to go out and explore a continent like that. So, it just takes a lot of time, money, and effort to go out and ships and survey regions," the BBC quoted him.

Zealandia, according to the Geological and Nuclear Sciences Limited , is the first-ever continent to have its geology, volcanoes and sedimentary basins fully mapped out to its underwater edges.

What they said:

According to Prof Geoff Duller at the University of Aberystwyth who published the research with Prof Charles Bristow at the Birkbeck Univerisity, understanding the age of the dunes formed by opposing winds that change direction helps scientists understand the winds that form them and unpick the climate of the particular era. "These findings will probably surprise a lot of people as we can see how quickly this enormous dune formed, and that it is moving across the desert at about 50cm a year," Prof Duller was quoted by the BBC , adding, “In our dark laboratory, we see light from these sand grains. The brighter the light, then the older the sediment grains and the longer it is since they've been buried”.