Paleontologists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have uncovered Ahvaytum bahndooiveche, in modern-day Wyoming. This find is monumental, as it could indicate that dinosaurs inhabited the northern hemisphere millions of years earlier than previously thought, according to the findings published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society."We have, with these fossils, the oldest equatorial dinosaur in the world it's also North America's oldest dinosaur," said Dave Lovelace, a research scientist at the University of Wisconsin Geology Museum, who co-led the work with graduate student Aaron Kufner, in a press release.Where did A. bahndooiveche Live?Paleontologists generally believe that dinosaurs first evolved in the southern part of the supercontinent, Pangea, around 230 million years ago. This region was known as Gondwana, and dinosaurs dwelled there for millions of years before pushing toward the northern region of Laurasia 6 million years to 10 million years later.However, the remains of the newly identified dinosaur, A. bahndooiveche, date back around 230 million years as well, making it the oldest-known Laurasian dinosaur discovery.Type of Dinosaur According to study, researchers first found fossilized pieces of A. bahndooiveche legs in 2013. The remains were encased in the Popo Agie Formation, and it took years before the research team could identify them as a new dinosaur and calculate its age.With the few bone fragments the team uncovered, they determined the likely size and weight of A. bahndooiveche and positively identified it as a dinosaur."It was basically the size of a chicken but with a really long tail," said Lovelace in a press release. "We think of dinosaurs as these giant behemoths, but they didn't start out that way."A. bahndooiveche was likely a little over 1 foot tall and stretched to about 3 feet long. Though the skull was not found, the team believes it was likely omnivorous, similar to other sauropod-like dinosaurs of that time. Other evidence found near the site suggests that A. bahndooiveche likely lived during a time or shortly after of great climactic change known as the Carnian pluvial episode. This episode is associated with a period of diversification among dinosaurs.The climate was likely warmer and more humid than the previous arid conditions."We're kind of filling in some of this story, and we're showing that the ideas that we've held for so long ideas that were supported by the fragmented evidence that we had werent quite right, Lovelace said in a press release. We now have this piece of evidence that shows dinosaurs were here in the northern hemisphere much earlier than we thought."Naming A. bahndooivecheWhen it came to naming the oldest-known Laurasian dinosaur, the research team decided to name the dinosaur in the language of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, as it was their cultural land on which the fossil was found. Members of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, including elders and children, came up with the name, which translates to "long ago dinosaur" in Shoshone.Members of the Shoshone Tribe joined the UW-Madison research team on the excavation so that authors of the study would better respect the land and gain valuable insights and knowledge from tribal members."The continuous relationship developed between Dr. Lovelace, his team, our school district, and our community is one of the most important outcomes of the discovery and naming of Ahvaytum bahndooiveche," said Amanda LeClair-Diaz, a co-author on the paper and a member of the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes, in a press release."Typically, the research process in communities, especially Indigenous communities, has been one-sided, with the researchers fully benefiting from studies," continued LeClair-Diaz in a press release. "The work we have done with Dr. Lovelace breaks this cycle and creates an opportunity for reciprocity in the research process."Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. Rethinking dinosaur origins: oldest known equatorial dinosaur-bearing assemblage (mid-late Carnian Popo Agie FM, Wyoming, USA)Whispering River Media. Whats in a Name?A graduate of UW-Whitewater, Monica Cull wrote for several organizations, including one that focused on bees and the natural world, before coming to Discover Magazine. Her current work also appears on her travel blog and Common State Magazine. Her love of science came from watching PBS shows as a kid with her mom and spending too much time binging Doctor Who.

Elden Ring is already quite a challenging game, especially since it's made by FromSoftware, the creators of the Dark Souls franchise. However, even with this Action RPG testing the player's limits with various boss battles that players are likely to die to repeatedly, some players may still wish to make Elden Ring even harder.

As the Asgardian God of Thunder, Thor is one of the strongest characters in Marvel Comics. However, when the multiverse doors open, being able to control lightning isnt enough. So, to match the powers of other cosmic beings, Thor has seen many different versions, each stronger than the last.

The Justice League is DC Comics' flagship organization, a collection of the world's greatest heroes brought together to combat planetary-level threats. Featuring an assortment of demi-gods, intergalactic entities, and some of the brightest minds in the galaxy, there are few foes insurmountable to their combined might.

As wildfires in the Los Angeles area continue to spread and force people from their homes, various shelter options have opened to offer free or discounted stays for evacueesincluding Airbnb. Through a partnership with 211 LA, Airbnb.org (the nonprofit arm of the short-term rental platform) is facilitating emergency temporary housing for displaced residents. In addition, those who manage or have plans to stay in Airbnbs in the LA area will get a reprieve from cancellation fees and penalties under the platform's major disruptive events policy: Hosts can cancel bookings without consequences, and guests are eligible for full refunds if their trip hasn't started (or partial refunds for any unused nights if it has). VRBO has activated a similar policy for hosts and guests on its platform. How to set up a free Airbnb stayTo apply for temporary housing support from Airbnb.org, residents in affected areas must fill out an intake form through 211 LA. Those who have lost their homes or been forced to evacuate from the Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Sylmar areas are eligible. In order to request assistance, you must have an Airbnb account or be able to create one. Hosts can also sign up to offer free or discounted stays to hose affected by disasters. If no stays are available or you are seeking alternatives for shelter, many hotels in the area are offering discounted rates for evacuees. Discover Los Angeles has a list of hotel options, while Travel + Leisure has compiled hotels and resorts across California and Nevada that have reduced rates, waived fees, or pet allowances (see both the list and the article comments). For those needing transportation to shelter, Uber is offering free rides up to $40 (code: WILDFIRE25), while Lyft is providing two rides up to $25 each (code: CAFIRERELIEF25). Planet Fitness locations in LA are open for residents and first responders needing showers and wifi access. If you are displaced and have to pay for shelter and food, save receipts to submit to your homeowners insurance, as you may be eligible for reimbursement for those expenses. Finally, Mutual Aid LA has a list of resources for those displaced or in need of support, including animal boarding and community shelters.

Have you ever streamed Dark Souls before? Trust me, the last thing you want when youre struggling with a boss is for the chat to start piping in to tell you how to beat itan annoyance streamers have started to call backseating. Now, imagine the chat is an AI and that it can interrupt your games audio to tell you what to do. Youve got Razers new Project AVA.An AI esports coach, Project AVA is essentially a companion that can watch your footage alongside you and provide you with advice as you play. This works for both single player and multiplayer titles, as I saw in demonstrations showing off AVA at work in both Black Myth: Wukong and League of Legends.While you play, AVA might tell you how to take down a particular boss, or which items will make for the best build, or where your opponents might be. Its not cheating, per se, since AVA can only see your screen and doesnt have information that you dont, but it certainly aims to up your awareness. For instance, it might keep track of your minimap in League to tell you where your opponents are. Or, in a single player game, it might tell you when the boss is about to attack, how long to dodge, and when you can punish. It can also answer questions, if you want to direct its advice.Its just a concept for now, but what Ive seen has me worried that Razer might have lost the plot here. I play video games to engage with the challenges a developer has presented me and to solve their puzzles (yes, combat can be a puzzle). Figuring out a bosss tells or finding the most optimal build myself is part of the fun for me, and having an AI tell me what to do right away is more likely to make me feel spoiled on the content than supported. Worse, it could make me worse at the game, as I could start to lean on its advice rather than learning how to read attack patterns or understand what my gear is doing myself.AVA is also loud, and while I didnt have my hands on the controller myself, I worry it would distract me more than help, or at the very least interrupt my games soundscape (which sometimes already gives you hints on what to do!).Then theres the issue of where AVA is getting its advice. For instance, if AVAs telling me how a boss attacks in Black Myth: Wukong, is it pulling that data from a guide, from the developers, or from collected footage of many playthroughs? If the former, it should probably be credited. If the latter, where did that training data come from? If the middle, then Id prefer to see the hints developers have already given me, in the form of a bosss animations.Granted, I can see the appeal of getting some help once youre into the point of trying to master a gamesay, if youre practicing a speedrun or trying to climb the ladder in ranked. No player is an island, and I do look up guides from time to time. This does lead to maybe AVAs most promising features, in that Razer says it might base some advice on playstyles from specific esports superstars. An ideal version of AVA would be like having Faker looking over your shoulder while you play.But it could also easily go the other way. I play a lot of Final Fantasy XIV, and in that game, raiding can come across a bit like a choreographed dance. If AVA learns how each raid is played ahead of time and then simply tells me exactly what to do as I play, what am I getting out of that experience? Am I engaging with the game, or am I just pressing buttons while AVA has all the fun for me?