(Image Credit: Jason L. Heaton) A fossil leopard lower jawbone next to a skull fragment of a juvenile Paranthropus robustus. Note the two punctures in the skull, which match the spacing of the tips of the leopard's fangsimplying that this unfortunate hominin child was killed and eaten by a leopard. NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsAfter a recent fossil discovery, we now have new insights into the behaviors of a group of prehistoric humans.A team of international researchers working with the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of Witwatersand have uncovered a major find about early human ancestors. In a study published in The Journal of Human Evolution, it is revealed that Paranthropus robustus, a species of prehistoric human, were bipedal and walked upright much like we do today.This finding helps scientists learn more about the daily lives and activities of Paranthropus robustus and adds more complexity to the story of human evolution.A New Prehistoric Ancestor Although scientists have been researching the fossil remains of Paranthropus robustus since the 1940s, they still had a narrow understanding of the species stature, posture, and mobility. The new fossil findings, which include a hipbone, thigh bone, and shin bone, change that.The group of fossils, belonging to a single, young adult, prove that Paranthropus robustus were habitual upright walkers, much like modern humans and their Homo ergaster neighbors. The new discovery also confirms that this species of prehistoric human was incredibly small.In a press release, Professor Pickering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison estimates that this individual, probably a female, was only about a meter tall and 27 kg (60 lbs) when it died, making it even smaller than adults from other diminutive early human species, including those represented by the famous Lucy.The new fossils have also confirmed another suspicion about Paranthropus robustus. Scientists theorized that this species small stature likely made them at high risk for attacks from local predators, like sabertooth cats and giant hyenas. Damage on the surface of the recent fossil finds confirm this theory, as they show evidence of tooth marks and chewing damage made by leopards.Read More: How Leopard Kills Rewrite Our PrehistoryWho Are Paranthropus robustus?Paranthropus robustus are a prehistoric human group who lived in South Africa about two million years ago. They also lived alongside Homo ergaster, the direct ancestor of modern humans.Evidence of their existence is often found in Swartkrans Cave, which is located between Johannesburg and Pretoria, and there is a lot of evidence!Up until now, most of the fossils found from this group are skulls and teeth. These fossils have been incredibly insightful for scientists, who have been able to piece together a lot of information about Paranthropus robustus diet and social organization.For example, some of the fossils have indicated that this prehistoric group was able to survive in situations where food quality was low. Their heavy jaws and sturdy teeth wouldve allowed them to eat food that was difficult to chew in times when more digestible food was in short supply.Additionally, many of the skulls and teeth found are unusually large. The fossil size reveals that this prehistoric society wouldve been made up of large males and small females. This organizational structure also suggests that they likely participated in polygyny, a mating system where one dominant male would mate with multiple females.Future ResearchThere is still much for scientists to learn about this prehistoric population. Paranthropus robustus fossils are often found within close proximity to bone and stone tools. One big question researchers have is whether or not these tools were made by this species, by neighboring species, like Homo ergaster, or by both.The research team behind this discovery also plans to continue investigating the new fossils using CT-scan analyses. They hope these analyses will provide additional insight into Paranthripus robustus patterns of growth and development and will add more details to the story of how they lived. 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:As the marketing coordinator at Discover Magazine, Stephanie Edwards interacts with readers across Discover's social media channels and writes digital content. Offline, she is a contract lecturer in English & Cultural Studies at Lakehead University, teaching courses on everything from professional communication to Taylor Swift, and received her graduate degrees in the same department from McMaster University. You can find more of her science writing in Lab Manager and her short fiction in anthologies and literary magazine across the horror genre.1 free article leftWant More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/monthSubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In1 free articleSubscribeWant more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99!SubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In

The ozone layer over Antarctica, damaged by air pollution decades ago, has fortunately been recovering in recent years. Scientists have observed gradual ozone restoration since the 2000s, but now, one study all but confirms that this positive trend is a result of reduced ozone-depleting chemicals in the atmosphere.The study, recently published in Nature, reveals a bright spot in the current climate outlook. Testing simulations based on different climate factors, researchers seemingly confirmed that efforts to limit the emission of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) chemicals that contain carbon, chlorine, and fluorine are the main reason why ozone recovery is seeing continuous success.A Hole in the SkyOzone, a gas composed of three oxygen atoms, naturally occurs in the Earths upper atmosphere (stratosphere) and lower atmosphere (troposphere). In the stratosphere, it forms a protective layer around 6 to 30 miles above the Earths surface, partially shielding it from harmful solar ultraviolet radiation; when exposed to an excess of UV radiation, humans can develop sunburn or, worse, skin cancer.Around the late 1970s into the 80s, all eyes were on the ozone layer. Using satellite measurements, scientists realized that ozone loss above Antarctica was snowballing at a concerning rate, having torn a hole in the layer. The culprit behind this damage, they discovered, was CFCs, which were commonly used in aerosol sprays and refrigerants after their development around the 1930s.Although not harmful in the lower atmosphere, once CFCs reach the stratosphere and begin to break down, they wreak havoc on the ozone layer by releasing chlorine. Due to colder temperatures and isolation from mid-latitudes by the polar vortex (a strong system of wind near the Earths polar regions), the atmosphere above Antarctica is particularly vulnerable to accelerated ozone depletion from chlorine accumulation.Read More: Whatever Happened to the Hole in the Ozone Layer?Finding the Right FingerprintRecent research, however, has provided a glimmer of hope for the future of the ozone layer. The push to reduce CFC emissions has shown tremendous progress ever since the inception of the Montreal Protocol, a 1986 global treaty enacted to phase out ozone-depleting substances.Observations of ozone recovery have mainly been qualitative. The new study, instead, took a quantitative approach to ozone layer observations, with a particular focus on a technique called fingerprinting. In climate studies, fingerprinting separates the influence of specific climate factors from natural, meteorological conditions.The researchers first crafted simulations of the Earths atmosphere that featured multiple parallel worlds, each one with the same global atmosphere but different starting conditions. One simulation, for example, centered around conditions of no increase in greenhouse gases or ozone-depleting substances. A change in the ozone layer here, as a result, would be caused by natural weather variability.Comparing these varying simulations and mapping out the times and altitudes where ozone recovered from month to month, the researchers landed on a fingerprint, or a pattern of ozone recovery that resulted from conditions of reduced ozone-depleting substances.Hope for the FutureThe researchers then viewed this fingerprint through the framework of actual Antarctic ozone hole satellite observations from 2005 to present day. The fingerprint began to align with the satellite patterns recorded over the years, leading them to conclude with 95 percent confidence that ozone recovery is a result of reductions in ozone-depleting substances rather than meteorological changes related to the polar vortex or El Nio/La Nia.If the ozone layer continues to heal at this rate, it may eventually remain fully intact, closing the hole. The researchers propose that ozone hole depletion could potentially slow to a halt by sometime around 2035. Such a positive trend could further empower scientists in the fight against climate change, knowing that environmental issues can be fixed in the decades to come.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:Jack Knudson is an assistant editor at Discover with a strong interest in environmental science and history. Before joining Discover in 2023, he studied journalism at the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and previously interned at Recycling Today magazine.

Nature, Published online: 05 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00653-8The scale of work to improve therapies for eye disease reflects the importance people place on sight.

Nature, Published online: 05 March 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00640-zQLEDs light-emitting diodes that rely on nanocrystals called quantum dots are usually made with toxic heavy metals. A strategy has been developed to make QLEDs with a performance comparable to that of commercially available technologies but using a more environmentally friendly alloy of zinc, selenium, tellurium and sulfur, by improving the distribution of the tellurium atoms.

An ambitious new survey by the Hubble Space Telescope offers the first bird's-eye view of all known dwarf galaxies orbiting the Andromeda galaxy. The data suggests Andromeda had a chaotic past unlike anything scientists expected.

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Check out Alina Kolesnik's 3D take on @samuelyounart's Koi Fish girl with tattoos.It's made with ZBrush, Blender, Substance 3D Painter, and Marmoset Toolbag: https://80.lv/articles/3d-portrait-of-tattooed-girl-with-attitude/

Daniel Tapia shared a cool experimental mechanic in his UE5-powered sandbox racing game Carbox, where the city builds itself right before the driver's eyes.Details: https://80.lv/articles/watch-city-buildings-unfold-before-car-driver-s-eyes/

RTHUXLEYWhat is the Demon doing here? a) Its mission b) Feeding c) Stealing data d) Upgrading its system

RTAnime AestheticsNausica of the Valley of the Wind (1984)