Science Daily

• Scientists just found dinosaur blood that survived 115 million years

  Scientists have discovered chemically confirmed traces of ancient blood inside 115-million-year-old dinosaur bones, challenging assumptions about how long biological molecules can survive. The extraordinary preservation could unlock new clues about dinosaur physiology and even help scientists search for ancient life elsewhere in the universe.

• Scientists discover Europe's ancient forests were nothing like we imagined

  Scientists have uncovered evidence that Europe was dominated for more than 20 million years by open woodlands, colorful meadows, and large grazing animals, not the dense forests long considered its natural state. The surprising discovery challenges modern reforestation strategies, suggesting that planting thick forests could actually harm the biodiversity conservationists hope to protect.

• Human bodies produce 2 billion metric tons of CO2 a year just by staying alive

  Humans collectively produce more than 2 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide annually just by turning food into energy, a 74% increase over three decades largely driven by population growth. Unlike fossil fuel emissions, however, the CO2 we exhale is part of the natural carbon cycle, and scientists say measuring it more accurately could improve climate models.

• Five-inch-long beetle larvae are quietly destroying blueberry roots

  Scientists have solved a mystery surrounding destructive beetles attacking blueberry bushes in North Carolina, identifying a species whose massive larvae can grow up to five inches long and destroy plant roots. Although farmers have reported damage for more than a decade, the insects responsible remained unidentified until researchers used DNA analysis to uncover the culprit.

• Scientists may have finally explained why our brains and bodies are cross-wired

  Scientists propose that the brain’s mysterious cross-wiring, which connects each hemisphere to the opposite side of the body, may have originated more than 500 million years ago in the visual systems of ancient fish. Rather than evolving for a specific advantage, this unusual arrangement may simply be a legacy of evolution building new brain circuits on an ancient foundation.