livescience--2020-11-05--Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

Coronavirus outbreak: Live updates

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90-year-old woman in the UK receives first dose of Pfizer vaccine, FDA review confirms vaccine is safe and effective A 90-year-old woman (who will turn 91 next week) became the first in the world to be given Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, according to the BBC. Margaret Keenan, who is originally from Northern Ireland, was given the vaccine at the University Hospital in Coventry, England. She received the first of 800,000 doses expected to be administered in the U.K. in the coming weeks, according to the BBC. "I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19," Keenan said, according to the BBC."It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year." "My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too," she added. Up to four million doses of Pfizer's vaccine is expected to be given to people in the U.K. by the end of the month. Meanwhile, a 53-page Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review published Tuesday (Dec. 8) confirmed that Pfizer's vaccine is safe and effective, according to The Washington Post.
Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine starts to work just 10 days after 1st dose Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine starts to protect people from the novel coronavirus just 10 days after the first dose, according to new documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The documents were released on Tuesday (Dec. 8), two days before a meeting of the FDA's vaccine advisory panel, which will vote on whether to recommend authorization of the vaccine in the U.S, Live Science reported . The FDA analyzed data from Pfizer's phase 3 clinical trial, which included some 44,000 people in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and Turkey, about half of whom received the vaccine while the other half received a placebo. Both groups received two shots, 21 days apart. About 10 days after the first dose, there was a noticeable drop-off in new COVID-19 cases in the vaccine group compared with the placebo group, indicating that even one dose provides some protection, the report said. However, scientists don't know how long the protection from a single dose will last, so it will still be important for people to receive two shots, according to The New York Times . Overall, the vaccine was 52% effective after the first dose and 95% effective after the second dose, the report said.
People with significant allergies should avoid Pfizer vaccine, UK warns The U.K.'s Regulatory Agency is advising people with a history of "significant" allergic reactions to avoid Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine, after two National Health Service members developed severe allergic reactions to it on Tuesday (Dec. 8), Live Science reported. "As is common with new vaccines the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday," Stephen Powis, the national medical director for England's National Health Service said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9). Both workers have a history of severe allergies and carry adrenaline auto injectors (such as EpiPens) around with them, according to The Guardian. Shortly after receiving the vaccine, both NHS workers developed anaphylaxis-like symptoms, or severe allergic reactions, but have recovered after receiving treatment. The MHRA will investigate further and Pfizer and BioNTech will support their investigation, according to Reuters. "Allergic reaction occurs with quite a number of vaccines, and perhaps even more frequently with drugs. So it is not unexpected," Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in remarks to journalists published by Britain's Science Media Center. “What would be wise, as the MHRA have already advised, would be for anyone who has known severe allergic reaction such that they need to carry an EpiPen, to delay having a vaccination until the reason for the allergic reaction has been clarified," he said. For the general population this does not mean that they would need to be anxious about receiving the vaccination, he added. "One has to remember that even things like marmite [a quintessential British food spread] can cause unexpected severe allergic reactions.”
Canada approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine Canada has authorized Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine, with the first doses expected to be administered there as early as next week. Health Canada, the country's health regulatory agency, said in a statement on Wednesday (Dec. 9) that it had determined that the vaccine "meets the Department's stringent safety, efficacy and quality requirements for use in Canada," according to CTV News . "We expect vaccines to arrive maybe as early as Monday [Dec. 14]. It takes time to prepare the vaccine," said Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the top military general leading the vaccine rollout for the Public Health Agency of Canada, according to CTV News. The first doses could be administered by the middle of next week, he said. Canada is the third country in the world to authorize the Pfizer vaccine, following the United Kingdom and Bahrain. The country should receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December, and has purchased 20 million doses total, with the option to purchase more, CTV News reported.
Daily COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. reaches record-high, surpassed 9/11 On Wednesday (Dec. 9), the U.S. recorded 3,124 new COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily death toll to date, according to CNN . In comparison, 2,977 people were killed in the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. has now recorded 280,488 deaths related to the virus, according to The COVID Tracking Project . A forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that the total death toll can increase to between 332,000 and 362,000 by January 2, according to CNN. There are currently 106,671 people hospitalized with the virus in the U.S.; 20,903 of them are currently in the ICU and 7,621 are currently on a ventilator, according to the COVID Tracking Project. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee is set to meet to discuss an emergency use authorization for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.
FDA panel recommends authorization of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine A panel of experts for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that the agency authorize Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. On Thursday (Dec. 10), the panel voted 17 to 4 to recommend that the vaccine receive emergency use authorization (EUA) for people ages 16 and older, according to The New York Times . The FDA typically follows the advice of its panels, and so today's vote is an important step towards the vaccine's authorization. It is anticipated that the agency will officially authorize the vaccine on Saturday (Dec. 12), the Times reported. Several countries have already authorized Pfizer's vaccine, including Canada, the United Kingdom and Bahrain.
Vaccine approval could come this weekend, as U.S. continues to record high daily death tolls On Thursday (Dec. 10), the U.S. recorded another 2,902 COVID-19 deaths, a day after the country set a record of 3,253 deaths, according to Reuters . “Probably for the next 60 to 90 days, we’re going to have more deaths per day than we had on 9/11 or we had at Pearl Harbor,” Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told the Council on Foreign Relations on Thursday, according to Reuters. "The reality is the vaccine approval this week is not going to really impact that, I think, to any degree for the next 60 days." On Thursday, the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee discussed, voted and recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should grant an emergency use authorization for Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine. The Pfizer vaccine has already been approved in the U.K. and in Canada, and FDA approval for use in the U.S. could come this weekend.
Australia abandons local COVID-19 vaccine after it caused false-positive HIV tests An Australian COVID-19 vaccine that had shown promising results in early trials is being abandoned after researchers found that the shot caused false-positive results on HIV tests. On Friday (Dec. 11), Australian officials said they had canceled an order for some 51 million doses of the vaccine, which was being developed by The University of Queensland and CSL Ltd., a local biotech company, according to The New York Times . In an early trial with 216 participants, the vaccine appeared to be safe and to produce a robust immune response against COVID-19, according to a statement from CSL . But some volunteers falsely tested positive for HIV, which officials feared would undermine trust in the vaccine, the Times reported. The vaccine contained small fragments of an HIV protein, which helped stabilize the vaccine. Some of the participants developed antibodies against these fragments, and these antibodies triggered false positive results on some HIV tests. It's important to note that there is no way for the vaccine to cause an HIV infection, because it contains harmless fragments of the virus.
ICU nurse in New York becomes first person in the US to receive a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials New York, the worst-hit state at the start of the pandemic, just became the first to administer a coronavirus vaccine outside of clinical trials, kicking off a long, massive effort to vaccinate the American people, Live Science reported. Around 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday (Dec. 14), the very first dose of Pfizer and BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine was given to Sandra Lindsay, an intensive care nurse in Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens, New York, according to The New York Times. This comes as the U.S. continues to battle a massive wave of the virus that has more than 109,000 people currently hospitalized, according to The COVID Tracking Project. Since the start of the pandemic, New York has recorded more than 780,000 cases of COVID-19 and more than 35,100 deaths, according to The Times. "This vaccine is exciting because I believe this is the weapon that will end the war," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a live broadcast of the first vaccination. "It's the beginning of the last chapter of the book, but now we just have to do it."
FDA analysis confirms Moderna's vaccine is safe and effective, emergency authorization is likely to come Friday A new briefing document from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released on Tuesday (Dec. 15) confirmed that Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, according to NPR . Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine is 94% effective and has "a favorable safety profile," according to the document. A panel of experts is set to meet on Thursday (Dec. 17) to discuss the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine and vote on whether or not the FDA should grant emergency approval to the vaccine. Last week, the same panel voted that the FDA should grant emergency approval to Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine; the authorization came a day late and the first doses were given on Monday (Dec. 15). The FDA will likely approve Moderna's vaccine for emergency use on Friday (Dec. 18), according to The New York Times .
FDA authorizes first over-the-counter COVID-19 test The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the first over-the-counter COVID-19 test, which can be done at home and does not need a prescription. The test, made by the Australia-based company Ellume, provides results in as little as 20 minutes, according to a statement from the FDA . It is a "lateral flow antigen test," meaning it works in a similar way to a home pregnancy test, by running a "liquid sample along a surface with reactive molecules," the FDA said. The test works in conjunction with a smartphone app. Users take a nasal swab and place their sample in an analyzer, which communicates to the smartphone app via Bluetooth. The results are delivered through the app, and also reported to public health authorities (based on a user's zip code) through a secure cloud connection, the company said . Ellume is ramping up production of its test, and expects to produce three million tests in January 2021, and 20 million within the first half of 2021.
A wild mink tested positive for the coronavirus, it may be the first wild animal to have a confirmed case A wild mink in Utah may be the first "free-ranging, native wild animal" confirmed to be infected with SARS-CoV-2, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Live Science reported. The mink was found near a mink farm and likely picked up the infection from the farmed mink. There's no evidence that the virus spread to other minks or wild animals; but if the virus does begin circulating in wild animals, it could pick up mutations that COVID-19 vaccines may not protect well against if it spreads back to humans, according to the report. "If it does [establish a reservoir], then we've got a long-term issue here, where this virus has the potential to be with us for millennia," Sarah Olson, associate director of the health program at the Wildlife Conservation Society, told Vox. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has screened other animal species for the virus near mink farms in Utah, Michigan and Wisconsin, but all of them have tested negative so far, according to a statement.
An FDA advisory panel will meet today to vote on whether to recommend Moderna's coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval On Thursday (Dec. 17), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee will meet to determine whether to recommend that Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency approval, according to The New York Times . This panel, composed of independent experts, will vote on whether to recommend the vaccine after hearing from the company, FDA scientists and the public, according to The Times. Last week, the same panel of experts met to discuss Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine and voted to recommend emergency authorization; the authorization came the next day. There have now been more than 16.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 307,000 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins dashboard . There are currently 113,090 people hospitalized across the country with more than 21,900 of them in the ICU and 7,778 on a ventilator, according to The COVID Tracking Project .
California becomes new epicenter of COVID-19 in U.S. California, once praised for its early pandemic response, is now the new U.S. hotspot for COVID-19 infections. The state has reported an alarming surge in cases, breaking previous records for daily cases. On Thursday (Dec. 17), the state reported some 50,000 COVID-19 infections in 24 hours, and nearly 100,000 in 48 hours, according to The Washington Post . That's more than the daily cases reported in many countries, including India, Germany and Britain, the Post reported. The state also set a record for daily deaths on Thursday, with 379 fatalities reported, up from the previous high of 293. Capacity in intensive care units has also dropped dramatically, with hospitals in Southern California reporting zero percent capacity on Thursday. "I want to be very clear: Our hospitals are under siege, and our model shows no end in sight," said Christina Ghaly, director of Los Angeles County's Department of Health Services, the Post reported.
FDA expected to authorize Moderna's vaccine on Friday The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to authorize Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday (Dec. 18). Once authorized, it will be the second coronavirus vaccine to get the green light from the agency in just a week, with Pfizer's vaccine gaining authorization on Dec. 11. Moderna is expected to begin shipping 5.9 million doses of its vaccine on Sunday (Dec. 20), with the first deliveries arriving Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . Unlike the Pfizer vaccine, Moderna's vaccine does not require storage in extremely cold temperatures, and states are hoping to distribute the vaccine to rural hospitals and community health centers, the Times reported.
COVID-19 cases continue to surge across the U.S. There have now been more than 17 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and more than 300,000 deaths, according to The COVID Tracking Project . There are currently 114,237 people hospitalized across the country and 21,900 people in the ICU. California is facing a massive surge in cases; the state reported 41,012 new COVID-19 cases and 300 new deaths on Thursday (Dec. 17), according to the state's COVID-19 dashboard . By comparison, at the start of November, California was reporting a seven-day average of 4,183 cases, compared to an average of 38,774 on Thursday, according to CNN . "We're experiencing an explosive and very deadly surge," Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Los Angeles County Public Health Director said, according to CNN. Intensive care unit beds are rapidly filling up across the state; there are only 1,234 ICU beds left available in California, according to the dashboard. Current closures across California are impacting around 98% of the state's population, according to CNN.
London and southeast England are under an emergency lockdown Following concerns of a new version of the coronavirus that might be more transmissible, London and most of southeast England are now under an emergency lockdown, according to The New York Times . Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the lockdown on Saturday (Dec. 19) citing concerns that the mutated virus — which was detected a couple of weeks ago in southeast England — may be as much as 70% more transmissible than previous versions, according to the Times. The new version of the coronavirus is detected in more than 60% of new infections in London and have also been detected in several other countries, according to the Times. But it's not yet clear if this coronavirus version is any more infectious than the last and thorough analyses will need to be conducted before conclusions are made, scientists cautioned. In South Africa, a similar version of the virus has been found in up to 90% of new cases detected since mid-November, according to The Times . It's common for viruses to mutate, and this particular coronavirus has mutated many times since the start of the pandemic. But experts told The Times that it would take years for the virus to mutate enough such that it would make the current vaccines developed to fight COVID-19 ineffective.
Biden gets Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine President-elect Joe Biden received a dose of Pfizer's new COVID-19 vaccine on Monday (Dec. 21), according to The New York Times . He received the shot on camera at the Christiana Hospital in Newark, Delaware. "I'm doing this to demonstrate that people should be prepared when it's available to take the vaccine. There's nothing to worry about," Biden said.
Antarctica has its 1st COVID-19 outbreak The first COVID-19 cases have been reported in Antarctica , meaning the disease has now spread to every continent in the world. On Tuesday (Dec. 22), Chilean officials reported an outbreak of 36 COVID-19 cases at the Chilean research base General Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme on the Antarctic Peninsula, according to the BBC . Of these, 26 cases were military personnel and 10 were maintenance workers, the BBC reported. All of these cases have been evacuated from Antarctica to Punta Arenas, Chile, according to The Guardian . Antarctica had been COVID-19 free up until the current outbreak. The continent has no permanent residents, but about 1,000 people, including scientists and other workers, stayed there this past winter, The Guardian reported.
Live updates will continue in 2021!


livescience--2020-11-05--NASA finally makes contact with Voyager 2 after longest radio silence in 30 years

There 's never been a radio silence quite like this one .
After long months with no way of making contact with Voyager 2 , NASA has finally reestablished communications with the record-setting interstellar spacecraft .
The breakdown in communications – lasting since March , almost eight months and a whole pandemic ago – was n't due to some rogue malfunction , nor any run-in with interstellar space weirdness ( although there 's that too ) .
In this instance , it was more a case of routine maintenance .
And yet , when you 're one of the farthest-flying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ even the entire solar system behind you – nothing much is ever truly routine .
In March , NASA announced that Deep Space Station 43 ( DSS-43 ) in Australia , the only antenna on Earth that can send commands to Voyager 2 , required critical upgrades and would need to shut down for approximately 11 months for the work to be completed .
During this window , Voyager 2 , which is currently over 18.7 billion kilometers ( 11.6 billion miles ) away from Earth and getting farther all the time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communications from Earth , although its own broadcasts back to us would still be received by scientists .
As it stands , DSS-43 's renovation is still underway and on track to be finalized in February 2021 , but enough of the upgrades have been installed for preliminary testing to start .
Last week , mission operators sent their first communications to Voyager 2 since March , issuing a series of commands , and NASA reports that Voyager 2 returned a signal confirming it had received the instructions , and executed the commands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ antennas and spacecraft are n't usually newsworthy events , but Voyager 2 is such a storied and historic probe ( NASA 's longest-running space mission in fact ) , it rightfully gets special attention – especially in situations like this , involving a period of one-way radio silence so long , it 's effectively unprecedented .
According to NASA , DSS-43 has n't been offline for this long in over 30 years .
The old radio antenna that needed replacing – the only one in the world capable of broadcasting to Voyager 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 47 years .
As part of the refurb , DSS-43 is getting two new antennas , upgraded heating and cooling equipment , power supply equipment , and other electronics to support the new transmitters .
When the work is complete , the upgrades will provide longevity to a cornerstone of a facility that 's already legendary .
`` What makes this task unique is that we 're doing work at all levels of the antenna , from the pedestal at ground level all the way up to the feedcones at the centrer of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' says NASA Deep Space Network project manager Brad Arnold .
`` This test communication with Voyager 2 definitely tells us that things are on track with the work we 're doing . ''
As for why DSS-43 is the only dish in the world that can reach Voyager 2 , the reason is n't purely technological .
As a result of the probe 's flyby of Neptune 's moon Triton in 1989 , Voyager 2 's trajectory steered significantly southward relative to the Solar System 's plane of planets , meaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no way of reaching it .
For antennas Down Under , though , it 's no biggie – unless you get taken offline for almost a year of critical upgrades .
Even then , though , scientists never stopped thinking about Voyager 2 , and kept a close eye on its vitals .
`` We 've always been talking to the spacecraft .
We 've been doing that daily , '' Suzanne Dodd , the project manager for the Voyager Interstellar Mission , told CNN .
`` We can see the health of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we would have known . ''
This article was originally published by ScienceAlert .
Read the original article here .

There's never been a radio silence quite like this one. After long months with no way of making contact with Voyager 2, NASA has finally reestablished communications with the record-setting interstellar spacecraft.
The breakdown in communications – lasting since March, almost eight months and a whole pandemic ago – wasn't due to some rogue malfunction, nor any run-in with interstellar space weirdness (although there's that too).
In this instance, it was more a case of routine maintenance. And yet, when you're one of the farthest-flying spacecraft in history – leaving Earth and even the entire solar system behind you – nothing much is ever truly routine.
In March, NASA announced that Deep Space Station 43 (DSS-43) in Australia, the only antenna on Earth that can send commands to Voyager 2, required critical upgrades and would need to shut down for approximately 11 months for the work to be completed.
During this window, Voyager 2, which is currently over 18.7 billion kilometers (11.6 billion miles) away from Earth and getting farther all the time, wouldn't be able to receive any communications from Earth, although its own broadcasts back to us would still be received by scientists.
As it stands, DSS-43's renovation is still underway and on track to be finalized in February 2021, but enough of the upgrades have been installed for preliminary testing to start.
Last week, mission operators sent their first communications to Voyager 2 since March, issuing a series of commands, and NASA reports that Voyager 2 returned a signal confirming it had received the instructions, and executed the commands without issue.
For the past 8-months, Deep Space Station 43 has been undergoing upgrades. @NASAVoyager-2 has been waiting for us to be able to send it commands once again.On Friday 30th October, we sent those commands & after a 34hour 48 min round trip time, a "hello" came back! #DSS43 @CSIRO pic.twitter.com/qyMEc9JkxcNovember 2, 2020 See more
Successful pings between radio antennas and spacecraft aren't usually newsworthy events, but Voyager 2 is such a storied and historic probe (NASA's longest-running space mission in fact), it rightfully gets special attention – especially in situations like this, involving a period of one-way radio silence so long, it's effectively unprecedented.
According to NASA, DSS-43 hasn't been offline for this long in over 30 years. The old radio antenna that needed replacing – the only one in the world capable of broadcasting to Voyager 2 – had been in use for over 47 years.
As part of the refurb, DSS-43 is getting two new antennas, upgraded heating and cooling equipment, power supply equipment, and other electronics to support the new transmitters. When the work is complete, the upgrades will provide longevity to a cornerstone of a facility that's already legendary.
"What makes this task unique is that we're doing work at all levels of the antenna, from the pedestal at ground level all the way up to the feedcones at the centrer of the dish that extend above the rim," says NASA Deep Space Network project manager Brad Arnold.
"This test communication with Voyager 2 definitely tells us that things are on track with the work we're doing."
As for why DSS-43 is the only dish in the world that can reach Voyager 2, the reason isn't purely technological. As a result of the probe's flyby of Neptune's moon Triton in 1989, Voyager 2's trajectory steered significantly southward relative to the Solar System's plane of planets, meaning earthbound antennas in the northern hemisphere have no way of reaching it.
For antennas Down Under, though, it's no biggie – unless you get taken offline for almost a year of critical upgrades. Even then, though, scientists never stopped thinking about Voyager 2, and kept a close eye on its vitals.
"We've always been talking to the spacecraft. We've been doing that daily," Suzanne Dodd, the project manager for the Voyager Interstellar Mission, told CNN.
"We can see the health of it. If it wasn't healthy, we would have known."
This article was originally published by ScienceAlert. Read the original article here.


livescience--2020-11-05--500 million-year-old creature with mashup of bizarre features could be arthropod 'missing link'

A shrimp-like animal that paddled around the ocean hundreds of millions of years ago peered through the water with five eyes mounted on stalks .
But that was n't even the weirdest thing about it , researchers recently discovered .
Those stalks supported compound eyes , mounted on a semi-circular fused head shield ; the tiny sea beast also had an articulated upper body , 15 jointed and spine-tipped limbs , and large , upward-curving `` arms '' that were likely used to snap up prey .
Some of these features are known separately from fossils of other ancient arthropods @ @ @ @ @ @ @ segmented bodies and jointed legs .
But this oddball creature is also a chimera — possessing features from multiple animals .
During the ( 543 million to 490 million years ago ) , arthropods emerged as one of the most successful animal groups on Earth ; they now represent approximately 80 % of all species alive today .
Arthropod fossils show that their diversity boomed during the Cambrian .
But the full story of the group 's early is incomplete , and the discovery of this newly described species — which would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) in length when alive — could help fill in some critical gaps , the researchers reported .
The study authors analyzed six fossils from the Yu'anshan Formation in southern China , where fossil deposits date to the early Cambrian , around 518 million years ago .
They dubbed the strange creature Kylinxia zhangia — `` kylin '' is the name of a chimera from Chinese mythology ; `` xia '' is the Chinese word for shrimp-like arthropod ; and `` zhangia '' is a nod to Yehui Zhang , contributor of one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study .
The fossils were in excellent condition , revealing that two of the eyes at the front of the stalk cluster were twice as big as the rest .
In addition to the eyes , soft tissues such the alimentary canal , digestive glands , nerve tissue and ventral cord , and even expelled gut contents were preserved in the fossils .
`` The Kylinxia fossils exhibit exquisite anatomical structures , '' said study co-author Fangchen Zhao , a professor with the Nanjing Institute of Palaeontology and Geology ( NIPG ) at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China .
`` For example , nervous tissue , eyes and — these are soft body parts we usually can not see in conventional fossils , '' Zhao .
Kylinxia 's chimerical mashup of features from some of the earliest known arthropods is what really caught the scientists ' attention .
Its cluster of five eyestalks is also found in the ancestral arthropod , while its grabby appendages at the front of its body resembled those of Anomalocaris , a 3-foot-long ( 1 meter ) Cambrian marine arthropod known as the `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ancestral arthropod , it looks very different from true arthropods that evolved later in the family tree , and Kylinxia 's melange of features hinted at evolutionary connections that were previously missing .
After examining all of Kylinxia 's characteristics and comparing nearly 300 other arthropod features in more than 80 taxonomic groups , the study authors concluded that Kylinxia resolved evolutionary relationships between several ancestral lineages for the arthropod group Deuteropoda , which included Anomalocaris and modern lineages .
Kylinxia 's enlarged forelimbs — the feature it shared with Anomalocaris — may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evolved in later arthropods ; these structures include the mouthparts in Chelicerata arthropods like scorpions and , and sensory antennae like those found in Mandibulata arthropods , the group that includes insects , crustaceans and millipedes .
`` Kylinxia represents a crucial transitional fossil predicted by , '' lead study author Han Zeng , a NIPG assistant professor , said in the statement .
`` It bridges the evolutionary gap from Anomalocaris to true arthropods and forms a key 'missing link ' in the origin of arthropods , contributing strong fossil evidence for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Zeng said .
The findings were published online today ( Nov. 4 ) in the journal .

A shrimp-like animal that paddled around the ocean hundreds of millions of years ago peered through the water with five eyes mounted on stalks. But that wasn't even the weirdest thing about it, researchers recently discovered.
Those stalks supported compound eyes, mounted on a semi-circular fused head shield; the tiny sea beast also had an articulated upper body, 15 jointed and spine-tipped limbs, and large, upward-curving "arms" that were likely used to snap up prey.
Some of these features are known separately from fossils of other ancient arthropods, the invertebrate group with exoskeletons, segmented bodies and jointed legs. But this oddball creature is also a chimera — possessing features from multiple animals.
Related: Photos: 'Naked' ancient worm hunted with spiny arms
During the Cambrian period (543 million to 490 million years ago), arthropods emerged as one of the most successful animal groups on Earth; they now represent approximately 80% of all species alive today. Arthropod fossils show that their diversity boomed during the Cambrian. But the full story of the group's early evolution is incomplete, and the discovery of this newly described species — which would have measured around 3 inches (7 centimeters) in length when alive — could help fill in some critical gaps, the researchers reported.
The study authors analyzed six fossils from the Yu'anshan Formation in southern China, where fossil deposits date to the early Cambrian, around 518 million years ago. They dubbed the strange creature Kylinxia zhangia — "kylin" is the name of a chimera from Chinese mythology; "xia" is the Chinese word for shrimp-like arthropod; and "zhangia" is a nod to Yehui Zhang, contributor of one of the specimens, according to the study.
The fossils were in excellent condition, revealing that two of the eyes at the front of the stalk cluster were twice as big as the rest. In addition to the eyes, soft tissues such the alimentary canal, digestive glands, nerve tissue and ventral cord, and even expelled gut contents were preserved in the fossils.
"The Kylinxia fossils exhibit exquisite anatomical structures," said study co-author Fangchen Zhao, a professor with the Nanjing Institute of Palaeontology and Geology (NIPG) at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Nanjing, China. "For example, nervous tissue, eyes and digestive system — these are soft body parts we usually cannot see in conventional fossils," Zhao said in a statement .
Holotype of Kylinxia zhangi. (Image credit: D.-Y. Huang & H. Zeng)
"Missing link" fossil
Kylinxia's chimerical mashup of features from some of the earliest known arthropods is what really caught the scientists' attention. Its cluster of five eyestalks is also found in the ancestral arthropod Opabinia , while its grabby appendages at the front of its body resembled those of Anomalocaris, a 3-foot-long (1 meter) Cambrian marine arthropod known as the " world's first apex predator ."
Though Anomalocaris is considered an ancestral arthropod, it looks very different from true arthropods that evolved later in the family tree, and Kylinxia's melange of features hinted at evolutionary connections that were previously missing.
After examining all of Kylinxia's characteristics and comparing nearly 300 other arthropod features in more than 80 taxonomic groups, the study authors concluded that Kylinxia resolved evolutionary relationships between several ancestral lineages for the arthropod group Deuteropoda, which included Anomalocaris and modern lineages.
Reconstruction of Kylinxia zhangi. (Image credit: D.-Y. Huang & H. Zeng)
Kylinxia's enlarged forelimbs — the feature it shared with Anomalocaris — may also have been precursors of structures that evolved in later arthropods; these structures include the mouthparts in Chelicerata arthropods like scorpions and spiders , and sensory antennae like those found in Mandibulata arthropods, the group that includes insects, crustaceans and millipedes.
"Kylinxia represents a crucial transitional fossil predicted by Darwin's evolutionary theory ," lead study author Han Zeng, a NIPG assistant professor, said in the statement.
"It bridges the evolutionary gap from Anomalocaris to true arthropods and forms a key 'missing link' in the origin of arthropods, contributing strong fossil evidence for the evolutionary theory of life," Zeng said.
The findings were published online today (Nov. 4) in the journal Nature .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-11-05--Watch a 'Godzilla' wasp dominate Mothra in this eerie lab video

Delicate ferns lay across the still water , when suddenly , a writhing caterpillar bursts to the surface , followed closely by a determined wasp .
Wrenching the caterpillar into position , the wasp quickly injects the wiggly creature with eggs before releasing it back into the water .
Sound like the plot to a twisted sci-fi flick ?
This parasitic wasp was recently discovered , in real life , in Japan and aptly named Microgaster godzilla , after the famous fictional monster .
It is the first aquatic wasp to be caught on film while diving underwater to hunt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caterpillars called Elophila turbata .
`` The wasp suddenly emerges from the water to parasitize the host , similar to how Godzilla suddenly emerges from the water in the movies , '' study author Jose Fernandez-Triana , a research scientist with the Canadian National Collection of Insects , .
In the movies , Godzilla also interacts with a monster called Mothra , who appears either as a caterpillar or full-grown moth .
Since moth caterpillars serve as a host for M. godzilla eggs , `` we had biological , behavioral and cultural reasons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Fernandez-Triana said .
`` Of course , that and having a bit of fun , because that is also an important part of life and science ! ''
he added .
Fernandez-Triana and his team described the newfound species in a study published Nov. 4 in the .
`` Usually , taxonomic descriptions of parasitoid wasps are based on dead specimens , with very few details — often none — on its biology , '' Fernandez-Triana noted .
In this study , the researchers had the rare opportunity to rear live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they plant their eggs in unwary hosts .
To do so , the team scooped E. turbata caterpillars from ponds in the Osaka and Kyoto Prefectures of Japan .
As mature wasps began to emerge from inside the collected caterpillars , the team spotted specimens with distinct yellow , brown and orange-yellow patterns on their bodies .
They analyzed the morphology and DNA of these wasps and determined them to be a newfound species .
To see the wasps in action , the team placed female M. godzilla specimens and their caterpillar hosts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In the wild , E. turbata caterpillars encase their bodies in bits of vegetation and sit suspended just under the water 's surface .
In the lab video , an M. godzilla wasp can be seen feeling around for these homemade cases using its curved antennae .
When it locates a caterpillar , the wasp slips beneath the water , staying down for several seconds , and wrestles the moth larvae out of its casing .
The wasp then uses its enlarged , curved claws to grip and pull the grub to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Holding the exposed caterpillar in place , the wasp inserts a tube-like organ called an ovipositor into the caterpillar ’ s body and sends its eggs down .
`` In all cases we observed , oviposition occurred above water , where the host larvae went trying to escape the wasp , '' the authors wrote .
`` The wasp can also pierce through the case for oviposition , '' when it 's not fully removed , they added .
The wasps can sometimes force caterpillars out of their case without diving underwater @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the wasp earned its monstrous name for the characteristic way it rises from the water after forcing its host into submission .

Delicate ferns lay across the still water, when suddenly, a writhing caterpillar bursts to the surface, followed closely by a determined wasp. Wrenching the caterpillar into position, the wasp quickly injects the wiggly creature with eggs before releasing it back into the water. Sound like the plot to a twisted sci-fi flick?
This parasitic wasp was recently discovered, in real life, in Japan and aptly named Microgaster godzilla, after the famous fictional monster. It is the first aquatic wasp to be caught on film while diving underwater to hunt down its host, namely, moth caterpillars called Elophila turbata.
"The wasp suddenly emerges from the water to parasitize the host, similar to how Godzilla suddenly emerges from the water in the movies," study author Jose Fernandez-Triana, a research scientist with the Canadian National Collection of Insects, said in a statement . In the movies, Godzilla also interacts with a monster called Mothra, who appears either as a caterpillar or full-grown moth. Since moth caterpillars serve as a host for M. godzilla eggs, "we had biological, behavioral and cultural reasons to justify our choice of a name," Fernandez-Triana said.
"Of course, that and having a bit of fun, because that is also an important part of life and science!" he added. Fernandez-Triana and his team described the newfound species in a study published Nov. 4 in the Journal of Hymenoptera Research .
Related: Ick! 5 alien parasites and their real-world counterparts
"Usually, taxonomic descriptions of parasitoid wasps are based on dead specimens, with very few details — often none — on its biology," Fernandez-Triana noted. In this study, the researchers had the rare opportunity to rear live wasps from larvae and observe exactly how they plant their eggs in unwary hosts.
To do so, the team scooped E. turbata caterpillars from ponds in the Osaka and Kyoto Prefectures of Japan. As mature wasps began to emerge from inside the collected caterpillars, the team spotted specimens with distinct yellow, brown and orange-yellow patterns on their bodies. They analyzed the morphology and DNA of these wasps and determined them to be a newfound species.
To see the wasps in action, the team placed female M. godzilla specimens and their caterpillar hosts into aquariums and got the cameras rolling.
This image shows the newly described microgastrine parasitoid wasp Microgaster godzilla. The pictured specimen is a female. (Image credit: Jose Fernandez-Triana)
In the wild, E. turbata caterpillars encase their bodies in bits of vegetation and sit suspended just under the water's surface. In the lab video, an M. godzilla wasp can be seen feeling around for these homemade cases using its curved antennae. When it locates a caterpillar, the wasp slips beneath the water, staying down for several seconds, and wrestles the moth larvae out of its casing. The wasp then uses its enlarged, curved claws to grip and pull the grub to the surface, according to the study.
Related: Survival of the grossest: 8 disgusting animal behaviors
Holding the exposed caterpillar in place, the wasp inserts a tube-like organ called an ovipositor into the caterpillar’s body and sends its eggs down. "In all cases we observed, oviposition occurred above water, where the host larvae went trying to escape the wasp," the authors wrote. "The wasp can also pierce through the case for oviposition," when it's not fully removed, they added.
The wasps can sometimes force caterpillars out of their case without diving underwater, the authors noted. However, the wasp earned its monstrous name for the characteristic way it rises from the water after forcing its host into submission.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-11-05--Jousting yard where Henry VIII nearly died just discovered 5 feet under

Scientists in England have found the exact spot where , in 1536 , King Henry VIII had a terrible jousting accident — a mighty smashup that led to what was likely a .
This accident `` does seem to be this central event that changed the behavior of [ Henry VIII ] , '' said project leader Simon Withers , a researcher and doctoral candidate in the Design School at the University of Greenwich 's Architecture School , in the United Kingdom .
Before the king 's jousting accident , Spanish and Venetian ambassadors described Henry VIII as a charming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After the accident , Henry VIII reportedly became an impulsive , often and monarch , according to sources from that time .
The researchers discovered the spot about 5.5 feet ( 1.7 meters ) underground , by using ground-penetrating radar , Withers told Live Science .
Here 's how they found it : Researchers have long known that the tiltyard ( the jousting yard ) is located somewhere at Greenwich Palace , Henry VIII 's favorite palace ; both he and his daughter Elizabeth I were born there , and Henry often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on its grounds , .
But the palace fell into disrepair during the 17th-century civil war and it was eventually demolished during the reign of Charles II , so the tiltyard 's location in the palace was lost .
The tiltyard even showed up in different parts of the palace in different 17th-century paintings , said Withers , who leads the Captivate Research Group at the School of Design , which carried out the project .
In the late 19th century , workers building a railway tunnel by the palace found Tudor bricks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether those bricks were the remains of two viewing towers that once overlooked the tiltyard .
These towers were akin to bleachers , where people would congregate and feast as they watched jousting tournaments .
However , according to the new finding , this 19th-century hypothesis is wrong ; per ground-penetrating radar , the real tiltyard is about 330 feet ( 100 m ) east of that spot , Withers said .
Withers and his colleagues began looking for the tiltyard because of the 500th anniversary of the Field of the Cloth of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England and France in 1520 .
When the team carried out the radar scans earlier this year , just before the COVID-19 lockdown , they found the buried remains of two octagonal buildings , likely what 's left of the viewing towers , according to historic paintings that portrayed them as having eight sides , Withers said .
`` It 's very difficult to think of this octagon not being one of the towers , '' he said .
The ground-penetrating radar is just the first step , though .
`` We 'll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what 's there , '' he said .
The grounds are now part of the National Maritime Museum , he noted .
The tiltyard itself was large , about 650 feet by 250 feet ( 200 by 76 m ) , which gave competing jousters and their horses space to run toward each other , separated by only a central wooden barrier .
On Jan. 24 , 1536 , the 44-year-old King Henry VIII was jousting when his horse charged so quickly , the monarch toppled off and the horse fell on him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for two hours without speaking , '' which modern-day researchers interpret `` to mean that the king was unconscious for two hours , '' according to a 2016 study in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience .
By the time of the accident , Henry VIII had divorced his first wife Catherine and married Anne Boleyn .
Boleyn had already given birth to Elizabeth I , but the couple was hoping for a male heir .
When Henry VIII had his jousting accident , Boleyn , who was pregnant again , was told that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon after suffered a miscarriage ( her second miscarriage ; it was a boy ) , which Henry blamed her for .
A few months later , he accused her of adultery and had her beheaded that May , according to Historic UK .
Henry then married four more times ( giving him a total of six wives ) before his death at age 55 in 1547 .
This is n't the only recent Tudor finding at Greenwich Palace ; in 2017 , archaeologists found hidden rooms that are now buried underground , @

Scientists in England have found the exact spot where, in 1536, King Henry VIII had a terrible jousting accident — a mighty smashup that led to what was likely a traumatic brain injury that permanently altered his personality .
This accident "does seem to be this central event that changed the behavior of [Henry VIII]," said project leader Simon Withers, a researcher and doctoral candidate in the Design School at the University of Greenwich's Architecture School, in the United Kingdom. Before the king's jousting accident, Spanish and Venetian ambassadors described Henry VIII as a charming, outgoing, clever and handsome king. After the accident, Henry VIII reportedly became an impulsive, often depressed and migraine-ridden monarch, according to sources from that time.
The researchers discovered the spot about 5.5 feet (1.7 meters) underground, by using ground-penetrating radar, Withers told Live Science.
Related: Family Ties: 8 Truly Dysfunctional Royal Families
A 1597 painting of Henry VIII and two of his three royal children; Elizabeth I and Edward VI. (Image credit: Gift of Kate S. Buckingham; Art Institute of Chicago; CC0 1.0
Here's how they found it: Researchers have long known that the tiltyard (the jousting yard) is located somewhere at Greenwich Palace, Henry VIII's favorite palace; both he and his daughter Elizabeth I were born there, and Henry often threw parties, banquets and jousting matches on its grounds, according to Historic UK . But the palace fell into disrepair during the 17th-century civil war and it was eventually demolished during the reign of Charles II, so the tiltyard's location in the palace was lost. The tiltyard even showed up in different parts of the palace in different 17th-century paintings, said Withers, who leads the Captivate Research Group at the School of Design, which carried out the project.
In the late 19th century, workers building a railway tunnel by the palace found Tudor bricks. At the time, historians wondered whether those bricks were the remains of two viewing towers that once overlooked the tiltyard. These towers were akin to bleachers, where people would congregate and feast as they watched jousting tournaments. However, according to the new finding, this 19th-century hypothesis is wrong; per ground-penetrating radar, the real tiltyard is about 330 feet (100 m) east of that spot, Withers said.
Image 1 of 7 "Greenwich from the south-east showing the Park and Tudor palace, about 1620" shows the tiltyard in this location (red circle). (Image credit: National Maritime Museum, London) The painting "View from One Tree Hill: the Queen's House and the Royal Observatory, Greenwich" shows a slightly different location for the tiltyard (in red). (Image credit: National Maritime Museum, London) In this painting, "Greenwich and London from One Tree Hill" (1680) shows the tiltyard in yet another spot (red circle). (Image credit: National Maritime Museum, London) A modern 3D model of the viewing towers and tiltyard, on display at Greenwich Centre in London. (Image credit: Philip Hudson/Captivate)
A digital model of the tiltyard and octagonal viewing towers. (Image credit: Philip Hudson/Captivate) Field armor worn by King Henry VIII of England, circa 1544, that was sculpted in Milan or Brescia, Italy. (Image credit: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1932; The Met; CC0 1.0) This 16th century German woodcut shows how jousters faced off on horseback, separated by a wooden fence in an arena called a tiltyard. (Image credit: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund; CC0 1.0)
Tiltyard investigation
Withers and his colleagues began looking for the tiltyard because of the 500th anniversary of the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a royal summit held between England and France in 1520. When the team carried out the radar scans earlier this year, just before the COVID-19 lockdown, they found the buried remains of two octagonal buildings, likely what's left of the viewing towers, according to historic paintings that portrayed them as having eight sides, Withers said.
"It's very difficult to think of this octagon not being one of the towers," he said.
The ground-penetrating radar is just the first step, though. "We'll have to have a dig to see what's there," he said. The grounds are now part of the National Maritime Museum, he noted.
Image 1 of 2 The two red circles are likely the viewing towers, according to ground-penetrating scans. (Image credit: Captivate; Wessex Archaeology) The ground-penetrating radar scans allowed the researchers to create this map. The circles marked 4000 and 4004 are likely the two viewing towers by the tiltyard. (Image credit: Captivate; Wessex Archaeology)
The tiltyard itself was large, about 650 feet by 250 feet (200 by 76 m), which gave competing jousters and their horses space to run toward each other, separated by only a central wooden barrier. On Jan. 24, 1536, the 44-year-old King Henry VIII was jousting when his horse charged so quickly, the monarch toppled off and the horse fell on him. Sources say that Henry went "for two hours without speaking," which modern-day researchers interpret "to mean that the king was unconscious for two hours," according to a 2016 study in the Journal of Clinical Neuroscience.
By the time of the accident, Henry VIII had divorced his first wife Catherine and married Anne Boleyn. Boleyn had already given birth to Elizabeth I, but the couple was hoping for a male heir. When Henry VIII had his jousting accident, Boleyn, who was pregnant again, was told that her husband would likely die. She soon after suffered a miscarriage (her second miscarriage; it was a boy), which Henry blamed her for. A few months later, he accused her of adultery and had her beheaded that May, according to Historic UK.
Henry then married four more times (giving him a total of six wives) before his death at age 55 in 1547.
This isn't the only recent Tudor finding at Greenwich Palace; in 2017, archaeologists found hidden rooms that are now buried underground, Live Science previously reported .
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-11-04--Ancient burial of fierce female hunter (and her weapons) discovered in Peru

Silently moving in the wilderness of the , ancient hunter-gatherers stalked a herd of vicuña .
The hunters threw stone projectile points with ease , hitting some of the beasts and leading the rest to scatter .
The vicuñas , wild ancestors of alpacas , fell and the skilled hunters — both females and males — went to examine their wins .
This somewhat hypothetical account is in stark contrast to the accepted history of such hunter-gatherers : ancient men hunted big game , while women gathered herbs and plants .
But a recently discovered 9,000-year-old burial of a female @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burials , suggests that early hunter-gatherer women in the ancient Americas hunted big game just as much as men did , according to a study published on Nov. 4 in the journal .
`` These findings sort of underscore the idea that the gender roles that we take for granted in society today — or that many take for granted — may not be as natural as some may have thought , '' said lead author Randy Haas , an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of California , Davis .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different excavation in the Andes Mountains when a local from the nearby southern Peruvian community of Mulla Fasiri reported there were hundreds of ancient stone tools scattered nearby .
Five years later , after securing funding and in collaboration with the locals , Haas and his team started excavating the site , which became known as Wilamaya Patjxa .
In 2018 , the researchers discovered six human burials at Wilamaya Patjxa ( they later discovered more in 2019 ) .
Two of the six burials also contained hunting tools , but one was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , dating back around 9,000 years , `` we started to uncover this really rich artifact assemblage '' including a hunting toolkit with projectile points and flakes , Haas told Live Science .
The burial is thought to belong to a hunter-gatherer who , based on examination of tooth development , died between the ages of 17 and 19 .
As the excavation continued , `` people began to speculate 'Wow , he must 've been a great hunter , a really important person in the community , ' '' Haas said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ anthropology at the University of Arizona , and co-author of the study , was the first to suggest this was not a man at all .
Watson examined the hunter-gatherers ' bones and said that because they were smaller compared with others found in the region , the skeleton could be a female .
Indeed , a detailed analysis of in the young hunter-gatherer 's teeth confirmed that she was a female .
But then Haas and his team began to wonder : Is this a one-off female hunter , or is she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ancient Americans ?
To figure this out , they combed through the literature for reports of other hunter-gatherer burials from the late ( which ended around 11,700 years ago ) and the early ( which began around 12,000 to 11,500 years ago . )
The team identified 429 skeletons from 107 ancient burial sites across the Americas ; 27 of those individuals —11 female ( including the newly discovered female ) and 15 male — were buried with big-game hunting tools .
Further statistical analysis suggested that between 30 % and 50 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` What we see is that female and male burials are just as likely to be associated with big-game hunting tools , '' Haas said .
`` The authors make a compelling argument that the female skeleton in question was likely a big-game hunter and that such a finding is not entirely unusual throughout Indigenous populations , '' said Marin Pilloud , an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada , Reno , who was not a part of the study .
`` If the same artifacts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there would be no questions that the individual was a hunter . ''
Many cultures did not — and still do not — have the gender binary `` that dominates our modern Western culture , '' Pilloud told Live Science .
`` When we step back from our own gendered biases can we explore the data in nuanced ways that are likely more culturally accurate . ''
It 's not clear whether hunter-gatherer females in other parts of the world also partook regularly in hunting , but it 's absolutely possible to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It would 've been interesting to see how this female 's diet compared with other females in the site or similar sites to determine whether she ate foods more similar to other males or to other females , she added .
`` This study should help convince people that women participated in big-game hunts , '' said Kathleen Sterling , an associate professor of anthropology at Binghamton University in New York , who also was not part of the study .
In fact , the methods used to hunt and the size @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` means that we should have been assuming this all along , since most older children and adults would have been needed to drive herds over cliffs or into traps , or to fire projectiles at herds moving in the same direction , '' Sterling told Live Science .
Age was probably more important than gender when it came to who hunted in these societies , but `` our gender norms are so strong that not everyone will be convinced , '' she said .
Still , if an individual is buried with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mean that the person was a hunter , it just means their society thought it appropriate to bury the objects with them , Sterling said .
But when hunting tools are found in mens ' burials , they 're typically assumed to be hunters .
So `` we should make the same assumption about hunting tools buried with women unless we have good reason to say otherwise , '' she added .

Silently moving in the wilderness of the Andes mountains , ancient hunter-gatherers stalked a herd of vicuña. The hunters threw stone projectile points with ease, hitting some of the beasts and leading the rest to scatter. The vicuñas, wild ancestors of alpacas, fell and the skilled hunters — both females and males — went to examine their wins.
This somewhat hypothetical account is in stark contrast to the accepted history of such hunter-gatherers: ancient men hunted big game, while women gathered herbs and plants. But a recently discovered 9,000-year-old burial of a female hunter, and analyses of other hunter burials, suggests that early hunter-gatherer women in the ancient Americas hunted big game just as much as men did, according to a study published on Nov. 4 in the journal Science Advances .
"These findings sort of underscore the idea that the gender roles that we take for granted in society today — or that many take for granted — may not be as natural as some may have thought," said lead author Randy Haas, an assistant professor of anthropology at the University of California, Davis.
Related: In images: an ancient European hunter-gatherer
In 2013, Haas was working on a different excavation in the Andes Mountains when a local from the nearby southern Peruvian community of Mulla Fasiri reported there were hundreds of ancient stone tools scattered nearby. Five years later, after securing funding and in collaboration with the locals, Haas and his team started excavating the site, which became known as Wilamaya Patjxa.
In 2018, the researchers discovered six human burials at Wilamaya Patjxa (they later discovered more in 2019). Two of the six burials also contained hunting tools, but one was particularly interesting.
In the sixth burial, dating back around 9,000 years, "we started to uncover this really rich artifact assemblage" including a hunting toolkit with projectile points and flakes, Haas told Live Science. The burial is thought to belong to a hunter-gatherer who, based on examination of tooth development, died between the ages of 17 and 19. As the excavation continued, "people began to speculate 'Wow, he must've been a great hunter, a really important person in the community,'" Haas said.
Researchers excavate at the Wilamaya Patjxa site in Peru. (Image credit: Randall Haas)
The bias that colors history
James Watson, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Arizona, and co-author of the study, was the first to suggest this was not a man at all. Watson examined the hunter-gatherers' bones and said that because they were smaller compared with others found in the region, the skeleton could be a female. Indeed, a detailed analysis of proteins in the young hunter-gatherer's teeth confirmed that she was a female.
But then Haas and his team began to wonder: Is this a one-off female hunter, or is she part of a larger behavioral pattern among ancient Americans? To figure this out, they combed through the literature for reports of other hunter-gatherer burials from the late Pleistocene (which ended around 11,700 years ago) and the early Holocene (which began around 12,000 to 11,500 years ago.)
The team identified 429 skeletons from 107 ancient burial sites across the Americas; 27 of those individuals —11 female (including the newly discovered female) and 15 male — were buried with big-game hunting tools. Further statistical analysis suggested that between 30% and 50% of hunters in these populations were female. "What we see is that female and male burials are just as likely to be associated with big-game hunting tools," Haas said.
Related: Photos: Human skeleton sheds light on first Americans
Ancient hunter-gatherers hunted Vicuña (shown here) and other big game in the Andes Mountains. (Image credit: Randall Haas)
"The authors make a compelling argument that the female skeleton in question was likely a big-game hunter and that such a finding is not entirely unusual throughout Indigenous populations," said Marin Pilloud, an associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno, who was not a part of the study."If the same artifacts had been associated with a male skeleton, there would be no questions that the individual was a hunter."
Many cultures did not — and still do not — have the gender binary "that dominates our modern Western culture," Pilloud told Live Science. "When we step back from our own gendered biases can we explore the data in nuanced ways that are likely more culturally accurate."
It's not clear whether hunter-gatherer females in other parts of the world also partook regularly in hunting, but it's absolutely possible to discover similar findings elsewhere, she said. It would've been interesting to see how this female's diet compared with other females in the site or similar sites to determine whether she ate foods more similar to other males or to other females, she added.
"This study should help convince people that women participated in big-game hunts," said Kathleen Sterling, an associate professor of anthropology at Binghamton University in New York, who also was not part of the study.
In fact, the methods used to hunt and the size of social groups at the time, "means that we should have been assuming this all along, since most older children and adults would have been needed to drive herds over cliffs or into traps, or to fire projectiles at herds moving in the same direction," Sterling told Live Science.
Age was probably more important than gender when it came to who hunted in these societies, but "our gender norms are so strong that not everyone will be convinced," she said.
Still, if an individual is buried with hunting tools, it doesn't necessarily mean that the person was a hunter, it just means their society thought it appropriate to bury the objects with them, Sterling said. But when hunting tools are found in mens' burials, they're typically assumed to be hunters. So "we should make the same assumption about hunting tools buried with women unless we have good reason to say otherwise," she added.
Originally published on Live Science.


livescience--2020-11-04--Fisher cats: Animals that aren't cats, nor are they really fishers

If the fisher cat is n't the most inaccurately named animal in North America , it 's certainly up there .
This weasel relative is not a cat , and it does n't care much for fishing .
But that does n't mean it 's not an interesting creature in its own right .
Also called fishers ( Pekania pennanti ) , these small mammals live in forests in Canada and across the United States .
They are roughly cat-size and have long , thin bodies , covered in a fur coat that was so highly valued in the fur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hunted to extinction in some parts of their home range , according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette .
But because fur has somewhat fallen out of style , and thanks to successful reintroduction , habitat restoration and conservation efforts , fishers are making a comeback in many places , the Post-Gazette reported .
Related : The most endangered species on the planet Fishers are still trapped for their fur , and legal harvest , monitored by wildlife biologists , is one of the ways researchers know that fisher populations are growing in most parts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ researchers know fishers are on the rebound is because people are seeing the creatures more frequently , as the fearless animals explore their range .
A fisher was even spotted in the Bronx , New York in 2014 .
The animal 's name is usually the first thing people ask about , said Michael Joyce , a wildlife ecologist at the Natural Resources Research Institute of the University of Minnesota Duluth .
`` Fisher '' is likely a corruption of the French word `` fiche , '' ( originally a Dutch word ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mustela putorius ) , a small species of weasel found in Europe and Morocco .
It 's possible that early European settlers misidentified the fishers of North America as polecats .
Although `` fisher cat '' is a bit of a misnomer , it 's not because the animals wo n't eat fish , Joyce said , but because they eat a lot of things and fish is n't usually at the top of the list .
In New England , for example , biologists have found that fisher cats seem to enjoy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) most often , Northern Woodlands magazine reported .
The animals also eat fruit , reptiles and amphibians , birds and bird eggs , other small mammals , and even each other , according to a 2017 study published in the journal BioOne Complete .
The study 's authors examined the stomach contents of 91 fishers , whose carcasses they had found in Pennsylvania .
Of these fishers , 12 had bits of other fishers in their digestive tracts .
The team speculated that the Pennsylvania population of fishers had grown so large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with each other for food and had grown aggressive toward one another .
But the fisher 's true dietary claim-to-fame is that it 's one of the few animals that regularly attack and eat porcupines .
Fishers `` run circles around [ porcupines ] to try to exhaust them , '' Joyce said .
As the porcupine tires out , the fisher will snap at the quilled animal 's face .
Enough bites to the face , and the porcupine will eventually bleed out and die .
Once the prey has died , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face in its jaws and twist the prickly creature upside down to expose the belly , so the fisher can safely eat without getting quilled .
However , fishers are sloppy eaters and will occasionally swallow a quill or two , Joyce said .
But the quills do n't seem to bother the fishers much .
Fishers also do n't seem to care if they get a quill to the face .
While fishers do n't have superpowers making them immune from quilling , they seem to be able to fend off infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animals , Montana Public Radio reported .
In an unpublished study of 100 fisher skulls collected by hunters , Joyce found that about one in 10 skulls had quills embedded in them , suggesting the tough little creatures had survived at least one unfortunate quilling .
In addition to fearlessly hunting porcupines , fishers can also take down lynx — predatory cats that are about twice the size of an average fisher .
Researchers tracking lynx with radio collars occasionally found their subjects dead in a snowdrift , with little fisher-size bite marks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Geographic reported .
`` A fisher really does n't have any boundaries in the size of the animal it 's willing to attack , '' Scott McLellan , a wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife , told National Geographic .
The fisher cat 's reputation as an aggressive hunter has led to unfair and unfounded rumors that fisher cats attack and eat pets and even small children .
`` I 'm not aware of any , and I do n't think there are any cases of fishers attacking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that while a fisher cat probably would n't think twice about eating a house cat if the opportunity presented itself , studies of fisher diets in human-dominated landscapes suggest your cat is probably safe .
( Cats have more to fear from coyotes , owls and cars . )
The rumors are likely fueled by the fact that the fisher 's range is expanding , so people who have never seen the elusive animals before are now seeing fishers in their yards ( and in some cases , trash cans ) .
Another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piercing screams .
Internet forums say a fisher 's blood curdling screams , let out in the dead of night , signal that the creature is about to attack .
But those noises are probably misidentified foxes , Roland Kays , curator of mammals at the New York State Museum , wrote in the New York Times .
Foxes are generally very vocal , and therefore easy to record , while fishers are typically silent in order to better hunt their prey .
`` They do make vocalizations , '' Kays wrote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them .
Instead , the fisher 's vocalizations sound more like an `` agitated chuckle , '' Joyce said , similar to the sound a pet ferret makes , he added .
While fishers have been reintroduced into much of their original range , there are still many areas where fisher populations have never recovered .
In Minnesota , the fisher population has declined by an estimated 50 % over the past 20 years , Joyce said .
He believes that a lack of old trees is largely to blame : The fisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young inside cavities in trees , but it takes decades for a tree to get big enough to have a cavity that will fit a fisher .
`` One of our concerns is that large trees with cavities '' are n't abundant in areas where fishers live , he said .
In an effort to provide more housing options for fishers , Joyce and his colleagues installed 100 den boxes in sites throughout northern Minnesota in the fall of 2019 , and a year later , fishers had discovered and started to use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to use the den boxes more heavily , wildlife managers wo n't have to wait decades for large trees to grow before trying to help fisher populations , Joyce said .
Another emerging threat to fisher populations is rat poison .
A 2012 study published in the journal PLOS One found that four in five dead fishers picked up in California had rat poison in their bodies .
The authors suspected that the rat poison was likely put out by illegal marijuana growers whose farms are hidden in public lands .
( Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ California 's legalization of recreational cannabis use in 2016 , there are still large illegal grow sites in the state . )
Because fishers need healthy old-growth trees to survive , a healthy fisher population is an indicator that the forest is doing well as a whole .
`` And they 're one of our iconic species of the Northwoods , '' Joyce added .
`` The chance you might see one on a hike is an added benefit . ''
• Watch National Geographic biologists try to track down the elusive scream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more about fisher cats and their distribution in the U.S. from the U.S. Forest Service .
• Find out more about fisher cat reintroduction efforts from Conservation Northwest .

If the fisher cat isn't the most inaccurately named animal in North America, it's certainly up there. This weasel relative is not a cat, and it doesn't care much for fishing. But that doesn't mean it's not an interesting creature in its own right.
Also called fishers (Pekania pennanti), these small mammals live in forests in Canada and across the United States. They are roughly cat-size and have long, thin bodies, covered in a fur coat that was so highly valued in the fur trade a century ago that fishers were hunted to extinction in some parts of their home range, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But because fur has somewhat fallen out of style, and thanks to successful reintroduction, habitat restoration and conservation efforts, fishers are making a comeback in many places, the Post-Gazette reported.
Related: The most endangered species on the planet
Fishers are still trapped for their fur, and legal harvest, monitored by wildlife biologists, is one of the ways researchers know that fisher populations are growing in most parts of their historic habitat. Another reason researchers know fishers are on the rebound is because people are seeing the creatures more frequently, as the fearless animals explore their range. A fisher was even spotted in the Bronx, New York in 2014.
The animal's name is usually the first thing people ask about, said Michael Joyce, a wildlife ecologist at the Natural Resources Research Institute of the University of Minnesota Duluth. "Fisher" is likely a corruption of the French word "fiche," (originally a Dutch word) which refers to the European polecat (Mustela putorius), a small species of weasel found in Europe and Morocco. It's possible that early European settlers misidentified the fishers of North America as polecats.
What do fisher cats eat?
Although "fisher cat" is a bit of a misnomer, it's not because the animals won't eat fish, Joyce said, but because they eat a lot of things and fish isn't usually at the top of the list. In New England, for example, biologists have found that fisher cats seem to enjoy dining on gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) most often, Northern Woodlands magazine reported. The animals also eat fruit, reptiles and amphibians, birds and bird eggs, other small mammals, and even each other, according to a 2017 study published in the journal BioOne Complete.
The study's authors examined the stomach contents of 91 fishers, whose carcasses they had found in Pennsylvania. Of these fishers, 12 had bits of other fishers in their digestive tracts. The team speculated that the Pennsylvania population of fishers had grown so large so quickly that the animals were competing with each other for food and had grown aggressive toward one another.
Related: Live Science talks 'Cannibalism' with author Bill Schutt
But the fisher's true dietary claim-to-fame is that it's one of the few animals that regularly attack and eat porcupines. Fishers "run circles around [porcupines] to try to exhaust them," Joyce said. As the porcupine tires out, the fisher will snap at the quilled animal's face. Enough bites to the face, and the porcupine will eventually bleed out and die. Once the prey has died, the fisher will grasp the porcupine's face in its jaws and twist the prickly creature upside down to expose the belly, so the fisher can safely eat without getting quilled. However, fishers are sloppy eaters and will occasionally swallow a quill or two, Joyce said. But the quills don't seem to bother the fishers much.
Fishers also don't seem to care if they get a quill to the face. While fishers don't have superpowers making them immune from quilling, they seem to be able to fend off infections from quill injuries that would kill other animals, Montana Public Radio reported. In an unpublished study of 100 fisher skulls collected by hunters, Joyce found that about one in 10 skulls had quills embedded in them, suggesting the tough little creatures had survived at least one unfortunate quilling.
Fisher cats were once heavily hunted for their warm fur coats. Although they may look fuzzy and cuddly, these small mammals are fearless hunters. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
In addition to fearlessly hunting porcupines, fishers can also take down lynx — predatory cats that are about twice the size of an average fisher. Researchers tracking lynx with radio collars occasionally found their subjects dead in a snowdrift, with little fisher-size bite marks along their necks and heads, National Geographic reported.
"A fisher really doesn't have any boundaries in the size of the animal it's willing to attack," Scott McLellan, a wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, told National Geographic.
The fisher cat's reputation as an aggressive hunter has led to unfair and unfounded rumors that fisher cats attack and eat pets and even small children.
"I'm not aware of any, and I don't think there are any cases of fishers attacking humans," Joyce said, adding that while a fisher cat probably wouldn't think twice about eating a house cat if the opportunity presented itself, studies of fisher diets in human-dominated landscapes suggest your cat is probably safe. (Cats have more to fear from coyotes, owls and cars.) The rumors are likely fueled by the fact that the fisher's range is expanding, so people who have never seen the elusive animals before are now seeing fishers in their yards (and in some cases, trash cans).
About that scream
Another unusual characteristic of fisher cats is their piercing screams. Internet forums say a fisher's blood curdling screams, let out in the dead of night, signal that the creature is about to attack. But those noises are probably misidentified foxes, Roland Kays, curator of mammals at the New York State Museum, wrote in the New York Times. Foxes are generally very vocal, and therefore easy to record, while fishers are typically silent in order to better hunt their prey.
"They do make vocalizations," Kays wrote, but not the eerie screeches attributed to them. Instead, the fisher's vocalizations sound more like an "agitated chuckle," Joyce said, similar to the sound a pet ferret makes, he added.
Fisher cats have a reputation for having piercing screams. But the screams people hear are likely coming from foxes, not fishers. (Image credit: Shutterstock)
Threats
While fishers have been reintroduced into much of their original range, there are still many areas where fisher populations have never recovered. In Minnesota, the fisher population has declined by an estimated 50% over the past 20 years, Joyce said. He believes that a lack of old trees is largely to blame: The fisher prefers to give birth and raise its young inside cavities in trees, but it takes decades for a tree to get big enough to have a cavity that will fit a fisher. "One of our concerns is that large trees with cavities" aren't abundant in areas where fishers live, he said.
In an effort to provide more housing options for fishers, Joyce and his colleagues installed 100 den boxes in sites throughout northern Minnesota in the fall of 2019, and a year later, fishers had discovered and started to use 17 of them. If fishers start to use the den boxes more heavily, wildlife managers won't have to wait decades for large trees to grow before trying to help fisher populations, Joyce said.
Another emerging threat to fisher populations is rat poison. A 2012 study published in the journal PLOS One found that four in five dead fishers picked up in California had rat poison in their bodies. The authors suspected that the rat poison was likely put out by illegal marijuana growers whose farms are hidden in public lands. (Even though the study was published prior to California's legalization of recreational cannabis use in 2016, there are still large illegal grow sites in the state.)
Because fishers need healthy old-growth trees to survive, a healthy fisher population is an indicator that the forest is doing well as a whole. "And they're one of our iconic species of the Northwoods," Joyce added. "The chance you might see one on a hike is an added benefit."
Additional resources:


livescience--2020-11-04--US officially becomes only nation to leave the Paris Climate Agreement

As of today ( Nov. 4 ) , the U.S. will officially leave the Paris Climate Agreement , a nonbinding pact between nearly 190 nations to reduce and curb climate change .
The Trump administration began the formal process of exiting the Agreement on this day last year by filing the necessary paperwork to the United Nations , .
After a mandatory yearlong waiting period , the paperwork and renouncement have now been finalized .
The U.S. is now the only country to renounce the Paris Agreement after adopting it , .
Several countries , including Angola , Eritrea , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Turkey and Yemen , initially signed the pact but never formally adopted it .
With the U.S. exit , 189 nations remain that have both signed and adopted the pact .
`` With our exit from the accord , we are among only a few countries worldwide not signed on to the global agreement , '' Dr. George Benjamin , executive director of the American Public Health Association , .
`` At the same time , the U.S. is the second biggest emitter of in the world , '' following China .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already here , and denying that reality and the science behind it will have devastating consequences , '' he said .
Related : 10 signs that Earth 's climate is off the rails The remaining signatories of the Paris Agreement are n't required to meet any specific requirements ; again , the pact is nonbinding .
Rather , participating countries voluntarily pledge to reduce their domestic emissions over time , setting their own targets and implementing their own policies to do so .
After first signing the agreement in 2016 , the Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 26 % to 28 % , compared with 2005 levels , and to do so by 2025 , according to The Times .
Since the start of the industrial era , the U.S. has been responsible for more emissions of the greenhouse gas dioxide than any other country , according to NPR , and signing the Agreement signaled the nation 's commitment to reducing that burden on the world at large .
However , the Trump administration has essentially reversed that stance by withdrawing from the Agreement and rolling back policies to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last four years of the Trump administration has not only been a reversal of many of the Obama policies that would have put us on track with meeting our initial obligations … [ it has also been ] four years of lost opportunities to continue the progress of the Obama administration , '' Kate Larsen , a director at the Rhodium Group , an independent research organization , told Scientific American .
Obama-era environmental policies — such as the Clean Power Plan , new fuel efficiency standards for vehicles and new regulations on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ met the ambitious pledge outlined in the Paris Agreement ; but they `` would have been an important first start , '' Larsen added .
As of now , the U.S. is still on target to reach a 17 % reduction in emissions by the target date , despite the rollbacks instituted under the Trump administration , NPR reported .
Greenhouse gas emissions did n't immediately soar in response to Trump 's rollbacks ; their short-term impact may have been buffered by prevailing climate policies at the state and local level , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector , Scientific American reported .
The economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic also temporarily curbed emissions , at least somewhat , as production slowed and people socially distanced at home .
But in the long-term , Trump 's rollbacks could hinder efforts to cut emissions and will likely lead to more climate-driven disasters ; in 2020 alone , 16 `` weather/climate disaster events '' cost the nation upwards of $ 16 billion , the , and that cost will only grow steeper as global average temperatures rise .
`` Climate change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Rachel Cleetus , policy director for the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists , a science advocacy group , told NPR .
`` It is threatening our economy .
It 's threatening our future prosperity , the well-being of future generations . ''
As the U.S. pulls out of the Paris Climate Agreement , the European Union , South Korea , China and Japan have all set goals to achieve zero net emissions in the next three to four decades , according to The Times .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Agreement in the future ; should former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. be elected president , he has said he would recommit to the Paris Agreement on his first day in office , The New York Times reported .
That said , if the nation recommits , the U.S. would no longer be allowed to vote on decisions made by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change , a body formed through the Agreement , according to the Times .
Instead , representatives from the U.S. would have observer status , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and strategize with other nations , but they may not cast a vote .

As of today (Nov. 4), the U.S. will officially leave the Paris Climate Agreement, a nonbinding pact between nearly 190 nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change.
The Trump administration began the formal process of exiting the Agreement on this day last year by filing the necessary paperwork to the United Nations, NPR reported . After a mandatory yearlong waiting period, the paperwork and renouncement have now been finalized.
The U.S. is now the only country to renounce the Paris Agreement after adopting it, The New York Times reported . Several countries, including Angola, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, South Sudan, Turkey and Yemen, initially signed the pact but never formally adopted it. With the U.S. exit, 189 nations remain that have both signed and adopted the pact.
"With our exit from the accord, we are among only a few countries worldwide not signed on to the global agreement," Dr. George Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said in a statement . "At the same time, the U.S. is the second biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world," following China.
"The health and environmental impacts of climate change are already here, and denying that reality and the science behind it will have devastating consequences," he said.
Related: 10 signs that Earth's climate is off the rails
The remaining signatories of the Paris Agreement aren't required to meet any specific requirements; again, the pact is nonbinding. Rather, participating countries voluntarily pledge to reduce their domestic emissions over time, setting their own targets and implementing their own policies to do so. After first signing the agreement in 2016, the Obama administration pledged to reduce U.S. emissions by about 26% to 28%, compared with 2005 levels, and to do so by 2025, according to The Times.
Since the start of the industrial era, the U.S. has been responsible for more emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide than any other country, according to NPR, and signing the Agreement signaled the nation's commitment to reducing that burden on the world at large. However, the Trump administration has essentially reversed that stance by withdrawing from the Agreement and rolling back policies to regulate domestic emissions, Scientific American reported .
"The last four years of the Trump administration has not only been a reversal of many of the Obama policies that would have put us on track with meeting our initial obligations … [it has also been] four years of lost opportunities to continue the progress of the Obama administration," Kate Larsen, a director at the Rhodium Group, an independent research organization, told Scientific American.
Obama-era environmental policies — such as the Clean Power Plan, new fuel efficiency standards for vehicles and new regulations on methane gas — likely would not have met the ambitious pledge outlined in the Paris Agreement; but they "would have been an important first start," Larsen added. As of now, the U.S. is still on target to reach a 17% reduction in emissions by the target date, despite the rollbacks instituted under the Trump administration, NPR reported.
Related: 6 unexpected effects of climate change
Greenhouse gas emissions didn't immediately soar in response to Trump's rollbacks; their short-term impact may have been buffered by prevailing climate policies at the state and local level, as well as growth in the renewable energy sector, Scientific American reported. The economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic also temporarily curbed emissions, at least somewhat, as production slowed and people socially distanced at home.
But in the long-term, Trump's rollbacks could hinder efforts to cut emissions and will likely lead to more climate-driven disasters; in 2020 alone, 16 "weather/climate disaster events" cost the nation upwards of $16 billion, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration estimates , and that cost will only grow steeper as global average temperatures rise.
"Climate change is clearly not just an environmental issue," Rachel Cleetus, policy director for the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a science advocacy group, told NPR. "It is threatening our economy. It's threatening our future prosperity, the well-being of future generations."
As the U.S. pulls out of the Paris Climate Agreement, the European Union, South Korea, China and Japan have all set goals to achieve zero net emissions in the next three to four decades, according to The Times. However, the U.S. can still rejoin the Agreement in the future; should former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. be elected president, he has said he would recommit to the Paris Agreement on his first day in office, The New York Times reported.
That said, if the nation recommits, the U.S. would no longer be allowed to vote on decisions made by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a body formed through the Agreement, according to the Times. Instead, representatives from the U.S. would have observer status, meaning they could still participate in meetings and strategize with other nations, but they may not cast a vote.
Originally published on Live Science.