What a week it was for the study of old stuff. Paleontologists and anthropologists both had their days in the sun as the science world made a series of fascinating announcements about three separate extinct species. In case you missed the fossil frenzy, here’s a layman’s guide to the week’s discoveries.
Sue
Species: Tyrannosaurus rex
Age: 65 million years
Discovered: August 1990 in South Dakota on the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation
Recent development: Once thought to be bite holes, the gaps in the jaw of the Field Museum’s star attraction likely are the result of a one-celled parasite that felled the mighty carnivore, researchers said in a paper published Tuesday in the online science journal PLoS ONE. Scientists said the parasitic infection still causes fatal disease in modern-day carnivorous birds, such as hawks and eagles.
Lyuba
Species: Mammuthus primigenius
Age: 40,000 years
Discovered: May 2007 in Siberian permafrost
Recent development: The nearly perfectly preserved baby woolly mammoth will make its U.S. debut at the Field Museum next spring as part of a “Mammoths and Mastodons” exhibit, officials announced Wednesday. The specimen is particularly relevant to scientists because the 1-month-old mammoth was in peak health when it died accidentally. In Chicago, Lyuba will be encased in glass to give visitors a 360-degree view.
Ardi
Species: Ardipithecus ramidus
Age: 4.4 million years
Discovered: November 1994 in Ethiopian desert
Recent development: After 15 years of research, an international team of scientists announced Thursday in the online edition of the journal Science their specimen had the ability to walk upright. “Ardi,” as they nicknamed her, stood about 4 feet tall, weighed 110 pounds, and had long arms, short legs and a grasping big toe that was perfect for clambering branch to branch. Her discovery was hailed as a clue to human origins.
THE DIGIT
$2 million
The amount of an extortion attempt against David Letterman, the “Late Show” host said during the taping of his show Thursday. Letterman acknowledged past sexual relationships with female employees and said a police investigation had resulted in an arrest.
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Naughty language
