Science News Roundup: Musk's Starlink connects remote Tonga villages still cut off after tsunami; A good day to die: doom for the dinosaurs came in springtime and more

Tonga's prime minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, said in a ceremony on Wednesday in the capital, Nuku'alofa, that 50 VSAT terminals provided free of charge by Musk's SpaceX would be distributed to the outlying islands worst hit by the tsunami. COVID raises risk of mental health problems; new Omicron version not making people sicker in S.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Archaeologists find ritual hunt site in Jordanian desert from 7,000 B.C

Archaeologists have discovered a stone age site dating back to 7,000 B.C. in a remote desert in Jordan, with structures which show humans were rounding up and hunting gazelles much earlier than previously thought. The team of French and Jordanian experts also found over 250 artifacts at the site, including exquisite animal figurines which they believe were used in rituals to invoke supernatural forces for successful hunts.

A good day to die: doom for the dinosaurs came in springtime

On a spring day 66 million years ago, paddlefish and sturgeon swam in a river that meandered through a flourishing landscape populated by mighty dinosaurs and small mammals at North Dakota's southwestern corner. Death came from above that day. Scientists said on Wednesday well-preserved fish fossils unearthed at the site are providing a deeper understanding of one of the worst days in the history of life on Earth and shedding light on the global calamity triggered by an asteroid 7.5 miles (12 km) wide striking Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Musk's Starlink connects remote Tonga villages still cut off after tsunami

Elon Musk's satellite venture has launched a free high-speed internet service to connect remote villages in Tonga that have been cut off since a devastating volcanic eruption and tsunami in January. Tonga's prime minister, Siaosi Sovaleni, said in a ceremony on Wednesday in the capital, Nuku'alofa, that 50 VSAT terminals provided free of charge by Musk's SpaceX would be distributed to the outlying islands worst hit by the tsunami.

COVID raises risk of mental health problems; new Omicron version not making people sicker in S. Africa

The following is a summary of some recent studies on COVID-19. They include research that warrants further study to corroborate the findings and that has yet to be certified by peer review. Coronavirus infection raises risk of mental health issues

(With inputs from agencies.)