Science News Roundup: What caused holes in Sue the T. rex's jawbone? Scientists are stumped; More penguins dying from avian flu at Cape Town's Boulders beach colony
Scientists are stumped Sue, the biggest and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever unearthed, no doubt was a fearsome beast when this predator prowled what is now South Dakota about 67 million years ago at the twilight of the age of dinosaurs. A prime example of this is the series of circular holes in Sue's jawbone that continue to baffle scientists.
Following is a summary of current science news briefs.
What caused holes in Sue the T. rex's jawbone? Scientists are stumped
Sue, the biggest and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever unearthed, no doubt was a fearsome beast when this predator prowled what is now South Dakota about 67 million years ago at the twilight of the age of dinosaurs. But even this huge dinosaur, whose fossils are displayed at the Field Museum in Chicago, was not invulnerable. A prime example of this is the series of circular holes in Sue's jawbone that continue to baffle scientists. New research seeking an explanation for these holes has managed to rule out one major hypothesis, though the answer remains elusive.
More penguins dying from avian flu at Cape Town's Boulders beach colony
More penguins have died from avian flu at the colony at Cape Town's Boulders beach, a popular tourist attraction and an important breeding site in South Africa, raising concerns for the species and for other seabirds. David Roberts, a clinical veterinarian at the South African Foundation For The Conservation Of Coastal Birds, said at least 28 out of around 3,000 penguins in the colony had died from the disease since the middle of August.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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