Ancient crocodiles’ secret to surviving 2 mass extinctions stuns scientists
The ancestors of modern crocodiles survived two mass extinctions throughout their 230-million-year history.
ften labeled as living fossils, crocodilians have inhabited swamps and rivers for millions of years.
Surprisingly, the ancestors of modern crocodiles survived two mass extinctions throughout their 230-million-year history.
Researchers at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) and the University of Utah have discovered a key to the long-term evolutionary success of these prehistoric creatures: their exceptional adaptability in both diet and habitat.
“Lots of groups closely related to crocodylians were more diverse, more abundant, and exhibited different ecologies, yet they all disappeared except these few generalist crocodylians alive today,” said Keegan Melstrom, lead author and assistant professor at UCO.
For scientists and conservationists, knowing how species survive planetary crises can lead to more effective protection of vulnerable species.
“Aquatic hypercarnivores, terrestrial generalists, terrestrial hypercarnivores, terrestrial herbivores—crocodylomorphs evolved a massive number of ecological roles throughout the time of the dinosaurs,” added Melstrom.
However, during the Late Cretaceous, this incredible diversity began to wane.
At the time of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, the survivors were largely the semiaquatic generalists and some aquatic carnivores – the ancestors of the crocodilians we see today.
This research involved a large-scale effort, with the authors examining skulls from 99 extinct crocodylomorph species and 20 living crocodylian species across numerous museum collections worldwide.
The team says that dietary flexibility might be crucial for the survival of critically endangered species like the Gharial and Cuban Crocodile amidst the current potential sixth mass extinction.
A trick before the split
With the aim of finding the elusive oxygen evolution reaction (OER), Geiger’s team used an iron-rich mineral known as hematite as an electrode. Geiger’s lab fabricated a water-PR-SHG technique that let them observe the water molecules’ dynamics over the electrode’s surface.
There is a cost to achieving the oxygen flips. The energy expenditure required for the rearrangement of water molecules was calculated, and it turned out to be almost equal to the energy-binding water as a liquid.
“These electrodes are negatively charged, so the water molecule wants to put its positively charged hydrogen atoms toward the electrode’s surface,” Geiger said. “In that position, electron transfer — from water’s oxygen atoms to the electrode’s active site — is blocked.”
Toward better catalysts—and a hydrogen economy
The results do much more than explain water splitting’s inefficiency; they also offer a guide on how to change it for the better.
“A key goal is to move away from fossil fuels and toward a hydrogen economy,” Geiger said. “One long-pursued idea is to use a material with the right electrocatalytic and optical properties. Through solar radiation, it generates catalytically active sites that do the electrochemistry.”
“You still need to apply a current to perform the electrochemistry, but the sun’s photons allow you to apply less voltage. And the less voltage you apply, the cheaper the fuel becomes.” Our study shows that the catalyst surfaces need to be tailored to facilitate water flipping so the electron transfer can initiate.”
At its 2024 launch, the firm stated that the Turing chip can process AI models with 30 billion parameters and complete over 2,700 functional verifications within 40 days—three times faster than the industry standard. This level of performance enables Iron to think, adapt, and respond to a variety of tasks with flexibility and human-like decision-making.
The robot’s “Eagle Eye” visual system, powered by advanced cameras, ensures precise environmental awareness and decision-making capabilities. “It also features a 720° AI vision system that can also be found in XPENG’s autonomous driving technology,” said the firm in a statement.
Ancient crocodiles’ secret to surviving 2 mass extinctions stuns scientists
The ancestors of modern crocodiles survived two mass extinctions throughout their 230-million-year history.
ften labeled as living fossils, crocodilians have inhabited swamps and rivers for millions of years.
Surprisingly, the ancestors of modern crocodiles survived two mass extinctions throughout their 230-million-year history.
Researchers at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) and the University of Utah have discovered a key to the long-term evolutionary success of these prehistoric creatures: their exceptional adaptability in both diet and habitat.
“Lots of groups closely related to crocodylians were more diverse, more abundant, and exhibited different ecologies, yet they all disappeared except these few generalist crocodylians alive today,” said Keegan Melstrom, lead author and assistant professor at UCO.
For scientists and conservationists, knowing how species survive planetary crises can lead to more effective protection of vulnerable species.
“Aquatic hypercarnivores, terrestrial generalists, terrestrial hypercarnivores, terrestrial herbivores—crocodylomorphs evolved a massive number of ecological roles throughout the time of the dinosaurs,” added Melstrom.
However, during the Late Cretaceous, this incredible diversity began to wane.
At the time of the end-Cretaceous mass extinction, the survivors were largely the semiaquatic generalists and some aquatic carnivores – the ancestors of the crocodilians we see today.
This research involved a large-scale effort, with the authors examining skulls from 99 extinct crocodylomorph species and 20 living crocodylian species across numerous museum collections worldwide.
The team says that dietary flexibility might be crucial for the survival of critically endangered species like the Gharial and Cuban Crocodile amidst the current potential sixth mass extinction.
A trick before the split
With the aim of finding the elusive oxygen evolution reaction (OER), Geiger’s team used an iron-rich mineral known as hematite as an electrode. Geiger’s lab fabricated a water-PR-SHG technique that let them observe the water molecules’ dynamics over the electrode’s surface.
There is a cost to achieving the oxygen flips. The energy expenditure required for the rearrangement of water molecules was calculated, and it turned out to be almost equal to the energy-binding water as a liquid.
“These electrodes are negatively charged, so the water molecule wants to put its positively charged hydrogen atoms toward the electrode’s surface,” Geiger said. “In that position, electron transfer — from water’s oxygen atoms to the electrode’s active site — is blocked.”
Toward better catalysts—and a hydrogen economy
The results do much more than explain water splitting’s inefficiency; they also offer a guide on how to change it for the better.
“A key goal is to move away from fossil fuels and toward a hydrogen economy,” Geiger said. “One long-pursued idea is to use a material with the right electrocatalytic and optical properties. Through solar radiation, it generates catalytically active sites that do the electrochemistry.”
“You still need to apply a current to perform the electrochemistry, but the sun’s photons allow you to apply less voltage. And the less voltage you apply, the cheaper the fuel becomes.” Our study shows that the catalyst surfaces need to be tailored to facilitate water flipping so the electron transfer can initiate.”
At its 2024 launch, the firm stated that the Turing chip can process AI models with 30 billion parameters and complete over 2,700 functional verifications within 40 days—three times faster than the industry standard. This level of performance enables Iron to think, adapt, and respond to a variety of tasks with flexibility and human-like decision-making.
The robot’s “Eagle Eye” visual system, powered by advanced cameras, ensures precise environmental awareness and decision-making capabilities. “It also features a 720° AI vision system that can also be found in XPENG’s autonomous driving technology,” said the firm in a statement.