The ability to regulate body temperature internally, rather than relying on the Sun, may have first appeared among dinosaurs around 180 million years ago, coinciding with an extreme climatic period.Dinosaurs were originally thought to have been cold-blooded creatures. Their name means “terrible lizard” after all, and lizards need to bask on rocks to warm their blood. This idea was thrown into question by the discovery of species of dinosaurs that lived near the poles, apparently surviving winter conditions modern reptiles could not handle. For years, the warm-blooded versus cold-blooded dinosaur debate was among the hottest in palaeontology.Now, there is broad agreement that some, but not all, dinosaurs were warm-blooded or endothermic, to use the more scientific term. After all, we now know birds are part of the Dinosauria clade and lizards are not. Since the ancestral dinosaurs were almost certainly cold-blooded, this raises the question of when the first warm-blooded dinosaurs emerged. Looking at when they first colonized colder regions could provide the answer.The first bones from both theropods and ornithischians – two of the three main dinosaur branches – appear in cold regions in the Early Jurassic, Dr Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza of University College London reports. No equivalent presence from sauropods has been detected, making it more likely thermoregulation had not evolved on this branch, rather than us having got our temperature reconstructions wrong.“Our analyses show that different climate preferences emerged among the main dinosaur groups around the time of the Jenkyns event 183 million years ago, when intense volcanic activity led to global warming and extinction of plant groups,” Chiarenza said in a statement. A period of high temperatures might seem an unlikely catalyst for developing the capacity to survive cold conditions, but it seems this was the case. “At this time, many new dinosaur groups emerged,” Chiarenza continued. “The adoption of endothermy, perhaps a result of this environmental crisis, may have enabled theropods and ornithischians to thrive in colder environments, allowing them to be highly active and sustain activity over longer periods, to develop and grow faster and produce more offspring.”Although the most famous theropods are T. Rex and Velociraptors, co-author Dr Sara Barela of the Universidade de Vigo noted birds are theropods too, adding: “Our study suggests that birds’ unique temperature regulation may have had its origin in this Early Jurassic epoch.”It is crucial that some dinosaurs laid eggs at high latitudes, proving they didn't just migrate there in summer.Image Credit: Davide Bonadonna/Universidade de Vigo/UCLIt was around this time that sauropods grew to the enormous sizes that are their most famous feature, which may have been another consequence of the environmental changes going on.As further evidence for their claim sauropods didn’t learn to thermoregulate while some members of each of the other branches did, the authors note that sauropods were common in relatively arid grasslands. This refutes the idea they avoided the poles because they relied on the rich foods available in tropical rainforests. If it wasn’t the lack of water that prevented expansion towards the poles, the cold appears the obvious explanation. Then again, seeing the theropod predators heading for the poles wouldn’t have given sauropods much incentive to join them.The sauropods did eventually make it closer to the poles during the Cretaceous, as seen in the example of Patagotitan, a candidate for the largest beast to ever walk the Earth. However, the world as a whole was warmer during the early Cretaceous than during the Jurassic, and the plant fossils found in similar locations to titanosaurs imply average annual temperatures of 10-15 °C (18-27 °F).The authors propose that even though sauropods could survive at high latitudes in the Cretaceous, they didn’t do so well in the far north, perhaps because they were still less suited to it than ornithopods, who outcompeted them. The enormous size sauropods had reached by this point may have helped their largest members survive close to the south pole in the Cretaceous, as all that thermal mass would have kept their body temperature relatively stable overnight.Although the work suggests birds’ warm-bloodedness is very ancient, mammals still probably had them beat by 50 million years. The study is published in Current Biology.

People with HIV living in the UK who have an undetectable viral load will be able to donate eggs and sperm to known recipients under a new change to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act. This important change, that follows the scientific consensus, comes as part of broader changes to improve in-vitro fertilization (IVF) services in the United Kingdom and make sure that equal rights are ensured for people who seek this avenue to become parents.Thanks to antiretroviral treatments, the viral load of people with HIV can be brought down to the level where it becomes undetectable. Viral reservoirs are still present in the body, so this approach is not a cure – but once the viral load is undetectable, those people cannot pass the virus along. This fact has become known as U=U, undetectable is equal to untransmittable, and it has been recognized in policy across the world.But this is not the only update to the law – there are to be changes to another aspect that added extra costs, requirements, and time for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Female same-sex couples undergoing shared motherhood IVF treatment (one partner provides the egg and the other carries the embryo) were required to be screened for syphilis and get genetic testing done for a total cost of over £1,000 ($1,270). Couples in a heterosexual relationship did not have this requirement.“This update to the law opens up the possibility of parenthood to people living with HIV previously excluded from sperm or egg donation, not because of scientific fact but because of lingering misinformation and prejudice.The transformative impact of today’s HIV treatment means that the virus is undetectable in the blood, which means that eggs and sperm can be safely donated tofamily, friends and known recipients.We are delighted that this unnecessary barrier to starting a family has finally been overcome." Professor Yvonne Gilleece, Chair of the British HIV Association, said in a statement.Once the changes are approved, it will be just a matter of months before clinics will align themselves to the new requirements. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the independent regulator for fertility clinics, has promised to provide new guidance to help with the new directives."The HFEA welcomes the news that legislation regarding partner donation in relation to reciprocal IVF, and gamete donation from those who have HIV with an undetectable viral load, has now been proposed in Parliament," Julia Chain, chair of the HFEA, said in a statement. "Fertility treatment is helping more people than ever to create their family, and everyone undergoing fertility treatment should be treated fairly."“For known donation from individuals with undetectable HIV, we anticipate that the first clinics will be able to start offering this treatment around three months following a change in the law,” Chain said in another statement.“If the proposals are accepted, the definition of ‘partner donation’ will change to allow couples undergoing reciprocal IVF to undergo the same screening as heterosexual couples."The work of activists has been once again pivotal in raising awareness of the issue and how living with HIV has changed over the years as better treatments have come on the market.“As an HIV rights organisation, we have worked hard, over many years, to bring about this change, and are delighted that this discriminatory law will be coming to an end. Changing this needless and unfair obstacle is a huge win for both HIV and LGBT+ rights. We share this victory with our colleagues at the British HIV Association (BHIVA), parliamentarians who have spoken out on this injustice, our supporters and, importantly, every person living with HIV who shared their own stories to raise awareness of this issue,” said Deborah Gold, Chief Executive Officer of National AIDS Trust.“We are absolutely thrilled at the prospect of the many families that can now be formed, and lives that will be brought into being, as a result of this historic change. We are now looking ahead to Parliament approving this secondary legislation, and celebrating the huge difference it will bring to lives and choices of LGBT+ people living with HIV.”

In the midst of the bustling horse market, a diminutive figure captured everyone’s attention. Nano, a very small miniature horse, was more an attraction than a valued animal, languishing in poor health amidst the chaos of commerce. Living up to his name, Nano earns attention by not fitting the large, grand, and impressive qualities we’ve... The post Lonely mini horse melts hearts meeting new best friend who’s just his size appeared first on Animal Channel.

A globalist art initiative attempting to bridge peoples and cultures with 24/7 real-time public video installations has come up against the obstacle that usually trips up utopians: human nature. Lithuanian artist Benediktas Gylys' latest Portals installation connected passersby in Manhattan's Flatiron District with Dublin's O'Connell Street some 3,000 miles away. It went live last week and was supposed to run until fall 2024. 'Portals are an invitation to meet fellow humans above borders and prejudices and to experience our home – planet Earth – as it really is: united and one.' The Portals project was, however, paused just over a week into its intended multi-month run because of nasty behavior on both sides of the screen. Who thought this portal from NYC to Dublin was a good idea — (@) The dream Gylys, the founder of Portals, claims on his website that the inspiration for this project was a "mystical experience" in 2016. "Finally surrendering and sincerely admitting that I do not know anything about reality led me to a mystical experience where I felt oneness with all life on Earth for two weeks," he wrote. "After this experience I started seeing our world with different eyes and the default worldview which kept forcing me to see our planet through a lens full of narratives and filters became unbearable. I felt a deep need to counter polarising ideas and to communicate that the only way for us to continue our journey on this beautiful spaceship called Earth is together." See on Instagram Gylys worked with a team from Vilnius Gediminas Technical University to realize his apparent dream of real-time teleconferencing, which has been around in New York City since at least 1927. Together, they built the first two glorified Skype screens in Lithuania, which went live in May 2021, connecting Vilnius with the Polish city of Lublin. According to the website, "Portals are an invitation to meet fellow humans above borders and prejudices and to experience our home – planet Earth – as it really is: united and one." The promise Gylys managed to convince New York City and Dublin to take part in his globalist art project. 'Embrace the beauty of global interconnectedness.' The NYC Portal, presented by the Flatiron NoMad Partnership in collaboration with the Simons Foundation and the NYC Department of Transportation Art Program, was installed at Broadway, Fifth Avenue, and 23rd Street beside the Flatiron Building. Dublin City Council unveiled its circular teleconference screen near the city's Spire structure as part of Dublin's designation as the European Capital of Smart Tourism 2024. When they went live on May 8, James Mettham, president of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership, said in a press release, "This real-time connection between two iconic public spaces in global cities on either side of the Atlantic will bring people together, both physically and digitally, becoming a captivating attraction for New Yorkers and visitors alike." "It is a delight to celebrate the opening of this captivating installation and see two vibrant global cities connected in real time," said NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. Gylys suggested, "The livestream provides a window between distant locations, allowing people to meet outside of their social circles and cultures, transcend geographical boundaries, and embrace the beauty of global interconnectedness." Dublin Mayor Daithi de Roiste stated, "The Portals project embodies this, bringing together technology, engineering, and art to bring communities from across the world closer together and to allow people to meet and connect outside of their social circles and cultures." The result While most people gawked at fellow pedestrians staring back thousands of miles away, less savory characters seized upon the opportunity to hold up phones playing pornography, share offensive memes, and make rude gestures. The New York Post reported that some troublemakers in Dublin recently flashed swastikas as well as a photo of the Twin Towers engulfed in flame on Sept. 11, 2001. Hateful images were not the only things being flashed. An OnlyFans pornographer exposed her breasts to Dubliners Sunday, prompting Portal organizers on both sides of the Atlantic to take action and temporarily shut down the exhibit. Whereas the pornographer claimed on Instagram that she was responsible for the sudden end to "global interconnectedness," the Portals Organization reportedly blamed the interruption on a "technical glitch." See on Instagram The Portals Organization said in a statement obtained by the Irish Independent, "Our technical team is looking into the cause to improve the stability of the livestream moving forward." "The nature of the project, providing a 24/7 livestream, is such that sometimes interruptions will occur due to technical glitches, maintenance or simple software updates," continued the statement. "Our teams (portals.org and AVSPL) are doing their best to ensure smooth and consistent operations in order to come as close as possible to a 24/7 active livestream." The Dublin City Council indicated Monday that the exhibit will undergo a number of changes on account of multiple incidents of "inappropriate behavior" from the Irish side. "Unfortunately, we have also been witnessing a very small minority of people engaged in inappropriate behaviour, which has been amplified through social media," stated the council. "While we cannot control all of these actions, we are implementing some technical solutions to address this and these will go live in the next 24 hours." The screens were reportedly streaming again Tuesday during the day, but shut off at night, reported the Associated Press. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted last week to provide legal assistance for those who were arrested when law enforcement moved in to get rid of the anti-Israel encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles.Over 200 people were arrested earlier this month when California Highway Patrolmen in riot gear breached the fortified encampment, which was located outside of Royce Hall. Those who were arrested was due to them not dispersing and often fighting with CHP, despite being given multiple warnings to leave. The west end of the camp was left open for people who were willing to leave. The ones who stayed and fought with the police did so willingly.Fox News national correspondent Bill Melugin reported all board members except for one voted in favor of the motion. The legal assistance will be provided through the Public Defender's Office.'But I believe they don’t have the legal authority to micromanage like this.' — (@) While public defense was already an option to protesters who were arrested if they wanted a public defender, "In this case, the County is directing the PD office to provide taxpayer resources [and] services for a defense for this specific population they’ve chosen over others, track the cases, then report back on the resolutions in 60 days," Melugin noted."But a defendant can only make the choice to opt for representation from the public defender if they show they can’t afford to hire an attorney. The Board of Supervisors appoints the Public Defender, but I believe they don’t have the legal authority to micromanage like this," California-based attorney Laura Powell said in response.Out of the 200 who were arrested, some were released from jail soon after without being charged with anything, according to the Daily Bruin.Christopher Bou Saeed, an L.A.-based criminal defense and civil rights attorney, told the Daily Bruin he saw charges that he felt were unjust as a result of previous demonstrations. "In prior protests, there have been filings that I didn’t think were warranted, and I’ve represented people in the George Floyd protests with charges that I didn’t think were supported by the evidence,” he said.Beyond trespassing and resisting arrest, 43 had been charged with conspiracy to commit burglary. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A Minnesota mother is outraged after her daughter had allegedly been attacked by a group of Muslim girls "because of her race and her religion."The alleged assault occurred on April 29 at Hidden Valley Elementary in Savage, Minnesota, about 20 miles south of Minneapolis. The victim's mother, Shawna Larson, told Alpha News that on that day, a group of Muslim girls, who "had been friends" with her daughter "all year long," suddenly walked up to her daughter on the playground and slugged her in the face.'This isn’t just happening to my daughter. This is happening to hundreds, thousands of kids all over the country, and it’s the lack of consequences kids have nowadays to their actions that is creating bigger issues in schools.'"They pulled her hair, pulled her down by her hair, and started punching her and kicking her," Larson alleged. When Larson's daughter attempted to defend herself, the girls allegedly told her that if she tried to hurt them that they would hurt themselves and blame their injuries on her. The girls also allegedly told Larson's daughter that they could no longer be friends with her.Larson claimed she first heard about the alleged attack after school that day when the school principal and her daughter's teacher approached her vehicle. The principal and teacher reportedly told Larson that her daughter, who was standing next to them with a black eye, had been the innocent victim of an attack."They wanted to make it very apparent that my daughter didn’t do anything to cause this, and they told me this was a calculated incident and that she had been attacked on the playground by four other students in her grade," Larson explained. She claimed she learned later that her daughter had been targeted because "of her race and her religion," presumed to be Christianity.Larson added that she and her family did not know the extent of the girl's injuries until the following day when the girl's stepfather noticed that in addition to the black eye, the girl had bruises all over her arms, legs, and back. He took photos to document them. School surveillance cameras also reportedly captured the moment the Muslim girls punched Larson's daughter in the face to initiate the attack, but then the girls and the victim ran outside the camera's range.Despite the overwhelming evidence of an assault and the school's reported admission that the girl had been the victim of "calculated" violence, the school had yet to report the incident to police. So, Larson took matters into her own hands and reported it. Larson said she understood "the lack of action" on the school's part to an extent because schools have "their own rules and their own laws that they have to follow," but she wants justice for her daughter and others like her."This isn’t just happening to my daughter. This is happening to hundreds, thousands of kids all over the country, and it’s the lack of consequences kids have nowadays to their actions that is creating bigger issues in schools," Larson claimed.The Savage Police Department told Alpha News that the incident is under investigation.The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District gave Alpha News the following statement: "We can’t share any private data about students, including specifics about student behavior or discipline. Student and staff safety is our top priority, and we take any incident that could endanger others very seriously. We’re committed to working with families as we do that, and as always, we follow our established policies and procedures when it comes to student behavior, which are outlined in the board-approved student handbook."Larson's daughter has opted to switch classes for the remainder of the year. According to Larson, the assailants continued to attend school as usual and were "never suspended or expelled or ... redirected to distance learning."H/T: The Post MillennialLike Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Michael Cohen doesn’t have a reputation for telling the truth. And as he took the stand earlier this week, Glenn Beck doesn’t believe much has changed — which is just one of many reasons he believes the Stormy Daniels case against Trump is “a bust.” “They’re all at least getting delayed until after the election, which is really the only important thing at this point,” Stu Burguiere agrees. “Most of these charges against him were charges that they had previously themselves in this case decided not to pursue.” “There is no reason to ever believe anything that comes out of Michael Cohen’s mouth,” he adds. “He says whatever he has to at any given moment to benefit himself.” Glenn and Stu don’t just dislike Cohen for testifying against Trump. “We didn’t believe him when he was saying good things about Donald Trump; we don’t believe him when he’s saying bad things about Donald Trump. He has no credibility,” Glenn says. Meanwhile, mainstream media like CNN is accepting every word that leaves Cohen’s mouth as if it’s the Bible. “They’re talking about this bomb he dropped in court that Donald Trump didn’t care if Melania was upset about his affair with Stormy Daniels because he wouldn’t be on the market for very long,” Pat Gray says. “You buy that? They certainly do.” Not only do Glenn, Stu, and Pat not believe what Cohen said, but what he said has nothing to do with the actual case. “It’s got absolutely nothing to do with what we’re supposed to be talking about,” Stu says. “This is a case about business records.” “Because he has such problems with, you know, suburban women, that’s why they’re doing this. It has nothing to do with the actual case of money. I’m guessing the New York jury is going to find him guilty no matter what it was, but they’re making this so salacious because they’re hurting him with women,” Glenn explains. “This is all political. We are living in the former Soviet Union in many ways,” he adds. Want more from Glenn Beck?To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre raised eyebrows on Tuesday with a perplexing answer about Donald Trump's hush money trial.On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson spoke outside the Manhattan courthouse where Trump's trial is taking place to show his support for the former president. Johnson called the trial a "sham" and a "travesty of justice," declared Trump "innocent," and said Trump's opposition is "doing this intentionally to keep him here and keep him off of the campaign trail."'At least they’re being honest for once!'Later in the day, a reporter asked Jean-Pierre if the Biden administration believes it was "appropriate" for Speaker Johnson to defend Trump outside the courthouse.Unsurprisingly, the press secretary refused to offer comment — but her reasoning did surprise."I don't want to comment, obviously, as this is related to 2024 elections," Jean-Pierre said. — (@) The assertion that Trump's trial — regarding allegations of falsifying business records nearly a decade ago, which Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) has attempted to spin as a case of election interference — is related to this year's election led to accusations that Jean-Pierre accidentally revealed the motive behind the Trump criminal cases."Even @JoeBiden’s top spokesperson knows what this trial is all about," Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said. "It’s not about upholding the law. It’s about throwing Biden’s top political opponent in jail because Biden can’t beat him in November. At least they’re being honest for once!""The motive: need I say more?" Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.) reacted.Stephen Miller, a former top Trump administration adviser, argued, "This is what they call a confession."The Republican Party, meanwhile, accused Jean-Pierre of accidentally saying the "quiet part out loud" and asserted that she admitted to "election interference."What made Jean-Pierre's response unusual is that she did not refuse to comment on the basis of an ongoing legal proceeding — which is the typical response for an ongoing criminal trial — but on the basis of politics.As a matter of law, Trump's trial should not be "related" to the 2024 election, aside from the fact that Trump is the leading Republican candidate for the president. Few Americans, meanwhile, believe that Trump is being treated like other criminal defendants, according to a CNN poll, while a majority are skeptical that Trump is receiving a fair trial.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Asus just dropped a novel new RGB PC case fan design that the company says will look good from any angle, thanks to the way its RGB lighting shines through the casing. Rather than having solid black or white casing on the sides, the new generation of Asus TUF Gaming T120 ARGB fans feature translucent panels and breaks in the casing, allowing the RGB lighting from the fans to spill out into your PC’s interior. Continue reading Asus’ new RGB PC case fan looks good from every angle MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Asus ROG Swift PG27UQ review, Asus ROG Raikiri review, Best gaming motherboard

There's nothing quite like the flickering neon lights of Cyberpunk 2077's Night City. The seedy undertones, the rain-soaked alleys, hues of pink, purple, and black - CD Projekt Red created the ultimate neo-futuristic dystopia, and let you walk its bloodstained streets. But what if you could create your own version of Night City, a cyberpunk world inspired by your imagination? That's what new indie city builder Dystopika allows you to do. Continue reading New cyberpunk city builder welcomes you to “the dark side of cozy” MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best city building games, Best cyberpunk games, Best strategy games