News in Brief

  1. Paleontology

    Fearsome croc called the Carolina Butcher once ruled the north

    Early ancestors of crocodiles, not dinosaurs, may have been northern Pangaea’s top predator 230 million years ago, according to a new fossil find.

    By Ashley Yeager
  2. Humans

    History of the United Kingdom revealed in its genes

    A genetics study finds subtle differences that reveal secrets about the history and ancestry of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

    By Tina Hesman Saey
  3. Health & Medicine

    For heart repair, call RNA

    Mice regrow muscle cells after heart attacks if injected with molecules mimicking RNA involved in cell growth.

    By Kate Baggaley
  4. Astronomy

    Fast-spinning young Earth pulled the moon into a yo-yo orbit

    The early moon’s orbit created a cycle between lunar phases unlike the one seen nowadays.