Hello Nature<\/i> readers, would you like to get this Briefing in your inbox free every day? Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Boulders form part of a submerged Stone Age megastructure off the German coast.<\/span>Credit: Philipp Hoy<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/figure>\n A string of boulders almost a kilometre long, now covered by the Baltic Sea, could be Europe\u2019s oldest human-made megastructure<\/a>. Researchers say the \u201cpristine\u201d discovery was probably used for hunting the Eurasian reindeer more than 10,000 years ago. Before it was submerged by rising sea levels about 8,500 years ago, hunters might have used the wall to force prey into a bottleneck or a nearby lake.<\/p>\n The Guardian | 6 min read<\/a><\/p>\n Reference: PNAS paper<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n An 1862 illustration of Megalosaurus<\/i>, the first dinosaur to be named.<\/span>Credit: Paul D. Stewart\/SPL<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/source><\/picture>\n <\/figure>\n On 20 February 1824, William Buckland reported<\/a> his findings on the \u2018Megalosaurus or great Fossil Lizard of Stonesfield\u2019 to the Geological Society of London. Hypothesized to have \u201ca length exceeding 40 feet and a bulk equal to that of an elephant seven feet high\u201d, Megalosaurus<\/i> was the first dinosaur whose description was formally published. It was not long before \u2018dinosaur mania\u2019 took hold, notes a <\/a>Nature Ecology & Evolution<\/i><\/a> editorial<\/a> \u2014 and the fascination continues.<\/p>\n Soon afterwards, a dinosaur star was born: Tyrannosaurus rex<\/i>. As part of the bicentennial celebration, palaeontologist Stephen Brusatte admits \u2014 slightly sheepishly \u2014 that T. rex<\/i> is his favourite too, and examines the enduring appeal of the lizard king<\/a>.<\/p>\n Controversies dog the dinos, too. The Brazilian Society of Palaeontology has recently taken steps to become more involved in the repatriation of fossil specimens \u2014 a central issue in the global palaeontological community as interest in combating scientific colonialism grows. Members of the society discuss their experiences<\/a>, including the challenges they have faced and how they have overcome them, in the hope of inspiring other scientific societies to play their part.<\/p>\n Enjoy the full 200th-anniversary collection of news, opinion and research here<\/a><\/p>\n Two centuries on from Buckland announcing Megalosaurus<\/i>, some palaeontologists are calling for more robust guidelines around naming dino species <\/a>to help avoid names that have racist, sexist or other problematic connotations. Unlike scientific disciplines such as chemistry, in which strict rules govern a molecule\u2019s name, in zoology researchers have a relatively free rein over the naming of new species. \u201cWe need to critically revise what we have done, see what we have done well and what we have not done well, and try to correct it in the future,\u201d says palaeontologist Evangelos Vlachos.<\/p>\n Nature | 4 min read<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Fed up with a lack of political progress in solving the climate problem, some researchers are turning to activism and civil disobedience<\/a>. Despite facing legal and professional consequences, there is a growing consensus among researchers that an urgent response is warranted. A survey conducted last year of 9,220 researchers around the world, from a range of scientific and academic disciplines, found that more than 90% agree that \u201cfundamental changes to social, political, and economic systems\u201d are needed. \u201cI think it\u2019s worth it,\u201d says atmospheric scientist Noah Liguori-Bills. \u201cThe whole world\u2019s at stake.\u201d<\/p>\n Nature | 11 min read<\/a><\/p>\n Within years, artificial intelligence (AI) systems could need as much energy as entire countries. A first-of-its-kind US bill would create a framework for reporting the technology\u2019s environmental costs on a voluntary basis<\/a> \u2014 but given the urgency of the situation that\u2019s not enough, says AI scholar Kate Crawford. Incentives for creating energy-efficient systems and using renewable energy are needed, she says, supported by regular environmental audits.<\/p>\n Nature | 5 min read<\/a><\/p>\n Researchers are working towards bionic prostheses that emulate the function of natural limbs. Bionics researcher Hugh Herr (himself a double amputee) and his colleagues discuss how to create a \u2018digital nervous system\u2019 that allows people who wear prostheses to feel with their synthetic limbs and control them by thought alone<\/a>. Restoring subconscious body representation, and a sense of well-being and identity, is as important as returning a lost limb\u2019s physical functionality, the group argues.<\/p>\n Nature Reviews Bioengineering | 60 min read<\/a><\/p>\n In 2022, nearly 200 countries agreed to halt the decline in global biodiversity. But pledges haven\u2019t been translated into cash<\/a> \u2014 the US$219 million promised to a major new funding pot, the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), is just a drop in the ocean, argues a Nature <\/i>editorial. One of the reasons might be that biodiversity projects (unlike some climate projects) often don\u2019t provide cash returns. Besides governments, philanthropic foundations should consider adding to the GBFF even if it means giving up some of their autonomy in deciding which projects will receive money, the editorial suggests.<\/p>\n![\"Section](\"https:\/\/media.nature.com\/lw767\/magazine-assets\/d41586-024-00551-5\/d41586-024-00551-5_26728890.jpg?as=webp)
Introducing: Dinosaurs<\/h3>\n
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Features & opinion<\/b><\/h2>\n