NASA’s Curiosity rover found possible hints of ancient biological activity on Mars the week of January 12–19, as researchers uncovered ancient animal hybrids and worrying climate trends on Earth.
Researchers completed a yearly global climate analysis, finding 2021 was the sixth warmest year since 1850. Around eight percent of the world — 1.5 billion people — experienced record high temperatures.
Scientists discovered a new gene in E. coli that makes it resistant to common antibiotics and can be quickly transferred between bacteria. Understanding this gene could help in the development of alternative treatments.
Palaeogeneticists found the earliest example of crossbreeding in a 4,500-year-old tomb in modern-day Syria. Horse-like animals called kungas found there were hybrids between donkeys and the Syrian wild ass. Kungas predate the arrival of horses and are depicted in Sumerian art.
Researchers found Starlink satellites now appear in 20 percent of Zwicky Transient Facility’s twilight images used to detect near-Earth asteroids, up from 0.5 percent in 2019. The streaks these 1,800 satellites leave on images can obscure scientific observations.
NASA’s Curiosity rover found a carbon signature in rock samples that’s associated with biological activity on Earth. Scientists need to rule out other possibilities for its origin before declaring it a sign of ancient life on Mars.
Scientists found evidence of a liquid ocean inside Saturn’s moon Mimas. The finding could expand the criteria for potentially habitable ocean worlds.
Researchers produced an in-depth study of the highly efficient flight of Ptiliidae beetles, which includes the smallest non-parasitic insects ever discovered. Understanding how these beetles fly helps scientists understand their behaviors and could aid development of miniaturized flying robots.