‘Oldest monkey fossils outside of Africa found’
Beijing: Scientists have found that the fossil samples unearthed in a lignite mine in China belong to a monkey species that lived about 6.4 million years ago, a discovery which indicates that they existed in Asia at the same time as apes, and are probably the ancestors of some of the modern primates in the area.
According to the researchers, including Nina G. Jablonski from the Pennsylvania State University in the US, the samples collected from a mine in southeastern Yunan Province in China are “some of the very oldest fossils of monkeys outside of Africa.”
“It is close to or actually the ancestor of many of the living monkeys of East Asia. One of the interesting things from the perspective of paleontology is that this monkey occurs at the same place and same time as ancient apes in Asia,” Jablonski noted.
The study, published in the Journal of Human Evolution, noted that the unearthed jaw and thigh bones were found in close proximity, “and are probably of the same individual.”
The scientists also uncovered a left calcaneus — heel bone — that belongs to the same species of monkey, Mesopithecus pentelicus. “The significance of the calcaneus is that it reveals the monkey was well adapted for moving nimbly and powerfully both on the ground and in the trees,” Jablonski said. (PTI)
Australian navy ship tows unexploded bomb out to sea
Sydney: Australian navy divers have removed an unexploded 45-kilogram (100-pound) bomb on a reef off the southeastern coast and a ship towed it to deeper waters because it posed a significant risk to the public.
The bomb was found by a fisherman on Elizabeth Reef near Lord Howe Island, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) off New South Wales state. He photographed his discovery and reported it to authorities.
Divers aboard the HMAS Adelaide carefully removed the abandoned explosive by floating it to the surface and towing it farther out to sea where it was dropped into 550-meter (1,800-foot) deep waters.
That depth is really safe. It’s not going to ever get washed back up onto the reef, Senior Marine Parks Officer John Pritchard said.
There’s no deep-sea fishing or trawling allowed out there. It’s a recreational fishing zone only. The chances of that UXO (unexploded ordinance) ever coming back to the surface is negligible.
The origin of the bomb is not known and divers couldn’t estimate its age because of its deterioration, a spokesman for Environment Minister Sussan Ley said.
Bombs of that size were used as long ago as World War I, sometimes dropped from aircraft to target submarines. There were also bombings off the Australian east coast during World War II. (AP)