Science News Roundup: A piece of the moon for sale: just $2.5 million; Scientists urge Germans to keep social distancing discipline and more

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

A piece of the moon for sale: just $2.5 million

One of the world's largest lunar meteorites goes on private sale at Christie's on Thursday, valued at 2 million pounds ($2.49 million). The moon rock, weighing over 13.5 kg, was probably struck off the surface of the moon by a collision with an asteroid or comet and then showered down on the Sahara desert.

Scientists urge Germans to keep social distancing discipline

Germans must persevere with social distancing or risk exponential growth in the number of coronavirus cases, four leading science institutes said on Wednesday. Germany began easing its lockdown last week when some shops were allowed to open provided they practiced strict social distancing, but Chancellor Angela Merkel and government advisers are worried about the coronavirus infection rate rising.

'River monster': Huge African dinosaur Spinosaurus thrived in the water

The huge African predator ​Spinosaurus spent much of its life in the water, propelled by a paddle-like tail while hunting large fish - a "river monster," according to scientists, that showed that some dinosaurs invaded the aquatic realm. Scientists on Wednesday announced the discovery of fossil bones from the tail of ​Spinosaurus in southeastern Morocco that provided a deeper understanding of the appearance, lifestyle, and capabilities of the longest meat-eating dinosaur on record.

Swiss researchers see sewage as early warning sign for COVID flares

Researchers in Switzerland have been able to detect the new coronavirus at even low concentrations in wastewater, offering a potential early warning system for flareups in infections as countries emerge from emergency lockdowns. Should the system work, sewage samples could let public health officials see a resurgence of COVID-19 infections earlier than with diagnostic tests, perhaps by around a week, the scientists said on Thursday.

Madagascar's prehistoric 'crazy beast' sheds light on mammalian evolution

A prehistoric opossum-sized critter dubbed the "crazy beast" that inhabited Madagascar at the end of the age of dinosaurs is providing scientists insight into early mammalian evolution even as they scratch their heads over its bewildering anatomy. Researchers on Wednesday described an exquisitely preserved fossil of the plant-eating mammal named Adalatherium hui, which lived 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period and superficially resembled a badger with its long torso and stubby tail.

Twitter opens up data for researchers to study COVID-19 tweets

Twitter Inc will grant researchers and software developers access to a real-time data stream of tens of millions of daily public tweets about COVID-19, which they can use to study the spread of the disease or track misinformation, the company said in a blog post on Wednesday. Twitter said that this access could also be used by approved applicants working on crisis management, emergency response, or communication within communities, as well as those developing machine learning and data tools to help the scientific community understand COVID-19.