Science News Roundup: SpaceX handed loss in challenge over Air Force contract; Remains of Jurassic sea predator found in Chile's Atacama desert

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Remains of Jurassic sea predator found in Chile's Atacama desert

Scientists have unearthed the remains of Jurassic sea predators resembling killer whales in the world's driest desert in Chile. Pliosaurs were reptiles from about 160 million years ago with a more powerful bite than Tyrannosaurus rex, according to University of Chile researchers. The fossils are the second oldest record of this species in the Southern Hemisphere.

SpaceX handed loss in challenge over Air Force contract

A federal judge plans to deny SpaceX's challenge to U.S. Air Force contracts awarded to its rivals, writing in a Thursday court filing that the Pentagon properly assessed the development of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's Starship rocket system as "too risky and expensive." Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corp in its year-long lawsuit had accused the Air Force of unfairly awarding development contracts to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and other competitors for new rocket systems in 2018.

(With inputs from agencies.)