Science News Roundup: Chinese astronauts board space station module in historic mission; China fossils show new species of extinct giant rhino that roamed Asia and more

The crew boarded the module, where they will live for three months, the longest stay in low-Earth orbit by any Chinese national. China fossils show new species of extinct giant rhino that roamed Asia Fossils found in northwest China's Gansu province indicate a new species of giant rhino that lived more than 26 million years ago, according to a paper published in the journal Communications Biology on Thursday.


Reuters | Updated: 19-06-2021 18:29 IST | Created: 19-06-2021 18:27 IST
Science News Roundup: Chinese astronauts board space station module in historic mission; China fossils show new species of extinct giant rhino that roamed Asia and more
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Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Chinese astronauts board space station module in historic mission

Three Chinese astronauts on Thursday flew to an unfinished space station in China's first crewed mission since 2016, expanding the country's already growing near-Earth presence and challenging U.S. leadership in orbital space. The astronauts rode to Tianhe - the module that will be the living quarters of China's completed space station - on Shenzhou-12, or "Divine Vessel". The crew boarded the module, where they will live for three months, the longest stay in low-Earth orbit by any Chinese national.

China fossils show new species of extinct giant rhino that roamed Asia

Fossils found in northwest China's Gansu province indicate a new species of giant rhino that lived more than 26 million years ago, according to a paper published in the journal Communications Biology on Thursday. The fossils including a skull and two vertebrae found in the reddish-brown sandstone of the Linxia basin shed light on how the ancient rhinos, some of the largest land mammals ever, evolved and moved across what is now Asia.

Fish once labeled a 'living fossil' surprises scientists again

The coelacanth - a wondrous fish that was thought to have gone extinct along with the dinosaurs 66 million years ago before unexpectedly being found alive and well in 1938 off South Africa's east coast - is offering up even more surprises. Scientists said a new study of these large and nocturnal deep-sea denizens shows that they boast a lifespan about five times longer than previously believed - roughly a century - and that females carry their young for five years, the longest-known gestation period of any animal.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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