Reuters Science News Summary

Scientists said on Thursday they discovered in northern Patagonia extensive skeletal remains of a previously unknown species called Meraxes gigas, including one of the most complete skulls of a large meat-eating dinosaur ever unearthed.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Ancient jawbone could give glimpse of Europe's earliest humans

Archaeologists in Spain said on Friday they had dug up an ancient jawbone that could help them look into the face of some of the earliest human ancestors in Europe. The surprise find, which could be about 1.4 million years old, could also give vital clues to the evolution of the human face over the millennia, the team from the Atapuerca Foundation said.

Argentine 'gargoyle' shows how huge predatory dinosaurs evolved

Fossils found in Argentina of a ferocious dinosaur with a huge head covered in bumps and crests reminiscent of a gargoyle are providing insight into the evolution of some of Earth's biggest predatory dinosaurs including a curious trend toward puny arms. Scientists said on Thursday they discovered in northern Patagonia extensive skeletal remains of a previously unknown species called Meraxes gigas, including one of the most complete skulls of a large meat-eating dinosaur ever unearthed. Meraxes, which lived about 90 million years ago during the Cretaceous Period, was roughly 36-39 feet (11-12 meters) long and weighed about 9,000 pounds (4 metric tons).