Science News Roundup: Fossil reveals doubly fatal Traissic encounter; Scientists peer inside ancient Egyptian cat and more

Scientists on Thursday described a fossil unearthed in China's Guizhou Province that reveals this Triassic Period drama in exceptional detail and changes the understanding of "megapredation" in prehistoric seas. Researchers on Monday said they digitally "unwrapped" and "dissected" the three mummies using X-ray micro CT scanning, which generates three-dimensional images with a resolution 100 times greater than a medical CT scan.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

Monster swallows monster: Fossil reveals doubly fatal Triassic encounter

In a warm shallow sea about 240 million years ago in what is now southwestern China, a large dolphin-like marine reptile attacked and swallowed an almost equally big lizard-like marine reptile in a savage encounter that left both beasts dead. Scientists on Thursday described a fossil unearthed in China's Guizhou Province that reveals this Triassic Period drama in exceptional detail and changes the understanding of "megapredation" in prehistoric seas.

Scientists peer inside ancient Egyptian cat, snake and bird mummies

Scientists are gaining new insight into the ancient Egyptian practice of mummifying animals, using high-resolution 3D scans to peer inside mummies of a cat, a bird, and a snake to learn about their treatment before being killed and embalmed. Researchers on Monday said they digitally "unwrapped" and "dissected" the three mummies using X-ray micro CT scanning, which generates three-dimensional images with a resolution 100 times greater than a medical CT scan. Actual unwrapping can damage and dislodge structures within a mummy.

ISS crew looks for source of small cabin air leak: NASA

Three crew members on board the International Space Station will spend the weekend in the vessel's Russian segment while they search for the source of a cabin air leak, NASA and Russian space agency Roscosmos said on Thursday. "In September 2019, NASA and its international partners first saw indications of a slight increase above the standard cabin air leak rate," NASA said in a statement.