Science News Roundup: In watershed discovery, skull of ancient human ancestor unearthed

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

In watershed discovery, skull of ancient human ancestor unearthed

Scientists on Wednesday announced the landmark discovery in Ethiopia of a nearly complete skull of an early human ancestor that lived 3.8 million years ago, a species boasting an intriguing mixture of apelike and humanlike characteristics. The fossil dubbed MRD, which provides insight into a pivotal period for the evolutionary lineage that eventually led to modern humans belongs to the species Australopithecus anamensis, which first appeared roughly 4.2 million years ago.

SpaceX's Mars rocket prototype rattles nearby residents in Texas flight test

SpaceX test-launched an early prototype of the company's Mars rocket on Tuesday, unnerving residents near the Texas site and clearing another key hurdle in billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's interplanetary ambitions. After the launch, Musk congratulated engineers from SpaceX, short for Space Exploration Technologies Corp, and posted a photo of Starhopper touching down on its landing pad with billowing clouds of dust and sand rising from the ground.

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