Ten of the most surprising scientific discoveries of 2023

The year 2023 was particularly marked by regional conflicts and political disputes. However, Science has not stopped He showed that no matter the difficulties, there will always be room for the most curious and surprising discoveries.

Between submerged churches and giant whales, look Throughout the year, it has ensured that the most important findings have a space in the news, and now, here we bring ten of the most fascinating discoveries made at national and international level.

Brazilian flying reptiles have acquired new details

known as Kaiwagara DobrowskiThe Brazilian pterosaur was first described in 2014, 85 million years after it passed through the country. Paleontologists from the National Museum They have focused on better understanding this species, and now they have revealed that the animals have evolved throughout their existence and have found clues such as how animals of different sexes are recognized.

Bonus: A fossil discovered by researchers from the Federal University of Santa Maria in Rio Grande do Sul revealed a New species of lagerpetid Which helps clarify the evolutionary history of dinosaurs and pterosaurs.

The oldest cemetery in the world not made by man

Paleontologists in South Africa have discovered the oldest cemetery in the world. The discovery reveals a place that may have been opened At least 200 thousand years agoby objects of type Homo nalediA distant relative of humans. The results indicate that, contrary to what has been thought until now, complex emotional behaviors and symbolic rituals, such as funerary practices, precede the emergence of Homo sapienss.

The largest mammal to have ever lived was the ancestor of whales

In August, an international group of researchers announced the discovery of a fossil of what may be the largest mammal to ever live on Earth. At 30 million years old Giant Perucetus Belongs to a family Basilosaurida, the first cetaceans (a group of mammals that also includes dolphins) and lived in what is now the desert on the coast of Peru. It is estimated to be about 20 meters long, and may have weighed up to 340 tons.

The Bible chapter was hidden for over a thousand years

A medieval scholar from the Austrian Academy of Sciences managed to make up the missing words in The ancient book of Matthew With the help of UV lights. Chapter 12 of the Bible was surveyed about 1,300 years ago, when slavery was a scarce resource. The process revealed one of the first Syriac translations of this book, which will be preserved and studied in the Vatican Library.

Humans helped shape the Amazon

A study conducted by researchers at the National Institute for Space Research discovered evidence of this 24 archaeological sites Untouched under the canopy of Amazon trees. The study also revealed that there may be as many as 23,000 land modifications spread across the region, suggesting that people who lived in the Amazon for at least 1,500 years may have been more influential in shaping the rainforest than previously thought.

Discovery of the oldest wooden building

Research published in nature It was part of the project “The deep roots of humanity” It revealed the presence of wooden structures dating back to about 476 thousand years, that is, before the dominance of Homo sapiens. This discovery suggests that early humans shaped and joined tree trunks to create a platform or part of a residential building, suggesting that Stone Age creatures were less migratory than previously assumed.

Giant panda was found in the emperor's tomb

The complete skeleton of Huge pandaIt was found near the tomb of Chinese Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. This rare, 2,000-year-old brown panda is evidence of an ancient, recurring practice that was intended, in the case of aristocrats, to replicate the lavish imperial gardens in the afterlife.

A replica of the Titanic has been released

Throughout 2022, a deepwater mapping company has surveyed the area Titanic wreck. It was used this year to rebuild the ship that sank in 1912 and is now at a depth of four kilometers. The reconstruction will help with a more in-depth study of the material, which is already in an advanced stage of decomposition, and may help clarify the sinking process.

A church submerged for more than 650 years was found off the German coast

In January 1362, a medieval outpost sank beneath the waves of the Wadden Sea, now in Germany, when a storm struck the coast. Now, by combining geological and archaeological scientific methods, German researchers have been able to determine the location of the site Main village church. The investigations provide unique information about settler life in the North Frisian Islands region and highlight new discoveries on the plains.

Otzi, the snowman, was black and probably bald

Since its discovery in 1961, the body found preserved in ice in South Tyrol, Italy, has been extensively studied, but only until now have researchers been able to see the man who was nicknamed Otzi, as a contemporary European. But a genetic study released this year revealed that the man had signs of skin pigmentation, was 92% of Anatolian origin, and was prone to baldness. This work has highlighted the depth to which researchers' preconceptions can influence scientific findings.