Upper Management's Plan to Make Employees Feel Stupid Backfires Big Time

Everyone knows that the so-called managerial class is the best at failing upwards. In many cases, it is a manager's mediocrity that allows them to climb the latter, not their intelligence. That's why it's extra funny when upper management actually believes they're smarter than everyone else and therefore deserve their inflated salaries. One particular HR department thought it would be a good idea to give IQ tests to all the software engineers, managers, directors, and VPs at the company. Can you guess who performed the worst?

“HR spent a ton of money to give us all IQ tests. We never got the results. Months later we learned they were thrown away because management performed the worst (Managers/Directors/VPs)” Posted by u/Admirable-Pepper-641






“Streaming is the best example of this. Netflix and Hulu murdered piracy. But now that everyone sees how profitable it is and are rebuilding cable packages one streaming service at a time, piracy is becoming more prevalent again.” said u/EasternShade.




“Sounds about right. And senior management somehow took a promotion to a new company after destroying the old one I bet.” said u/yingyangyoung.



“Because they have low IQ” said u/cleverbiscuit1738.

“Dunning-Kruger would like a word.” said u/Chrysis_Manspider.




“I've always maintained that senior management seem to excel at failing upwards. I'm not surprised at all either.” said u/housepuma.

“Management attracts the most cutthroat people. If they were smart, they wouldn't feel the need to be cutthroat because they would be confident in their ability to earn an honest living.” said u/Big_Goose.




“I agree.” said OP, “To answer your question, I believe they had serious doubts in management after years of a tanking stock price. A year later there was a complete overhaul, the IQ test was also given out right after we were acquired by a much larger company who frankly must’ve been sold a false bill of goods. Also, there are massive companies solely dedicated to providing IQ tests to Fortune 500 companies at a large scale. I won’t name any, but it’s a whole industry. At least when it comes to software sales, most companies require an IQ test now at the interview phase.”

ICYMI

Climate change at 'point of no return': primatologist Goodall

AFP - Tuesday

Earth's climate is changing so quickly that humanity is running out of chances to fix it, primatologist Jane Goodall has warned in an interview.


Earth's climate is changing so quickly that humanity is running out of chances to fix it, primatologist Jane Goodall -- pictured on January 22, 2020 -- has warned in an interview© Fabrice COFFRINI

Goodall, a grandee of environmentalism whose activism has spanned decades, said time was rapidly shortening to halt the worst effects of human-caused global warming.

"We are literally approaching a point of no return," Goodall told AFP in Los Angeles.

"Look around the world at what's happening with climate change. It's terrifying.

"We are part of the natural world and we depend on healthy ecosystems."

Goodall is best known for her pioneering six-decade study of chimpanzees in Tanzania, which found "human-like" behavior among the animals, including a propensity to wage war, as well as an ability to display emotions.

Now 88 years old, the Briton is a prolific writer and the subject of a number of films. She has also been immortalized as both a Lego figure and a Barbie doll.

Goodall said her own environmental awakening came in the 1980s while working in Mongolia, where she realized that hillsides had been denuded of tree cover.

"The reason the people were cutting down the trees was to make more land, to grow food as their families grew, and also to make money from charcoal or timber," she said.

"So if we don't help these people find ways of making a living without destroying their environment, we can't save chimpanzees, forests, or anything else."

Goodall says she has seen some changes for the better over recent decades, but urged quicker action.

"We know what we should be doing. I mean, we have the tools. But we come up against the short-term thinking of economic gain versus long-term protection of the environment for the future," she said.

"I don't pretend to be able to solve the problems that this creates because there are major problems. And yet, if we look at the alternative, which is continuing to destroy the environment, we're doomed."

Goodall was speaking Sunday on the sidelines of a celebration of her $1.3 million Templeton Prize.

The prize is an annual award for an individual whose work harnesses science to explore the questions facing humanity.

The cash went to the Jane Goodall Institute, a global wildlife and environment conservation organization, which runs youth programs in 66 countries.

"The program's main message is that every single one of us makes an impact on the planet every day, and we get to choose what sort of impact we make," Goodall said.

"It’s actually my greatest reason for hope."

ekl/hg/jh

Canadian black civil servants file discrimination complaint against federal government with United Nations

David Thurton -

Black civil servants are ramping up their pressure on the federal government by filing a complaint with the United Nations alleging Ottawa violated their civil rights.

The complaint by the Black Class Action Secretariat is being sent to the UN Commission for Human Rights Special Rapporteur on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

It follows a class action lawsuit the same group filed against the federal government accusing it of systemic racism, discrimination and employee exclusion.

"This complaint details systemic and anti-Black racism in hiring and promotions within Canada's federal public service," said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, executive director of the Black Class Action Secretariat.

"With this complaint, we are elevating Canada's past failures and failure to act in the present to an international body."

Thompson told a news conference in Ottawa Wednesday that the secretariat hopes the UN special rapporteur investigates its claims and calls on Canada to meet its international obligations to Black employees by establishing a plan to increase opportunities for Black women in the government and develop specific targets for hiring and promoting Black workers.

Amnesty International threw its weight behind the complaint, noting that 70 per cent of the 1,500 employees who have joined the class action are Black women.

"This is contrary to the feminist commitments made by the Canadian government," said Ketty Nivyabandi, secretary general of Amnesty International Canada.

In addition to supporting the complaint, Nivyabandi also called on the government to establish a designated category under the Employment Equity Act for Black employees. Canada has launched a task force to review this legislation.

The stated purpose of the Employment Equity Act is to "correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment experienced by women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities.""

Nivyabandi said grouping all visible minorities together makes the unique forms of discrimination Black employees face "invisible."

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and New Democrat MP Matthew Green were at Wednesday's news conference on Parliament Hill to offer their support.

"On behalf of all New Democrats, as leader of the party, I want to express my full solidarity," Singh said. "Their call for justice, in this case, their call for equity ... is something that we fully support."

Mona Fortier, president of the Treasury Board, is set to meet with Thompson this week. She said that far too many Black Canadians still face discrimination and hate.

"The government is actively working to address harms and to create a diverse and inclusive public service free from harassment and discrimination. We passed legislation, created support and development programs, and published disaggregated data — but know there is still more to do," Fortier said in a media statement.

The lawsuit filed in Federal Court alleges that, going back to the 1970s, roughly 30,000 Black civil servants have lost out on "opportunities and benefits afforded to others based on their race."

The statement of claim says the lawsuit is seeking damages to compensate Black public servants for their mental and economic hardships. Plaintiffs are also asking for a plan to finally diversify the federal labour force and eliminate barriers that even employment equity laws have been unable to remove.



Black parliamentarians say protest convoy is a venue for 'white supremacists'© CBC

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of.

Huge ancient stone murals discovered in central China

Peng Peigen,Shi Linjing,unreguser - 


Photo taken on Sept. 21, 2022 shows part of a stone mural discovered in the Zhouqiao relics site in Kaifeng City, central China's Henan Province. (Xinhua/Li An)


Huge ancient stone murals discovered in central China© Provided by Xinhua-Culture&Travel

ZHENGZHOU, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Two stone murals from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) have been unearthed in central China's Henan Province, which are the largest of their kind ever found in the country, archaeologists said Wednesday.

The murals, discovered in the Zhouqiao relics site in Kaifeng City, are symmetrically distributed along the northern and southern banks at the east side of the Zhouqiao Bridge.

The murals are 3.3 meters in height, and it has been revealed that the excavated length of the south bank mural is 23.2 meters, while that of the northern one is 21.2 meters.

The stone murals are engraved with auspicious patterns of traditional Chinese culture such as seahorses, flying cranes and clouds.

Further excavation and cleanup work is still in progress, said Zhou Runshan, head of the excavation project, adding that the total length of a single mural is presumed to be about 30 meters.

It is estimated that the total length of the stone murals is expected to reach about 100 meters and the total carved area will reach around 400 square meters upon complete excavation of the murals on both east and west sides of the bridge, Zhou added.

"In terms of scale, subject and style, the stone murals can represent the highest standards of the stonework system and the highest level of carving techniques during the Northern Song Dynasty," said Zheng Yan, a professor at Peking University's School of Arts.

"It is an important discovery that enriches and rewrites the art history of the Song Dynasty," he added.

Zhouqiao Bridge was built between 780 and 783 in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) across the Grand Canal, a vast waterway connecting the northern and southern parts of China. It was a landmark structure in the central axis of Kaifeng City and was buried in 1642 by mud and sand due to the flooding of the Yellow River. Archaeological excavation of the Zhouqiao site was launched in 2018.

So far, a total of 4,400 square meters of the site have been excavated, and 117 sites of remains and ruins have been found. ■

Battle Erupts Over Alleged Grisly Photos of Brain-Hacked Neuralink Monkeys

Noor Al-Sibai -  Futurism

A California university is refusing to release a cache of grisly photos of monkeys reportedly injured during experiments testing Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant technology, in spite of a lawsuit aiming to force the school's hand.


UC Davis is refusing to release a cache of grisly photos of the monkeys injured during experiments testing Elon Musk's Neuralink brain implant technology.

In a press release, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) advocacy group said that it had learned that the University of California, Davis is in possession of 371 photos of the experimented-upon monkeys that were subjected to Neuralink tests, which took place at the school's veterinary lab facilities.

Earlier this year, Neuralink admitted that a fifth of the 23 rhesus macaques monkeys it used to test its brain-hacking implants had been euthanized after developing infections and malfunctions. Bolstering PCRM's credibility, that admission came in the wake of its a complaint it filed against Neuralink.

Now, PCRM says it learned that UC Davis is in possession of the hundreds of photos depicting, among other things, "necropsies of animals killed" in the experiments after filing a lawsuit against the school in February over its shielding of the photos, which the university argues are "proprietary."

"UC Davis thinks the public is too stupid to know what they’re looking at," Physicians Committee research director Ryan Merkley said in the press release. "But it’s clear the university is simply trying to hide from taxpayers the fact that it partnered with Elon Musk to conduct experiments in which animals suffered and died."

The nonprofit said in the release that it had learned through its lawsuit that Neuralink paid UC Davis $1.4 million to use its facilities between 2017 and 2020.

As the release notes, the school has already released hundreds of pages of documents which "showed monkeys suffering from chronic infections, seizures, paralysis, and painful side effects following [the] experiments."

In February, UC Davis and Neuralink both responded to the lawsuit by issuing statements saying that they had complied with established research protocols and regulations. UC Davis directed Futurism to that February statement, and added that the school has "fully complied with the state law in responding to PCRM’s public records request." Futurism has also reached out to Neuralink for comment regarding the lawsuit and its plans to prevent such harm from coming to animal research subjects in the future.

For now, we don't know how gruesome the photos of the experimented-upon macaques may be — and until the school or Neuralink is forced to give them up, we'll have to contend with our imaginations.

More Neuralink nastiness: Experts Say Elon Musk Messed Up by Having Secret Children With His Employee

Rights Group Claims UC Davis Won't Release Photos Depicting Tortured Neuralink Monkeys

Mack DeGeurin - 

An animal rights group wants the University of California Davis to release nearly 400 photos of test monkeys they claim were tortured and abused during testing for Elon Musk’s Neuralink brain computer interface company.


This picture taken on May 23, 2020 shows a laboratory monkey sitting in its cage in the breeding centre for cynomolgus macaques (longtail macaques) at the National Primate Research Center of Thailand at Chulalongkorn University in Saraburi.© Photo: Mladen Antonov (Getty Images)

In a press release, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said its ongoing lawsuit surfaced 371 photos related to the monkey experiments, with 185 of them allegedly related to autopsies of monkeys that died during the procedures. The other 186 photos are reportedly related to experiments conducted on the monkeys. Previous reports claim 15 monkeys died at one UC Davis test facility between 2017 and 2020.

For those catching up, The Physicians Committee filed a legal complaint with The U.S. Department of Agriculture earlier this year which provided horrifying accounts of Neuralink monkeys allegedly having their skulls pried open to insert electrodes for Neuralink brain devices. Some of the monkeys equipped with the devices allegedly experienced extreme vomiting and exhaustion while others, overcome by stress, allegedly mutilated themselves, according to a New York Post report. Others reportedly developed skin infections after having their skulls drilled open.

Though the rights groups claims UC Davis revealed the images’ existence in a recent legal filing, they said the university’s attorney wants to keep them under wraps, arguing their content could be misunderstood by the public. An attorney for the Physicians Committee argued the photos are actually public records since the university receives public funding and relies on public employees to conduct experiments.

“These photos are public records created with public funds, and the public deserves access to the research they paid for,” Physicians Committee Associate General Counsel Deborah Dubow said.

UC David did not immediately respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment about these claims, though it previously released a statement defending its reported $1.4 million partnership with Neuralink. The two ceased working together in 2020.



Monkey MindPong

“Regarding the lawsuit by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, we fully complied with the California Public Records Act in responding to their request,” UC Davis said in February. “Indeed, additional materials have been supplied to PCRM since the conclusion of the research agreement with Neuralink.”

Neuralink also vigorously defended itself earlier this year, releasing a lengthy statement saying it’s committed to working with animals, “in the most humane and ethical way possible.” In that same statement, Neuralink tried to throw water on the Physicians Committee complaint, claiming they are an absolutist organization opposed to any types of animal testing. To that end, the Physicians Committee has reportedly advocated for veganism and alternatives to animal testing and has received some funding from PETA, according to The Guardian.

And while Neuralink did not respond to Gizmodo’s request for comment, its previous statement did note it left UC Davis in 2020 partly to improve overall facility standards.

“While the facilities and care at UC Davis did and continue to meet federally mandated standards, we absolutely wanted to improve upon these standards as we transitioned animals to our in-house facilities,” the company said.

In addition to the alleged photos, the Physicians Committee says UC Davis legal documents revealed over 600 pages depicting test monkeys suffering seizures, chronic infections, and side effects from the Neuralink device. They cite documents claiming experimenters reportedly used an unapproved adhesive called BioGlue to fill the holes in the monkey’s brain following surgery. Some of that glue, according to the Physicians’ Committee, allegedly seeped into the monkey’s brains.

“UC Davis thinks the public is too stupid to know what they’re looking at,” Physicians Committee Director of Research Advocacy Ryan Merkley, said. “But it’s clear the university is simply trying to hide from taxpayers the fact that it partnered with Elon Musk to conduct experiments in which animals suffered and died.”

China's 'Rapid' Debt Buildup May Portend A Looming Financial Crisis: New York Fed

Natan Ponieman - 

China’s recent debt buildup following the Covid-19 pandemic has researchers from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York wondering if the country can avoid a financial crisis in the years to come.


China's 'Rapid' Debt Buildup May Portend A Looming Financial Crisis: New York Fed© Provided by Benzinga

The consequences of a Chinese crisis may impact the entire globe, as a bad turn for the world’s second-largest economy would likely replicate across most markets.

China had already been playing around with high levels of credit as a way to navigate global and local financial instability. The country acquired substantial debt as a strategy to steer through the years following the 2008 financial crisis and had managed to bring its debt ratio under control by 2018.

Today, it's a different scenario. The pandemic and zero-COVID approach led to the country acquiring almost 30% of its GDP in debt in 2020 alone.

“While other major economies in the world are now tightening their monetary policies, expectations are for overall debt in China to rise again in 2022 to stabilize growth," New York Fed international policy advisors Hunter Clark and Jeffrey Dawson wrote.

Related: China Surprises With Exports Data: What's Triggering A Slowdown Despite Weak Yuan?

By the end of 2021, China’s total credit was almost 290% of its GDP for the nonfinancial sector, including corporate, household and government credit.

The corporate sector has been the largest borrower, taking credit for 153% of GDP. Pandemic-related stimuli were in part responsible for this quick rise in corporate borrowing.

Household debt is also rising to uncomfortable levels. According to the authors, China’s household debt (compared to GDP) is comparable to that of developed economies, standing above the median for the economies in the OECD.

The majority of this household debt — which equals 62% of the country’s GDP — comes from mortgage loans.

China's Financial And Political System

Clark and Dawson suggest that “rapid buildup of debt is often followed by financial crises or at least extended periods of much slower economic growth.”

China’s financial and political system has allowed it to navigate this debt crisis with more success than a classic democratic and capitalist economy would have.

The Communist Party’s ability to influence its own economy is very strong, backed by state ownership of most banks, and several ongoing measures to protect itself from external shocks.

However, like any economy, China is not immune to financial crises.

Related video: For China, economic recovery remains 'elusive,' says Credit Suisse

Duration 2:04 View on Watch

The current rise in credit is one mark that China’s economy could be contracting.

Capital-To-Output Ratio

Another factor is the growing capital-to-output ratio. This is the measure of how much the country’s GDP is growing in relation to the capital it injects into the economy, meaning that it’s becoming more expensive for China to grow at the same rates that it has grown in the past.

In a similar way to many other growing economies, China’s population is aging, adding extra weight to an increasingly shrinking working age population.

Current disruption in global supply chains are also a cause for concern for Chinese trade. This could cause China’s export engine to “downshift to a growth rate similar to that of world trade, or perhaps even lower,” say the analysts.

Which Stocks Might Be Affected?

A downturn for the Chinese economy would affect almost every sector, as China has become a major trading partner for most economies on earth, including the U.S. and the European Union.

China is the single largest supplier of imports for the U.S. and the third largest importer of U.S.-made products, making it America’s largest trading partner.

The latest data available puts 758,000 U.S. jobs in question depending on imports and exports with China.

The shock, however, would be felt more directly on Chinese companies and those depending directly on a healthy Chinese economy.

A number of Chinese companies list American depositary receipts in U.S. exchanges. Their stock prices would likely be affected by a financial bust. These include:E-commerce, retail, Internet, and technology giant Alibaba (NYSE: BABA) Electric vehicle makers Nio (NYSE: NIO), LiAuto (NASDAQ: LI) and Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) Multinational online travel company Trip (NASDAQ: TCOM). Internet and AI giant Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) Farming and food tech developer Pinduoduo (NASDAQ: PDD).

UN calls for halt to executions of two IRANIAN LGBT human rights activists

Banderas LGTB (ARCHIVO) – Europa Press/Contacto/Nikolas Georgiou

United Nations judicial experts on Wednesday called on Iran to halt immediately the executions of two women sentenced to death for their support of LGBT human rights.

Iranian judicial authorities prosecuted human rights defender Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani and Elham Choubdar in August 2022 and on September 1, 2022, respectively, notifying them that they had been convicted and sentenced to death by the Islamic Revolution Court in Urumieh.

Specifically, the two activists have been charged with carrying out offenses of «land corruption» and «trafficking,» the UN detailed in a statement.

«We strongly condemn the death sentence of Sedighi-Hamadani and Choubdar, and call on the authorities to suspend their executions and quash their sentences as soon as possible,» the UN experts have requested, assuring that the authorities «must ensure the health and well-being of both women and release them immediately.»

Iran’s legal system explicitly prohibits homosexuality and same-sex relations are punishable by death under the country’s penal code.

While the court decision and sentencing order are not public, experts have been informed that the charges related to speeches and actions in support of the Human Rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans and other gender diverse (LGBT) people who face discrimination in Iran on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Experts have also received reports detailing that the trafficking charges against the women were related to their efforts to help at-risk individuals leave Iranian territory.

The experts have expressed concern to the Government of Iran that the two women may have been arbitrarily detained, ill-treated and prosecuted on discriminatory grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity, including the criminalization of LGBT persons, whose rights they were defending through peaceful action.

Sedighi-Hamedani was arrested on October 27, 2021 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards near the Iranian border with Turkey. Choubdar was arrested on an as yet unknown date somewhat later.

«We urge the Iranian authorities to investigate the alleged ill-treatment of Sedighi-Hamadani during her detention, her enforced disappearance for 53 days and the lack of due process guarantees,» the UN has called for.

«We call on Iran to repeal the death penalty and, at a minimum, reduce the scope of its application to only criminal actions that reach the threshold of the most serious crimes,» they added.

Evidence of dinosaur-killing asteroid impact found on the moon

Robert Lea - 

Asteroid impacts on the moon millions of years ago correspond with large space rock strikes here on Earth — including the massive impact that wiped out the nonavian dinosaurs.


A depiction of an asteroid heading toward Earth, with the moon in the background.

© Juan Gartner via Getty Images

The finding reveals that major impacts during Earth's prehistory were not isolated events. Instead, these asteroid strikes were accompanied by a series of smaller hits both here and on the moon, whose surface is littered with over 9,000 craters left by space rock impacts.

The research could help astronomers better understand the dynamics of the inner solar system and assist in calculating the likelihood that our planet will be struck by potentially devastating massive space rocks in the future.

Scientists from Curtin University's Space Science and Technology Centre (SSTC) in Australia obtained the results by studying microscopic glass beads within lunar soil samples returned to Earth by China's Chang'e-5 lunar mission in 2020.

These tiny glass beads were created by the intense heat and pressure generated by meteor strikes. This means researchers can reconstruct a timeline of lunar bombardment by assessing the ages of these beads.

While doing this, the SSTC team found that both the timing and the frequency of the asteroid impacts on the moon were mirrored by space rock strikes on Earth, meaning the timeline the team built could also provide insight into the evolution of our planet.

"We combined a wide range of microscopic analytical techniques, numerical modeling and geological surveys to determine how these microscopic glass beads from the moon were formed and when," lead study author Alexander Nemchin, a professor at SSTC, said in a statement.

The ages of some of the lunar glass beads indicated they were created around 66 million years ago, around the time the dinosaur-killing asteroid, known as the Chicxulub impactor, struck Earth in what is now the Gulf of Mexico, near Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

The impact led to what is known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, which ultimately killed three-quarters of all life on Earth, including the nonavian dinosaurs.

The roughly 6.2-mile-wide (10 kilometers) Chicxulub impactor struck Earth at around 12 miles per second (19.3 kilometers per second), or 43,200 mph (69,524 kph), leaving an impact crater measuring about 93 miles (150 km) wide and 12 miles (19 km) deep. Aside from the shock waves generated by the initial impact, the asteroid hit caused a series of life-altering knock-on effects, including throwing up thick clouds of dust that blocked out the sun.

The new research from SSTC joins other work suggesting that this monster dinosaur-killing space rock may have been joined by other, smaller asteroids that also struck Earth and that could be revealed by studying the moon's history of asteroid impacts.

"The study also found that large impact events on Earth, such as the Chicxulub crater 66 million years ago, could have been accompanied by a number of smaller impacts," Nemchin said. "If this is correct, it suggests that the age-frequency distributions of impacts on the moon might provide valuable information about the impacts on the Earth or inner solar system."

The team now aims to compare data collected from the Chang'e-5 lunar soil samples with other soil samples from the moon and with the ages of craters across the lunar surface. This analysis could reveal other impact events across the moon and, in turn, help to uncover signs of asteroid impacts here on Earth that may have affected life.

The research was published Wednesday (Sept. 28) in the journal Science Advances.

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'Mekong Ghost' Rediscovered in Fish Market After Being Lost for 18 Years

Ed Browne - 16h ago

An extremely rare species of carp nicknamed the "Mekong Ghost" that had not been seen for nearly two decades has been unexpectedly documented in Cambodia.

A photo of the extremely rare giant salmon carp, or 'Mekong Ghost', found in Cambodia in the Mekong River this year. It is the first confirmed member of the species to be found in the river in 18 years.© Wonders of the Mekong/University of Nevada, Reno/Facebook

The giant salmon carp is one of the world's most threatened fish. Found only in Asia's Mekong River, the carp is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

No adult giant salmon carp—believed to grow as large as 66 pounds—had been officially recorded since 2004, but a 13-pound, three-foot long specimen was reported from a wet market along the Mekong this year after a fish merchant realized it was out of the ordinary and contacted Chan Sokheng, a biologist with the Cambodian Fisheries Administration.

Although the fish was dead, it has given rise to hope that the species still exists in the 2,700-mile river. If the fish were confirmed extinct, it would have been the first confirmed extinction of a giant fish species in the Mekong.

The Mekong is home to nearly 1,000 different species of fish, including some of the largest freshwater fish in the world. It sustains the livelihoods of millions of people.

However, the river has come under pressure due to dams, overfishing and climate change.

Zeb Hogan is a fish biologist at the University of Nevada, Reno who has studied Mekong fish for decades and leads the USAID-funded Wonders of the Mekong research project which aims to highlight the importance of the river.

In a university press release, he said: "The discovery of yet another amazing, but highly endangered animal, in an area that supports the livelihoods and food security of millions of people, shows plain as day the urgent need for conservation programs and the potential benefits of government, scientists and local communities coming together to safeguard the wonders of the Mekong."

Sokheng, also quoted in the press release, said he was "so happy" to confirm the existence of the rare fish and said there was "still hope" to conserve it.

According to the university, the Mekong Ghost name refers to the fish's rarity. Its scientific name is Aaptosyax grypus.

It is not the only Mekong species that is rarely seen anymore. The Mekong giant catfish, one of the largest species in the river, is also seldom spotted. Freshwater megafauna—animals that can grow to over 200 lbs—have declined by 97 percent in Asia since 1970, the University of Nevada, Reno said.

Yet there has been good news aside from the rediscovery of the giant salmon carp. In June, a roughly 661-pound giant freshwater stingray, confirmed as the world's largest freshwater fish, was tagged and released in the Mekong.

The next step regarding the giant salmon carp will be to use its DNA to develop tools that can be used to study the distribution of the species.

Newfound 'snaky croc-face' sea monster unearthed in Wyoming

Jennifer Nalewicki - Monday

Millions of years ago, an enormous, long-necked marine reptile undulated through the waters of an ancient seaway in what is now Wyoming, whipping its snaky neck back and forth and using its crocodilelike jaws to snap up fish and other small sea creatures.


An artist's rendition of what the plesiosaur may have looked like millions of years ago.© Nathan Rogers

Paleontologists discovered fossils of this sinuous sea monster in 1995 during a dig in the minimally explored uppermost portion of Pierre Shale, a geological formation dating to the Upper Cretaceous period (approximately 101 million to 66 million years ago). And unlike other plesiosaurs, this animal had physical characteristics that set it apart from other members of this extinct clade of marine reptiles.

Now, researchers have revealed their findings about this new species in a study published online Sept. 26 in the journal iScience.

"Plesiosaurs typically come in two distinct flavors or morphological types and have either a long, snakelike neck with a small head, or a short neck and a long crocodilelike jaw," Walter Scott Persons IV, a paleontologist from the College of Charleston in South Carolina and the study's lead author, told Live Science. "In this case, this weird, unique beast is a cross between the two."

Related: Giant 'sea monsters' evolved big bodies to offset long necks being a total drag

Paleontologists dubbed the animal Serpentisuchops pfisterae, which translates to "snaky crocface." This 23-foot-long (7 meter) creature's remains have been on display in the Glenrock Paleontological Museum near Casper, Wyoming, since the fossils were unearthed more than 25 years ago.

"The first time I saw Serpentisuchops pfisterae," Persons said, "I was still in elementary school."

In the decades since, paleontologists have conducted detailed studies of the animal's remains, which represent about 35% of the body and include its "beautifully preserved lower jaw, sizable amount of its skull, its complete neck, vertebrae, the majority of its tail and some ribs," Persons said.

"The only pieces that we're missing are elements of its limbs or paddles," which it used for swimming, he added.

Also found at the shale-rich site — described by Persons as resembling "the surface of the moon" or "a trip to Mordor" — were 19 teeth; just one was still in place in the specimen's jaw, while the rest were scattered among the remains. However, according to the study, the presence of roots in the jaw confirmed that the teeth were from this particular specimen and not another plesiosaur.

"The tall, conical teeth are smooth and not serrated with a cutting edge, so this animal wouldn't have been able to bite through thick bones," he said. "The teeth had a single function, which was to do a very good job at stabbing and skewering prey. It likely went after slippery prey that wouldn't put up much of a fight, such as small fish or abundant cephalopods."

This new finding "reveals a whole new ecotype, an animal that is specialized in a way that's different from all the other plesiosaurs that were around at the same time," with adaptations, " to do something different and become good at making a living amongst the other animals that shared its environment," he said.

Originally published on Live Science.

Fish fossil catch from China includes oldest teeth ever

By MADDIE BURAKOFF, AP Science Writer - 

NEW YORK (AP) — A big catch of fish fossils in southern China includes the oldest teeth ever found — and may help scientists learn how our aquatic ancestors got their bite.


This illustration provided by Heming Zhang in September 2022 depicts some of the fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time. (Heming Zhang via AP)© Provided by Associated Press

The finds offer new clues about a key period of evolution that’s been hard to flesh out because until now scientists haven't found many fossils from that era. In a series of four studies, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, researchers detail some of their finds, from ancient teeth to never-before-seen species.


This illustration provided by Heming Zhang in September 2022 depicts Xiushanosteus mirabilis, one of the fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time. (Heming Zhang via AP)© Provided by Associated Press

The fossils date back to the Silurian period, an important era for life on earth from 443 million years ago to 419 million years ago. Scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time.

This let the fish hunt for prey instead of “grubbing around" as bottom feeders, filtering out food from the muck. It also sparked a series of other changes in their anatomy, including different kinds of fins, said Philip Donoghue, a University of Bristol paleontologist and an author on one of the studies.


This illustration provided by Qiuyang Zheng in September 2022 depicts fauna from Chongqing Lagerstätte, where fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time. (Qiuyang Zheng via AP)© Provided by Associated Press

“It’s just at this interface between the Old World and the New World,” Donoghue said.

But in the past, scientists haven’t found many fossils to show this shift, said Matt Friedman, a University of Michigan paleontologist who was not involved in the research. They’ve been relying on fragments from the time — a chunk of spine here, a bit of scale there.

The fossils from China are expected to fill in some of those gaps as researchers around the world pore over them

A field team discovered the fossil trove in 2019, Min Zhu, a paleontologist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences who led the research, said in an email. On a rainy day, after a frustrating trip that hadn't revealed any fossils, researchers explored a pile of rocks near a roadside cliff. When they split one rock open, they found fossilized fish heads looking back at them.

After hauling more rocks back to the lab for examination, the research team wound up with a huge range of fossils that were in great condition for their age.

The most common species in the bunch is a little boomerang-shaped fish that likely used its jaws to scoop up worms, said Per Erik Ahlberg of Sweden’s Uppsala University, an author on one of the studies.


This illustration provided by Heming Zhang in September 2022 depicts Fanjingshania renovata, one of the fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time. (Heming Zhang via AP)© Provided by Associated Press

Another fossil shows a sharklike creature with bony armor on its front — an unusual combination. A well-preserved jawless fish offers clues to how ancient fins evolved into arms and legs. While fossil heads for these fish are commonly found, this fossil included the whole body, Donoghue said.


This illustration provided by Qiuyang Zheng in September 2022 depicts Tujiaaspis vividus, one of the fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time. (Qiuyang Zheng via AP)© Provided by Associated Press

And then there are the teeth. The researchers found bones called tooth whorls with multiple teeth growing on them. The fossils are 14 million years older than any other teeth found from any species — and provide the earliest solid evidence of jaws to date, Zhu said.

Alice Clement, an evolutionary biologist at Australia’s Flinders University who was not involved with the research, said the fossil find is “remarkable” and could rewrite our understanding of this period.


This illustration provided by Heming Zhang in September 2022 depicts Qianodus duplicis, one of the fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time. (Heming Zhang via AP)© Provided by Associated Press

The wide range of fossils suggests there were plenty of toothy creatures swimming around at this time, Clement said in an email, even though it's the next evolutionary era that is considered the “Age of Fishes.”

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This illustration provided by Heming Zhang in September 2022 depicts Shenacanthus vermiformis, one of the fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time. (Heming Zhang via AP)© Provided by Associated Press


This illustration provided by Heming Zhang in September 2022 depicts Tujiaaspis vividus, one of the fossil fish, more than 400 million years old, which were found by researchers in southern China, announced in a series of studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2022. The fossils date back to the Silurian period when scientists believe our backboned ancestors, who were still swimming around on a watery planet, may have started evolving teeth and jaws around this time. (Heming Zhang via AP)© Provided by Associated Press