Kyoto, Japan -- In the late 1990s in the Ajimu region of Japan's Oita prefecture, researchers discovered three fossilized vertebrae belonging to the Cryptobranchidae family of giant salamander. These were embedded in the Tsubusugawa Formation, Pliocene-era strata of lake deposits dating back approximately 3.5 million years. The strata have also yielded fossils of animals that no longer roam Japan, such as elephants and crocodiles, revealing a glimpse of an era much warmer and humid than Japan's current climate.

Researchers originally assigned the three Ajimu specimens to the genus Andrias, which includes the world's largest living amphibians, but at the time, a lack of comparative specimens and research prevented their precise taxonomic identification. Now, more than two decades later, a new research team at Kyoto University has succeeded in shedding more light on these mysterious fossils.

After comparing the Ajimu specimens to the skeletons of extant Cryptobranchidae species, the team found that the three fossils belonged to an anterior trunk vertebra, a mid-trunk vertebra, and a sacro-caudal vertebra. Further comparisons revealed that the mid-trunk vertebra possessed unique morphological characteristics not seen in other Cryptobranchidae species. This led the researchers to conclude that the Ajimu specimens represent a new species and genus.

A slowing Atlantic Ocean current is projected to reshape global rainfall patterns, intensifying powerful storms in California while reducing snowfall over Greenland, according to a new University of California, Riverside study.

Urban redevelopment in densely populated areas often involves removing existing piles, backfilling boreholes, and installing new piles. Strength differences between backfilled soil and original ground can lead to drilling deviations, compromising building integrity and leading to economic losses. However, current countermeasures are based on experience-based judgements. In a new study, researchers present a new quantitative framework for evaluating drilling instability induced by backfilling, offering practical guidelines for improving resource efficiency, resilience, and sustainability.

Chinese scientists have identified five major fundamental scientific questions for extreme complex geological disaster chains: “disaster gestation through multi-sphere interactions, disaster regulation by multi-interface control, disaster propulsion by multi-dynamic coupling, disaster initiation by extreme events, and disaster amplification through multi-disaster chain interactions.” They further reveal the core characteristics of disaster chains from the three dimensions of time, space, and human activities, and construct a coherent “mechanism–prediction–prevention and control” research framework.