Reuters Science News Summary
Following is a summary of current science news briefs.
After historic rocket launch, Chinese startup to ramp up missions
Beijing-based startup iSpace is planning up to eight commercial rocket launches next year, after last week becoming China's first privately funded firm to put a satellite into orbit, its executives told Reuters. iSpace's success has turned up the heat on the country's other 15-plus startups to develop vehicles capable of delivering satellites into orbit. Since late last year, two other firms have attempted but failed.
Hundreds of fossils of strange primordial predator unearthed in Canada
Hundreds of fossils of a primordial sea creature with rake-like claws and a head resembling a famous fictional spaceship have been unearthed in Canada, providing a wealth of information about an important predator from a key time in the evolution of life on Earth. Scientists on Tuesday said the creature, called Cambroraster falcatus, was a distant relative of today's arthropods - the diverse group of animals including insects, spiders and crabs - and lived during the Cambrian Period 506 million years ago, when all animal life lived in the oceans.
Genome study finds roots of Komodo dragon's tenaciousness
Scientists have mapped the genome of the Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, discovering intriguing secrets behind the impressive speed and endurance these cold-blooded predators muster by ratcheting up their metabolism to mammal-like levels. Researchers said on Monday they pinpointed crucial genetic adaptations that may underpin the tenaciousness of these lizards that inhabit several Indonesian islands including Komodo and bring down prey as big as a water buffalo with a venomous bite.
