James Ashworth

United Kingdom

Science Journalist at The Natural History Museum London

Science news for @NHM_London, and CT editor @dwasonline. Words: @BBCEarth, @Telegraph, @DailyMirror and more! All views my own. He/him

Articles

A fossilized gathering of ancient crustacean reveals new insights into their lives

1 month ago | phys.org | James Ashworth

Rare evidence about the lives of an ancient group of arthropods has been uncovered in the U.S. The findings of the study are published in the journal Biology Letters.
Fossil of ancient crustacean gathering reveals new insights into their lives

1 month ago | nhm.ac.uk | James Ashworth

Caught in the actThe slab was found in the Bear Gulch Limestone of Montana, USA. These rocks are renowned for preserving fossils in fine detail, including the remains of sharks, worms and even an octopus ancestor named after former US President Joe Biden. They’re the last remnants of a marine ecosystem that existed over 320 million years ago in a monsoon climate of alternating dry seasons and heavy rain.
World’s oldest known cerapodan dinosaur discovered in Morocco

1 month ago | nhm.ac.uk | James Ashworth

The murky Middle JurassicThe Middle Jurassic is notoriously difficult to study because of its relative lack of land-based fossils. Volcanic eruptions in what is now southern Africa and Antarctica led to rapid and extreme climate change that caused sea levels to rise sharply. As a result, there was less space for the fossils of land-based animals during this time. This means that fossils of dinosaurs, pterosaurs and other Middle Jurassic wildlife are very rare.
What is taxonomy?

1 month ago | nhm.ac.uk | James Ashworth

Linnaean classificationCarl Linnaeus, also known as Carl von Linné, was an eighteenth-century Swedish scientist who’s often known as the ‘father of taxonomy’. Having developed a passion for plants at a young age, he would go on to revolutionise the science of classification. As a botanist, Carl Linnaeus would have been used to the long, formal Latin descriptions used to name plants.
Hitting the UK's net zero targets would save money and the climate

1 month ago | msn.com | James Ashworth

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Hitting the UK's net zero targets would save money and the climate

1 month ago | phys.org | James Ashworth

The latest report from the UK's climate advisors has been released—and offers a positive vision of a net zero future. Not only will climate-friendly infrastructure cost the country much less than expected, but households can expect to save over a thousand pounds a year on their bills.
The origin of feathers remains a mystery

2 months ago | phys.org | James Ashworth

Birds are inextricably linked to feathers, which allow them to fly, keep warm and put on dramatic displays. Feathers, however, predate birds—having first belonged to extinct dinosaurs. Finding out exactly when feathers evolved, and which animals had them, could offer important new insights into the distant past.
Birds-of-paradise ‘glow’ with their skin and feathers

2 months ago | nhm.ac.uk | James Ashworth

For some of the world’s most decorative birds, the phrase ‘positively glowing’ has taken on a different meaning. New research reveals that many birds-of-paradise emit light from special patches on their head, feet and even inside their mouths. Of the 45 species, 37 have been found to be bioluminescent, absorbing UV and blue light which they release in pale blues, greens and yellows.
Shark attacks fall to 28-year-low in 2024

2 months ago | phys.org | James Ashworth

While sharks might have a fearsome reputation, the chances of being bitten by one are incredibly low. In 2024, just 47 people were hurt in unprovoked shark attacks—the lowest level in almost 30 years. In an average year, humans kill tens of millions of sharks. At the same time, about 70 people will be injured by sharks.
Shark attacks fall to 28-year-low in 2024

2 months ago | nhm.ac.uk | James Ashworth

In an average year, humans kill tens of millions of sharks. At the same time, about 70 people will be injured by sharks. A global shark bite census has revealed that this number has fallen even further in 2024. Just 47 unprovoked shark attacks were recorded in the latest update to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), which included four deaths.