A compact Chinese marine drone has successfully completed a mission at the bottom of the Mariana Trench. The device dived to a depth of almost 11,000 meters, exploring the sea depths and revealing their secrets.

The robotic drone, which is only 50 cm long, is designed to withstand the enormous pressure at the bottom of the ocean. Its unique design allows it to change shape to perform various tasks. Flexible "fins" and "legs" provide the drone with the ability to swim in water, slide or even crawl along the bottom like a crab. The Sun writes about it.

According to the publication, this innovative drone was developed by scientists from Beihang University in Beijing. Project manager Professor Wen Li said:

"At a depth of 10 km, the pressure is comparable to the weight of an iceberg pressing on the robot. Thanks to the special structure of the material, the high external pressure is converted into speed and amplitude of movement, making weakness an advantage."

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Chinese researchers have created a drone that is much smaller and lighter than previous models. It weighs only 16 grams, which avoids raising sediment clouds on the seabed. Unlike its more bulky predecessors, this drone is easy to maneuver and does not create obstacles while driving.

The device is equipped with springs with "shape memory", which allows it to switch between two modes of movement: swimming at a speed of up to 5.5 cm/sec and crawling at a speed of up to 3 cm/sec. Its "wings" flap smoothly, providing acceleration in the water.

Earlier, we told you that a unique skull was discovered in Spain .

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In Mongolia, paleontologists have discovered a new species of dinosaur with unusual claws. It is a representative of therizinosaurs, herbivorous bipedal giants found buried in the Gobi Desert. Unlike other therizinosaurs, which had three fingers with long, sharp claws, this new species has only two fingers. It is this feature that determined its scientific name - Duonychus tsogtbaatari, which means "two digits" in Greek and honors the Mongolian paleontologist Khishigdzhav Tsogtbaatar.

One of the authors of the study, Darla Zelenitskaya, admitted that the discovery of a dinosaur with only two fingers was a real discovery, as it is a very rare phenomenon for this group. This is reported by Live Science.

Terezinosaurs lived in Asia and North America in the late Cretaceous period, approximately 100-66 million years ago. Although they belonged to the theropods, which are most often associated with carnivorous dinosaurs, they were herbivores. They were famous for their huge sickle-shaped claws, which in some species were up to 50 centimeters long. All previously known therizinosaurs, including Therizinosaurus and Beipiaosaurus, had three fingers, making the discovery of D. tsogtbaatari unique.

Paleontologist Yoshitsugu Kobayashi of Hokkaido University emphasized that therizinosaurs are already considered one of the most extraordinary dinosaurs, and the discovery of this species makes them even more mysterious.

In addition to the unique structure of the fingers, the researchers drew attention to the incredibly well-preserved keratinous claw shell, the first such case among large theropods. According to Zelenitskaya, the hand fossil is perfectly preserved: all the bones of the fingers and wrist are intact, and the claw shell allows us to estimate its size and shape.

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According to the scientists, D. tsogtbaatari could use its powerful claws to grab branches and pull up vegetation, similar to chameleons. Kobayashi noted that many therizinosaurs could use the "hook and drag" tactic to collect food, but this species took it to a new level due to the unique shape of its claws.

In addition, the scientist suggested that these claws could have had other functions, such as defense, courtship, or even play. He emphasized that this discovery fundamentally changes the way we think about therizinosaurs and their evolution, and further discoveries may provide even more answers about their unique anatomy.

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