Bytes

jumbo amphibians: Over 37 million years ago, elephants used to be semi-aquatic mammals. Researchers have revealed this after investigating the lifestyle of two elephants from the Eocene period. They analyzed isotopes in the tooth enamel of the elephants. "Modern elephants have ancient relatives which lived primarily in water. The next step is to conduct more studies to determine when the switch from water to land occurred, a researcher said.

oldest tree: The world's oldest recorded tree is a 9,550 year-old spruce in the Dalarna province of Sweden. The spruce tree has shown to be a "tenacious survivor" that has endured by growing between erect trees and smaller bushes in pace with the dramatic climate changes over time, researchers said. For many years the spruce tree has been regarded as a relative newcomer in the Swedish mountain region. "Our results have shown the complete opposite," says Leif Kullman, Professor of Physical Geography at Umea University.