Texas
Huge fossil from one of the largest dinosaurs found in Texas national park
A fossil from one of the largest dinosaurs to live in North America was discovered in a national park in Texas.
In March, students from Sul Ross State University went to Big Bend National Park for research and to collect a dinosaur bone belonging to Alamosaurus, according to an April 8 news release from the university.
The geology students were accompanied by Jesse Kelsch, an assistant professor at the university, and Thomas Shiller, an associate professor.
“The goals of the trip included conducting structural and stratigraphic analyses of Cretaceous—Eocene rocks and to retrieve a large vertebra belonging to Alamosaurus, a long-necked dinosaur that lived in North America during the Cretaceous Period,” the release said.
The Cretaceous Period ended about 66 million years ago. Alamosaurus is believed to have first appeared in North America about 69 million years ago, according to a 2024 publication from the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources.
The Alamosaurus was “the largest known land-dwelling animal to have lived in North America,” according to the university.
Fossils from the “giant” dinosaur have been found in the Big Bend before, but are usually poorly preserved, the release said. However, the fossil collected by the university “belongs to one of the most complete skeletons in the area, originally collected and described by researchers from the University of Texas in the 1970s.”
Students previously collected “associated vertebrae” from the area, and the specimens are being studied in the university’s paleontology lab, the university said.
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Texas
Fans erupt as U.S. wins in World Cup and North Texas builds buzz
Texas
New screwworm portal aims to protect Texas livestock, wildlife and rural economy
AUSTIN – Texas officials are rolling out a new online hub aimed at helping residents spot and report the New World screwworm, a pest Gov. Greg Abbott says threatens livestock, wildlife, and the state’s rural economy.
Abbott announced the launch of screwworm.texas.gov, an enhanced website housed in the Texas Division of Emergency Management’s Disaster Portal that he described as a “one-stop shop” for information and resources tied to the state’s response.
The New World screwworm poses a direct threat to Texas livestock, wildlife, and our rural economy,” Abbott said. “This new website puts essential tools in the hands of our producers, veterinarians, and families. Screwworm.texas.gov delivers the facts, maps, identification methods, and certification resources Texans need to detect problems early and report cases without delay. Now every Texan has the information to act. Texas will protect our land, our animals, and our way of life from this pest.
According to the governor’s office, the site is designed to provide “actionable and reliable multimedia information” about the New World screwworm, including fact sheets, videos, and educational materials.
The portal includes background information, guidance on how to spot the pest, sample collection procedures, Texas Animal Health Commission New World screwworm zone maps, the U.S. Department of Agriculture case dashboard, links to best practices for livestock and wildlife, and details on registering for a new no-cost New World screwworm Certified Inspector Training.
The governor’s office said state and federal partners are working together to detect, control and contain the spread, and that expanding public outreach and providing clear information is a key part of reducing risk.
Abbott’s office also highlighted actions taken by the governor in response to the pest, including:
- Directing the creation of a joint Texas New World screwworm Response Team
- Joining USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins to announce a $750 million investment in a new sterile fly production facility in Edinburg
- Issuing a statewide disaster declaration ahead of the first detection
- Deploying state resources and activating the State Emergency Operations Center after the first confirmed Texas cases
- Visiting the Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory in Kerrville for a briefing
- Launching a free online training course to certify more inspectors
- Announcing federal funding to strengthen inspection capacity.
Texans are urged to inspect livestock and pets for wounds and report suspected cases immediately, including in wildlife.
For livestock and pets, suspected cases should be reported to the Texas Animal Health Commission’s 24-hour veterinarian call line at 1-800-550-8242.
For wildlife, reports should be made to Texas Parks and Wildlife’s 24-hour biologists’ call line at 512-389-4505. Officials also warn people not to move affected animals.
More information and updates are available at screwworm.texas.gov and screwworm.gov.
Texas
Flu sickens some 160 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas
More than 150 troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas have been infected with influenza over the past three weeks — a major outbreak less than two months after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said American troops would no longer be required to be vaccinated against the flu.
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