A newly discovered fossil site in Egypt is reshaping scientists’ understanding of how marine ecosystems recovered after the asteroid impact that ended the Age of Dinosaurs. In a study published in Science Advances, researchers report that compositionally modern marine fish communities were already established just 4 million years after the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.

The site, known as Qreiya 3 and dated to 62.2 million years ago, preserves an exceptionally diverse offshore marine ecosystem from the early Paleocene. Hundreds of fossil fishes recovered from the site include more than 20 groups of ray-finned fishes, making it the richest and most diverse Danian fish assemblage yet discovered.

The fossils reveal that many fish groups common in today’s oceans—including early relatives of tunas, mackerels, jacks, moonfishes, and pipefishes—had already diversified shortly after the extinction event that wiped out non-avian dinosaurs. At the same time, several predatory fish groups dominant in Cretaceous seas are notably absent, suggesting a rapid ecological turnover in marine ecosystems.

Led by researchers from the Mansoura University Vertebrate Paleontology Center in collaboration with the University of Michigan and KU Leuven, the study provides some of the clearest fossil evidence yet that modern-style marine fish faunas emerged remarkably quickly after one of Earth’s greatest mass extinctions.

Ateneo de Manila University researchers say the Philippines could significantly strengthen national energy security by harnessing tidal power from key Visayas straits, where marine currents may provide a clean, predictable, and locally-rooted alternative to imported fossil fuels.

The energy-efficient desalination system produces fresh water without chemical additives and transforms leftover salts into useful materials. Big takeaways：

A new desalination method produces drinking water from seawater without chemical additives.

The solar-powered system uses specially engineered black metal to absorb sunlight.

Its self-cleaning surface separates and collects salts, instead of dumping them as harmful brine waste.

From the salts, the system can extract lithium, a key material for rechargeable batteries.

The approach could help address global water shortages and growing mineral demand.