Technologies

‘Gnarly-Looking Beast’ Revealed in 265-Million-Year-Old Fossil

The well-preserved skull of a pre-dinosaur predator shows a creature that could chew bones.

When you hear talk of the fiercest extinct predators, dinosaurs probably come to mind, especially the infamous T. rex. But what stalked the land before dinosaurs? Scientists found a 265-million-year-old fossil in Brazil that shines a light on a pre-dino predator that would make you quake in your boots.

The species, Pampaphoneus biccai, is a dinocephalian (Greek for «terrible head») that predates dinosaurs by 40 million years. Dinocephalians are a group of animals that died out during a mass extinction event around 260 million years ago (the event that wiped out the dinosaurs happened about 65 million years ago). In a statement Tuesday, Harvard University described this particular terrible head as «the biggest and most bloodthirsty meat eater of its time.»

Fossil skull of Pampaphoneus biccai in two pieces showing long, curved canine teeth.

An international team published a paper on the find in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society earlier this week.

Researchers unearthed a complete skull fossil, along with some rib and arm bones. It’s the only known dinocephalian species in Brazil. Fossils of other species have previously been found in Russia and South Africa.

The impressive skull reveals a large terrestrial predator with sharp teeth.

«This animal was a gnarly-looking beast, and it must have evoked sheer dread in anything that crossed its path,» said study co-author Stephanie Pierce, a paleontologist with the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard. An artist’s rendition shows a dinocephalian with a stocky, lizard-like body and impressive teeth.

A lot can be inferred from the partial remains. The skull measured in at 16 inches long (that’s 40 centimeters). Researchers say Pampaphoneus could weigh as much as 880 pounds (400 kilograms) and reach an overall length of nearly 10 feet (3 meters). That’s on par with some polar bears.

Paleontologist and co-author Felipe Pinheiro of the Federal University of Pampa (Unipampa) likened Pampaphoneus biccai’s ecological niche to that of big cats in modern times. «Its dentition and cranial architecture suggest that its bite was strong enough to chew bones, much like modern-day hyenas,» Pinheiro said.

Extracting the skull was a painstaking task. Pinheiro shared a video to X, formerly Twitter, showing preparation of the fossil with the delicate chipping away of the surrounding rock.

All the work that went into uncovering the dinocephalian’s remains has paid off in a deeper understanding of the animal’s characteristics and behavior. The researchers suspect they’ve even located some of its prey in nearby fossils, including one of a giant amphibian. Said Pierce, «Its discovery is key to providing a glimpse into the community structure of terrestrial ecosystems just prior to the biggest mass extinction of all time.»

Technologies

Chrome Autofill Now Supports Passport, Driver’s License and Vehicle Info

Soon, you’ll never need to remember anything ever again.

Computer users are accustomed to web browsers autofilling everything from names and addresses to credit card numbers. Now, Google Chrome is adding new enhanced autofill options that allow users to automatically populate fields for passports, driver’s licenses, and their vehicle’s license plate or VIN, Google said in a blog post on Monday.

Desktop users must choose to turn on the feature, which is called enhanced autofill. Otherwise, it stays off. To turn it on, open Chrome, and at the top right of your browser, select more, then settings, then autofill and passwords. Finally, choose enhanced autofill and turn it in.

Google says Chrome now can «better understand complex forms and varied formatting requirements, improving accuracy across the web.» The company also says that enhanced autofill will be «private and secure.»

This enhanced autofill update is available in all languages, and more data options will be supported in the coming months.

A representative for Google said the company had no additional comment.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

Chrome is a critical component in Google’s business. The web browser, currently the most popular in the world with a 73% market share, according to GlobalStats, provides the company with valuable user data that it uses to sell advertising. Advertising is how Google makes the majority of its revenues. New features help keep users loyal to Chrome, making it more difficult for them to switch to other browsers, including those from companies like Perplexity and OpenAI.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 4, #407

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 4, No. 407.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tough one. The Connections: Sports Edition puzzle makers will never run out of categories because they have discovered they can just pick one athlete and make a connections group out of four facts about that person. They do that today with the blue category, so if you don’t know that one player, you’re out of luck. If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Get up and go!

Green group hint: College hoops.

Blue group hint: Famous basketball player.

Purple group hint: Not fair, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Energy.

Green group: Men’s college basketball teams with the most championships.

Blue group: Associated with Damian Lillard.

Purple group: Foul ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is energy. The four answers are pep, verve, vigor and zip.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is men’s college basketball teams with the most championships. The four answers are Kentucky, UCLA, UCONN and UNC.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is associated with Damian Lillard. The four answers are 0, Dame Time, Trail Blazers and Weber State.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is foul ____. The four answers are out, shot, territory and tip.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Nov. 4

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Nov. 4.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? There are a few tricky clues, so read on for the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.