Bizarre new jellyfish species that looks like UFO

Scientists have discovered a creepy new species of jellyfish that looks just like a UFO. The peculiar creature was spotted for the first time by a robotic camera 12,000 feet under the Pacific Ocean between the Philippines and southern Japan.

It was discovered by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States who were roaming the Mariana Trench using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Deep Discoverer.

The newly discovered creature possesses spectacular red and yellow stripes that appear to glow in its bulbous body which could be its reproductive organs.

The researchers believe this animal is an ambush predator which waits motionless for something to bumble into its tentacles.

Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States nicknamed it ‘Microsoft Paint’, which looks like a resemblance to a jellyfish drawn in that programme design.

Hobbits found in Indonesia

It was a spectacular discovery. Fossil remains in an Indonesian cave have revealed a recent relative of modern humans. It stood about three feet tall. The creatures were quickly nicknamed ‘hobbits.’

New investigations indicate that they disappeared about 50,000 years ago, before Neanderthals did.

The hobbits are formally known as Homo floresiensis. The name reflects their home on the Indonesian island of Flores. With small, chimp-sized brains, the hobbits had skulls that resembled Homo erectus. Homo erectus lived in Africa and Asia. But the hobbits also had long arms and short legs. Those harkened back to the much older evolutionary forerunners best known for the skeleton dubbed Lucy.

It’s not clear where they fit in the human family tree. Some scientists have argued they were diseased modern humans rather than a separate species. But experts called that a minority view. Several said the new dates make it less likely.

Hobbits evidently made the stone tools that were found along with skeletal remains in the Liang Bua cave. The new analysis says the remains are 100,000 to 60,000 years old. However, the artefacts range in age from about 190,000 to 50,000 years.

Researchers have revised the original age estimates after new excavations revealed.

Cafe with fennec foxes, meerkats

The Little Zoo Cafe, which opened its doors late last year, allows customers to get up close and personal with cuddle-ready critters including owls, raccoons, fennec foxes and meerkats.

The café’s Facebook page contains multiple photos and videos showing patrons handling the exotic animals inside the eatery’s glass rooms.

The business does not charge an entrance fee, but customers seeking some playtime with the pets are required to order food or beverages from the menu. Guests are also required to sanitise their hands and remove their shoes before entering the animal areas. Between five and 10 customers can enter at a time, and are allowed 10 minutes to pet until the next shift comes in.

The cafe has raised controversy among animal advocates who argue the exotic creatures are not meant for such an environment and are likely to suffer stress from the interactions with customers. The cafe warned on Facebook that the animals should not be mistaken for domesticated pets.

Published in Dawn, Young World, May 28th, 2016