www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs April 13, 2019

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs April 13, 2019 (13/04/2019)

Topic: New inventions on Science and Health, Latest Terminologies

New early human species found: Homo luzonensis

Researchers have unearthed an unknown human species that lived on an island in Philippines some 50,000 years ago– Homo luzonensis.

The newfound species is named Homo luzonensisin honor of Luzon, the island where the mysterious beings lived during the late Pleistocene epoch, more than 50,000 years ago. They were less than four feet tall.

Though luzonensisis short like the hobbit, it shares features with a number of other ancient human relatives.

It has curved foot and finger bones like Australopithecus (a genus that includes the famous Lucy); premolars that have characteristics similar to those seen in Australopithecus, Homo habilis and Homo erectus; and small molars that look like those of modern humans, or Homo sapiens.

Topic: Books and Authors, Latest Diary of Events

Ashakiranam

‘Ashakiranam’ (A Ray of Hope), an autobiography of noted social worker Sankurathri Chandrasekhar, was released by Religious scholar Chaganti Koteswara Rao.

The autobiography was translated into Telugu by Godavarthi Satyamurthy and reviewed by the writer and literary critic Vadrevu Veeralakshmi Devi.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Yangtze giant softshell turtle

The last known female Yangtze giant softshell turtle, the world’s largest species of freshwater turtle and one of the most endangered species on the planet, dies at Suzhou Zoo in China.

Key facts:

The Yangtze giant softshell turtle also known as the Red River giant softshell turtle, the Shanghai softshell turtle, the speckled softshell turtle, and Swinhoe’s softshell turtle, is an extremely rare species of turtle in the family Trionychidae.

The species is endemic to eastern and southern China and northern Vietnam.

It may be the largest living freshwater turtle in the world. The female of the last breeding pair died at Suzhou Zoo in China in April 2019, making the species functionally extinct unless a wild female is found