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IGN.com - News Edit Unfollow Newly-Discovered Fossils Reveal How Ancient Dogs Differed From Today's Faithful Companions by Adele Ankers May 3, 2022 Palaeontologists have unearthed the fossilized skeletal remains of a long-extinct dog species, providing new information about the evolution of the mammal. The San Diego Union-Tribute reports that the rare fossil ended up at the San Diego Natural History Museum after being spotted protruding out of an excavated chunk of rock during a construction project in the southern region of San Diego in 2019. Palaeontologists at the museum later picked up their tools and brushes to uncover the fossil embedded within. Once the paleo team brought the fossilized cheekbones and teeth to the surface, they were able to identify the canine. They discovered that the fossil belonged to a group of animals called Archeocyons, aka "ancient dog," that would have roamed the area we now know as San Diego between 24 million and 28 million years ago during the late Oligocene epoch. "It's like you've found a tree branch, but you need more branches to figure out what kind of tree it is," said curatorial assistant Amanda Linn, who is said to have spent nearly 120 hours chipping away at the rock to unearth the ancient dog fossil. "As soon as you uncover the bones, they start to disintegrate... I used a lot of patience, and a lot of glue." Linn said the "picture got clearer" every time they uncovered a new bone, and fortunately for science, they uncovered a lot of bones in the process. The fossil was very much intact, with the skull, teeth, spine, legs, ankles, and toes all emerging from the rock to give the team a better view and fresh insight into how ancient dogs differed from today's faithful companions. Post-doctoral researcher Ashley Poust, who worked on the project alongside Linn and the museum's curator of palaeontology Tom Deméré, said the Archeocyon was comparable in size to that of today's gray fox. To further support that, Poust highlighted a foxlike creature in William Stout's mural (pictured above) for its resemblance to the ancient dog species. It's also understood that the Archeocyon "walked on its toes" and had "nonretractable claws," which could have been used to climb up trees where it's possible they may have taken up residence. They are also said to have had long legs to be able to chase their prey across long distances, paired with a strong, muscular tail that they likely used for balance. More details about the species will no doubt come to light following further examination of the fossilized remains. "Nothing makes a curator happier than having visiting researchers to the collection," Deméré said, extending an invite to his academic peers. "A nearly complete skeleton like this can answer all sorts of questions, depending on who's interested." Palaeontologists find and study fossils all over the world, in almost every environment. In fact, just recently, it was reported that the fossils of giant whale-like creatures called Ichthyosaurs had been found in the Swiss Alps, while the gallery above displays images of a specially preserved "dueling dinosaurs" specimen that originated from the wild terrains of Montana. Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter. Continue Reading Elden Ring Modders are Already Adding Star Wars, One Piece, Hollow Knight and More by Ryan Dinsdale May 3, 2022 Elden Ring modders are currently adding a ton of pop culture franchises into the game, including clever (and bizarre) mods to add elements from Star Wars, One Piece, Hollow Knight, and even Life Is Strange. The mods range from adding simple costumes – Zelda's Dark Link for example – that let players cosplay their favourite characters, to weapons that allow you wield spells using Harry Potter's Elder Wand. The Nexus Mods community has been hard at work bringing just about every franchise imaginable to Elden Ring, and as it was released only two months ago, there are sure to be plenty more on the way. Here are some of our favorites so far: Star Wars Elden Ring Mods Arriving from a galaxy far, far away, this Star Wars mod adds Darth Vader to Elden Ring complete with a flowing cape and flashing lights atop his life support unit. No Star Wars character would be complete without a lightsaber, of course and, since all the rules have been broken already, why not equip Vader with Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber, available in five different colours. One Piece Elden Ring Mods The anime world has also arrived in Elden Ring through these One Piece mods. While Luffy's extendable arms may be a stretch too far (for now), right-hand man Zoro has made an appearance. While the third sword in Zoro's mouth is purely cosmetic, his other two katanas are modded versions of Uchigatana and Rivers of Blood. Only one other One Piece character appears to have been modded into Elden Ring so far, with another swordsman, Mihawk, also being added. Hollow Knight Elden Ring Mods One of the most bizarre but equally brilliant mods so far is the protagonist from Hollow Knight, with The Knight being turned from a 2D model into a fully-formed Elden Ring character. It works surprisingly well. The Knight retains the overall creepiness of Hollow Knight, which actually transfers quite smoothly into the often eerie Lands Between, and even comes equipped with his nail sword from the game. Zelda Elden Ring Mods As Elden Ring's very impressive launch has guaranteed its spot in gaming history, it only makes sense that some other gaming royalty would arrive in the game too. The Legend of Zelda's Link has been modded into Elden Ring, allowing players to traverse the Lands Between as the Hero of Time himself. This Link in particular is the Twilight Princess version, and players can even choose to equip the Dark Link skin instead of the normal version. To complete the ensemble, the Master Sword and Hylian Shield have also been modded in. Final Fantasy Elden Ring Mods Characters from Final Fantasy VII: Remake have also been added to Elden Ring, and the game's party system can even be emulated through some clever manipulation of mechanics. Players can choose to play as a Fusion Sword-wielding Cloud Strife, or equip some fist-fighting weapons while playing as Tifa Lockhart. Regardless of which you choose, the other character can tag along as a spirit summon. God of War Elden Ring Mods Fans have already managed to create a fairly authentic Kratos using Elden Ring's robust character creation system, but the roleplaying can be completed thanks to new weapon mods. The Leviathan Axe from God of War (2018) has been added, complete with glowing runes, alongside the Blade of Chaos and the Nemean Cestus from God of War III. Resident Evil Elden Ring Mods Ready to take on the Elden Ring zombie problem, Resident Evil's Claire Redfield and Jill Valentine have both been modded into the game. For another splash of the franchise, players can also equip Lady Dimitrescu's knife, the Dagger of Death's Flower, from Resident Evil 8, which replaces the default dagger available in Elden Ring. Smaller Mods from Life is Strange, Harry Potter, and More There are almost too many Elden Ring mods to include in one list but some smaller ones still deserve recognition. A Life is Strange mod that adds protagonist Max Caulfield is, well, strange, but respects the details as it comes with several different outfits from the game, including a removable satchel. A Harry Potter mod adds the Elder Wand into Elden Ring, and it actually works as a wand in the game, with players able to fire spells from the modified Glintstone Staff. Finally, some completely out of place but impressive mods nevertheless include Excalibur from Warframe and Doomslayer from Doom. You can bet we'll get many more additions in the months and years to come. As evidenced by this selection of mods, Elden Ring has proved somewhat of a cultural phenomenon with players finding other completely wacky ways to interact with the game. One player got the Fisher Price toy controller working with the game, while another has made a VR version of Elden Ring. Someone has beaten a boss using the Nintendo Switch Ring Fit controller, while others completed the game without taking damage or dealing damage. In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path." To make those choices with the best available information, check out our guide that features everything you could ever hope to know about Elden Ring, including collectible locations, boss strategies, and more. Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale. He'll talk about The Witcher all day. Continue Reading

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