Science has certainly gone a long way. There continues to be great breakthroughs in the recent years. Check out the recently-discovered facts for 2016.
BuzzFeed collated a list of over 30 science facts that have just been discovered this year. We have started with the first part of the series. Read it here.
"Lost city" turns out to be natural phenomenon
A few divers believed that they found the ruins of an ancient city when they discovered circular columns and paved floors near the shores of the Greek island Zakynthos. However, CNN reported that it has been proven to be a natural phenomenon.
Research published on the Marine and Petroleum Geology journal revealed that the underwater site was actually made by nature about five million years ago. Also, there were no other signs of life, such as pottery, that would have supported the speculation that the site was an ancient city port.
400-year old deep-sea shark
Scientists already knew that the Greenland shark, also known as Somniosus microcephalus, can live for more than 200 years. This year, new research by a team from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Oxford revealed that they were able to study a female shark and estimated its age to be 392 years old.
According to The Guardian, this is a new record for longevity. The Greenland shark is also deemed as one of the world's biggest carnivores.
Human penis bone
This year, scientists have also found the reason why human males don't have the baculum. Science Alert described the baculum as an extra-skeletal bone that floats at the end of the penis. It is not attached to the rest of the skeleton.
This is found in most primate males although humans don't have one. It was noted that the lack of baculum may have stemmed from humans' mating strategies.
The baculum is primarily used to ensure procreation among animals. Humans, however, have minimal sexual competition since females usually mate with one male at a time.
