Hunter gatherers living beside Eagle Lake in Wisconsin manufactured 10cm long projectile points [otherwise known as arrow heads] out of pure copper. They were probably hammered into shape after heating the metal but this illustrates that copper was used by different people, fairly early in the Holocene. In this case, over 8000 years ago. See https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/03/ancient-native-americans-were-am... ... see also https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abi6135 ...

At https://phys.org/news/2021-03-long-accepted-theory-vertebrate-upended-fo... ... the long accepted theory of mainstream vertebrate origins is taking a bashing by some paleontologists it would seem. This comes after the discovery of fossilised fish larvae - rather, lamprey larvae. It is dated 360 million years ago - even a long time in geological time scales. The research is published in the journal Nature - see https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03305-9 ..

Robert sent in the link ... www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Mars_Express/Mars_Express_... ... and the full paper is at https://arxiv.org/abs/2103.03919 [which is the abstract but when there click on the pdf] ... the discovery of a curious cloud formation which forms around a Martian Vlocano. The explanation given is moist air, on the dry planet. Robert suggests an electrical cause, reminiscent of Martian Dust Devils.

Scientists stunned to discover plants beneath a mile deep of ice on Greenland - the big story of last week. Sent in by William and by Gary. See for example https://phys.org/news/2021-03-scientists-stunned-beneath-mile-deep-green... ... and variously https://tallbloke.wordpress.com/2021/03/16/uvm-scientists-stunned-to-dis... ...