A 60-million-year-old relative of crocodiles named Cerrejonisuchus improcerus ("small crocodile from Cerrejon") was likely a food source for Titanoboa, the largest snake the world has ever known, says a new study published this week in the Journal Vertebrate Paleontology.

Researchers from Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and paleontologists from the Florida Museum of Natural History found fossils of the new species of ancient crocodile in the Cerrejon Formation in northern Colombia. The site, one of the world's largest open-pit coal mines, also yielded skeletons of the giant, boa constrictor-like Titanoboa, which measured up to 45 feet long. The study is the first report of a fossil crocodyliform from the same site.

A theory-based, abstinence-only intervention appears to be associated with a lower rate of sexual involvement among African American sixth- and seventh-graders and can be combined with other strategies to help reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, according to a report in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Whether people will indulge or be prudent with their money is not necessarily based on personality type or education, but may be strongly influenced by advertising and other environmental cues, according to two studies recently presented at the Academy of Consumer Research Conference in Pittsburgh.

In their studies of about 500 participants, the researchers divided consumers into two mindsets. The "being" mindset was related to one's current state in life, while the "becoming" mindset reflected a desire to think of one's future goals. The researchers showed volunteers an advertisement that induces a "being" state of mind, using a simple slogan like, "Think of who you are right now."

What you can do with a college degree upon graduation depends on where you're from, according  Université de Montréal professor of education Jake Murdoch. In some parts of the world diplomas from elite universities can practically guarantee employment and salary conditions, and in others--not so much. This is referred to as the "establishment effect."

The conclusion is based on two large pan-European studies addressing the relationship between higher education and employment, which surveyed 36,000 graduates from 12 European countries. The next step, Murdoch says, is to conduct a similar study in North America.

An international team of researchers has identified a new theoretical approach that may one day make the synthesis of hydrogen fuel storage materials less complicated and improve the thermodynamics and reversibility of the system. The team of researchers has developed a process using an electric field that can significantly improve how hydrogen fuel is stored and released. The findings will appear in an upcoming issue of PNAS.

It’s nearing the end of American football season, with the Super Bowl fast approaching. These games involve displays of tremendous strength, agility and heart. What you may not have known is that some of the most talented players out on the field are doing it all with their eyes closed.   Literally.    The American football player Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals made news last year when photographers captured him catching the ball with his eyes closed. He apparently does this all the time. And it is not just Fitzgerald who does this: after just five minutes searching online I found evidence that acclaimed college wide receiver Austin Pettis of Boise State, this year’s Fiesta Bowl Champion’s, closes his eyes when catching, as seen in the photo here.