New Species

• Scientists discovered 700 new species in 2007. The discoveries included five new varieties of frog, six fish and a new species of monkey. Giant sea spiders and meat-eating sponges were found next to Antarctica. A bat with suckers on its feet was also found in Madagascar and an amphibian without legs was discovered in India.
  
  

Chimpanzee Weapons

• Observed by a pair of anthropologists, female chimpanzees in the Senegalese savanna sharpened branches picked from a tree and used them as spears to hunt small mammals. The event has helped scientists who attempting to discover how tools were used by primitive human beings.
  
  

The Future and the Past

• Scientists discover the possibility of a link between memory and imagination. Research found that five people with amnesia were worse at imagining hypothetical situations than those with working memories. Other studies have shown that similar areas of the brain are used for imaging the future and thinking about the past. The research suggested that the brain pieces together past events to create an image of the future.
  
  

Homo Habilis

• The discovery of a Homo habilis jawbone that is 1.44 million years old and a Homo erectus skull that is 1.55 million years old rocked scientific views on the evolution of mankind. Homo erectus evolved into human beings and the previous belief was that Homo habilis evolved into Homo erectus, with habilis dying out 1.65 million years ago. The new discovery suggested that the two are closer to siblings than parent and child.
  
  

Preserved Dinosaur

• A dinosaur was excavated so intact that its tissue and bones were enclosed in thin layer of skin, even some scales were visible. The hadrosaur, a dinosaur with a tough beak, was preserved in minerals for 67 million years.
  
  

Heart Valves

• Scientists from the Imperial College in London turned bone marrow stem cells into the tissue found in human heart valves. This was a major step in the attempts to grow complete heart valves for the many people around the world who are in need of transplants.
  
  

Antarctic Lake Draining

• NASA satellites picked up a series of waterways beneath an Antarctic stream in 2007. Fluctuations in the height of the surface above a lake suggested that the lake was draining into the ocean, teaching scientists a great deal about the Antarctic sea level.
  
  

Supernova

• NASA also recorded the brightest ever supernova. Studying this event proved that these explosions were once common and that previous theories on the death of stars were inaccurate.
  
  

Reinforced Plastic

• Research at the University of Michigan discovered that adding tiny pieces of clay to weak and sticky plastic can reinforce the material to the point that it is strong and resilient. This opened up possibilities for a new type of lightweight armor.
  
  

Rett Syndrome

• Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that can stop children from ever walking or talking. Researchers created mice with the disorder and their tests found that the disease was curable in the rodents, meaning it could also be curable in humans.