By Jeff Mason and Brad Brooks U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris criticized Florida "extremists" on Friday for backing

Scientists are learning new things all the time about the early days of life on Earth, and a new discovery could change our understanding of evolution in our oceans. Algae are among the most vital life forms of the planet today – and new research into algae’s ancient ancestors makes for intriguing reading. Palaeontologist Tom Harvey from the University of Leicester believes he’s found fossilised phytoplankton which was key to the makeup of the oceans 500 million years ago. A new study authored by Harvey and published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B focuses on samples he found in rock from Newfoundland, Canada, While there’s more known about the early animals that dominated the food chains at that time, the smaller organisms around 500 million years ago are still relatively unstudied. Harvey’s research focuses on the microscopic creatures – and it all came about by chance. While he was actually looking for animal skin in rocks using a microscope, he instead stumbled upon collections of geometric clusters, which he later concluded were ancient forerunners to algae. “The cells were quite big, they formed quite a large colony that has this amazing geometry,” he said. “It was just too mysterious. I didn’t even want to hazard a guess.” According to Harvey’s findings, it’s evidence that the animals at that time filtered seawater for phytoplankton – which would mark the earliest evidence of them doing so, which is vital to the makeup of ocean ecosystems. Like today’s life forms, it’s thought that chemical signals sent by nearby animals caused the ancient samples to divide and grow. It also fills a space in the records of phytoplankton and helps to paint a well-rounded picture of evolution over time, given that the phytoplankton we see today only traces back around 200 million years ago. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings

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A Japanese automaker has unveiled an electric van that uses rooftop solar panels to charge its battery. The Puzzle van, built by HW Electro, is designed to be disaster resilient, capable of functioning during periods of prolonged power outages, however its small size and limited power output means many everyday users could operate it without ever needing to plug it in. The pint-sized van comes with three photovoltaic panels, emergency outlets, an inbuilt first aid kit, WiFi internet connectivity, and a crowbar. HW Electro said the puzzle-inspired design allows its components to fit together in a cost-effective way, making it suitable for “emergencies and for daily convenience” alike. The Puzzle is a type of ‘kei car’, which are smaller and lighter than regular vehicles in order to attain tax and insurance benefits within Japanese regulations. For the first time, HW Electro will be selling a kei car in the US, with commercial sales set to begin in 2025. “The Puzzle launch marks HW Electro’s dedication to addressing environmental challenges and creating innovative eco-friendly solutions to the commercial vehicle market,” HW Electro President Hsiao Weicheng said at the van’s unveiling. “We are excited to officially showcase Puzzle today and we look forward to making it available in the US market.” HW Electro is yet to reveal details about the price or top speed, though its form and functionality could meet a growing demand in the US for small electric vehicles. Areas like Arizona and Florida are increasingly seeing families using electric golf carts as a “second car”, capable of making short trips within a town. Some states are even adapting laws to allow small electric vehicles with limited top speeds to be driven on public roads, according to Electrek. “As the trend continues to grow, it promises not just a transformation of our local communities, but also a greener and more sustainable future for all,” the publication noted in August.