Peru crater came from outer space
A crater that mysteriously appeared near Lake Titicaca in Peru last week was probably caused by a meteor, researchers say. The Associated Press reports that a Peruvian astrophysicist discovered a chunk of iron in the crater—an element common in meteorites; that piece of evidence, combined with reports of a hail of pebbles and a violent roaring sound point to a meteorite as the potential source. Still unclear is why scores of residents reported falling ill shortly after the crater's discovery, but researchers told the AP it could have been psychosomatic. Update: Arsenic fumes may have played a role, too. A Peruvian geologist told National Geographic News last week that the meteorite would have vaporized local groundwater laced with the toxic element, which might explain the vomiting and headaches reported by dozens of people who approached the crater. (AP; National Geographic News)

Velociraptor: A fine, feathered fiend
Velociraptor, the predatory dinosaur immortalized in the Jurassic Park films, was more of an overgrown chicken than a reptilian beast. A new study finds that the arm bone of a specimen unearthed in Mongolia sports a series of so-called quill knobs, where wing feathers are attached to ligaments in modern birds. Researchers say the forelimbs were too short for flight, but feathers might have helped the four-foot- (1.2-meter-) long, 30-pound (13.5-kilogram) sprinter mate, build nests or maneuver at high speeds. (Science)

All in the wrist: Hobbit was more ape than human
The wrist bones of the three-foot- (one-meter-) tall humanoid specimen known affectionately as the Hobbit bolster the view that it was a species unto itself. Researchers have clashed over the bones known as LB1, recovered three years ago from the Indonesian island of Flores: Some believe it was a stunted human because of its grapefruit-size skull. A group now points out that the Hobbit's three wrist bones were shaped more like those of an ape than a human, suggesting that it did not branch off from human ancestors. But a skeptic tells the Associated Press that the skull trumps the wrist as a mark of the Hobbit's status. (Science; AP)

Strep vaccine groomed new superbug
Prevnar, a vaccine given since 2000 to prevent potentially fatal childhood infections caused by seven different strep strains, may have opened the door for a new variety of the bacterium that shrugs off all pediatric antibiotics. AP reports that researchers in Rochester, N.Y., discovered nine cases of antibiotic-resistant strep in children aged six to 18 months. The type responsible, known as 19A, is one of more than 80 that Prevnar does not protect against. Wyeth, the vaccine's maker, is already working on a broader vaccine, set to be ready no earlier than 2009, but researches say strep, like the flu, may end up requiring a new shot each year. (AP)

Muslims not lost in space
When the first Malaysian astronaut, a Muslim, rockets to the International Space Station next month, he won't have to worry about praying too much, thanks to a clarification in rules for space travelers. In one recoking, to satisfy the Islamic practice of praying toward Mecca five times daily, the astronaut—still to be officially selected—would have had to pray 80 times daily because the station circles Earth 16 times every 24 hours. But Malaysia's Department of Islamic Development gave him a break, Agence France Presse reported: Stick to five, and before each prayer wash symbolically with "holy dust" (aka recycled space station air). Fasting for the holy month of Ramadan, which began last week, is encouraged but not required. (Agence France-Presse)

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