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    "story_id": "mp-2026-07-17-017",
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    "headline": "Baby Bones Break Two Fossil Classifiers",
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    "dek": "Methods failed on known alligator species, pointing toward traits stable through growth.",
    "summary": "Methods failed on known alligator species, pointing toward traits stable through growth.",
    "body_text": "Two common approaches could not consistently separate Chinese and American alligators or assign juveniles. The alternative focuses on age-stable anatomy; it is a methodological warning, not a fossil reclassification.",
    "why_it_matters": "Methods failed on known alligator species, pointing toward traits stable through growth.",
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      "Two common approaches could not consistently separate Chinese and American alligators or assign juveniles.",
      "The alternative focuses on age-stable anatomy; it is a methodological warning, not a fossil reclassification."
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    "modified_at": "2026-07-17T14:34:04.943-04:00",
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    "tags": [
      "paleontology",
      "vertebrae",
      "classification"
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      "title": "Stony Brook via Newswise: Vertebrae fossils",
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  "publisher": {
    "name": "The Machine Press",
    "url": "https://themachinepress.com",
    "description": "A daily newspaper for the age of artificial intelligence."
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  "cite_this_report": {
    "title": "Baby Bones Break Two Fossil Classifiers",
    "publisher": "The Machine Press",
    "published_at": "2026-07-17T09:00:00.000-04:00",
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