Earliest evidence for domestic yak found using both archaeology and ancient DNA
The high-altitude hero of the Himalayas, yak are among the few large animals that can survive the extremely cold, harsh and oxygen-poor conditions of the Tibetan Plateau. In the mountainous regions of Asia, yak and yak–cattle hybrids serve as vital.....»»
Beautifully crafted Roman dodecahedron discovered in Lincoln—but what were they for?
Roman dodecahedra are something of an enigma: there is no known mention of these 12-sided, hollow objects in ancient Roman texts or images. First discovered in the 18th century, around 130 dodecahedra have been found across the Roman Empire, although.....»»
Domestic violence disclosure schemes: Part of the solution to improving women"s safety or an administrative burden?
The spotlight is yet again shining on the national crisis of violence against women in Australia, and the calls for increased action and improved responses to all forms of domestic, family and sexual violence has intensified over the last three weeks.....»»
Assyriologist claims to have solved archaeological mystery from 700 BC
Ancient symbols on a 2,700-year-old temple, which have baffled experts for more than a century, have been explained by Trinity Assyriologist Dr. Martin Worthington......»»
In medieval England, leprosy spread between red squirrels and people, genome evidence shows
Evidence from archaeological sites in the medieval English city of Winchester shows that English red squirrels once served as an important host for Mycobacterium leprae strains that caused leprosy in people, researchers report in the journal Current.....»»
Maya used hallucinogenic plants in rituals to bless their ball courts
eDNA analysis found traces of xtabentum, as well as lancewood, chili peppers, and jool. Enlarge / A decorative ring made from carved stone is embedded in the wall of a ballcourt in the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza. (credit:.....»»
For the ancient Maya, cracked mirrors were a path to the world beyond
Some people fear that breaking a mirror can lead to seven years of misfortune. The history of this superstition may go back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who ascribed mysterious powers to reflected images......»»
International team cracks genomic code for earliest forms of terrestrial plant life
Plant life first emerged on land about 550 million years ago, and an international research team co-led by University of Nebraska–Lincoln computational biologist Yanbin Yin has cracked the genomic code of its humble beginnings, which made possible.....»»
Maya used hallucinogenic plants in “ensouling” rituals for their ball courts
eDNA analysis found traces of xtabentum, as well as lancewood, chili peppers, and jool. Enlarge / A decorative ring made from carved stone is embedded in the wall of a ballcourt in the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza. (credit:.....»»
First report of wound treatment by a wild animal using a pain-relieving plant
Even though there is evidence of certain self-medication behaviors in animals, so far it has never been known that animals treat their wounds with healing plants......»»
Intercropping viable for optimizing vegetable production on Mars
A group of crop systems analysts at Wageningen University and Research, in the Netherlands, has found evidence that intercropping on Mars could be a viable option for optimizing vegetable production......»»
A new tool for plant long non-coding RNA identification
Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are ubiquitous transcripts with crucial regulatory roles in various biological processes, including chromatin remodeling, post-transcriptional regulation, and epigenetic modifications. While accumulating evidence elucid.....»»
Study finds distinct patterns lead to domestic partner homicide
A new study has explored the complex patterns which lead to an intimate partner homicide (IPH), in an effort to better understand and prevent the tragic event happening......»»
Rap music is being used as evidence to convict children of serious crimes: Report
New research from the University of Manchester has found that children are being swept up in murder and attempted murder cases—and being tried in adult courts—partly due to rap music culture being used as evidence against them......»»
Scientists show that ancient village adapted to drought, rising seas
Around 6,200 BCE, the climate changed. Global temperatures dropped, sea levels rose and the southern Levant, including modern-day Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, southern Syria and the Sinai desert, entered a period of drought......»»
Evidence suggests saber-toothed cats held onto their baby teeth to stabilize their sabers
California's state fossil—are familiar to anyone who has ever visited Los Angeles' La Brea Tar Pits, a sticky trap from which more than 2,000 saber-toothed cat skulls have been excavated over more than a century......»»
M4 iPad Pro: Will Apple put a brand new chip in its next iPad? Evidence suggests so
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman broke the internet on Sunday by claiming that the next generation iPad Pro, expected to be announced by Apple next week, will be powered by the brand new M4 chip rather than the current M3. While this may sound unlikely at f.....»»
Isotopic evidence reveals surprising dietary practices of ancient hunter-gatherers
It has long been thought that meat played an important role in the diet of hunter-gatherers before the Neolithic transition. However, due to the scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Paleolithic sites, little information exists about the diet.....»»
5 stars of the 2024 Beijing auto show
Nearly every domestic and international brand attended the showcase event of the Chinese auto industry. Here are the hits (and a few misses) from the show, which featured more than 100 premieres......»»
African farmers look to the past and the future to address climate change
From ancient fertilizer methods in Zimbabwe to new greenhouse technology in Somalia, farmers across the heavily agriculture-reliant African continent are looking to the past and future to respond to climate change......»»
The first glow-in-the-dark animals may have been ancient corals deep in the ocean
Many animals can glow in the dark. Fireflies famously blink on summer evenings. But most animals that light up are found in the depths of the ocean......»»