Seeing the wood for the trees: How archaeologists use hazelnuts to reconstruct ancient woodlands
If we could stand in a landscape that our Mesolithic ancestors called home, what would we see around us? Scientists have devised a method of analyzing preserved hazelnut shells to tell us whether the microhabitats around archaeological sites were hea.....»»
Unveiling the ancient Maya"s relationship to animals and nature
As the scorching May sun of Central Belize blazes down on us, temperatures soar to a staggering 106°F. Local farmers anxiously await the onset of the rainy season to sow their crops, but the much-needed first rain remains elusive. This property is o.....»»
Mature forests are vital in frontline fight against climate change, research reveals
Mature forests have a key role to play in the fight against climate change—extracting carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and locking it into new wood, a new study reveals......»»
Archaeologists conduct first "space excavation" on ISS and discover surprising quirks of zero-G life
New results from the first archaeological fieldwork conducted in space show the International Space Station is a rich cultural landscape where crew create their own "gravity" to replace Earth's, and adapt module spaces to suit their needs......»»
Discovery of tiny bone sheds light on mysterious "hobbit" humans
The discovery of a tiny arm bone suggests that an ancient human dubbed "hobbits" only shrank down to their diminutive size after they arrived on an Indonesian island a million years ago, scientists said on Tuesday......»»
135-million-year-old marine crocodile sheds light on Cretaceous life
An international team of scientists, including researchers from Germany and the UK, have described a new species of ancient marine crocodile, Enalioetes schroederi. Enalioetes lived in the shallow seas that covered much of Germany during the Cretaceo.....»»
Research shows that glossy black-cockatoos prefer to feed from trees growing in acidic soils
Glossy black-cockatoos are seed-eating birds that feed almost exclusively on the cones of drooping sheoak trees. However, counter-intuitively, they select trees that grow on the poorest soils found on ancient sedimentary rocks......»»
Ancient grains of dust from space can be found on Earth—and provide clues about the life cycle of stars
In space, there are clouds that contain gas and dust ejected from stars. Our solar system was formed 4.6 billion years ago from such a molecular cloud. Most of these dust grains were destroyed during solar system formation. However, a very small amou.....»»
What Did Ancient Humans Think When They Looked Up at the Night Sky?
Archaeoastronomers piece together how people understood the heavens thousands of years ago......»»
Some Trees ‘Hold Their Breath’ during Wildfires
When wildfire smoke is in the air, some trees essentially shut their windows and doors and hold their breath.....»»
Cancer Case Rates Are Rising Across Generations, and a SpaceX Private Spacewalk Is Delayed
A new blood test for cancer, helpful cat parasites and a new kind of wood are featured in this week’s news roundup......»»
Using dental growth rings scientists reveal differences in growth patterns between ancient and modern mammals
A study published in Science Advances reveals how early mammals grew and developed during their pivotal Jurassic radiation. Using a technique called synchrotron X-ray tomography to image growth rings in fossilized tooth roots, the researchers were ab.....»»
Apple has closed an ancient macOS Safari security hole
Apple is fixing a vulnerability in Safari for macOS, that seems to date back to the dawn of Intel Macs.Icon for Safari in macOSThe Defcon hacking conference is taking place from August 8 to August 11 in Las Vegas, which hosts talks about newly discov.....»»
Microsoft says Delta’s ancient IT explains long outage after CrowdStrike snafu
"Delta, unlike its competitors... has not modernized its IT infrastructure." Enlarge / Delta Air Lines customers looking for missing bags wait in line at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on July 24, 2024. (credit: Getty Im.....»»
Take a trip to the largest lake on Mars
Mars once hosted a lake larger than any on Earth. The broken-down and dried-up remnants of this ancient lakebed are shown here in amazing detail by ESA's Mars Express......»»
Ancient viral elements in RNA kickstart bone repair
Around half of the human genome is composed of DNA fragments originating from ancient viruses. These "transposable elements" (TEs) are now known to play various roles in modulating gene expression and disease development. Now, an international team l.....»»
Wrestling with bulls, meat-only diets and sex bans: How the ancient Olympians prepared
The Greek historian Arrian (c. 86–160 AD) said he appreciated the glory of victory at an Olympic games, but also warned it was very difficult to achieve:.....»»
Ancient poppy seeds and willow wood offer clues to the Greenland ice sheet"s last meltdown
As we focused our microscope on the soil sample for the first time, bits of organic material came into view: a tiny poppy seed, the compound eye of an insect, broken willow twigs and spikemoss spores. Dark-colored spheres produced by soil fungi domin.....»»
How the last meal of a 3,000-year-old Egyptian crocodile was revealed using modern science
What do you think of when you think about ancient Egyptian mummies? Perhaps your mind takes you back to a school trip to the museum, when you came face to face with a mummified person inside a glass case. Or maybe you think of mummies as depicted by.....»»
How the last meal of a 3,000-year-old Egyptian crocodile was brought back to life using modern science
What do you think of when you think about ancient Egyptian mummies? Perhaps your mind takes you back to a school trip to the museum, when you came face to face with a mummified person inside a glass case. Or maybe you think of mummies as depicted by.....»»
White ants: The Earth"s backboneless backbone
The first thoughts that probably come to mind when you read the words "white ant" are images of house destruction, wood damage, pest control, and spending money! While white ants are in fact a major structural and agricultural pest, they are among th.....»»