Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
Seed Dispersal In Mauritius -- Dead As A Dodo?
Walking through the last rainforests on the volcanic island of Mauritius, located some 800 km east of Madagascar, one is surrounded by ghosts. Since human colonisation in the 17th century,...
Dino-Era Bird Fossil Found; One of Oldest Known
The 131-million-year-old Confucius bird was built more aerodynamically than earlier fliers such as Archaeopteryx.
The cooperative view: New evidence suggests a symbiogenetic origin for the centrosome
Two scientists who relocated to the MBL in Woods Hole after their New Orleans laboratory was disrupted by Hurricane Katrina publish their study of centrosomal RNAs in this week's PNAS...
Did Comets Cause Ancient American Extinctions?
Debate has heated up over a controversial theory that suggests huge comet impacts wiped out North America's large mammals nearly 13,000 years ago.
Charcoal reveals Aboriginal history
A radiocarbon dating study on ancient charcoal found that Aboriginal people lived in Western Australia up to 35,000 years ago.
Mystery deepens over German poet Schiller's skull
BERLIN (Reuters) - A painstaking two-year investigation to determine which of two skulls belonged to Friedrich Schiller has found neither is a match, prolonging a 180-year-old mystery over the celebrated...
Ancient Asteroid Impact Coated Earth in Blanket of Beads
New research of carbon beads from Chicxulub Crater fuel more debate over dinosaur demise.
Dinosaur Bones Reveal Ancient Bug Bites
Paleontologists have long been perplexed by dinosaur fossils with missing pieces -- sets of teeth without a jaw bone, bones that are pitted and grooved, even bones that are half...
Tropics insects 'face extinction'
Many tropical insects could face extinction by the end of this century due to rising temperatures, scientists say.
One-third of ivory items in US may be illegal: study
Nearly one-third of ivory items for sale in the United States may have been illegally imported after a US moratorium on the trade imposed in 1989, conservation groups said in...
Ecological Impact of Bridge Design Is Not Trivial, UB Professors Say
The latest delay in the construction of a new Peace Bridge between Buffalo and Ft. Erie, Ontario, may be trying the patience of Western New Yorkers, but the region has...
VIDEO: Cyclone Kills Thousands in Asia
Tropical cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar (Burma) Saturday. The death toll may climb to 10,000, according to government statements.
Spearing, Beheadings Reported in Ecuador National Park
An illegal logger has been speared to death by natives living in Ecuador's Yasuní National Park, the latest report of gruesome violence between tribes and loggers there.
U.S. One of Largest Ivory Markets, New Study Says
The U.S. trails only China in sales of worked ivory pieces, in part because of legal loopholes, lax enforcement, and the ease of arranging deliveries online, a new report claims.
Stonehenge mystery hinges on unusual stones
A new excavation at Stonehenge seeks to prove that it was not a shrine of the dead but a temple of healing utilizing unique bluestones from a site 250 miles...
Opinion: Letter to Kevin Rudd - stop coal plants now
The science is unambiguous: if we burn most of the fossil fuels, releasing the CO2 to the air, we will assuredly destroy much of the fabric of life on the...
Rare Textiles From Honduras Ruins Suggests Mayans Produced Fine Fabrics
Very few textiles from the Mayan culture have survived, so the treasure trove of fabrics excavated from a tomb at the Copán ruins in Honduras since the 1990s has generated...
Carpet of stone: medieval mosaic pavement revealed
Conservation experts consider how best to preserve Westminster Abbey's bejewelled walkway
Vikings: from ram-raiders to fishmongers
Archaeologists and scientists have revealed that 1,000 years ago cod was traded extraordinary distances across Europe
Neanderthals were separate species, says new human family tree
A new, simplified family tree of humanity, published on Sunday, has dealt a blow to those who contend that the enigmatic hominids known as Neanderthals intermingled with our forebears.
Stonehenge excavation may alter history
SALISBURY, England, May 3 (UPI) -- A new excavation of Stonehenge may alter historians' concept of the British landmark site's purpose, researchers say.
Loss of cougars changes Yosemite ecology
CORVALLIS, Ore., May 3 (UPI) -- Scientists said the disappearance of cougars from Yosemite National Park in the 20th century disrupted the entire ecology of the valley.
VIDEO: Tornado Town Goes Green
Greensburg, Kansas, was nearly destroyed by a tornado in May 2007. Today the town is rebuilding and living up to its "green" name.
WEEK IN PHOTOS: Pagan Fire Fest, Fukang Meteorite, More
See half-naked—but all red—revelers get medieval, a Hollywood landmark go up in smoke, skulls stare into the Paris underworld, and more.
Neandertals Had Big Mouths, Gaped Widely
Jaw and facial structures in the ancient human relatives shows that they could gape widely, although researchers are stumped as to why they had this ability.
Shipwreck treasure found off Namibia
Mining company says 500-year-old find has yielded Iberian coins, ivory and weapons. ...
Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten Had "Androgynous" Build
A rare genetic mutation gave the ancient pharaoh Akhenaten an unusually feminine physique, according to a Yale University physician.
Mammal believed extinct found in mossy forest
Scientists have rediscovered an animal last seen 112 years ago in the mossy forests of the Philippines and long thought to be extinct.