Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
Collapse of Mayan civilization traced to dry spells
The ancient Maya had what was arguably the most advanced civilization in the Americas
Geology may have driven species extinction
WICHITA, Kan., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Biodiversity booms and busts every 60 million years could be tied to a geological cycle of periodic uplifting of the world's continents, U.S....
Climate change, increasing temperatures alter bird migration patterns
Birds in eastern North America are picking up the pace along their yearly migratory paths. The reason, according to researchers, is rising temperatures due to climate change.
Mystery bird: russet-mantled softtail, Thripophaga berlepschi | @GrrlScientist
This endangered Peruvian endemic is found at high elevations in the Andes Russet-mantled softtail, Thripophaga berlepschi (synonym, Phacellodomus berlepschi,), Hellmayr, 1905, also known as Berlepsch's canastero, or as the russet-mantled thornbird, photographed along the...
New research provides clear answer to debate on dinosaur posture
(PhysOrg.com) -- Research published today (22nd February) provides, for the first time, a clear answer to the debate as to whether Triceratops and other extinct creatures took on a more...
Scientist at Work Blog: A Luscious Meal for Moose
In a sign of decreased moose populations on Isle Royale, balsam fir trees are rising from their moose-induced stupor.
Noble false widow spider marches north in the UK
The noble false widow spider, a species often mistaken for the black widow spider in the UK, is spreading north, Natural History Museum enquiry records show.
Wired for Culture by Mark Pagel – review
An account of what separates men from the beasts ... and other menThe search for the sharp dividing line between us and other species may be a wild goose chase. But as...
Sea turtle may become California's official marine reptile
Bill would make the endangered Pacific leatherback sea turtle the state's official marine reptile, joining the garibaldi (marine fish), California poppy (flower), and saber-toothed cat (fossil).California has a state bird,...
Study: Y chromosome not going 'extinct'
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 22 (UPI) -- A study has contradicted the notion the male sex-determining Y chromosome is steadily shedding genes and is doomed to degenerate, U.S. researchers say.
Call this ancient rock carving 'little horny man'
A stick figure man with a giant phallus dubbed "the little horny man" by its discoverers is the oldest rock carving found yet in the Americas, researchers say.
Ancient rock art found in Brazil
Researchers have discovered an extremely old anthropomorphic figure engraved in rock in Brazil, according to a report published Feb. 22 in the open access journal PLoS ONE.
Relax, guys, we'll be around for a while...
Contrary to previous belief, men may not be on the way out after all. New research reveals that the Y chromosome is not rapidly degrading and is unlikely to disappear.
What can animals' survival instincts tell us about understanding human emotion?
Can animals’ survival instincts shed additional light on what we know about human emotion? Neuroscientists pose this question in outlining a pioneering theory, drawn from two decades of research, that...
What Would Happen If You Shot a Gun In Space?
Guns can shoot in space, and this allows for all kinds of absurd scenarios.
World's deepest land animal discovered
In the dark abyss of the world's deepest known cave lurks a newfound species of primitive eyeless insect, one that researchers are calling the deepest land animal ever found.
Notes and queries: How can people tell when I'm looking at them?
Plus: More favourite last lines from novels; who could join Worzel Gummidge in the movies?Why is it that when I am looking at someone across the street they often turn their heads...
Brian Shefton obituary
My friend and colleague Brian Shefton, who has died aged 92, was a distinguished scholar of Greek and Etruscan archaeology. One of his most significant achievements was a collection of Greek and Etruscan...
Skull of three-toed horse found
Scientists have located a skull of the ancient three-toed horse, Hipparion, in northwestern China.
Fossil footprints reveal oldest elephant herd
Prehistoric footprints in Arabian Desert are 7-million years old
Penguin colony flourishing after being driven to brink of extinction
Eighty years after slipping to the brink of extinction, a colony of King Penguins at Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean has rebounded and is flourishing through conservation efforts, Australian...
Making the bones speak
In a narrow, modest laboratory in Michigan State Universitys Giltner Hall, students pore over African skeletons from the Middle Ages in an effort to make the bones speak.
Leaping lizards [video] | @GrrlScientist
Theropod dinosaurs used their long tails as rudders to stabilise rapid or irregular movements There was a time, not so very long ago, when dinosaurs were portrayed as slow-moving behemoths, shuffling about with...
Role of climate in human evolution seen
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they now know why East Africa got drier starting 2 million years ago, creating grasslands on which early humans...
32,000-Year-Old Plant Brought Back to Life—Oldest Yet
The oldest plant ever to be regenerated has beaten the previous recordholder by some 30,000 years, a new study says.
The origin of photosynthesis revealed
This is a schematic image of the "living fossil " Cyanophora paradoxa that is a member of the algal phylum Glaucophyta. Atmospheric oxygen really took off on our...
Study finds college students willing to donate genetic material to biobanks for research
A majority of college students is receptive to donating blood or other genetic material for scientific research, according to a new study from Southern Methodist University, Dallas.
Are there biosocial origins for antisocial behavior?
An assistant professor at Sam Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice is working to unlock the mysteries surrounding the role that genetics and environmental influences play on criminal and...