Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
How old is that mummy?
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Plain old seeds and woven baskets from Egyptian archaeological sites are helping scientists date the reigns of mighty pharaohs more precisely. ...
Putting teeth into forensic science
In a large natural disaster, such as the Haitian earthquake earlier this year, or in an unsolved homicide case, knowing the birth date of an individual can guide forensic investigators...
World's oldest fig wasp fossil proves that if it works, don't change it
The world's oldest known example of a fig wasp has been found on the Isle of Wight. The fossil wasp is almost identical to the modern species, proving that this...
Rosetta's blind date with asteroid Lutetia
ESA's comet-chaser Rosetta is heading for a blind date with asteroid Lutetia. Rosetta does not yet know what Lutetia looks like but beautiful or otherwise the two will meet on...
Delineating primary and secondary organic carbon in neoproterozoic glacial sediments
How do we begin to understand what early life was like on Earth about 700 million years ago as our planet shifted from an oxygen-free and probably ice-covered realm to...
Mongoose traditions shed light on evolution of human culture
A groundbreaking study of banded mongooses in Uganda has shown even small-brained animals pass on traditions, giving a valuable insight into how complex human culture could have evolved...
Hundsheim Rhino - An Extinction Mystery Gets Solved
Extinction is nothing new; more than 99% of all species that have ever lived we will never know about. Extinction is entirely natural and, if you've ever watched someone's car...
A new view of fossils: The behavior of ancient life forms
A new book by researchers at Oregon State University uses the snapshot-in-time miracle of amber to offer a pioneering viewpoint on all types of animal and plant fossils – not...
60 Years Of End Of The World Sci-Fi: 1950
Our 1950 pick is L. Sprague de Camp and P. Schuyler Miller's Genus Homo, a pulp adventure that takes place a million years in the future after after the genus...
The Thunderstone Mystery
(PhysOrg.com) -- What's a Stone Age axe doing in an Iron Age tomb? The archaeologists Olle Hemdorff at the University of Stavanger's Museum of Archaeology, Norway, and Eva Thate are...
German Burger King goes green
WAGHAUSEL, Germany, June 15 (UPI) -- Fast-food company Burger King has opened a new energy-efficient restaurant in Waghausel, Germany.
Seven Sci-Fi Weapons from Tomorrow Are Here Today
A number of weapons and weapons systems now on active duty or in the prototype stage seem to have been ripped straight out of the overwrought imagination of a sci-fi...
Compton neighbors grew wary of accused killer
A man suspected in the death of his 5-year-old niece had become menacing. ...
18th century Acadian village to be unearthed
P.E.I. archeologists are starting to dig at an excavation site in Low Point, near Lennox Island, where they hope to unearth an Acadian village from the 1700s.
Patchwork-like image of developing zebrafish sensory organ
This image may bring to mind a patchwork quilt, or a picture taken from a gallery of abstract paintings, but the artisan behind it is actually Mother Nature, with a...
Wales records ancient woodlands
An inventory of Wales' ancient woodlands is to be updated for the first time in 30 years to ensure all sites are protected.
A broken life, then a break
Down and out, Steven Schulman was sleeping against a Dumpster when a big rig ran over his legs. It was the start of his climb back. ...
Essay: Are Killer Viruses Things of Beauty?
A Manhattan art gallery features a rogues’ gallery of deadly microbes rendered in glass and costing $10,000 each.
Dim the oxygen to survive freezing temps: study
Scientists have uncovered a previously unknown ability of organisms to survive lethal cold by temporarily slowing the biological processes that maintain life. The results could explain a long-held mystery as...
Skulls show New World was settled twice: study
Two distinct groups from Asia settled in the New World and not one single migration as suggested by previous genetic studies, experts said Monday after comparing the skulls of early...
Immigration delays send Toronto MD to U.S.
A Toronto neurosurgeon has decided to move to the U.S. because he's fed up with waiting for Citizenship and Immigration Canada to give his American wife permanent resident status.
God Made Dirt, So Dirt Don't Hurt
Who hasn't heard (and somewhat believed) the saying "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" whose origins can be found in the Bible? To me, it implies that we are merely...
Team reveals secret life of Isaac Newton on new website
(PhysOrg.com) -- Sir Isaac Newton, an icon of scientific revelation, led a secret life as a scholar of the mysterious art of alchemy. For the last six years, William Newman...
'Largest Biological Reservoir' Discovered Below Seafloor
Deep-sea microbes found thriving in harsh environments without sunlight.
Warm-blooded marine reptiles at the time of the dinosaurs
Between 200 and 65 million years ago, fearsome marine reptiles reigned over the oceans. Were they warm-blooded like today's mammals and birds or cold-blooded like nowadays fish and reptiles? For...
What do we really know about the crucifixion of Jesus?
The many different accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus find little support in historical sources. The reason is that antique sources generally lack descriptions of crucifixions, says Gunnar Samuelsson, University...
Guggenheim to exhibit videos in YouTube collaboration
The Guggenheim Museum is seeking to discover "the most creative video in the world" in a collaboration with YouTube.
A Boy and his Kalashnikov
Life on "Planet Teen": Boy soldiers armed by the Somalia government with American help.