Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
New Zealand never sank completely
A recently discovered fossil is strong evidence that New Zealand has never been completely submerged, despite previous theories.
PHOTO IN THE NEWS: New Climbing Catfish Named
The strange Venezuelan creature, which grasps rocks using flexible pelvic fins and a wide mouth, has shaken up the catfish family tree, scientists announced.
Archaeologist uncovers evidence of ancient chemical warfare
A researcher from the University of Leicester has identified what looks to be the oldest archaeological evidence for chemical warfare - from Roman times...
Spring Coming Earlier, Study Says
All of Earth's seasons are arriving an average of 1.7 days earlier than they did in the first half of the 20th century. Why remains a mystery.
Nile Delta fishery grows dramatically thanks to run-off of sewage, fertilisers
While many of the world's fisheries are in serious decline, the coastal Mediterranean fishery off the Nile Delta has expanded dramatically since the 1980s...
In Texas, a Line in the Curriculum Revives Evolution Debate
The State Board of Education in Texas heard impassioned testimony on Wednesday from scientists and social conservatives debating how evolution should be taught in schools.
Calamities Wiped Out Early Civilization
Nature turned against one of America's early civilizations 3,600 years ago, when researchers say earthquakes and floods, followed by blowing sand, drove away residents of an area that is now...
Data from NYHOPS assists rescue efforts in Flight 1549 emergency
With its unique location along the western bank of the Hudson River, Stevens Institute of Technology provided a dramatic front row venue for the emergency landing and successful rescue of...
Needles, not technique, may be acupuncture key
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - Acupuncture prevents headaches and migraines but faked treatments when needles are incorrectly inserted appear to work nearly as well, German researchers said on Wednesday.
Welsh bird numbers declining
A snapshot of Wales' bird population finds the decline in some species is continuing, says the RSPB.
Elusive search for Kruger crocodile die-off baffles scientists
When three rotting crocodile carcasses were spotted in a remote corner of South Africa's world famous Kruger National Park wildlife reserve, alarm bells started ringing for scientists.
New Species Hotspot In Remote Cambodian Mekong
Cantor's Giant softshell turtle, thought to be extinct in Cambodia since 2003 has been rediscovered in a section of the Mekong River almost untouched by humans.
Star of 'geek porn' strips away mystique of high-tech gear
A Calgary man who opens up boxes of the latest high-tech gear online admits some might find his videos "vaguely sensual," but that's not why he is part of the...
Heavy rains alter Peru's famed Nazca Lines
Heavy rains in recent days in Peru have affected the famed Nazca Lines, the two-millennia-old giant outlines that are one of the country's top tourist attractions, officials said Tuesday.
Rapid Dino Extinction Theory Gains New Support
New evidence suggests the reign of the dinosaurs ended not with a whimper, but with a bang. Already, previous geological evidence of an apocalyptic meteor impact in what is now...
'Hobbit' Skull Study Finds Hobbit Is Not Human
In a an analysis of the size, shape and asymmetry of the cranium of Homo floresiensis, scientists conclude that the fossil, found in Indonesia in 2003 and known as the...
Two Chinese leopard cubs born in Paris zoo
A Paris zoo officially introduces its newest — and cutest — arrivals, two Chinese leopard cubs named Wei, or "big and strong," and Xun, meaning "fast" or "quick."
Language driven by culture, not biology
(PhysOrg.com) -- Language in humans has evolved culturally rather than genetically, according to a study by UCL (University College London) and US researchers. By modelling the ways in which genes...
Our microbes, ourselves
In terms of diversity and sheer numbers, the microbes occupying the human gut easily dwarf the billions of people inhabiting the Earth. Numbering in the tens of trillions and representing...
Dinosaur fossils suggest speedy extinction
Arctic find challenges the idea that the massive reptiles declined slowly.
SQUID: The Long (and Sticky) Arms of the Law
What's possible when a group of scientists are inspired by a famous superhero and a giant creature from the sea? How about a new technology for stopping the bad guys...
DR Congo cancels timber contracts
The DR Congo government cancels nearly 60% of contracts to cut timber in the world's second-largest tropical rainforest.
New piece in the jigsaw puzzle of human origins
In an article in the recent issue of Nature, Uppsala researcher Martin Brazeau describes the skull and jaws of a fish that lived about 410 million years ago. The study...
Scientists Find a Missing Link
Paleontologists have excavated a plethora of feathered dinosaurs in China over the past few years have, but none of those dinosaurs had feathers like this. Scientists examining a news specimen...
The prose style that launched Darwin's revolution
It dawned on me the other day while listening to Radio 4's 87th programme on Charles Darwin this year that I'd never actually read The Origin of Species.
WEEK IN PHOTOS: Fire Walking Bull, Mass Graves, More
A landslide in Costa Rica, a giant wind turbine, and more in the week's best news photos.
Northern Fur Seal Pup Decline: Lowest Birth Rate Since 1916
Researchers have marked another decline in northern fur seal pup births in the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea, where most of the world's population of northern fur seals gather...
Neanderthal Lacked Anatomical Competitive Edge: Skeletal Remains Tell the Story
(PhysOrg.com) -- A new study of the skeletal fossils of Neanderthal and Early modern man suggest the lack of a "throwing arm" may have made the difference in human evolution....