Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
Jell-O shots from the dawn of time
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Prehistoric bugs trapped in amber? No, they're edible bugs trapped in alcohol-laced gelatin ... one of the latest creations from a team of Jell-O shot...
No evidence for Clovis comet catastrophe, archaeologists say
New research challenges the controversial theory that an ancient comet impact devastated the Clovis people, one of the earliest known cultures to inhabit North America.
Stonehenge skeleton came from Mediterranean
A wealthy young teenager buried near Britain's mysterious Stonehenge monument came from the Mediterranean hundreds of miles away, scientists said Wednesday, proof of the site's importance as a travel destination...
Volcanoes wiped Neanderthals out, research suggests
New research suggests that climate change following massive volcanic eruptions drove Neanderthals to extinction and cleared the way for modern humans to thrive in Europe and Asia.
Dirty hands, dirty mouths: U-M study finds a need to clean the body part that lies
Apparently your mom had it right when she threatened to wash your mouth out with soap if you talked dirty. Lying really does create a desire to clean the 'dirty'...
New twists in double helix discovery story are uncovered
The story of the double helix's discovery has a few new twists. A new primary source - a never-before-read stack of letters to and from Francis Crick, and other historical...
Trampling Skews Artifact Dates by Thousands of Years?
Sorry, archaeologists. A new study says animal footsteps might have made artifacts seem thousands of years older than they are. ...
Shell's work in Iran an insult, UANI says
NEW YORK, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- A decision by Royal Dutch Shell to engage in the Iranian energy sector is "a slap in the face" to those trying to...
Research Lays Foundation For Building On The Moon – Or Anywhere Else
The key to the stability of any building is its foundation, but it is difficult to test some building sites in advance – such as those on the moon. New...
World's 'oldest bird' ringed on Shetland
A whimbrel ringed on a Shetland island in 1986 is now believed to be the world's oldest surviving bird of its kind.
Dinosaur trove spills more secrets
Decades after a mechanical pine-tree digger first unearthed it, an extraordinary trove of dinosaur fossils in central Spain is revealing its secrets.
Galapagos frigatebirds genetically unique
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- Galapagos Islands frigatebirds are a genetically distinct species from their mainland counterparts, warranting new conservation status, U.S. scientists say. ...
Our Ancient Ancestors Didn't Like It Hot
Researchers identify the closest living relative of eukaryotes, the group that includes humans
Was Darwin a Punk? A Q&A with Punker-Paleontologist Greg Graffin
Editor's Note: This is an expanded version of the Q&A with Greg Graffin, who lives in Ithaca, N.Y., that will appear in the November 2010 issue of ...
Pictures: "Bizarre" New Tailless Whip Scorpions Found
Four new species of "peculiar," spider-like creatures with spine-studded appendages have been discovered in Borneo caves, a new study says. ...
Mysterious, Rare Red Diamond on Display
One of three existing red diamonds weighing more than five carats, the Kazanjian Red Diamond has almost a century of history behind it.
World's oldest trees under threat
FORT COLLINS, Colo., Sept. 28 (UPI) -- The oldest trees on the planet, some almost 5,000 years old, are under threat from two enemies in their Western U.S. mountain...
Potential climate change side effect: More parasites on South American birds
A new study on nesting birds in Argentina finds that increasing temperatures and rainfall -- both side effects of climate change in some parts of the world -- could be...
Ancient Greek grave yields gold-covered skeleton
Greek archaeologists have uncovered an ancient skeleton covered with gold in a grave on the southern island of Crete. Crete - Greece - ancientgreek - History...
WWF gives online glimpse into flight of rare Egyptian vultures
To raise awareness of the plight of the endangered Egyptian vulture, WWF-Spain launched today a new project called El Viaje del Alimoche (The Journey of the Egyptian Vulture), which allows...
Early sunflower family fossil found in South America
(PhysOrg.com) -- A beautifully preserved fossil identified as being of an early relative of the Asteraceae, or aster, family nearly 50 million years old suggests the plant family, which has...
'Hobbit' was an iodine-deficient human, not another species, new study suggests
A new paper is set to re-ignite debate over the origins of so-called Homo floresiensis -- the 'hobbit' that some scientists have claimed as a new species of human. Researchers...
When it comes to race, the move-on brigade can't dismiss the problems | Aditya Chakrabortty
The new trend to 'move on' from the problems of the past and dismiss them as old hat will not wash when it comes to race relationsOne of the most-thumbed pages in...
Photos: Poison Crab, Glass Shrimp, More Found in Korea
See an "alien" crustacean, poisonous crab, and freckled shrimp that takes shelter in clams—all found in South Korea for the first time. ...
New Test May Help Track Vulture Killer
Critically-endangered South Asian scavengers on the brink of extinction get new help from science.
A Finding on Malaria Comes From Humble Origins
Dr. Beatrice H. Hahn, who has built the world’s most comprehensive treasury of great ape fecal samples, has found the beginnings of the falciparum strain of malaria and taken the...
Observatory: Neanderthals Found Ways to be Innovative
Neanderthals living in southern Italy 42,000 years ago developed bone and stone tools on their own, not through interactions with Homo sapiens, research shows.
Observatory: Dancing Flies Dress Up to Lure Female Partners
The ornamentation, a protrusion shaped like a boxing glove, often appears on just one of the fly’s front legs.