Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
Cold age caused by comets, according to...diamonds?
Reuters reports that tiny nanodiamonds found throughout North America show that a "swarm of comets" hit the earth 13,000 years ago, starting a cold age that killed off mammoths and...
Human Trophy Heads Were No Strangers
Ancient South American people collected human heads.
Pharaoh’s Feminine Figure Explained
The Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaton’s voluptuous body shape and elongated head and neck, recorded in ancient depictions of the male ruler, have long perplexed historians. But now Irwin Braverman, a professor...
Scientists determine Viking trade routes by the metal in their swords
Scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in Teddington have worked with the Wallace Collection to analyse the contents of Viking swords - and the results shed new light on...
Yellow-browed bunting spotted in Sweden
NORRA JARVAFALTET, Sweden, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- More than 400 bird enthusiasts traveled to a Swedish town to see a rare yellow-browed bunting, a perching bird similar to...
New reptiles found in Tanzania's shrinking forests
LONDON (Reuters) - Seventeen previously unknown species of reptiles and amphibians have been found in the threatened rainforests of eastern Tanzania, Italian and Tanzanian scientists reported on Monday.
Scientists wipe out killer mosquitoes
Researchers have managed to halve the lifespan of mosquitoes that carry the deadly dengue fever, a breakthrough that could reduce the spread of the disease.
Basalt rock wall found in ocean near Taiwan
TAIPEI (Reuters) - A biodiversity researcher has found a huge basalt rock formation in the Taiwan Strait, resembling a city wall and rivaling similar monoliths on land.
The National Museum of Natural History in Sofia launches a new website
The National Museum of Natural History in Sofia (NMNHS) launched a new bilingual (in English and Bulgarian) website. The site is already available at www.nmnhs.com. It is expected that it...
Mammoths wiped out by 'perfect storm?'
Mammoths were a hearty group of giants that went extinct not because of climate change or overhunting by early humans, but a "perfect storm" of conditions, according to new research.
Diamond clues to beasts' demise
The controversial idea that space impacts may have wiped out woolly mammoths and early human settlers in North America receives new impetus.
A 4-D View Of Fido In The Womb
If you've ever wonder what your pet might have looked like in the womb, 4-D technology is now making it possible. The National Geograpic Channel is planning to air a...
Did a Comet Hit Earth 12,000 Years Ago?
Roughly 12,900 years ago, massive global cooling kicked in abruptly, along with the end of the line for some 35 different mammal species, including the mammoth, as well as the...
Scientists say comet killed off mammoths, saber-toothed tigers
First an explosion as powerful as thousands of megatons of TNT rained meteorites down on North America. Then forest fires broke out across the continent, sending up a thick layer...
Proposed Texas science curriculum released
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Critics of earlier drafts say the final draft of the Texas science curriculum will provide students with a "21st century education," especially...
Ancient African Exodus Mostly Involved Men, Geneticists Find
Modern humans left Africa over 60,000 years ago in a migration that many believe was responsible for nearly all of the human population that exist outside Africa today.
Breakthroughs That Will Change Everything
Will humans go extinct? Or will we instead evolve into divergent species? Will wisdom will ever return to save the day.
Six North American sites hold 12,900-year-old nanodiamond-rich soil
Abundant tiny particles of diamond dust exist in sediments dating to 12,900 years ago at six North American sites, adding strong evidence for Earth's impact with a rare swarm of...
New Evidence of Meteor Bombardment
Researchers say that an abrupt cooling of the Earth about 12,900 years ago may have been caused by one or more meteors that slammed into North America.
Trapped water cause of regular tremors under Vancouver Island
University of British Columbia researchers are offering the first compelling evidence to explain regular tremors under Vancouver Island...
How The Spider Spun Its Web: ‘Missing Link’ In Spider Evolution Discovered
New interpretations of fossils have revealed an ancient missing link between today's spiders and their long-extinct ancestors. The research by scientists at the University of Kansas and Virginia's Hampden-Sydney College...
BEST NEWS PHOTOS OF 2008: Editors' Picks
See the National Geographic Digital Media photo editors' favorite photos from National Geographic News's 2008 "Week in Photos" galleries.
Fear Jaws? Shark bites are weak, study finds
Sharks have wimpy bites for their size and can crunch through their prey only because they have very sharp teeth -- and because they can grow to be so big,...
U Of Michigan Buys Pfizer Site
University hopes to re-create jobs lost after Research and Development center's closure
Plants 'more important than ever'
The role of plants has never been so vital, says the head of Kew Gardens, as the site turns 250 years old.
Ancient ship found buried near Argentine river
(AP) -- Workers digging to lay the foundation of a luxury apartment complex in Argentina uncovered a Spanish ship believed to be from the 18th century.
Honour for Royal Society luminary
Prof Martin Taylor, vice president of the Royal Society, heads the list of scientists recognised in the New Year Honours.
Statues in Williamsburg are credited with boosting fertility
Tom and Tammy Mace hurried over to the two wooden statues in the front lobby of Williamsburg, Va.'s Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum one December Saturday.