Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
Smithsonian scientists rearrange Hawaii's bird family tree
A group of five endemic and recently extinct Hawaiian songbird species were historically classified as "honeyeaters" due to striking similarities to birds of the same name in Australia and neighboring...
Orangutan's spontaneous whistling opens new chapter in study of evolution of speech
Throughout history, human beings have used the whistle for everything from hailing a cab to carrying a tune. Now, an orangutan's spontaneous whistling is providing scientists at Great Ape Trust...
Cosmic Log: Archaeology’s top 10 finds
Science editor Alan Boyle's Weblog: Archaeology magazine's top 10 discoveries of 2008 include Maya paint and ancient poop. And there's a bonus find as well: a 6,000-year-old time capsule.
Oh snap! Termite bite is fastest in the world
Panamanian termites have the fastest draw not only in the West, but in the whole world: They can clamp their jaws down on an invader at nearly 157 mph, killing...
Key mechanism that occurs at the inception point of many human lymphomas identified
Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) have explained how certain key mutations occur in human lymphomas - a process that has, until...
Koalas not descended from giants
According to recent research, modern koalas lived alongside giant koalas for hundreds of thousands of years, suggesting the two are different species.
Assisted suicide film stokes right to die debate in Britain
A documentary showing a terminally-ill man ending his own life at a Swiss clinic was telecast in Britain on Wednesday, reigniting a debate about assisted suicide.
VIDEO: Burning Boats for St. Nick
For centuries, each year before Christmas, a Croatian fishing village has "sacrificed" a boat in honor of St. Nicholas, patron saint of children and fishers—and inspiration for Santa Claus.
Acoustic Phenomena Explain Why Boats And Animals Collide
Researchers have laid the groundwork for a sensory explanation for why manatees and other animals are hit repeatedly by boats. Last year, 73 manatees were killed by boats in Florida's...
The Last Neandertals? Late Neandertals And Modern Human Contact In Southeastern Iberia
It is widely accepted that early modern humans spread westward across Europe about 42,000 years ago, displacing and absorbing Neandertal populations in the process. But how long did they survive?...
Pacific World War II Wrecks Pose Risk of Toxic Leaks
Nearly 3,700 World War II shipwrecks lie submerged in the Pacific, some containing oil, chemicals, and unexploded ordnance. Concern about corrosion is prompting increased investigation.
Peru sues Yale over Incan finds
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The government of Peru has sued Yale University in the U.S. courts seeking the return of Incan mummies, bones and pottery...
Perfume vials from Christ's era unearthed
A team of Franciscan archaeologists digging in the biblical town of Magdala in what is now Israel say they have unearthed vials of perfume similar to those that may have...
8 Jewish archaeological discoveries
Archaeological discoveries in recent years have shed light on Jewish history and the Old Testament.
Local seed not the best for revegetation
(PhysOrg.com) -- The answer to successful revegetation of native flora is in sourcing genetically diverse seed, not necessarily relying on seed sourced from remnant local native vegetation.
Massive World War II collection debuts online
(AP) -- An online collection of World War II documents, billed as the world's largest, debuted last week. Footnote.com, which archives historical documents on the Web, developed the collection...
Web site charts shortcuts through voice menus
(AP) -- In Dante's epic poem "Inferno," the main character has a guide, the Roman poet Virgil, to show him through the nine circles of hell. Seven centuries later,...
Video: Creationist challenges scientists to 'prove' evolution
Adnan Oktar – also known as Harun Yahya – denies the existence of fossil intermediaries linking primitive and modern species. Riazat Butt interviewed him
Patagonia Indian tribe faces extinction
PUERTO EDEN, Chile (Reuters) - Hawking sea lion skin souvenir canoes at one of South America's most remote outposts, Francisco Arroyo is among the last members of a Patagonian tribe...
PHOTO IN THE NEWS: "Medusa" Worms Found in Mud Volcano
The curly-tentacled critters are one of 20 new species of worm that survive on methane-rich seeps in the seafloor in the Gulf of Cadiz, off the coast of Spain.
Exotic Stone Relics Shed Light on Pre-Hispanic Cuba
Recently found ceremonial relics add to what we know about Arawakan Indian populations that Christopher Columbus encountered during his first voyage to the New World.
Flora not flourishing in world's hotspots
Researchers at the University of Calgary have found the biodiversity picture in the region known as the 'lungs of the Earth' contradicts commonly held views relating to extinction in that...
Auction allows winner to name a new species
Searching for a truly original holiday gift, one that could bestow a bit of immortality on a loved one or a friend?
Not too cute — Panda attacks keeper
A giant panda named Peace bit a park keeper's left leg while he was laying bamboo leaves in the animal's pen at a Hong Kong amusement park, officials said Tuesday.
Lebanese man digs up what may be the world's heaviest potato
A farmer in southern Lebanon digs up what he suspects is the heaviest potato in the world.
Exposure To Organochlorate Pollutants And Lead Weakens Animals Bones, According To Study
Researchers have studied for the first time in Spain the toxicological effects of organochlorate pollutants and lead in living creatures by investigating the bone tissue in bird populations.
Mystery Pyramid Built by Newfound Ancient Culture?
The Huapalcalco pyramid in central Mexico may be the work of a previously unknown culture of ancient people, the Huajomulco, archaeologists say.