Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
Anything But Modest: The Mouse Continues To Contribute To Humankind
"Big things come in small packages," the saying goes, and it couldn't be more true when discussing the mouse. This little creature has become a crucial part of human history...
Red more than just a lucky color for Chinese
Red might be more than just a lucky color for Chinese athletes competing at the Olympics.
2.5 million-year-old mastodon unearthed
Miners in Romania have unearthed the skeleton of a 2.5 million-year-old mastodon, believed to be one of the best preserved in Europe, a local official said Friday.
Vienna celebrates Venus centenary
Austrians mark 100 years since the discovery of a tiny but curvy figurine, dubbed the Venus of Willendorf, dating back 25,000 years.
Pinpointing Genetic Variations In European Americans
Researchers have identified just 200 positions within the curves of the DNA helix that they believe capture much of the genetic diversity in European Americans, a population with one of...
Birds Move Farther North; Climate Change Link Considered
Scientists have documented, for the first time in the northeastern United States, that a variety of bird species are extending their breeding ranges to the north, a pattern that adds...
PHOTOS: Olympics Opening Ceremony Bursts With Color
Ancient culture and high-tech pyrotechnics take center stage in Beijing.
Iron Age Warrior with Roman Links Found in U.K.
The chieftain, found buried with a bronze helmet and ornate shield, hints at close connections with the Romans before the empire's conquest of Britain, archaeologists say.
Complete Neanderthal Mitochondrial Genome Sequenced From 38,000-year-old Bone
The complete mitochondrial genome of a 38,000-year-old Neanderthal has been sequenced. The findings open a window into the Neanderthals' past and helps answer lingering questions about our relationship to them.
Neanderthals, modern humans share ancestor, scientists say
Researchers find a DNA link between the two species. ...
VIDEO: Huge Insectarium Opens
The largest insectarium in the U.S. recently opened in New Orleans, allowing visitors to touch—and even eat—some of the insects.
Spiders Make Stronger Silk to Catch Bigger Prey
When they're hunting smaller insects, the arachnids save energy by producing weaker silk threads that are easier to make, new research finds.
King Tut Tomb Fetuses May Reveal Pharaoh's Mother
Two mummified fetuses found in King Tut's tomb will undergo DNA testing to determine their relation to the famous pharaoh, Egyptian officials announced today.
Dachshunds gene 'blindness clue'
A genetic mutation in dachshunds could help uncover the roots of some inherited forms of blindness in humans, say scientists.
32 lab monkeys accidentally killed
Thirty-two research monkeys quarantined at a lab in Nevada were accidentally killed in May due to overheating.
Phallus-shaped flower is botanical superstar
It's one of the world's largest flowers, it stinks of rotting meat or rancid cheese and looks very much like a giant penis.
Humans may have killed megafauna
New research has found that Tasmania's giant marsupials were still roaming when humans first arrived, suggesting our ancestors, not climate, played the major role in the megafauna extinction.
Newer Forensic Techniques Help Solve Cases
Scientists have found ways to tease even more clues out of fingerprints' telltale marks - one in a string of developments that gives modern forensics even better ways to solve...
Poland to open museum for cousin of T-Rex
LISOWICE, Poland (Reuters) - Poland opens a museum on Thursday to exhibit the remains of a previously unknown dinosaur, an ancestor of Tyrannosaurus Rex, which have attracted scientists from around...
14 Tons of Frozen Scaly Anteaters Seized in Indonesia
The recent bust of 14 tons of frozen pangolin meat is only the latest sign of the mammal's soaring demand in China, experts say.
Bulgarian archaeologists discover ancient chariot
(AP) -- Archaeologists have unearthed a 1,900-year-old well-preserved chariot at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Thursday.
Shakespeare's 2nd Theater Likely Unearthed
The theater where "The Merchant of Venice" and "Romeo and Juliet" likely debuted and where William Shakespeare himself may have trodden the boards has likely been discovered in east London,...
FBI Releases Documents on Suspected Anthrax Poisoner
Few details of genetic analysis revealed; many questions remain
Milk Use Began 2,000 Years Earlier Than Thought
Cow herders in northwest Turkey became the world's first dairy producers some 8,500 years ago, a new discovery of ancient milk containers shows.
Video: Gigantic fossil find in Romania
Aug. 6: The most complete collection of bones from the Borsoni Mammoth species is uncovered in Romania. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports. (msnbc.com)
German scientists dig for their own Stonehenge
Archaeologists have discovered traces of a Bronze Age place of worship in Germany in what they say might be the country's answer to Stonehenge.
The power of the mysterious
One of the great mysteries of my life is how hard people have worked to link up art and science. The argument always seems to be that because they both...
PHOTOS: Ancient Temple Torn by Border Fight in Asia
A dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over a centuries-old temple on the Cambodian border has created a political standoff that could turn violent.