Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
Pythons can devour bones thanks to unique stomach cells
Few predators swallow their prey whole. Even fewer can digest their meals with bones and all. But for some reptiles like the Burmese python (Python bivittatus), calcium-rich skeletons aren’t a digestive concern—they’re a...
50 years of the ‘Jaws effect’
Fifty years ago, Jaws kept scores of people away from the ocean–the primal fear of what lurks beneath, a terrifying soundtrack dominated by two low notes, and the constant need for a...
New pseudoscorpions with dragon-like jaws discovered in a South Korea cave
Pseudoscorpions may lack the pointy, poisonous tail of their more famous desert-dwelling cousins, but their crab-like front pincers still make them look quite formidable. Now, these small, sometimes overlooked arachnids are getting a...
Neanderthals made a ‘Swiss Army knife’ from cave lion bone
A famous prehistoric cave site in Belgium has yielded the oldest multifunctional tool of its kind. This Ice Age “Swiss Army knife” wasn’t crafted by early Homo sapiens, however. Instead, the handy accessory...
Mad emperor Caligula may have been a big plant guy
By most historical accounts, the Roman Emperor Caligula was a nightmare–a sadistic, debaucherous, and unstable despot. However, some new reevaluations of primary source documents and ethnobotanical fieldwork now suggests there was more to...
Oldest known dog breed reveals hidden human history
The Iditarod is the longest annual sled dog race– covering over 1,500 miles across Alaska. But there’s another impressive, long-distance sled dog journey worth considering: their slow motion race through time. A close...
Denver museum finds dinosaur bone under its parking lot
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science already houses a vast trove of dinosaur bones, but it recently received an unexpected addition to the collection. The latest fossil didn’t come from a...
New species of pterosaur discovered in Patagonia
This is a paleoartist's reconstruction of a ptesosaur. Scientists today announced the discovery of a new species of pterosaur from the Patagonia region of South America. The cranial remains...
Viral fossils reveal how our ancestors may have eliminated an ancient infection
Some viruses can insert their genetic material into the genome of their host, creating a genetic fossil record. Researchers have uncovered how our ancestors may have wiped out one such...
A drowned landscape held clues to the lives of ancient human relatives
The remains of extinct Homo erectus dredged from the seabed off Java, along with thousands of animal fossils, are revealing a long-lost ecosystem.
An ancient Earth impact could help in the search for Martian life
Strange cone-shaped rocks led scientists to the hidden remains of one of Earth’s oldest asteroid impacts. It could help us find fossil life on Mars.
Greenland sled dog DNA is a window into the Arctic’s archaeological past
A genomic analysis of Greenland’s Qimmeq dogs suggest they and their human partners arrived on the island centuries earlier than previously thought.
Crocodile rock: ancient beast named after Motörhead band's Lemmy
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A ferocious sea-going crocodile that menaced coastal waters about 164 million years ago during the Jurassic Period has been given a name honoring the similarly ferocious heavy-metal...
Engraved prehistoric human bones show ritualistic cannibalism
LONDON (Reuters) - Engravings on a human bone from a prehistoric archaeological site in a cave in southern England shows that human cannibals ate their prey and then performed ritualistic...
It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's a prehistoric gliding mammal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In dense Chinese forests populated by dinosaurs 160 million years ago, two furry critters resembling flying squirrels glided from tree to tree, showing that even in such...
Infant ape fossil skull illuminates humankind's remote past
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The lemon-sized fossil skull of an infant ape nicknamed Alesi that inhabited a Kenyan forest about 13 million years ago is offering a peek at what the...
Ancient wooden tools show human ancestors ate their veggies
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Onion holds up mirror; society flashes big smile (with green stuff in teeth)
Christine Wenc. Photo by Alexander Andre Nation & World Onion holds up mirror; society flashes big smile (with green stuff in teeth) How some students at University of Wisconsin-Madison created satiric cultural institution...
When trash becomes a universe
Arts & Culture When trash becomes a universe Bottle caps found on the Australian coast.© TRES [ilana boltvinik + rodrigo viñas], photo illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard staff Sy Boles Harvard Staff Writer June...
Long in the tooth
Science & Tech Long in the tooth Kevin Uno (left) and Daniel Green look at fossil samples in the lab. Photo by Grace DuVal Clea Simon Harvard Correspondent July 9, 2025 5...
A walking elegy, tiny gallery, and gentle Brutalism
Campus & Community A walking elegy, tiny gallery, and gentle Brutalism Photo illustration by Liz Zonarich/Harvard Staff July 9, 2025 2 min read Photography professor recommends 3 local spots to find beauty, solace...
Tired of dating apps? This touchy-feely singles mixer is unlike anything you've tried before
Dating in L.A. can be hard. The Feels is an IRL singles event that weaves meditation, talking prompts and somatic exercises to help participants connect on a deeper level.
BBC Inside Science
Hands on with the new research at this year’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition
The truth about life on other planets - and what it means for humans
Could discoveries of alien life ever change the human psyche in how we view ourselves and each other?
Solving the mystery of a dinosaur mass grave at the 'River of Death'
A group of researchers have come to Pipestone Creek in Canada to figure out why thousands of dinosaurs are buried here.
Huge Roman 'jigsaw' reveals 2,000-year-old wall paintings
Thousands of fragments of plaster are pieced together to reveal frescos from a Roman London villa.
Asteroid contains building blocks of life, say scientists
Bennu contains minerals and thousands of organic molecules, including the chemical components that make up DNA.
Why scientists are counting tiny marine creatures, from Space
Differences in seawater colour could reveal how tiny Antarctic creatures are faring in a warming world.