Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology

A tale worth telling of four women scientists whose names you should know but don't

1 year ago from LA Times - Science

Lise Meitner helped discover nuclear fission. She and her "sisters in science" had to escape the hostility of the Third Reich to women academics.

The chances of an asteroid hitting Earth in 2032 have changed. But what's the risk, really?

1 year ago from LA Times - Science

The odds of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth has jumped from more than 1% to 3% and back down to 1.5%.

How Did an Aquarium Stingray Get Pregnant without a Mate?

1 year ago from Scientific American

Charlotte, a stingray in a small North Carolina aquarium, is taking a DIY approach to reproduction

UK's biggest ever dinosaur footprint site unearthed

About 200 footprints made by dinosaurs 166 million years ago have been unearthed in a quarry in Oxfordshire.

'Once-in-a-century' discovery reveals spectacular luxury of Pompeii

A huge private bathhouse is found after lying hidden for 2,000 years under volcanic rock and ash.

First glimpse inside burnt scroll after 2,000 years

The document charred by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius is being 'unwrapped' using X-ray scans and AI.

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.

Beginnings of Roman London discovered in office basement

The discovery has been described as one of the most important pieces of Roman history in the City of London.

'Oldest horse' thrives on linseed cake and light exercise

Roana has recently celebrated her 46th birthday and is believed to be the oldest horse in the UK

Man's brain turned to glass by hot Vesuvius ash cloud

The pea-sized brain was found in the skull of a 20-year-old man killed in the volcanic eruption.

Genetic drive to overeat found in labradors and humans

Scientists have found a genetic cause of many labradors' - and some people's - tendency to overeat.

125 million-year-old fossil of giant venomous scorpion that lived alongside dinosaurs discovered in China

1 year ago from Live Science

Extremely rare fossil of an ancient scorpion unearthed at China's Jehol Biota. The scorpion would've been a key species in the Cretaceous ecosystem, scientists say.

Hoard of silver Roman coins found in UK — and some date to reign of Marcus Aurelius

1 year ago from Live Science

The silver coins were minted over a period of more than 200 years, suggesting that Roman currency at this time was relatively stable.

2,400-year-old puppets with 'dramatic facial expression' discovered atop pyramid in El Salvador

1 year ago from Live Science

These striking puppets suggest that Indigenous people in what is now El Salvador had rituals that were more connected to the rest of Central American culture than previously thought.

Scientists realize 'Viking' shipwreck is something else entirely

1 year ago from Live Science

A more than 500-year-old shipwreck off the coast of Sweden isn't a Viking vessel after all, scientists have found.

1.5 million-year-old bone tools crafted by human ancestors in Tanzania are oldest of their kind

1 year ago from Live Science

The discovery of 1.5 million-year-old bone tools upends what we know about tool manufacturing in East Africa.

2,600-year-old jewelry stash from ancient Egypt includes gold statuette depicting family of gods

1 year ago from Live Science

Archaeologists have found a hoard of 2,600-year-old jewelry at Karnak Temple in Egypt.

29,000-year-old remains of child unearthed in Thailand cave with 'symbols of blood and power'

1 year ago from Live Science

The skeleton of a Stone Age child discovered in Thailand is rewriting what experts know about the prehistory of the area.

Mount Roraima: The 'lost world' isolated for millions of years that Indigenous people call the 'house of the gods'

1 year ago from Live Science

Mount Roraima is a flat-topped formation with crystal-clear pools, waterfalls and a unique ecosystem that has been isolated from the surrounding savanna for millions of years.

28,000-year-old Neanderthal-and-human 'Lapedo child' lived tens of thousands of years after our closest relatives went extinct

1 year ago from Live Science

Researchers used a novel method of radiocarbon dating to figure out the age of the Lapedo child, who had both Neanderthal and human traits.

Was medieval armor bulletproof?

1 year ago from Live Science

The metal suits worn by knights during the Middle Ages were originally designed to protect against weapons such as swords. But could medieval armor also stop bullets?

Northwestern Morocco was inhabited long before the Phoenicians arrived, 4,200-year-old settlement reveals

1 year ago from Live Science

An archaeological site in the area dates back about 4,200 years.

Pet cats arrived in China via the Silk Road 1,400 years ago, ancient DNA study finds

1 year ago from Live Science

How and when domestic cats arrived in China has been a mystery. A new analysis of cat DNA suggests traders and diplomats likely carried the pets with them along the...

'Once-in-a-lifetime' planetary parade photo captures 10 celestial bodies in a single shot

1 year ago from Space.com

A rare grouping of 10 celestial bodies is captured in a stunning new photo taken during last weekend’s great planetary parade.

Highly expressive ancient puppets found in Salvadorian pyramid

1 year ago from PopSci

A collection of 2,400-year-old ceramic puppets found atop a Salvadorian pyramid are forcing archaeologists to rethink the country’s historical connection with its Central American neighbors. Three of the figures were made of fine...

Scientists pinpoint age of suspected human-Neanderthal hybrid child

1 year ago from PopSci

Advanced radiocarbon dating has provided the most accurate age assessment yet for the “Lapedo Child,” one of the most provocative prehistoric human skeletons ever discovered. But the results of this study published March...

How a Yukon entomologist's fascination with beetle genitalia inspired an art project

A retired Yukon-based entomologist is finding artistic inspiration in the tiniest and most private of places: beetle genitalia.