Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
Presenting: Cro-Magnon v. Neanderthal in the Battle of Extinction
Back in pre-historic times, say, 130,000-30,000 years ago, Europe was dominated not by quaint cafes and dainty bakeries, but by a group of not-quite humans called Neanderthals. In the form...
Female circumcision prevalent in Kurdistan
BAGHDAD, Dec. 29 (UPI) -- Female circumcision is widespread in Iraq's Kurdistan region, despite it having what is considered a more progressive society, women's advocacy groups say.
Tom Muir, Paul Nurse honored at Science and the City Gala
The New York Academy of Sciences has honored Rockefeller University professor Tom W. Muir with a Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists, and also presented Rockefeller president Paul Nurse with a...
Oldest bat has swingin’ birthday soiree
Tanner the golden bat, the oldest of his kind in captivity, will celebrate his 23rd birthday by hanging around and chomping on a few pieces of papaya, mango and melon.
Climate change linked to decline in Asian monsoon
Climate change may be affecting the Asian monsoon cycle, according to an analysis of ancient Chinese stalagmites.
Madeleine Bunting: Darwin shouldn't be hijacked by New Atheists - he is an ethical inspiration
Next year there will be no escaping one man and his legacy - 2009 will be marked by television series, books, debates, conferences and exh
When the woolly mammoth ran out, early man turned to roasted vegetables
Ovens made of super-heated rocks allowed primitive humans to cooks lily bulbs, wild onions and other plants for days to make them edible. ...
Iraq prison riot leaves 13 dead
Authorities say a suspected Sunni Arab insurgent with ties to Al Qaeda in Iraq persuaded a guard to open his cell door, then overpowered him, setting off the riot in...
Researchers find fatal flaws in designer Viking swords
It must have been an appalling moment when a Viking realised he had paid two cows for a fake designer sword: a clash of blade on blade in battle would...
Top webcams show people, science, history and animals
From the profound to the routine, from science to silliness via cityscapes and a natural wonder, the 25 most interesting webcams of the year offer viewers slices of the world.
Study finds Alberta pregnant women smoking
CALGARY, Alberta, Dec. 25 (UPI) -- The government of the Canadian province of Alberta says a study it ordered found a disturbing number of pregnant women have been...
VIDEO: Santa Inundated With Mail
In a remote corner of Finland near the Arctic Circle, an international team of elves helps Santa respond to hundreds of thousands of letters from children around the world.
Stone sarcophagus uncovered in Syria
DARAA, Syria, Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Archaeologists in Syria say they've found a Roman-era stone sarcophagus carved with women's faces and images of flowers, a lion and a...
Passage Graves From An Astronomical Perspective
Passage graves are mysterious barrows from the Stone Age. New research indicates that the Stone Age graves' orientation in the landscape could have an astronomical explanation. The Danish passage graves...
Spain’s Biggest Meteorite Strike Remembered 150 Years On
Early on Christmas Eve, 1858 “people who in the streets, on pathways and in the fields saw a magnificent ball of fire appear, which shone with a brilliant, blinding light...
TOP TEN SPACE PHOTOS: Most Viewed of 2008
See National Geographic News's most popular astronomy photos of 2008, including stunning supernova remains, exoplanet firsts, and a rare celestial smiley face.
Downturn hits Chicago's natural history museum
Staff and science cut as museum's endowments crash.
Ancient Family Heirlooms Used to Snort Hallucinogens
Anthropologists ponder the mystery of three inhaling bowls found in the Antilles.
Life got bigger in two, million-fold leaps, scientists say
Earth's creatures come in all sizes, yet they (and we) all sprang from the same single-celled organisms that first populated the planet. So how on Earth did life go from...
Life on Earth got bigger in 2-million-fold leaps
Extremes are exciting. Does anyone really think dinosaurs would capture our imagination the way they do if they hadn't been so huge? You don't see natural history museums vying for...
'Proto-spiders' made silk, but not webs
An arachnid with no talent for weaving may have excreted the first known spider silk 386 million years ago.
Rare rhino calves found in Indonesian jungle
Four calves of the world's rarest species of rhino have been found in remote jungle on Indonesia's Java island, giving hope to efforts to save them from extinction, an official...
A rubbish life for LA marathon recycler
Dave Chameides has spent almost an entire year living a life full of utter garbage, and hoping he can inspire other Americans to do the same.
Museums Give Science the Spark of Life
The musty, hands-off institutions of the past have been brought up to date, with plenty of interactivity for even the smallest visitors.
Colorado newspaper employees go online with survival plea
Employees of the Rocky Mountain News have turned to the Web in a desperate bid to save the struggling Colorado newspaper.
Sacred texts: Vatican embraces iTunes prayer book
(AP) -- The Vatican is endorsing new technology that brings the book of daily prayers used by priests straight onto iPhones.
Israelis unearth Byzantine gold hoard
(AP) -- Israeli archaeologists said they have unearthed more than 250 gold coins from the seventh century on the edge of Jerusalem's walled Old City. A British tourist volunteering...
Low-Fare Carriers Still Not Enough Competition for Major Airlines across the Tasman
(PhysOrg.com) -- The entry of low-fare carriers into the trans-Tasman routes between Australia and New Zealand do not threaten long-standing incumbent airlines, Qantas and Air New Zealand.