Latest science news in Paleontology & Archaeology
PHOTO IN THE NEWS: Oldest Spider Web Found in Amber
An amateur paleontologist picked up a piece of amber on the south coast of England that scientists say holds a 140-million-year-old spider web.
Over 1,000 species discovered in the Greater Mekong in past decade
A rat thought extinct for 11 million years and a hot-pink, cyanide-producing dragon millipede are among a thousand new species discovered in the Greater Mekong Region of Southeast Asia in...
Dinosaur Killer May Have Been Volcanism, Not Asteroid
More evidence that volcanism, not a space rock, may be the culprit behind the dinosaurs' demise.
Ancient armored amphibian had world's oddest bite
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A peculiar amphibian that was clad in bony armor prowled warm lakes 210 million years ago, catching fish and other tasty snacks with one of the most...
Gibbon feet provide model for early human walking
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that early humans could have walked successfully on a 'flexible' flat foot, similar to modern day gibbons. The arched 'rigid' foot of...
Natives not best for revegatation
Researchers have found that the answer to successful revegetation is finding the most genetically diverse seeds, which aren't always local.
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.
Rare Lead Bars Discovered Off The Coast Of Ibiza May Be Carthaginian Munitions
Archaeologists have recovered three lead bars which may originate from the third century before Christ, 39 meters under the sea off the north coast of Ibiza. One of the bars...
Freezing vaults guard Earth's flora
The ultramodern facility in the tranquil English countryside looks like a perfect lab for a James Bond villain, but it doesn't hide anything sinister. The only thing kept here are...
4,000-year-old Amber Necklace Has Been Unearthed In England
The rare find was unearthed from a stone-lined grave -- known as a Cist. It is the first time a necklace of this kind from the early Bronze Age has...
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...
Aurochs was still living in the Netherlands around AD 600
Archaeological researchers at the University of Groningen have discovered that the aurochs, the predecessor of our present-day cow, lived in the Netherlands for longer than originally assumed. Remains of bones...
Ancient brain tissue found in Britain
LONDON, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- Archeologists in England say they've found an ancient human brain buried in a small pit near York.
T. Rex, Other Dinosaurs Had Heads Full of Air
Cavernous air spaces inside of dinosaur skulls, including T. Rex, may have provided a lighter body weight for their descendants to take to the skies.
Hawaii’s honeyeater birds tricked taxonomists
DNA from old museum specimens reveals evolutionary look-alikes
"Hobbit" Controversy Makes Top 100 Science Stories
The December 2008 issue of Discover magazine included in its top 100 science stories of the year studies that back the "new species" theory of the 18,000-year-old hominid found on...
Tools with handles even more ancient
New finds move back the origins of Stone Age tools that were attached to handles with adhesive material
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...
Chinese pandas ready for trip to Taiwan
Two pandas are headed from mainland China to Taiwan in a highly anticipated exchange signifying warming ties between the longtime rivals.
Tiny Indonesia islands to honor British naturalist
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's remote Moluccas islands plans to build a museum and an observatory in honor of British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who in the 19th century spent many...
Heads up in the Triassic!
When you take a bite out of a hamburger or chomp down on a piece of gum, you share this function of the lower jaw with the vast majority of...
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...
WEEK IN PHOTOS: White Lions, Athens Riots, More
Human trafficking protestors ride airport luggage belts, devilish creatures roam the streets of Germany, a white lion is born, and more in this week's best news photos.
Evolution Arguments Headed for Islamic World
The next major battle over evolutionary theory is likely to occur in the Islamic world.
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.
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.