Researchers, including Penn State biologist Tom Stewart, have completed a groundbreaking reconstruction of the skeleton of Tiktaalik, a 375-million-year-old fossil fish considered a close relative of limbed vertebrates. This reconstruction, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveals a crucial innovation in Tiktaalik’s anatomy – the possible attachment of its ribs to … Read more
Two groundbreaking studies published back-to-back in Nature offer a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of mammals. Led by Dr. Mao Fangyuan and Dr. Zhang Chi from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the research team unearthed two remarkable Jurassic mammaliaform fossils from China. These fossils provide crucial insights into the early diversification of teeth, the development … Read more
Researchers led by Dr. Kristina Curry Rogers of Macalester College, Minnesota, have shed light on the growth patterns of early dinosaurs and their contemporaries. Fast growth rates have long been considered a hallmark of dinosaurs, potentially contributing to their dominance during the Mesozoic Era (252 to 66 million years ago). However, this study reveals a … Read more
Archaeologists from Sapienza University of Rome, delving into the depths of the Battifratta cave nestled within the rugged terrain near Poggio Nativo in the Sabina region of Lazio, Italy, unearthed a remarkable find—a clay figurine bearing distinctly female features. Dating back approximately 7000 years to the Neolithic period, this artifact offers a glimpse into the … Read more
Recent research conducted by a team of anthropologists at University College London (UCL) has provided fresh insights into the divergence between Neanderthals and modern humans. Contrary to previous DNA-based estimates, which proposed a relatively recent split between the two lineages, this study indicates that Neanderthals and modern humans may have diverged much earlier—potentially more than … Read more
The discovery and analysis of ancient human remains provide invaluable insights into our shared history, shedding light on the migrations, interactions, and cultural developments of early human societies. Among these, the Aurignacians, a culturally sophisticated group that thrived in Europe around 40,000 years ago, have long intrigued researchers. Now, a collaborative effort involving researchers from … Read more
Recent advancements in genetic research have shed new light on the origins of our furry companions, revealing intriguing insights into the domestication of dogs. A groundbreaking study led by Krishna R. Veeramah, Ph.D., of Stony Brook University, in collaboration with researchers from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, has unveiled compelling evidence regarding the ancestry of modern … Read more
A groundbreaking study, led by scientists from the Francis Crick Institute, University of Oxford, and University of Vienna, sheds new light on the early history of dogs. By analyzing the DNA of ancient canines, the research team unveils a surprising level of diversity among dogs as early as 11,000 years ago, just after the Ice … Read more
An international team, led by Durham University’s Dr. Angela Perri, delves into the archaeological and genetic records, painting a clearer picture of how dogs became integrated into human societies and potentially even aided in the peopling of the Americas. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), reveals that the … Read more
Around 11,500 years ago, in what is now northeast Jordan, people began to live with dogs and may also have used them for hunting, according to a new study by archaeologists from the University of Copenhagen and University College London. They suggest that the introduction of dogs as hunting aids may explain the dramatic increase … Read more