Ancient skeletal hand could reveal evolutionary secrets
A 4.4 million-year-old skeleton could show how early humans moved and began to walk upright, according to new research led by a Texas A&M anthropology professor.
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Cover Stories
How did dogs get to the Americas? An ancient bone fragment holds clues
The remains -- thought to be the oldest confirmed from a dog in the Americas -- support the theory that the animals may have traveled with people along a coastal route.
New dating techniques reveal Australia’s oldest known rock painting
Kangaroo painting thought to be 17,300 years old.
CT scans of Egyptian mummy reveal new details about the death of a pivotal pharaoh
New interpretations based on medical imaging suggest Seqenenre-Taa-II was executed by multiple attackers and embalmers had skillfully concealed some head wounds.
A genetic variant inherited from Neanderthals reduces the risk of severe COVID-19
DNA variants passed on to modern humans from Neanderthals can increase as well as decrease our ability to fight SARS-CoV-2, a new PNAS study finds.
Climate change likely drove the extinction of North America’s largest animals
New research suggests that overhunting by humans was not responsible for the extinction of mammoths, ground sloths, and other North American megafauna.
Neanderthals and Homo sapiens used identical Nubian technology
Neanderthal genes altered neurodevelopment in modern human brain organoids
On the origin of our species
Research indicates modern human origins much more complex than a single time and place.
Ancient seashell instrument resonates after 18,000 years
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Other Stories
Multispectral imaging reveals ancient Hebrew inscription undetected for over 50 years
Military correspondence from the First Temple period discovered on reverse side of well-studied artifact at The Israel Museum, Tel Aviv University researchers say.
New research reveals earliest directly dated rock paintings from southern Africa
Scientists have pioneered a technique to directly date prehistoric rock paintings in southern Africa, which revealed dates much older than previously thought.
Springs were critical water sources for early humans in East Africa, Rutgers study finds
Scientists show how groundwater-fed springs may have influenced human evolution.
Shared genetic heritage from Sicily to Cyprus
A new genomic study on southern Mediterranean reveals a genetic continuity across geographic and national borders.
Bonobos may be better representation of last common ancestor with humans
Study examined muscles of bonobos and found they are more closely related to humans than common chimpanzees.
Secrets of the paleo diet: Discovery reveals plant-based menu of prehistoric man
A collection of 780,000-year-old edible plants found in Israel is the largest and most diverse in the Levantine corridor linking Africa and Eurasia.
Bitumen from Middle East discovered in 7th century buried ship in UK
Presence of rare tar-like material may suggest trade between Middle East, British Isles.
Bone scans suggest early hominin ‘Lucy’ spent significant time in trees
Australopithecus afarensis arm bones were strong relative to leg bones; walking gait was likely inefficient.
A National Treasure Tells the Story of Hawaii’s Heritage
Archaeology meets the public at the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum.
Neanderthal inheritance helped humans adapt to life outside of Africa
Traits inherited for skin and the immune system may have helped buttress survivability through the ages, new study suggests.
Middle Stone Age ochre processing tools reveal cultural and behavioral complexity
Range of ochre processing techniques produced powder of varying color and coarseness.
The Once and Future Cobá
Best known for its Maya ruins, today’s living community of Cobá is set to get a major face lift.
Study finds earliest evidence in fossil record for right-handedness
Teeth striations of Homo habilis fossil date back 1.8 million years.
