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Why humans have smaller faces than Neanderthals

The human face is strikingly distinct from our fossil cousins and ancestors—most notably, it is significantly smaller, and more gracile. However, the reasons behind this change remain largely unknown. A team of researchers ...

From dinosaurs to birds: The origins of feather formation

Feathers are among the most complex cutaneous appendages in the animal kingdom. While their evolutionary origin has been widely debated, paleontological discoveries and developmental biology studies suggest that feathers ...

New Zealand once home to southern elephant seals

Southern elephant seals are the "canary in the coal mine" for the Southern Ocean, offering insight into how the ecosystem may react to future climate change and human impact, new research shows.

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Cell & Microbiology
Unusual desert rocks suggest unknown microorganism that uses marble and limestone as a habitat
Paleontology & Fossils
New report calls for return of human remains—but UK museums lack the resources to act
Paleontology & Fossils
Oldest cerapodan ornithischian dinosaur discovered in Morocco
Ecology
Discovery of a new species of fossil tree helps paint picture of ancient African forest
Paleontology & Fossils
Ancient seafloor creature grew like modern marine invertebrates, study suggests
Paleontology & Fossils
Vulture fossil discovery reveals how volcanic deposits can preserve the microscopic details of animal tissues
Paleontology & Fossils
A 15-million-year-old fossilized freshwater fish with preserved stomach contents is a newly discovered species
Evolution
How big brains and flexible skulls led to the evolution of modern birds
Paleontology & Fossils
Museums have tons of data, and AI could make it more accessible
Paleontology & Fossils
The first fossil thrips in Africa: this tiny insect pest met its end in a volcanic lake 90 million years ago
Paleontology & Fossils
Western Europe's oldest human face discovered in Spain
Paleontology & Fossils
Melanosome patterns in Mesozoic mammals suggest they had dark, uniformly dull fur coloring
Paleontology & Fossils
Rare aardvark trace fossils discovered in South Africa
Evolution
DNA and 90 million-year-old pollen fossils reveal new insights into evolution of Asian tropics
Paleontology & Fossils
Dinosaur tracks, made 140 million years ago, have been found for the first time in South Africa's Western Cape
Evolution
We modeled how early human ancestors ran—and found they were surprisingly slow
Paleontology & Fossils
Archaeologists uncover the oldest known partial face fossil of a human ancestor in western Europe
Paleontology & Fossils
Unnoticed for decades, dinosaur footprints at Australian school reveal ancient secrets
Paleontology & Fossils
Terrestrial 'life oasis' from end-Permian mass extinction period discovered in China
Paleontology & Fossils
'Old stump' spotted by deer hunter is actually a mammoth tusk, Texas researchers say

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Archaeology
Climate change and prehistoric human populations: Study finds eastward shift of settlement areas at end of last Ice Age
Biotechnology
Scientists develop a way to scale up spatial genomics and lower costs
Bio & Medicine
Engineers develop a way to mass manufacture nanoparticles that deliver cancer drugs directly to tumors
General Physics
Intriguing excess of top-quark pairs hints at discovery of smallest composite particle
Astronomy
When a black hole winks at you: Variability identified in supermassive black hole in Andromeda galaxy
Space Exploration
Rising odds asteroid that briefly threatened Earth will hit moon
Optics & Photonics
Twisted crystals open door to smaller, more powerful sensors for optical devices
Plants & Animals
Timid tinkerers: Shy mice are more persistent problem-solvers, study finds
Condensed Matter
Physicists uncover electronic interactions mediated via spin waves
Environment
Proceed with caution: Emerging marine-climate projects outpacing effective governance
General Physics
Theoretical physicists unveil 'supermazes' to decode black-hole microstructure
Biotechnology
Supercomputer models microtubule dynamics, offering new insights into neurodegenerative diseases
Earth Sciences
AI model can predict lightning-induced wildfires with unprecedented accuracy
Astronomy
HD 144812 is a rare post-red supergiant star in a binary system, observations find
Environment
How much microplastic is generated during mountain biking?
Condensed Matter
Microwave pulses can control ion-molecule reactions at near absolute zero
Earth Sciences
Why not every saltwater inflow benefits the Baltic Sea equally
Plants & Animals
Off-key beginnings: Baby lemurs sing out of tune, just like human children
Bio & Medicine
Bacteria-enhanced graphene oxide nanoparticles provide triple-action tumor eradication
Cell & Microbiology
Chromatin remodeling captured in comprehensive structural study