To be human is to wonder what happens after we die. Is there an afterlife? If so, what does it look like? But a question you may not have asked yourself is: what does the afterlife smell like? To ancient Egyptians, however, ...
Archaeology
Sep 11, 2023
0
7
Footprints on a sandy surface don't usually last long: they're washed away by water, wiped out by wind or covered over by new tracks. At certain sites in southern Africa, though, some traces of animals have lasted for many ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Aug 15, 2023
0
32
Microorganisms—in particular bacteria—are skillful chemists that can produce an impressive diversity of chemical compounds known as natural products. These metabolites provide the microbes major evolutionary advantages, ...
Cell & Microbiology
May 6, 2023
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27
The analysis of ancient DNA allows scientists to trace human evolution and make important discoveries about modern populations. The data revealed by ancient DNA sampling can be valuable, but the human remains that carry this ...
Archaeology
Jan 11, 2023
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12
As long as humans have been around, there have been pathogens to make us sick. Some have achieved infamy in human history—the bubonic plague, for example, or smallpox—and with modern technologies, scientists can time-travel ...
Evolution
Oct 17, 2022
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15
When the first modern humans arose in East Africa sometime between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago, the world was very different compared to today. Perhaps the biggest difference was that we—meaning people of our species, ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Oct 10, 2022
0
116
For the first time, a Nobel Prize recognized the field of anthropology, the study of humanity. Svante Pääbo, a pioneer in the study of ancient DNA, or aDNA, was awarded the 2022 prize in physiology or medicine for his breathtaking ...
Paleontology & Fossils
Oct 5, 2022
0
26
Dating is everything in archaeology. Exciting discoveries of ancient burial sites or jewelry might make headlines, but for scientists, this kind of discovery is only meaningful if we can tell how old the artifacts are.
Archaeology
Sep 8, 2022
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7
Neanderthals have served as a reflection of our own humanity since they were first discovered in 1856. What we think we know about them has been shaped and molded to fit our cultural trends, social norms and scientific standards. ...
Archaeology
Sep 5, 2022
2
1111
Circular mounds of rocks dot the desert landscape at the archaeological site of Tombos in northern Sudan. They reveal tumuli—the underground burial tombs used at least as far back as 2500 B.C. by ancient inhabitants who ...
Archaeology
Apr 13, 2022
1
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