https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/early_humans/ Read about early humans in this anthropology news section. Early human development, early human migration, culture and more. Photos. en-us Tue, 04 Nov 2025 11:31:38 EST Tue, 04 Nov 2025 11:31:38 EST 60 https://www.sciencedaily.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/early_humans/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104094133.htm Researchers uncovered a 2.75–2.44 million-year-old site in Kenya showing that early humans maintained stone tool traditions for nearly 300,000 years despite extreme climate swings. The tools, remarkably consistent across generations, helped our ancestors adapt and survive. The discovery reshapes our understanding of how early technology anchored human evolution. Tue, 04 Nov 2025 09:41:33 EST https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251104094133.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251101000412.htm For decades, Paranthropus robustus has intrigued scientists as a powerful, big-jawed cousin of early humans. Now, thanks to ancient protein analysis, researchers have cracked open new secrets hidden in 2-million-year-old tooth enamel. These proteins revealed both sex and subtle genetic differences among fossils, suggesting Paranthropus might not have been one species but a more complex evolutionary mix. Sat, 01 Nov 2025 05:21:59 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251101000412.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251029100152.htm UCL scientists found that human skulls evolved much faster than those of other apes, reflecting the powerful forces driving our brain growth and facial flattening. By comparing 3D models of ape skulls, they showed that humans changed about twice as much as expected. The findings suggest that both cognitive and social factors, not just intelligence, influenced our evolutionary path. Wed, 29 Oct 2025 11:55:32 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251029100152.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251027023809.htm New research shows that the rise of Sumer was deeply tied to the tidal and sedimentary dynamics of ancient Mesopotamia. Early communities harnessed predictable tides for irrigation, but when deltas cut off the Gulf’s tides, they faced crisis and reinvented their society. This interplay of environment and culture shaped Sumer’s myths, politics, and innovations, marking the dawn of civilization. Mon, 27 Oct 2025 02:38:09 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251027023809.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251024041828.htm Scientists have unveiled Khankhuuluu, a new Mongolian dinosaur species that predates and closely resembles early Tyrannosaurs. With its long snout, small horns, and lean build, it represents a transitional form between swift mid-sized predators and giant apex hunters like T. rex. The find also suggests that large Tyrannosaurs first evolved in North America following an ancient migration from Asia. Fri, 24 Oct 2025 10:01:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251024041828.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251015230952.htm Long before humans built cities or wrote words, our ancestors may have faced a hidden threat that shaped who we became. Scientists studying ancient teeth found that early humans, great apes, and even Neanderthals were exposed to lead millions of years ago. This toxic metal can damage the brain, yet modern humans developed a tiny genetic change that protected our minds and allowed language and intelligence to flourish. Thu, 16 Oct 2025 10:31:28 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251015230952.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251011105529.htm New research along Turkey’s Ayvalık coast reveals a once-submerged land bridge that may have helped early humans cross from Anatolia into Europe. Archaeologists uncovered 138 Paleolithic tools across 10 sites, indicating the region was a crucial migration corridor during the Ice Age. The findings challenge traditional migration theories centered on the Balkans and Levant, suggesting instead that humans used now-vanished pathways across the Aegean. Sun, 12 Oct 2025 09:04:36 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251011105529.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251006051107.htm A sweeping new geoarchaeological study has revealed how Egypt’s famed Karnak Temple complex rose from an island amid Nile floods to become one of the ancient world’s most enduring sacred centers. By analyzing sediments and pottery fragments, researchers traced its transformation across three millennia and uncovered evidence that its placement may have mirrored the ancient Egyptian creation myth—where the first land emerged from primeval waters. Mon, 06 Oct 2025 05:11:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251006051107.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251002074013.htm A strange Jurassic lizard discovered on Scotland’s Isle of Skye is shaking up what we know about snake evolution. Named Breugnathair elgolensis, the “false snake of Elgol” combined hook-like, python-style teeth and jaws with the short body and limbs of a lizard. Researchers spent nearly a decade studying the 167-million-year-old fossil, revealing that it belonged to a newly defined group of squamates and carried features of both snakes and geckos. Thu, 02 Oct 2025 07:40:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251002074013.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250919085232.htm From the wreck of the royal Danish-Norwegian flagship Gribshunden, archaeologists have uncovered a rare glimpse into the naval power of the late Middle Ages. This warship, lost in 1495, carried an arsenal of small guns designed for close-range combat, symbolizing the technological leap that allowed European nations to dominate the seas. More than just a vessel, it served as King Hans’ floating castle, projecting both diplomatic influence and military might. Fri, 19 Sep 2025 20:06:01 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250919085232.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250914205853.htm On remote islands of Papua New Guinea, people carry a story that ties us all back to our deepest roots. Although their striking appearance once puzzled scientists, new genetic evidence shows they share a common ancestry with other Asians, shaped by isolation, adaptation, and even interbreeding with mysterious Denisovans. Yet, their unique history — marked by survival bottlenecks and separation from farming-driven booms — leaves open questions about the earliest migrations out of Africa and whether their lineage holds traces of a forgotten branch of humanity. Mon, 15 Sep 2025 08:38:14 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250914205853.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250910000305.htm A groundbreaking discovery on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi reveals that early hominins crossed treacherous seas over a million years ago, leaving behind stone tools that reshape our understanding of ancient migration. These findings, older than previous evidence in the region, highlight Sulawesi as a critical piece of the puzzle in human evolution. Yet, the absence of fossils keeps the identity of these tool-makers shrouded in mystery, sparking new questions about whether they were Homo erectus and how isolation on a massive island might have influenced their evolution. Wed, 10 Sep 2025 19:42:12 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250910000305.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250905112303.htm Scientists have uncovered microbial DNA preserved in mammoth remains dating back more than one million years, revealing the oldest host-associated microbial DNA ever recovered. By sequencing nearly 500 specimens, the team identified ancient bacterial lineages—including some linked to modern elephant diseases—that coexisted with mammoths for hundreds of thousands of years. These discoveries shed light on the deep evolutionary history of microbes, their role in megafaunal health, and how they may have influenced adaptation and extinction. Fri, 05 Sep 2025 12:33:02 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/09/250905112303.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250828002415.htm Scientists have finally uncovered direct genetic evidence of Yersinia pestis — the bacterium behind the Plague of Justinian — in a mass grave in Jerash, Jordan. This long-sought discovery resolves a centuries-old debate, confirming that the plague that devastated the Byzantine Empire truly was caused by the same pathogen behind later outbreaks like the Black Death. Sat, 30 Aug 2025 04:47:37 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250828002415.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250825015709.htm A stunning discovery in North Greenland has reclassified strange squid-like fossils, revealing that nectocaridids were not early cephalopods but ancestors of arrow worms. Preserved nervous systems and unique anatomical features provided the breakthrough, showing these creatures once ruled as stealthy predators of the Cambrian seas. With complex eyes, streamlined bodies, and evidence of prey in their stomachs, they reveal a surprising past where arrow worms were far more fearsome than their modern descendants. Mon, 25 Aug 2025 11:14:39 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250825015709.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250824031540.htm Ancient humans crossing the Bering Strait into the Americas carried more than tools and determination—they also carried a genetic legacy from Denisovans, an extinct human relative. A new study reveals that a mysterious gene called MUC19, inherited through interbreeding between Denisovans, Neanderthals, and humans, may have played a vital role in helping early Americans survive new diseases, foods, and environments. Sun, 24 Aug 2025 03:15:40 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250824031540.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250824031538.htm Scientists have discovered that a gene called MUC19, inherited from Denisovans through ancient interbreeding, may have played a vital role in helping Indigenous ancestors adapt as they migrated into the Americas. Found at unusually high frequencies in both modern and ancient populations, the gene likely provided immune advantages against new pathogens. This research highlights how archaic DNA, passed through both Denisovans and Neanderthals, enriched human genetic diversity in ways that still shape us today. Sun, 24 Aug 2025 11:11:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250824031538.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250821094509.htm Fossils unearthed in Ethiopia are reshaping our view of human evolution. Instead of a straight march from ape-like ancestors to modern humans, researchers now see a tangled, branching tree with multiple species coexisting. Newly discovered teeth reveal a previously unknown species of Australopithecus that lived alongside some of the earliest Homo specimens nearly 2.8 million years ago. This suggests that nature tested multiple versions of “being human” before our lineage endured. Wed, 27 Aug 2025 23:58:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250821094509.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250821094506.htm In the deserts of Ethiopia, scientists uncovered fossils showing that early members of our genus Homo lived side by side with a newly identified species of Australopithecus nearly three million years ago. These finds challenge the old idea of a straight evolutionary ladder, revealing instead a tangled web of ancient relatives. Thu, 21 Aug 2025 21:33:39 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250821094506.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250821094434.htm Scientists have uncovered the world s earliest fossil showing both Neanderthal and Homo sapiens features: a five-year-old child from Israel s Skhul Cave dating back 140,000 years. This discovery pushes back the timeline of human interbreeding, proving that Neanderthals and modern humans were already mixing long before Europe s later encounters. Thu, 21 Aug 2025 09:44:34 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250821094434.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250814090949.htm Denisovans, a mysterious human relative, left behind far more than a handful of fossils—they left genetic fingerprints in modern humans across the globe. Multiple interbreeding events with distinct Denisovan populations helped shape traits like high-altitude survival in Tibetans, cold-weather adaptation in Inuits, and enhanced immunity. Their influence spanned from Siberia to South America, and scientists are now uncovering how these genetic gifts transformed human evolution, even with such limited physical remains. Thu, 14 Aug 2025 09:37:39 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250814090949.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250812234534.htm An extraordinary fossil find along Victoria’s Surf Coast has revealed Janjucetus dullardi, a sharp-toothed, dolphin-sized predator that lived 26 million years ago. With large eyes, slicing teeth, and exceptional ear bone preservation, this early cousin of modern baleen whales offers unprecedented insight into their evolution. Wed, 13 Aug 2025 02:33:06 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250812234534.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250809100922.htm A fossilized Caribbean dirt ant, Basiceros enana, preserved in Dominican amber, reveals the species ancient range and overturns assumptions about its size evolution. Advanced imaging shows it already had the camouflage adaptations of modern relatives, offering new insights into extinction and survival strategies. Sat, 09 Aug 2025 10:09:22 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250809100922.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250801020102.htm Scientists have discovered the oldest direct evidence of betel nut chewing in Southeast Asia by analyzing 4,000-year-old dental plaque from a burial in Thailand. This breakthrough method reveals invisible traces of ancient plant use, suggesting psychoactive rituals were part of daily life long before written records. Fri, 01 Aug 2025 03:12:17 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250801020102.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250729001225.htm A fish thought to be evolution’s time capsule just surprised scientists. A detailed dissection of the coelacanth — a 400-million-year-old species often called a “living fossil” — revealed that key muscles believed to be part of early vertebrate evolution were actually misidentified ligaments. This means foundational assumptions about how vertebrates, including humans, evolved to eat and breathe may need to be rewritten. The discovery corrects decades of anatomical errors, reshapes the story of skull evolution, and brings unexpected insights into our own distant origins. Tue, 29 Jul 2025 10:46:23 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250729001225.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250724040923.htm A century-old fossil long mislabeled as a caterpillar has been reidentified as the first-known nonmarine lobopodian—rewriting what we know about ancient life. Discovered in Harvard’s museum drawers, Palaeocampa anthrax predates even the famous Cambrian lobopodians and reveals that these soft-bodied ancestors of arthropods once lived not only in oceans, but in freshwater environments too. Thu, 24 Jul 2025 07:59:16 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250724040923.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250723045712.htm Half a billion years ago, a strange sea-dwelling creature called Mollisonia symmetrica may have paved the way for modern spiders. Using detailed fossil brain analysis, researchers uncovered neural patterns strikingly similar to today's arachnids—suggesting spiders evolved in the ocean, not on land as previously believed. This brain structure even hints at a critical evolutionary leap that allowed spiders their infamous speed, dexterity, and web-spinning prowess. The findings challenge long-held assumptions about arachnid origins and may even explain why insects took to the skies: to escape their relentless, silk-spinning predators. Thu, 24 Jul 2025 02:35:49 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250723045712.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250717013850.htm Neanderthals living in two nearby caves in ancient Israel prepared their food in surprisingly different ways, according to new archaeological evidence. Despite using the same tools and hunting the same animals, they left behind distinct cut-mark patterns on bones—hints of cultural traditions passed down through generations. Thu, 17 Jul 2025 08:05:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250717013850.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250713032519.htm For centuries, we’ve imagined Neanderthals as distant cousins — a separate species that vanished long ago. But thanks to AI-powered genetic research, scientists have revealed a far more entangled history. Modern humans and Neanderthals didn’t just cross paths; they repeatedly interbred, shared genes, and even merged populations over nearly 250,000 years. These revelations suggest that Neanderthals never truly disappeared — they were absorbed. Their legacy lives on in our DNA, reshaping our understanding of what it means to be human. Sun, 13 Jul 2025 04:01:13 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250713032519.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250711224326.htm A major breakthrough in Maya archaeology has emerged from Caracol, Belize, where the University of Houston team uncovered the tomb of Te K'ab Chaak—Caracol’s first known ruler. Buried with elaborate jade, ceramics, and symbolic artifacts, the tomb offers unprecedented insight into early Maya royalty and their ties to the powerful Mexican city of Teotihuacan. Sat, 12 Jul 2025 10:20:24 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250711224326.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250711224319.htm A university student on a fossil-hunting field trip in Dorset made a stunning discovery: a 145-million-year-old jawbone belonging to a previously unknown mammal species with razor-like teeth. With the help of CT scanning, 3D printing, and expert analysis, the fossil was revealed to be Novaculadon mirabilis, a multituberculate that lived alongside dinosaurs. This is the first find of its kind from the area in over a century, and the fossil’s preservation and sharp-toothed structure are offering new insights into early mammal evolution — all thanks to a beach walk and a sharp eye. Sat, 12 Jul 2025 09:47:02 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250711224319.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250710113158.htm Scientists have uncovered DNA from 214 ancient pathogens in prehistoric humans, including the oldest known evidence of plague. The findings show zoonotic diseases began spreading around 6,500 years ago, likely triggered by farming and animal domestication. These ancient infections may still influence us today, and help guide the vaccines of tomorrow. Fri, 11 Jul 2025 06:40:17 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250710113158.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250708045700.htm In the remote reaches of Arizona s Petrified Forest National Park, scientists have unearthed North America's oldest known pterosaur a small, gull-sized flier that once soared above Triassic ecosystems. This exciting find, alongside ancient turtles and armored amphibians, sheds light on a key moment in Earth's history when older animal groups overlapped with evolutionary newcomers. The remarkably preserved fossils, including over 1,200 specimens, offer a rare glimpse into a vibrant world just before a mass extinction reshaped life on Earth. Tue, 08 Jul 2025 04:57:00 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250708045700.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033438.htm Footprints found in the ancient lakebeds of White Sands may prove that humans lived in North America 23,000 years ago — much earlier than previously believed. A new study using radiocarbon-dated mud bolsters earlier findings, making it the third line of evidence pointing to this revised timeline. Sun, 29 Jun 2025 08:43:30 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250629033438.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232204.htm Experiments and simulations show Paleolithic paddlers could outwit the powerful Kuroshio Current by launching dugout canoes from northern Taiwan and steering southeast toward Okinawa. A modern crew proved it, carving a Stone-Age-style canoe, then paddling 225 km in 45 hours guided only by celestial cues—demonstrating our ancestors’ daring and mastery of the sea. Thu, 26 Jun 2025 03:07:11 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625232204.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075018.htm The shift from lizard-like sprawl to upright walking in mammals wasn’t a smooth climb up the evolutionary ladder. Instead, it was a messy saga full of unexpected detours. Using new bone-mapping tech, researchers discovered that early mammal ancestors explored wildly different postures before modern upright walking finally emerged—much later than once believed. Wed, 25 Jun 2025 10:14:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250625075018.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250617014203.htm A massive, extinct salamander with jaws like a vice once roamed ancient Tennessee and its fossil has just rewritten what we thought we knew about Appalachian amphibians. Named Dynamognathus robertsoni, this powerful predator wasn t just a curiosity; it may have sparked an evolutionary chain reaction, shaping the region s remarkably diverse salamander population. Once thought to be isolated to southern Alabama, salamanders like this one were clearly far more widespread and potentially far more influential than previously believed. And it all began with a volunteer sifting through tons of dirt near East Tennessee State University. Tue, 17 Jun 2025 01:42:03 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250617014203.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250610004057.htm Neanderthals may have trekked thousands of miles across Eurasia much faster than we ever imagined. New computer simulations suggest they used river valleys like natural highways to cross daunting landscapes during warmer climate windows. These findings not only help solve a long-standing archaeological mystery but also point to the likelihood of encounters and interbreeding with other ancient human species like the Denisovans. Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:40:57 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250610004057.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250609020607.htm In a bold reimagining of Southeast Asia s prehistory, scientists reveal that the Philippine island of Mindoro was a hub of human innovation and migration as far back as 35,000 years ago. Advanced tools, deep-sea fishing capabilities, and early burial customs show that early humans here weren t isolated they were maritime pioneers shaping a wide-reaching network across the region. Mon, 09 Jun 2025 02:06:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250609020607.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250607231844.htm In the dense forests of Michigan s Upper Peninsula, archaeologists have uncovered a massive ancient agricultural system that rewrites what we thought we knew about Native American farming. Dating back as far as the 10th century, the raised ridged fields built by the ancestors of the Menominee Indian Tribe covered a vast area and were used for cultivating staple crops like corn and squash. Using drone-mounted lidar and excavations, researchers found evidence of a complex and labor-intensive system, defying the stereotype that small, egalitarian societies lacked such agricultural sophistication. Alongside farming ridges, they also discovered burial mounds, dance rings, and possible colonial-era foundations, hinting at a once-thriving cultural landscape previously obscured by forest. Sat, 07 Jun 2025 23:18:44 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250607231844.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154907.htm Researchers have recreated the world's oldest synthetic pigment, called Egyptian blue, which was used in ancient Egypt about 5,000 years ago. Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:49:07 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250602154907.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529194648.htm The fossils of ancient salamander-like creatures in Scotland are among the most well-preserved examples of early stem tetrapods -- some of the first animals to make the transition from water to land. Thanks to new research, scientists believe that these creatures are 14 million years older than previously thought. The new age -- dating back to 346 million years ago -- adds to the significance of the find because it places the specimens in a mysterious hole in the fossil record called Romer's Gap. Thu, 29 May 2025 19:46:48 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529194648.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155423.htm Long considered a disease brought to the Americas by European colonizers, leprosy may actually have a much older history on the American continent. Scientists reveal that a recently identified second species of bacteria responsible for leprosy, Mycobacterium lepromatosis, has been infecting humans in the Americas for at least 1,000 years, several centuries before the Europeans arrived. Thu, 29 May 2025 15:54:23 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250529155423.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528150821.htm A new method could soon unlock the vast repository of biological information held in the proteins of ancient soft tissues. The findings could open up a new era for palaeobiological discovery. Wed, 28 May 2025 15:08:21 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528150821.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528132310.htm Researchers compared the whole genome sequence of two genetically distinct lineages of bed bug, and their findings indicate bed bugs may well be the first true urban pest. Wed, 28 May 2025 13:23:10 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528132310.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528132224.htm A new species of velvet worm, Peripatopsis barnardi, represents the first ever species from the arid Karoo, which indicates that the area was likely historically more forested than at present. In the Cape Fold Mountains, we now know that every mountain peak has an endemic species. This suggests that in unsampled areas there are likely to be additional novel diversity, waiting to be found. Wed, 28 May 2025 13:22:24 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528132224.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528132057.htm Chemists have demonstrated how RNA (ribonucleic acid) might have replicated itself on early Earth -- a key process in the origin of life. Wed, 28 May 2025 13:20:57 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250528132057.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250523120501.htm A new study uses metabolic profiling to uncover ancient knowledge systems behind therapeutic and psychoactive plant use in ancient Arabia. Fri, 23 May 2025 12:05:01 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250523120501.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522162551.htm Researchers have analyzed ancient DNA from Borrelia recurrentis, a type of bacteria that causes relapsing fever, pinpointing when it evolved to spread through lice rather than ticks, and how it gained and lost genes in the process. Thu, 22 May 2025 16:25:51 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522162551.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522162538.htm Scientists have analyzed ancient DNA and compared more than 400 fossils from 17 natural history museums to figure out how and why extinct sloths got so big. Thu, 22 May 2025 16:25:38 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522162538.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522133518.htm A new study proves that a type of genetic element called 'introners' are the mechanism by which many introns spread within and between species, also providing evidence of eight instances in which introners have transferred between unrelated species in a process called 'horizontal gene transfer,' the first proven examples of this phenomenon. Thu, 22 May 2025 13:35:18 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250522133518.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250521124258.htm New research shows that dentine, the inner layer of teeth that transmits sensory information to nerves inside the pulp, first evolved as sensory tissue in the armored exoskeletons of ancient fish. Wed, 21 May 2025 12:42:58 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250521124258.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250520012730.htm To better understand the circadian clock in modern-day cyanobacteria, a research team has studied ancient timekeeping systems. They examined the oscillation of the clock proteins KaiA, KaiB, and KaiC (Kai-proteins) in modern cyanobacteria, comparing it to the function of ancestral Kai proteins. Tue, 20 May 2025 01:27:30 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250520012730.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250515141549.htm A groundbreaking international study has revealed that early Asians undertook humanity s longest known prehistoric migration walking more than 20,000 kilometers over thousands of years from North Asia to the tip of South America. By analyzing the genomes of over 1,500 people across 139 ethnic groups, researchers mapped ancient routes and genetic divergences, uncovering how these early humans adapted to vastly different environments and left behind genetic footprints that still shape populations today. Thu, 15 May 2025 14:15:49 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250515141549.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250515131447.htm A dinosaur's 40-second journey more than 120 million years ago has been brought back to life by a research team using advanced digital modelling techniques. Thu, 15 May 2025 13:14:47 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250515131447.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250514141659.htm Scientists have found new evidence for how our fossil human relatives in South Africa may have used their hands. Researchers investigated variation in finger bone morphology to determine that South African hominins not only may have had different levels of dexterity, but also different climbing abilities. Wed, 14 May 2025 14:16:59 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250514141659.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250514131642.htm The origin of reptiles on Earth has been shown to be up to 40 million years earlier than previously thought -- thanks to evidence discovered at an Australian fossil site that represents a critical time period. Scientists have identified fossilized tracks of an amniote with clawed feet -- most probably a reptile -- from the Carboniferous period, about 350 million years ago. Wed, 14 May 2025 13:16:42 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250514131642.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250514111238.htm Scientists have now discovered the oldest ancestor for all the Australian tree frogs, with distant links to the tree frogs of South America. Wed, 14 May 2025 11:12:38 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250514111238.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250509122253.htm Modern HIV medicine is based on a common genetic mutation. Now, researchers have traced where and when the mutation arose -- and how it protected our ancestors from ancient diseases. Fri, 09 May 2025 12:22:53 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250509122253.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250509122116.htm Long before modern salmon ran Alaska’s rivers, their ancient relatives thrived alongside dinosaurs in the Cretaceous Arctic. Scientists have identified three new species from 73 million years ago, including the oldest known salmonid, Sivulliusalmo alaskensis. Despite warmer global temperatures, these fish adapted to the Arctic’s dramatic seasonal shifts. The find reveals that northern waters were already shaping fish evolution millions of years before humans appeared. Fri, 09 May 2025 12:21:16 EDT https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/05/250509122116.htm