Ancient DNA shows Ice Age Europeans stayed connected across long distances
People who lived in Europe more than 30,000 years ago were more connected than scientists believed. A team…
Eland protein found in 60,000-year-old ochre layer offers clues to early human practices in South Africa
Researchers have found traces of animal protein mixed into a 60,000-year-old layer of red ochre in South Africa.…
Ancient gut microbes link hunter-gatherers in Africa and forager-farmers in South America
Thousands of miles and an ocean separate the Tsimané of lowland Bolivia from the Hadza of Tanzania. Their…
‘Hobbits’ walked more like humans than previously thought, study finds
The pelvis of Homo floresiensis was more human-like than earlier studies suggested, according to a new study of…
Neanderthal gene inherited by modern humans linked to greater muscle mass
A gene inherited from Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago is linked to greater muscle mass in…
6,000-year-old infant from ancient Mesopotamia shows one of the world’s oldest signs of child abuse
A 6,000-year-old infant buried in ancient Syria has given researchers what looks like the oldest known case of…
Ancient DNA reveals malaria killed the Medici brothers, not poison
A new DNA study of two Renaissance members of the Medici family has confirmed malaria, not poison, killed…
Rare Neanderthal baby remains reveal growth patterns similar to modern humans and signs of metabolic disease
Tiny Neanderthal bones and baby teeth recovered from a cave in Germany are helping researchers piece together how…
Copper Age children in Spain suffered widespread respiratory disease, skeletal study suggests
Children living in southeastern Iberia nearly 5,000 years ago faced frequent respiratory illnesses, according to a new study…
DNA reveals rare dwarfism in teenager who lived in Italy 12,000 years ago
An international research team has confirmed the earliest known genetic diagnosis in an anatomically modern human, identifying a…
Ancient birch tar reveals how Europe’s first farmers chewed, cooked, and crafted 6,000 years ago
In Neolithic Europe, long before writing or metal tools, people relied on an incredible substance—birch bark tar. A…