Anthropology

Experts explain the cultural origin of the mysterious deformed skull

Construction workers in San Fernando, Argentina, recently uncovered a mysterious skull with an unusual, deformed morphology.

Prehistoric jewellery made from dog teeth discovered in Saxony-Anhalt

Recent excavations in Saxony-Anhalt have provided new insights into prehistoric burial customs, particularly the use of animal teeth as personal adornment and jewellery.

Bite marks confirm gladiators fought lions at York

A recent study published in PLOS One has identified bite marks on human remains excavated from Driffield Terrace, a Roman cemetery on the outskirts of York, England.

Face to face with royalty: Skull may belong to King Matthias Corvinus

A skull unearthed in the ruins of Hungary’s former royal coronation site may belong to King Matthias Corvinus.

Melting permafrost is exposing whaling-ear graves on Svalbard

Whaling-era graves from the 17th and 18th centuries are being exposed as Svalbard's permafrost melts due to climate change.

New study finds evolution of brain and tooth size were not linked in humans

A new study from the George Washington University's Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology (CASHP) found that whereas brain size evolved at different rates for different species, especially during the evolution of Homo, the genus that includes humans, chewing teeth tended to evolve at more similar rates.

9 weird and wonderful facts about death and funeral practices

It might not be something you want to think about very often, but it turns out that the way we treat our dead in the modern age is heavily influenced by the way our ancestors treated theirs.

Why we walk on our heels instead of our toes

James Webber took up barefoot running 12 years ago. He needed to find a new passion after deciding his planned career in computer-aided drafting wasn't a good fit. Eventually, his shoeless feet led him to the University of Arizona, where he enrolled as a doctoral student in the School of Anthropology.

Is this the face of Robert the Bruce?

Scientists and historians have joined forces to create detailed virtual images of what could be the head of Robert the Bruce, reconstructed from the cast of a human skull held by the Hunterian Museum.

Smallpox, once thought an ancient disease, may have emerged in more recent times

New genetic research from an international team including McMaster University, University of Helsinki, Vilnius University and the University of Sydney, suggests that smallpox, a pathogen that caused millions of deaths worldwide, may not be an ancient disease but a much more modern killer that went on to become the first human disease eradicated by vaccination.

Researchers find overwhelming evidence of malaria’s existence 2,000 years ago

An analysis of 2,000-year-old human remains from several regions across the Italian peninsula has confirmed the presence of malaria during the Roman Empire, addressing a longstanding debate about its pervasiveness in this ancient civilization.

Words and bones tell a similar story about deep history

Ancient language families linked to anthropological features, say Tübingen re

How Frankenstein saved humankind from probable extinction, Dartmouth-UC Merced study

Frankenstein as we know him, the grotesque monster that was created through a weird science experiment, is actually a nameless Creature created by scientist Victor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel, "Frankenstein."

Scientists map genome of African diaspora in the Americas

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus along with colleagues at Johns Hopkins University and other institutions have conducted the largest ever genome sequencing of populations with African ancestry in the Americas.

1,000 prehistoric individuals to be genetically mapped

A new research project, ‘1,000 Ancient Genomes’, seeks to map the genetic variation among 1,000 prehistoric individuals who lived in Europe and Asia between 1,000 and 50,000 years ago. This data will help researchers give a complete picture of genetic variation among humans from different times and geographic areas.

How science is giving voice to mummies such as Ötzi the Iceman

Researchers recently managed to recreate the voice of 5,300-year-old Ötzi the iceman by recreating his vocal tract. The technology is promising and could be used to digitally produce the voices of other mummified remains. But how does it work and what else could it be used for?

Unprecedented study of Aboriginal Australians points to one shared Out of Africa migration for modern humans

The first major genomic study of Aboriginal Australians ever undertaken has confirmed that all present-day non-African populations are descended from the same single wave of migrants, who left Africa around 72,000 years ago.

Genetic ‘trace’ in Papuan genomes suggests two expansions out of Africa

A new study of human genomic diversity suggests there may have in fact been two successful dispersals out of Africa, and that a “trace” of the earlier of these two expansion events has lingered in the genetics of modern Papuans.

Humans may be uniquely identified by the proteins in their hair

Unique protein markers in hair could be used alongside DNA profiling for human identification, according to a study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Glendon Parker from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA, and colleagues.

Genetics of African KhoeSan populations maps to Kalahari Desert geography

Geography and ecology are key factors that have influenced the genetic makeup of human groups in southern Africa, according to new research discussed in the journal GENETICS, a publication of the Genetics Society of America.

Mobile Application

spot_img