News Desk

New evidence from the fossilised skulls of a 6-million-year-old ape called Lufengpithecus has revealed important clues about how our quadrupedal ancestors made the transition to walking on two legs. The analysis is published in the journal Innovation.

Scientists are finding ever-earlier examples of artistic expression in the archaeological record that reshape what we know about the cognitive abilities of our archaic human relatives, such as Neanderthals.

MDMA-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) appears to have positive effects on mental processes related to self-experience, such as emotional awareness and self-compassion, which are often linked to poor treatment outcomes in traditional therapies, according to new research published in PLOS One.

A surprise discovery of human remains in a German cave has “fundamentally changed” the story of our species’ migration into Europe. Their findings were published across three major research papers in the journal Nature.

Archaeologists have discovered a 1,700-year-old royal tomb in Guatemala that’s overflowing with funeral offerings, including an intricately designed jade mask depicting a Maya deity.

A pair of historians at the University of Tübingen have found evidence that an ancient baton, thought to be a work of art created by early humans thousands of years ago, is actually a device to assist with making rope. The study is published in the journal Science Advances. 

Studying ancient gravesites is a fascinating (if morbid) way of peering into the past, though some searches can raise more questions than answers. Take for instance these Early Neolithic skeletons found in a Swedish tomb, which are all missing their skulls. See the research here.

A study has found that playing a soundscape to a common, plant-promoting fungus found in soil caused it to grow more rapidly than fungi that weren’t exposed to sound. The novel ‘eco-acoustic’ approach has the potential to restore damaged ecosystems.

Image from: Plogeo (Wiki Commons)

Researchers happened upon the footprint site near the northern tip of North Africa in 2022 while studying boulders at a nearby pocket beach, according to a study published Jan. 23 in the journal Scientific Reports.

Astronomers have discovered a mysterious group of giant elderly stars at the heart of the Milky Way that are emitting solar system-sized clouds of dust and gas. The findings are published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Scientists have uncovered a never-before-seen class of virus-like entities hiding in the human gut and mouth, and these “viroids” may influence the gene activity within the human microbiome, Science reported.

An international team of researchers has uncovered the oldest case of a syphilis-like disease, and it seriously undermines the so-called Columbian hypothesis. The study was published in Nature.

Work to restore layer of granite that once covered ancient structure described as ‘absurdity’.

A detailed investigation of asteroid Ryugu samples has provided further evidence that the organic molecules which gave rise to life to our planet were brought here by ancient comets.

Published in a study this month, the findings provide new insights into how therapy combined with MDMA — the psychedelic drug commonly known as ecstasy — can help people who are suffering from trauma.