Historical

Research published in Science suggests that our affinity for starchy foods like bread and pasta may be rooted in our DNA, specifically through the AMY1 gene which produces the enzyme salivary amylase to digest starch.

A recent study in Menorca, Spain, has discovered that ancient Europeans used hallucinogenic drugs around 3,000 years ago, based on traces of alkaloids found in human hair from a Bronze Age burial site.

Recent research indicates that the smallpox virus may date back over 3,800 years, much earlier than previously believed.

The representation of clowns has drastically changed over the years, evolving from their original role as adult entertainers in 19th-century circuses—often associated with vulgarity and subversion of gender norms—to family-friendly figures in the 20th century.

New research from the University of Cambridge reveals that ancient Britons at Stonehenge consumed offal from cattle, including internal organs, and fed scraps to their dogs, based on findings from fossilized feces at a nearby prehistoric village.

Archaeologists have uncovered what may be the earliest form of jewelry, a collection of 33 ancient beads made from sea snail shells, dated to at least 142,000 years ago in a Moroccan cave.

A recent study published in Nature Human Behaviour provides compelling evidence for the persistence hunting hypothesis, suggesting that ancient humans evolved as endurance hunters who relied on their remarkable ability to run long distances in sweltering heat to exhaust prey.

Research indicates that early humans in the Arabian desert baked bread and cooked meat during the Neolithic period, based on analyses of ancient grinding tools found in Northern Saudi Arabia.

Recent research by scholars from the University of Oxford and the University of Copenhagen has pushed back the documented origins of kissing to 4,500 years ago in ancient Mesopotamia, earlier than previously believed.

A study from Rice University has found that Barack Obama's 2008 presidential election victory significantly improved the mental health of African-American men, showing a decrease in reported poor mental health days from four to three.

Scientists have discovered the remarkably preserved brain of a three-eyed prawn, named Stanleycaris hirpex, which lived over 506 million years ago during the Cambrian explosion.

Researchers in Queensland, Australia, have discovered new fossil remains of the ancient human species Homo floresiensis, or 'hobbits,' on the Indonesian island of Flores.

A recent study from the University of Central Florida critiques the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) 2006 definition of a planet, which led to Pluto's reclassification as a non-planet due to its failure to clear its orbit.

Scientists have recreated the scent of mummification from the remains of Senetnay, a pharaoh's wet nurse who lived 3,500 years ago.

Researchers have discovered the oldest known 3D fragment of fossilized skin, dating back at least 21 million years older than previous samples, collected from a cave in Oklahoma.

A study reveals that gophers played a crucial role in restoring life to the desolate landscape of Mount St.

Scientists at Harvard University have discovered a 100-million-year-old crab fossil, named Cretapsara athanata, trapped in amber, making it the oldest known crab and a potential evolutionary 'missing link.' This well-preserved specimen, which resembles modern red crabs, indicates that crabs could inhabit both land and water during the age of dinosaurs, pushing back the timeline for the evolution of non-marine crabs.

A new study from the University of the Witwatersrand has revealed that the prehistoric predator Shuvuuia deserti, resembling a chicken and living around 80 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous in Mongolia, was nocturnal and had remarkable sensory adaptations.

Archaeologists have discovered the oldest weapon heads in the Americas, dating back 16,000 years, at the Cooper's Ferry site in Idaho.

A University of Cambridge PhD scholar, Rishi Rajpopat, has solved a 2,500-year-old grammatical puzzle related to Sanskrit, which had stumped experts for centuries.

A significant discovery in evolutionary biology has been made with the finding of a complete fossil of the ancient fish Elpistostege in Miguasha, Canada.

The discovery of a 16th-century female skeleton known as the "Vampire of Venice" in 2009, found with a brick in its mouth, prompted widespread speculation about burial practices tied to ancient vampire folklore.

A new study from the University of Cambridge reveals that climate change has influenced human body and brain sizes over the past million years.

Recent studies have shed light on the role of molting in the survival of ancient birds during the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago.

A recent discovery by a research team has identified the long-lost location of Plato's tomb, revealed through the analysis of a carbonized papyrus scroll containing Philodemus of Gadara's 'History of the Academy.' The scroll indicates that Plato was buried in a private garden within the Academy in Athens, enhancing understanding of his legacy and the reverence he received from followers.

Underwater excavations of the submerged village Habonim North off Israel's Carmel Coast reveal how ancient societies thrived during the 8.2ka climate event around 6,200 BCE, when the Middle East faced severe drought and rising sea levels.

The recent surge in discussions about artificial intelligence, alongside concerns over climate change and pandemics, has led to a renewed interest in the concept of the apocalypse in media and public discourse.

A study from the University of Birmingham reveals that people tend to eat more when dining with friends and family due to a phenomenon called 'social facilitation.' This research, which analyzed 42 previous studies, found that social eating can lead to a 48% increase in food consumption compared to eating alone.

The Night Watch, painted by Rembrandt in 1642, is undergoing conservation through 'Operation Night Watch' at the Rijksmuseum, where a team of international researchers has discovered a rare lead compound called lead formate within the painting.

Scientists have revealed the world's first complete T-rex skeleton, discovered along with a Triceratops, both preserved in a dramatic predator-prey encounter dating back 67 million years.

Paleontologists from the University of Kansas and the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing have uncovered new evidence about the ancient primate Ekgmowechashala, which lived in North America around 30 million years ago during a period of cooling and drying.

An international research team has discovered the earliest known fossil of male mosquitoes from over 100 million years ago in Lower Cretaceous amber from Lebanon, suggesting that these males were also bloodsuckers, contrasting with modern-day mosquitoes where only females feed on blood.

A team of codebreakers has successfully deciphered a collection of lost letters by Mary Queen of Scots, written during her 19 years of captivity, which were recently discovered in a French library.

An amateur fossil hunter in Portsmouth, U.K., discovered a new type of prehistoric sea dragon, identified as a new genus and species named Thalassodraco etchesi, a six-and-a-half-foot-long ichthyosaurus.

A study published in PLOS ONE reveals a significant correlation between the wealth of U.S.

Researchers in France have discovered engravings in the La Roche-Cotard cave, dating back at least 57,000 years, which are identified as the oldest known Neanderthal markings.

The article explores the historical evolution of surgical practices and prosthetic technology in the context of the human body, tracing significant advancements from the 16th century to modern times.

A recent study on the 500-million-year-old fossil known as Saccorhytus, previously thought to be linked to human ancestors, has revealed it belongs to a different group called ecdysosozoans, which includes arthropods and nematodes.

A new study from Uppsala University has revealed that Filipinos, particularly the indigenous Negrito populations, have the highest levels of Denisovan DNA in the world, stemming from interbreeding between Denisovans, Neanderthals, and Homo sapiens during the last Ice Age.

A newly discovered 150-million-year-old marine invertebrate, named Ausichicrinites zelenskyyi after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in honor of his bravery in defending Ukraine, was found in Ethiopia.