Anthropology

Anthropology

Fossils of an extinct animal may have inspired this cave art drawing

Unusual tusks on preserved skulls of dicynodonts influenced the look of a mythical beast painted by Southern Africa’s San people, a researcher suspects.

Anthropology

Ancient DNA unveils a previously unknown line of Neandertals

DNA from a partial skeleton found in France indicates that European Neandertals consisted of at least two genetically distinct populations.

Anthropology

An Egyptian mummy’s silent ‘scream’ might have been fixed at death

A rare muscle-stiffening reaction could explain the open-mouthed expression of a mummy known as the Screaming Woman, scientists suggest.

Archaeology

Ancient Egyptian scribes’ work left its mark on their skeletons

Years of hunching over, chewing pens and gripping brushes left the skeletons of Egyptian scribes with telltale marks of arthritis and other damage.

Anthropology

Child sacrifices at famed Maya site were all boys, many closely related

DNA analysis shows victims in one underground chamber at Chichén Itzá included twins, perhaps representing mythological figures.

Anthropology

Fossil finds amplify Europe’s status as a hotbed of great ape evolution

A kneecap and two teeth belonged to the smallest known great ape, a study contends. If so, it’s the first to coexist with another great ape in Europe.

Anthropology

50 years ago, evidence showed that an extinct human ancestor walked upright

Fossil finds have since pushed back the ability of hominids to walk on two legs by millions of years.

Anthropology

Ancient primates’ unchipped teeth hint that they ate mostly fruit

Of more than 400 teeth collected, just 21 were chipped, suggesting that early primate diets were soft on their choppers.

Anthropology

Spanish horses joined Indigenous South Americans’ societies long before Europeans came to stay

By the early 1600s, hunter-gatherers at the continent’s southern tip adopted horses left behind by colonial newcomers, new finds suggest.

Archaeology

Ancient Maya power brokers lived in neighborhoods, not just palaces

Lidar discoveries and recent excavations are forcing archaeologists to rethink ancient Maya political structures.

Archaeology

A mysterious ancient grave with a sword and mirror belonged to a woman

The items hint that she fought in or helped plan raids and defensive actions in what’s now southwestern England about 2,000 years ago, scientists speculate.

Psychology

Why scientists are expanding the definition of loneliness

Feeling detached from animals, places and routines can cause loneliness, researchers are learning, which may expand the list of interventions.