Fossils from La Brea Tar Pits in Southern California suggest that sabertooth cats and other large North American mammals disappeared as a result of wildfires spurred by human activity.
Tag: Paleontology
A Victorian Dinosaur Park Finds Its Way in the 21st Century
Statues of extinct animals peek out from the trees, delighting onlookers in this London park. But don’t expect them to be scientifically accurate.
Cannibalism, or ‘Clickbait’?
A recent study offered the “oldest decisive evidence” that our ancient hominid ancestors ate one another. But the field has a long history of overstating such claims, other scientists note.
Aussie Farmers Unleash Dinosaur Rush as Fossils Rewrite History
A new understanding of how to search for ancient remains has reinvigorated a region of western Queensland, with tourists flocking to paleontological digs.
From Alpacas to Yaks, Mammal DNA Yields Its Secrets
The genomes of monkeys, bats, whales and many other mammals are helping scientists tackle big questions about physiology, evolution and one very famous sled dog.
Dispute Over ‘Java Man’ Raises a Question: Who Owns Prehistory?
An Indonesian claim against a Dutch museum has pushed the debate about restitution into the realm of the natural history museum — where it hasn’t been much of an issue until now.
A 23-Million-Year-Old Fossil Is Carried Away by Parties Unknown
The whale fossil, a cherished local attraction, was taken from a riverbank in broad daylight by two men with a rock saw and chisel, residents say.
Nobel Prize Awarded to Scientist Who Sequenced Neanderthal Genome
Svante Pääbo, a Swedish geneticist, was honored for work that created a new field of ancient DNA studies and identified populations at higher risk of disease.
Excitement, Then Ambivalence, For the Pope’s Visit to Quebec
Thousands gathered on Wednesday to see Pope Francis ride by the Plains of Abraham park. But a mass the following day was not a big draw.
Your Tuesday Briefing
Ukraine prepares for a counteroffensive.