http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/ Articles in anthropology, archaeology, evolution theory and paleontology. Read the latest discoveries from archaeological sites and research institutes around the world. Images, updated daily. en-us Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:05:01 EDT Sat, 31 Jul 2010 08:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/fossils_ruins/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100729122401.htm In 1824, John James Audubon (1785-1851), the eminent American artist, created a drawing of a running grouse for use in the design for a New Jersey bank note. Although the artist mentions the drawing and the resulting engraved paper money in two separate diary entries, no one has ever been able to locate or identify such an illustration. Until now. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100729122401.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100728153935.htm Michelangelo, the 16th century master painter and accomplished anatomist, appears to have hidden an image of the brainstem and spinal cord in a depiction of God in the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, a new study reports. These findings by a neurosurgeon and a medical illustrator may explain long controversial and unusual features of one of the frescoes' figures. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100728153935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100729203321.htm A discovery of fossilized footprints reveals when reptiles first conquered dry land. The 318-million-year-old reptile footprints were found in sea-cliffs on the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada. They show that reptiles were the first vertebrates (animals with a backbone) to conquer dry continental interiors. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100729203321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100728131717.htm In a finding that says much about the people who lived in northern Africa 5,000 years ago, scientists believe domestication of the donkey was achieved by nomadic people responding to the growing borders of the Sahara. Scientists also determined the endangered African wild ass is the living ancestor of the modern donkey and found hints that one strain of African wild ass thought to be extinct may still be alive. Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100728131717.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100727065647.htm Using the latest technologies, scientists in Europe have reached a new milestone in their study of the iceman known as Ötzi. For the first time since his discovery almost 20 years ago, scientists now have access to the complete genetic profile of this world-famous mummy. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100727065647.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100726222316.htm Segmentation, the repetition of identical anatomical units, seems to be the secret behind the diversity and longevity of the largest and most common animal groups on Earth. Researchers have shown that this characteristic was inherited from a common segmented ancestor thought to have lived 600 million years ago and whose presence "changed the face of the world." Tue, 27 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100726222316.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100727112833.htm By deciphering the genetics in humans and fish, scientists now believe that the neck -- that little body part between your head and shoulders -- gave humans so much freedom of movement that it played a surprising and major role in the evolution of the human brain, according to neuroscientists. Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100727112833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100726094909.htm Archaeological research in East Timor has unearthed the bones of the biggest rat that ever lived, with a body weight around six kilograms. Today's biggest rats weigh around two kilograms and live in rainforests in the Philippines and New Guinea. Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100726094909.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100719162957.htm Researchers are have identified a stress hormone in the sea lamprey, using the 500 million-year-old species as a model to understand the evolution of the endocrine system. Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100719162957.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713091325.htm Researchers have found susceptibility to Behcet's disease, a painful, inflammatory condition, to be associated with genes involved in the body's immune response. Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713091325.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100722102041.htm Steering clear of crocodiles and navigating around massive submerged trees, a team of divers began mapping some of the 25 freshwater pools of Cara Blanca, Belize, which were important to the ancient Maya. In three weeks this May, the divers found fossilized animal remains, bits of pottery and -- in the largest pool explored -- an enormous underwater cave. The dives will continue later this summer. Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100722102041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100721154236.htm Recently, academic debate has been swirling around the existence of unusual quantum mechanical effects in the most ubiquitous of phenomena, including photosynthesis, the process by which organisms convert light into chemical energy. In a new paper, these ideas are put to the test. Thu, 22 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100721154236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100720162314.htm The tropics owe their stunning biodiversity to consistent year-round temperatures, not higher temperatures or more sunlight, according to a novel survey of insect diversity at different latitudes and at different points in the planet's history. The finding may finally answer a question that has dogged scientists for centuries. Thu, 22 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100720162314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100721112135.htm Researchers have applied an evolutionary "use it or lose it" principle when studying past marriage patterns, to show that marriage can influence the evolution of age-patterns of fertility. Thu, 22 Jul 2010 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100721112135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100721085450.htm Sometimes divers, to their own painful dismay, do belly flops. But did you ever see a frog belly flop? That's just what primitive living frogs do, according to a new study looking at the evolution of frog jumping and landing. They found that frogs became proficient at jumping before they perfected landing. This evolutionary split, characterized by an inability to rapidly rotate the limbs forward during flight in order to land front legs first, might also explain why primitive frogs' back legs are out-of-phase with one another when they swim. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100721085450.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100720123639.htm It's no secret to any dog-lover or cat-lover that humans have a special connection with animals. But in new research, a paleoanthropologist argues that this human-animal connection goes well beyond simple affection. He proposes that the interdependency of ancestral humans with other animal species -- "the animal connection" -- played a crucial and beneficial role in human evolution over the last 2.6 million years. Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100720123639.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100715105951.htm The discovery of a remarkable 15-million-year-old Australian fossil limestone cave packed with even older animal bones has revealed almost the entire life cycle of a large prehistoric marsupial, from suckling young in the pouch still cutting their milk teeth to elderly adults. Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100715105951.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100716222231.htm A well-preserved tomb of an ancient Mayan king has been discovered in Guatemala. The tomb is packed with carvings, ceramics, textiles, and the bones of six children, who may have been sacrificed at the time of the king's death. Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100716222231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614074832.htm Humans did not invent the wheel. Nature did. While the evolution from the Neolithic solid stone wheel with a single hole for an axle to the sleek wheels of today's racing bikes can be seen as the result of human ingenuity, it also represents how animals, including humans, have come to move more efficiently and quicker over millions of years on Earth, according to an expert. Fri, 16 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100614074832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707162043.htm Archeobotanists argue that plant domestication involved much trial and error in many different geographic regions over a long period of time. A genetic technique that allows domesticated and wild strains of the same plant to be compared shows that domestication requires only simple genetic changes. Yet the findings don't contradict the archeobotanical data. Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707162043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100715090917.htm How did Leonardo Da Vinci manage to paint such perfect faces? For the first time a quantitative chemical analysis has been done on seven paintings from the Louvre Museum (including the Mona Lisa) without extracting any samples. This shows the composition and thickness of each layer of material laid down by the painter. Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100715090917.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100714162143.htm When paleontologist Iyad Zalmout went looking for fossil whales and dinosaurs in Saudi Arabia, he never expected to come face-to-face with a significant, early primate fossil. Thu, 15 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100714162143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100714131244.htm Triceratops and Torosaurus were the same dinosaur at different stages of growth, according to new research. Since the late 1800s, scientists have believed that Triceratops and Torosaurus were two different types of dinosaurs. Triceratops had a three-horned skull with a rather short frill, whereas Torosaurus had a much bigger frill with two large holes through it. Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100714131244.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713132258.htm "Living fossil" cycads now number about 300 species, and many of these species are endangered, especially those on islands like Guam. New molecular research on a threatened species, Cycas micronesica, shows these plants are not relics and that there is hope in careful management of the remaining plants. Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713132258.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713091441.htm Scientists studying ancient species migration believe northern birds had the ability to colonize continents that southern species lacked. The research reveals how the ancient 'land bridge' of Panama, which first connected North and South America, caused an uneven species migration, leading to a new understanding of species diversity today. Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100713091441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100702194143.htm Saber-toothed cats may be best known for their supersized canines, but they also had exceptionally strong forelimbs for pinning prey before delivering the fatal bite, says a new study. Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100702194143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712154422.htm A study undertaken to help scientists concerned with abnormal brain development in premature babies has serendipitously revealed evolution's imprint on the human brain. Scientists found that the human brain regions that grow the most during infancy and childhood are nearly identical to the brain regions with the most changes when human brains are compared to those of apes and monkeys. Tue, 13 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712154422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712102816.htm A tiny clay fragment -- dating from the 14th century B.C.E. -- that was found in excavations outside Jerusalem's Old City walls contains the oldest written document ever found in Jerusalem, say researchers in Israel. The find, believed to be part of a tablet from a royal archives, further testifies to the importance of Jerusalem as a major city in the Late Bronze Age, long before its conquest by King David, they say. Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712102816.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708141543.htm Toward the end of the last ice age, a major reorganization took place in the current system of the North Pacific with far-reaching implications for climate. About that time, the North Pacific branch of the conveyor belt changed drastically. The reconstructed changes in the North Pacific current system may have buffered the global impacts of the collapsed circulation in the Atlantic and possibly prevented further cooling of the Northern hemisphere. Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708141543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712104509.htm An archaeologist has discovered a bone belonging to a late 19th-century tortoise from Stafford Castle, Staffordshire - believed to be the earliest archaeological evidence of a tortoise kept as a family pet. Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100712104509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707080941.htm Among various important discoveries, the 2010 Kinneret Regional Project discovered an ancient synagogue, in use at around 400 AD. This year's archeological focus is the first systematic excavation on Horvat Kur, a village inhabited from the Early Roman through the Early Medieval periods located on a gentle hill two kilometers west of the Lake of Galilee. Thirty volunteers -- mostly students of theology, religious studies, and archeology -- and staff from the Netherlands, Finland, Switzerland, Romania, Belgium, Spain, Israel, and Germany explore the material remains of the village life in Galilee, a region that features very prominently in Early Christian and Rabbinic tradition. Mon, 12 Jul 2010 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707080941.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708141541.htm One of the most pivotal steps in evolution -- the transition from unicellular to multicellular organisms -- may not have required as much retooling as commonly believed, scientists have found. A comparison of the genomes of the multicellular algae Volvox carteri and its closest unicellular relative Chlamydomonas reinhardtii revealed that multicellular organisms may have been able to build their more complex molecular machinery largely from the same list of parts that was already available to their unicellular ancestors. Fri, 09 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708141541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708141533.htm It has been a basic principle of evolution for more than a century that plants and animals can adapt genetically in ways that help them better survive and reproduce. Biologists now document a clear example of a new mechanism for evolution. Fri, 09 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708141533.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708160935.htm When Nicholas Longrich discovered a new dinosaur species with a heart-shaped frill on its head, he wanted to come up with a name just as flamboyant as the dinosaur's appearance. Over a few beers with fellow paleontologists one night, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind: Mojoceratops. With the publication of Longrich's paper describing his find in the Journal of Paleontology, the name is now official. Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708160935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708122615.htm Exotic island fauna is a product of evolution, but nothing more than one would expect to see by "chance," according to research that shows there's nothing extraordinary about evolutionary processes on islands. A biologist in Israel and colleagues have conducted a number of scientific studies comparing evolutionary patterns of island and mainland ecosystems, and the results refute the idea that islands operate under different, "magical" rules. Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100708122615.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707193825.htm Archeologists have unearthed the earliest evidence of human occupation in Britain. Their findings demonstrate that ancient humans occupied Britain over 800,000 years ago, marking the first known settlement in northern Europe -- far earlier than previously thought. Thu, 08 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100707193825.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706112601.htm Researchers are offering a new means of determining the sex of skeletal human remains -- an advance that may have significant impacts in the wake of disasters, the studying of ancient remains and the criminal justice system. Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706112601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701103407.htm A 3,200-year-old round bronze tablet with a carved face of a woman, found at the El-ahwat excavation site near Katzir in central Israel, is part of a linchpin that held the wheel of a battle chariot in place. Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701103407.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630213614.htm The flightless ostrich uses its wings as sophisticated air-rudders and braking aids when running at high speed and may provide valuable information about how its dinosaur ancestors used their feathered forelimbs to move more efficiently. A small leg muscle, if also present in dinosaurs may have reduced the energetic cost of carrying a heavy body. Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630213614.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701145519.htm Scientists have compared the genomes of 50 Tibetans living above 14,000 feet to 40 Han Chinese living at essentially sea level. They found that within the last 3,000 years, Tibetans evolved genetic mutations in a number of genes having to do with how the body deals with oxygen, making it possible for Tibetans to thrive at high altitudes while their Han relatives cannot. Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701145519.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701072732.htm A new analysis of the extinction of woolly mammoths and other large mammals more than 10,000 years ago suggests that they may have fallen victim to the same type of "trophic cascade" of ecosystem disruption that scientists say is being caused today by the global decline of predators such as wolves, cougars and sharks. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100701072732.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630171711.htm The discovery in Gabon of more than 250 fossils in an excellent state of conservation has provided proof, for the first time, of the existence of multicellular organisms 2.1 billion years ago. This finding represents a major breakthrough: until now, the first complex life forms (made up of several cells) dated from around 600 million years ago. These new fossils, of various shapes and sizes, imply that the origin of organized life is a lot older than is generally admitted, thus challenging current knowledge on the beginning of life. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630171711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630162353.htm Even before the dawn of agriculture, people may have caused the planet to warm up, a new study suggests. Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630162353.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100629131322.htm A researcher has discovered a 10,000-year-old atlatl dart that had melted out of an ice patch in the Rocky Mountains. Climate change has increased global temperatures and accelerated melting of permanent ice fields, exposing organic materials that have long been entombed in the ice. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100629131322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100616133321.htm New research reveals that when two parts of the Earth's crust break apart, this does not always cause massive volcanic eruptions. The study explains why some parts of the world saw massive volcanic eruptions millions of years ago and others did not. Wed, 30 Jun 2010 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100616133321.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100628101454.htm The hidden secrets of some of the world's most famous paintings have been revealed, thanks to a partnership between the UK's Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the National Gallery. Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100628101454.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100615151707.htm Species extinction is a fundamental part of evolution: the best adapted species survive, while others die out. A new study shows why, after 800,000 years of successful survival, a species of rhinoceros suddenly disappeared. Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100615151707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100628111846.htm A science historian in the UK has cracked the "Plato Code" -- the long disputed secret messages hidden in the great philosopher's writings. The findings may revolutionize the history of the origins of Western thought. Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100628111846.htm