In prehistoric interbreeding, it was Neanderthal men and Homo sapiens women

February 27, 2026 2:52 PM

In prehistoric interbreeding, it was Neanderthal men and Homo sapiens women

When Homo sapiens trekked out of Africa, our species encountered Neanderthal populations already inhabiting the vast expanses of Europe, Asia and the Middle East. As the presence of Neanderthal DNA in most present-day people shows, interbreeding occurred, though the circumstances have remained unclear. New research focusing on the X chromosome, one of the two sex chromosomes, in present-day people and, as revealed by ancient genomes, in Neanderthals is providing insight into who participated in...

Study documents extinction of 610 bird species and ecological impacts

October 5, 2024 2:02 PM

Study documents extinction of 610 bird species and ecological impacts

The Dodo, the famous flightless bird that inhabited the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, is a case study in extinction caused by humans. The Dodo, finely adapted to its isolated ecosystem but unprepared for the arrival of people, was first encountered by Dutch sailors in 1598. Hunting, habitat destruction and the introduction of non-native species doomed it in under 80 years. It is hardly alone. New research has documented the extinction of 610 bird species over the past 130,000 years, coincid...

What did people eat before agriculture? New study offers insight

April 30, 2024 3:44 PM

What did people eat before agriculture? New study offers insight

The advent of agriculture roughly 11,500 years ago in the Middle East was a milestone for humankind - a revolution in diet and lifestyle that moved beyond the way hunter-gatherers had existed since Homo sapiens arose more than 300,000 years ago in Africa. While the scarcity of well-preserved human remains from the period preceding this turning point has made the diet of pre-agricultural people a bit of a mystery, new research is now providing insight into this question. Scientists reconstructed...