Researchers found that dogs respond differently to food rewards withheld intentionally versus unintentionally. Dogs waited longer in the 'unwilling' condition, indicating they can differentiate between purposeful and accidental actions.
Research in Saudi Arabia reveals multiple pulses of increased rainfall transformed the arid region into a hospitable route for human population movements. The discovery of thousands of stone tools shows changing human culture over time, documenting transition from Lower Palaeolithic Acheulean to Middle Palaeolithic technologies.
A new study investigates human mobility at Alalakh during the Bronze Age, finding most people were born and raised in the region. Genetic data shows ancestry from neighboring regions, with only one individual showing Central Asian origins but local upbringing.
A new study challenges the notion that widespread Indigenous population decline led to significant forest regrowth in tropical regions. Instead, it found that dense and highland forests were less likely to show signs of afforestation following Spanish contact.
African researchers identify ancient El Niño-like weather patterns as major climate drivers, challenging existing views on human evolution. The 'climate seesaw' shifted rainfall between eastern and western Africa over 100,000 years, influencing vegetation, mammal fauna, and human dispersal.
Researchers found that medium-sized terrestrial species suffered the greatest losses, implicating introduced mammalian predators as primary drivers. The study highlights the impact of colonial agriculture and habitat destruction on biodiversity.
A new study reveals that the oral microbiome of ancient humans and Neanderthals is surprisingly similar, with some bacterial strains shared between species. The analysis of fossilized dental plaque also suggests that early humans consumed starch-rich foods, potentially contributing to brain evolution.
Researchers have uncovered the oldest known human burial in Africa, dating back to 78,000 years ago. The discovery, made at Panga ya Saidi cave site in Kenya, reveals evidence of an intentional burial and suggests that Homo sapiens practiced mortuary rites similar to those of Neanderthals.
Researchers use computer-assisted techniques to reconstruct ancient pronunciation of undocumented words, achieving a success rate of 76% in predicting word forms. The study's findings improve understanding of Western Kho-Bwa languages and their linguistic history.
A multi-disciplinary team has reconstructed ancient population and land use, showing that humans shaped much of the terrestrial biosphere by 12,000 years ago. The study found a close correlation between areas of high biodiversity and areas long occupied by Indigenous peoples.
A new study reveals that domesticated sheep first reached Central Asia around 6000 BCE, challenging the long-held notion of their late arrival to the region. The discovery was made through interdisciplinary analysis of fossil remains and ancient DNA.
Researchers have identified the oldest reconstructed modern human genome, dating back around 2,000 years, from a fossil skull in Czechia. The study suggests that early modern humans did not successfully adapt to Europe, with a possible explanation being the Campanian Ignimbrite volcanic eruption.
A new study links increased precipitation in Italy to historical accounts of saints' miracles, demonstrating a unique cultural response to climate change. Researchers integrated paleoclimate proxies with historical records, revealing exceptional moisture levels and unusual water miracles in sixth-century texts.
The study of 111 ancient genomes sheds light on the history of the Scythians, a legendary horse warrior culture. Genetic analysis reveals two main sources of origin for nomadic Iron Age groups, with one from the Altai Mountains and another from the western Ural Mountains.
Researchers propose that plants evolved for long-distance seed dispersal and rapid growth as adaptations for megafaunal mutualisms. These traits allowed them to thrive in human-dominated landscapes, contributing to the global dominance of certain plant families. The study suggests that exaptation traits played a key role in the domesti...
Researchers present a new framework for studying 'the History of Climate and Society,' which reveals that past populations adapted by exploiting opportunities and resilient energy systems. Case studies show that societies like the Roman Eastern Mediterranean thrived under adverse climate conditions.
The Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology has received a €2 million Arcadia grant to document Mongolian archaeological heritage over five years. The project, MAPSS, will compile an open-access online database of heritage sites in English, Mongolian, and Russian.
A study published in Scientific Reports reveals that Neanderthals used the same Nubian Levallois technology as Homo sapiens, pushing the southernmost known range of Neanderthals. The analysis of a fossil tooth and associated archaeological assemblage suggests a mixing ground between populations.
Experts review current understanding of modern human ancestry tracing back to the distant past, identifying three key phases in human evolution. The study suggests that no specific point in time can be identified when modern human ancestry was confined to a limited birthplace.
Researchers analyzed ancient dental calculus from 41 individuals and found milk proteins in 8 individuals, dating back to 4,000-3,200 years ago. The study suggests that early African pastoralists consumed dairy products without the genetic adaptation for lactase persistence, possibly through fermentation.
Archaeologists are addressing modern-day issues like biodiversity conservation and climate change by analyzing past data and solutions. The field has evolved to a highly scientific approach using advanced instrumentation and computers.
A recent study published in Scientific Reports has uncovered evidence of the youngest known occurrence of Middle Stone Age tools, dated to around 11 thousand years ago. This discovery challenges the long-held view that these tool types were replaced by a miniaturized toolkit after 30 thousand years ago.
Early humans showed complex behavioural adaptations in fluctuating environments, using reliable stone toolkits to exploit multiple habitats. Hominin occupation of varied and unstable environments is a unique example for this early time period.
A new study tests machine learning on detecting borrowed words in world languages, showing some promise in specific situations, such as high loanword proportions or single donor languages. However, the results are unsatisfying, highlighting the difficulty of identifying borrowings with mono-lingual information alone.
Researchers found evidence of an export economy based on cash cropping in ancient Greece, primarily through olive cultivation, centuries before the Roman conquest. The study uses pollen records as a new source of quantitative data to measure landscape change and market integration.
Researchers analyzed genome-wide data spanning 6,000 years in eastern Eurasian Steppe, revealing a spectacular level of genetic diversity among Xiongnu and Mongol populations. The study found no evidence for lactase persistence, challenging current medical models.
A new study reveals the oldest securely dated evidence for a river flowing through the Thar Desert, dating back to approximately 172 and 140 thousand years ago. This discovery provides valuable insights into human migration patterns and adaptation strategies in the region.
Researchers found that the loss of grasslands was instrumental in the extinction of many megafauna, including ancient humans like Homo erectus. Tropical forests dominated the region from present-day Myanmar to Indonesia, but began to give way to savannah environments around a million years ago.
A new study analyzed DNA from medieval latrines in Jerusalem and Riga, Latvia, providing insights into the microbiomes of pre-industrial agricultural populations. The findings highlight the value of ancient latrines as sources of bio-molecular information and may provide context for interpreting modern microbiome health.
Researchers have discovered securely dated human footprints in Saudi Arabia, dating back 120,000 years, which provide valuable insights into the Arabian Peninsula's role in human prehistory. The findings suggest that humans and large mammals used the region's landscape in response to dry conditions and diminishing water supplies.
A recent paper in Nature Ecology and Evolution discusses the future of field-based sciences amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors outline epidemiological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, its effects on field sciences, and propose remodelled working practices to overcome challenges.
Researchers developed a neural network to distinguish between Middle and Late Stone Age assemblages by analyzing frequent tool combinations. The study found that the combined occurrence of backed pieces, blade technologies, and absence of core tools reliably identifies Late Stone Age assemblages.
Researchers have discovered hundreds of massive stone structures in northwest Saudi Arabia, dated to 7,000 years ago, suggesting they were used for rituals and social bonding exercises. The structures, called mustatils, consist of two large platforms connected by long walls and lack obvious openings.
A new study from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology has reconstructed a tuberculosis genome from the calcified lungs of a 17th-century bishop, supporting the idea that TB emerged within the last 6,000 years. The discovery sheds light on the origins of TB and challenges the prevailing assumption about its global distribution.
Researchers found distinctive fluted points in Yemen and Oman, dating back to the Neolithic period. The similar yet distinct fluting techniques suggest cultural convergence or independent invention of this advanced technology.
A recent review in the Journal of Intelligence identifies two main problems hindering research in comparative psychology: anthropocentrism and a narrow view of cognition. The authors argue that studies should take a biocentric approach, considering each species in its own right, and focus on cognitive abilities unique to each species.
Research found that owner behavior, rather than internal principles like the principle of least effort, affects the effort and accuracy of dogs' showing. Owners who encouraged their dog to show where a toy was hidden increased effort but decreased accuracy.
Researchers have found evidence of the earliest use of bow-and-arrow technologies in the tropical rainforests of Sri Lanka, dating back to ~48,000 years ago. This discovery challenges traditional assumptions about human innovation and cultural development in extreme environments.
A study led by the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology found that ancient DNA documents population changes across eastern and southern Africa from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. Genomic analysis revealed complex interactions between hunter-gatherers, pastoralists, and farmers, with varying integration of diverse ancestries.
A new study in Scientific Reports reveals that medieval European plague victims were infected with both the plague and a disease related to syphilis, called yaws. This discovery challenges the prevailing theory that syphilis originated in the New World and instead suggests that yaws may have contributed to the outbreak in Europe.
A new study using ancient DNA found at least three population dispersals that brought people to the Caribbean, challenging traditional views of the region's early settlement. The researchers also discovered biological and cultural diversity among the early settlers.
A team of researchers sequenced 55 ancient genomes from northern China, finding correlations between genetic changes and subsistence strategy shifts. The study reveals that the West Liao River region experienced significant genetic changes over time, while the Yellow River showed a general stability but received genetic contributions f...
A new study on corvid birds reveals how biology, environment, and social life allow young birds to learn difficult skills that improve survival. Extended parenting plays a key role in this process.
A team of French and German researchers found higher levels of admixture between early Neolithic farmers and local hunter-gatherers in France, with genetic contributions averaging 31% in the south. The study provides new insights into the dynamics of biological interactions during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition in Western Europe.
Archaeogenomic analysis reveals two influential genetic events and evidence of long-distance individual movement in Anatolia, Northern Levant, and the Southern Caucasus. Genetic mixing and individual mobility were key factors in the development of regional genetic melting pots and early state-level societies.
New study reveals deep connection between Upper Paleolithic Siberians and First Americans, dating back to the Upper Paleolithic period. The discovery sheds light on future studies about Native American population history and suggests that the ancestry of Native Americans was more widely distributed than previously assumed.
Archaeological finds of Boa vertebrae on Martinique and Guadeloupe suggest the snake's cultural significance in pre-Columbian Lesser Antilles. The discovery also highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research to reconstruct lost pasts.
The Pofatu Database provides a comprehensive compilation of geochemical analyses and contextual information for archaeological sources and artefacts. It enables researchers to reconstruct ancient strategies of raw material and artefact procurement, facilitating comparability and reproducibility in provenance studies.
An interdisciplinary study of three African skeletons found in Mexico City sheds light on the lives of first-generation enslaved Africans. The analysis reveals evidence of forced migration, physical trauma, and the introduction of infectious diseases from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Researchers analyze fossil teeth from Timor and Alor islands to study ecological adaptations of earliest Homo sapiens. The study shows that humans relied on coastal resources initially, but then adapted to tropical forest environments around 20,000 years ago.