The origin of 'us': what we know so far about where we humans come from
The story of where humans come from is growing as new evidence—and new methods of analysis—emerge all the time
How much evidence is enough to declare a new species of human from a Philippines cave site?
There is no reason to expect human evolution to have been any different to the evolution of other animals
Stone Age tools found in Tamil Nadu suggest re-framing of ‘Out of Africa’ theories
New evidence suggests that a Middle Palaeolithic culture was present in India around 385,000 years ago—roughly the same time that it is …
Whale of a problem: why do humpback whales protect other species from attack?
Humpback whales have been spotted fending off killer whales from attacking other species. But this kind of interspecies altruism raises an …
Anthropocene doesn't exist and species of the future will not recognise it
The Anthropocene has come to fore as a powerful if perplexing way of talking about our current era
Could invisible aliens really exist among us? An astrobiologist explains
A popular suggestion for an alternative biochemistry is one based on silicon rather than carbon
We've been wrong about the origins of life for 90 years
New research suggests the "primordial soup" theory can't explain how living cells evolved to harness energy
The story of how mammals evolved
In his book ‘I, Mammal: The Story of What Makes us Mammals’, former neurobiologist Liam Drew takes the reader on a spectacular journey
Archaeological discoveries are happening faster than ever before, helping refine the human story
This century has brought unexpected discoveries from Europe and Asia
Cultural calling
Henrich attempts a thrilling adventure in the fierce interplay between genes and culture in human evolution
Science & Technology - Briefs
When did Homo erectus die out?
A fresh look at the demise of an ancient human species over 100,000 years ago
Scientists find nine-million-year-old ape fossils in Himachal Pradesh
Scientists discovered the surprise fossil during an excavation in Haritalyangar in Shiwalik hills region in Himachal Pradesh
How smart were our ancestors? Turns out the answer isn’t in brain size, but blood flow
Skulls hold clues to intelligence, says this physiology professor
Fossil teeth reveal new facts about a mass extinction 260 million years ago
Did a change in climate caused or contributed to a mass extinction around 260 million years ago?
A sniff to save
It can detect a person buried under six metres of snow. Pervez Cama, who travelled to the Swiss Alps, traces the history of St Bernard, a dog …
Fossil footprints give glimpse of how ancient climate change drove the rise of reptiles
A set of fossils that lay forgotten in a museum are revealing new secrets about Britain's prehistoric wildlife
To cull or not
The killing of a gorilla in the Cincinnati Zoo renews the moral existential dilemma
Coastal Management
Uneasy non-evolution: India has amended its coastal regulations 25 times over the past 19 years. Here are some samples. Scroll over the bubbles …
Evolution: why it seems to have a direction and what to expect next
A dominant, intelligent species like humans will always be bad news for many of the other species on the planets where they evolve
We sequenced the oldest ever DNA, from million-year-old mammoths
About a million years ago, there was a known species of mammoth inhabiting Siberia. This was thought to be the ancestor of later species, but was it?
A geological account on how to interpret time
Bjornerud rationalises global problems we are facing today and says that the reason for this evidently self-harming behaviour is because of the …
Scientists find a whole new world below ground
New research says that there is an entire subterranean biosphere teeming with 15-23 billion tonnes of micro-organisms
What if the Lazarus returns
We may never be able to bring extinct species back to life. Yet, scientists are drawing up secret plans for their resurrection
What elephants teach us about cancer prevention
Elephants naturally avoid cancer after 55 million years of evolution. Scientists are studying if they can extract lessons that could help people
