New Scientist - Humans https://www.newscientist.com/ https://www.newscientist.com/build/images/ns-logo-scaled.ed2dc11a.png https://www.newscientist.com daily 1 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2510396-hominin-fossils-from-morocco-may-be-close-ancestors-of-modern-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:50 +0000 The jawbones and vertebrae of a hominin that lived 773,000 years ago have been found in North Africa and could represent a common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and Denisovans 2510396-hominin-fossils-from-morocco-may-be-close-ancestors-of-modern-humans|2510396 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2510462-hunting-with-poison-arrows-may-have-begun-60000-years-ago-in-africa/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 07 Jan 2026 19:00:14 +0000 A collection of arrow points excavated in South Africa has provided the oldest direct evidence of hunters deploying plant-based poisons on their weapons, a practice that has continued into modern times in some traditional cultures 2510462-hunting-with-poison-arrows-may-have-begun-60000-years-ago-in-africa|2510462 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2510574-where-are-the-denisovans-the-answer-is-in-our-dna/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 07 Jan 2026 18:00:51 +0000 New skull discoveries and DNA analysis are unravelling the mysteries of the Denisovans.  Paleoanthropologist Chris Stringer explores what we know about this enigmatic species and what it tells us about our own family tree 2510574-where-are-the-denisovans-the-answer-is-in-our-dna|2510574 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2510274-early-humans-may-have-begun-butchering-elephants-1-8-million-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 06 Jan 2026 19:00:57 +0000 A 1.78-million-year-old partial elephant skeleton found in Tanzania associated with stone tools may represent the oldest known evidence of butchery of the giant herbivores 2510274-early-humans-may-have-begun-butchering-elephants-1-8-million-years-ago|2510274 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509929-was-our-earliest-ancestor-a-knuckle-dragger-or-did-it-walk-upright/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 02 Jan 2026 19:00:36 +0000 Did Sahelanthropus, which lived 7 million years ago, walk on two legs like a modern human? It's complicated 2509929-was-our-earliest-ancestor-a-knuckle-dragger-or-did-it-walk-upright|2509929 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2509853-the-ancient-human-species-we-once-co-existed-with/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 30 Dec 2025 20:48:13 +0000 Ella Al-Shamahi explores the complexities of our past by meeting the fascinating human species we once shared the planet with 2509853-the-ancient-human-species-we-once-co-existed-with|2509853 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26835752-000-ancient-rock-art-revealed-in-all-its-glory-in-stunning-photographs/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 23 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Images capture the remarkable variety of petroglyphs etched into rock across a wide swathe of land, from Mongolia to the Sahara mg26835752-000-ancient-rock-art-revealed-in-all-its-glory-in-stunning-photographs|2508621 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26835752-200-why-do-we-feel-the-need-to-humanise-everything-from-dogs-to-cars/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 23 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000 Our tendency to anthropomorphise our pets and possessions reveals the baggage we bring to our relationship with the natural world, says Justin Gregg in his fascinating new book Human-ish mg26835752-200-why-do-we-feel-the-need-to-humanise-everything-from-dogs-to-cars|2508623 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506938-the-most-amazing-archaeology-photos-and-discoveries-of-2025/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Dec 2025 18:00:26 +0000 The first Denisovan skull, an ancient hunter’s toolkit and a Roman man’s brain that has turned to glass: here are our picks of the year’s most striking findings about prehistoric humans 2506938-the-most-amazing-archaeology-photos-and-discoveries-of-2025|2506938 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2509142-roman-soldiers-defending-hadrians-wall-had-intestinal-parasites/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 19 Dec 2025 00:00:47 +0000 Excavations of sewer drains at a Roman fort in northern England have revealed the presence of several parasites that can cause debilitating illness in humans 2509142-roman-soldiers-defending-hadrians-wall-had-intestinal-parasites|2509142 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2501758-did-ancient-humans-start-farming-so-they-could-drink-more-beer/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Dec 2025 10:00:06 +0000 New evidence suggests that alcohol was a surprisingly big motivator in our monumental transition from hunting and gathering to farming – but was beer really more important to us than bread? 2501758-did-ancient-humans-start-farming-so-they-could-drink-more-beer|2501758 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2508181-roman-occupation-of-britain-damaged-the-populations-health/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:01:51 +0000 Urban populations in southern Britain experienced a decline in health that lasted for generations after the Romans arrived 2508181-roman-occupation-of-britain-damaged-the-populations-health|2508181 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2508256-flint-dibble-is-on-a-mission-to-debunk-ancient-civilisation-myths/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:49:02 +0000 Flint Dibble's high-profile debate with Graham Hancock on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast has opened up the debate around the dangers of pseudoarchaeology 2508256-flint-dibble-is-on-a-mission-to-debunk-ancient-civilisation-myths|2508256 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507965-oldest-evidence-of-fire-lighting-comes-from-early-humans-in-britain/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:00:06 +0000 An excavation in Suffolk, UK, has uncovered pyrite and flint that appear to have been used by ancient humans to light fires some 400,000 years ago 2507965-oldest-evidence-of-fire-lighting-comes-from-early-humans-in-britain|2507965 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502335-what-the-evolution-of-tickling-tells-us-about-being-human/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:00:19 +0000 From bonobos and rats to tickling robots, research is finally cracking the secrets of why we’re ticklish, and what that reveals about our brains 2502335-what-the-evolution-of-tickling-tells-us-about-being-human|2502335 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507618-2025-was-chock-full-of-exciting-discoveries-in-human-evolution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 09 Dec 2025 18:00:10 +0000 From an incredible series of revelations about the ancient humans called Denisovans to surprising discoveries about tool making, this year has given us a clearer picture of how and why humans evolved to be so different from other primates 2507618-2025-was-chock-full-of-exciting-discoveries-in-human-evolution|2507618 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507648-pompeii-building-site-reveals-how-the-romans-made-concrete/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 09 Dec 2025 16:00:36 +0000 Excavations of a workshop that was buried in Pompeii almost 2000 years ago have given archaeologists unique insights into Roman construction techniques and the longevity of the empire’s concrete 2507648-pompeii-building-site-reveals-how-the-romans-made-concrete|2507648 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2507277-hunter-gatherer-groups-are-much-less-egalitarian-than-they-seem/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 05 Dec 2025 15:00:25 +0000 There is a widespread belief that altruism and equality drive social behaviour in traditional hunter-gatherer societies, but the truth is more surprising and complex 2507277-hunter-gatherer-groups-are-much-less-egalitarian-than-they-seem|2507277 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506818-ancient-human-artefacts-found-near-caves-in-arabian-desert/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 02 Dec 2025 19:21:01 +0000 Today, the deserts of the Arabian peninsula are inhospitable – but 100,000 years ago, the area was full of animals and ancient humans 2506818-ancient-human-artefacts-found-near-caves-in-arabian-desert|2506818 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506343-was-a-little-known-culture-in-bronze-age-turkey-a-major-power/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:00:56 +0000 Archaeologists have gathered evidence from hundreds of Bronze Age sites in western Turkey that could be remnants of a civilisation that has been largely overlooked 2506343-was-a-little-known-culture-in-bronze-age-turkey-a-major-power|2506343 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506312-ancient-humans-took-two-routes-to-australia-60000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 28 Nov 2025 19:00:39 +0000 Scientists have long tried to uncover the perilous journey humans took to reach the ancient land mass that now makes up Australia. Now, a genetic study has edged us closer to understanding how and when they achieved this 2506312-ancient-humans-took-two-routes-to-australia-60000-years-ago|2506312 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2506112-warming-and-droughts-led-to-collapse-of-the-indus-valley-civilisation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 27 Nov 2025 16:00:27 +0000 Hotter temperatures and a series of droughts in what is now Pakistan and India fragmented one of the world’s major early civilisations, providing a "warning shot" for today 2506112-warming-and-droughts-led-to-collapse-of-the-indus-valley-civilisation|2506112 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2505945-easter-island-statues-may-have-been-built-by-small-independent-groups/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 26 Nov 2025 19:00:50 +0000 Mapping of the main quarry on Easter Island where giant statues were carved has uncovered evidence that the monuments may not have been created under the direction of a single chief 2505945-easter-island-statues-may-have-been-built-by-small-independent-groups|2505945 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2505923-ancient-human-foot-bones-shed-light-on-how-two-species-coexisted/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 26 Nov 2025 16:00:09 +0000 Scientists have finally assigned foot bones found in 2009 to an ancient human species, and the move suggests that different types of hominins lived close by in harmony 2505923-ancient-human-foot-bones-shed-light-on-how-two-species-coexisted|2505923 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2505641-easily-taxed-grains-were-crucial-to-the-birth-of-the-first-states/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 25 Nov 2025 10:00:42 +0000 The cultivation of wheat, barley and maize, which are easily stored and taxed, seems to have led to the emergence of large societies, rather than agriculture generally 2505641-easily-taxed-grains-were-crucial-to-the-birth-of-the-first-states|2505641 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2504932-kissing-may-have-evolved-in-an-ape-ancestor-21-million-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:57 +0000 Rather than being a recent cultural development, kissing may have been practised by other early humans like Neanderthals and our ape ancestors 2504932-kissing-may-have-evolved-in-an-ape-ancestor-21-million-years-ago|2504932 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2504620-new-denisovan-discovery-could-rewrite-our-family-tree/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 18 Nov 2025 18:00:21 +0000 An ancient skull has finally shown us what the Denisovans looked like. Now it turns out they, not Neanderthals, might be our closest relatives 2504620-new-denisovan-discovery-could-rewrite-our-family-tree|2504620 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502898-we-can-finally-hear-the-long-hidden-music-of-the-stone-age/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:00:21 +0000 Ancient rock art was meant to be heard as well as seen and now acoustic archaeologists are bringing the sounds of prehistoric rituals to life 2502898-we-can-finally-hear-the-long-hidden-music-of-the-stone-age|2502898 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2504671-vast-bronze-age-city-discovered-in-the-plains-of-kazakhstan/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:01:22 +0000 A major settlement in Central Asia called Semiyarka dating back to 1600 BC had houses, a big central building and even an industrial zone for producing copper and bronze 2504671-vast-bronze-age-city-discovered-in-the-plains-of-kazakhstan|2504671 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2504582-ancient-figurine-may-show-sexual-encounter-between-woman-and-goose/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:00:09 +0000 A 12,000-year-old clay sculpture found in Israel depicts a goose on the back of a woman, and archaeologists suggest it may be a depiction of an animistic mythological scene 2504582-ancient-figurine-may-show-sexual-encounter-between-woman-and-goose|2504582 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2504597-neanderthals-hefty-noses-werent-well-adapted-to-cold-climates/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 17 Nov 2025 20:00:05 +0000 Neanderthals were thought to have structures inside their noses that helped them deal with the cold, but analysis of an exceptionally preserved specimen contradicts that 2504597-neanderthals-hefty-noses-werent-well-adapted-to-cold-climates|2504597 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503499-mysterious-holes-in-andean-mountain-may-be-an-inca-spreadsheet/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:01:52 +0000 Thousands of holes arranged in a snake-like pattern on Monte Sierpe in Peru could have been a monumental accounting device for trade and tax 2503499-mysterious-holes-in-andean-mountain-may-be-an-inca-spreadsheet|2503499 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2504102-ancient-silver-goblet-preserves-oldest-known-image-of-cosmic-creation/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:00:27 +0000 The images hammered into the sides of a goblet found in Palestine give us an idea of what people living more than 4000 years ago imagined the creation of the cosmos looked like 2504102-ancient-silver-goblet-preserves-oldest-known-image-of-cosmic-creation|2504102 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2504220-analysing-hitlers-dna-for-a-tv-gimmick-tells-us-nothing-useful/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 13 Nov 2025 10:18:45 +0000 To understand Adolf Hitler, we need to look at his personal life and the wider societal and historical context - analysing his DNA for a TV gimmick tells us nothing, says Michael Le Page 2504220-analysing-hitlers-dna-for-a-tv-gimmick-tells-us-nothing-useful|2504220 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503899-cradle-of-humanity-is-still-revealing-new-insights-about-our-origins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 11 Nov 2025 18:00:24 +0000 The Omo-Turkana basin in Africa is home to a treasure trove of ancient human fossils and tools that span 300,000 years – today it is still yielding new discoveries about our species 2503899-cradle-of-humanity-is-still-revealing-new-insights-about-our-origins|2503899 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503325-digital-map-lets-you-explore-the-roman-empires-vast-road-network/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 06 Nov 2025 16:00:09 +0000 Archaeologists have compiled the most detailed map yet of roads throughout the Roman Empire in AD 150, totalling almost 300,000 kilometres in length 2503325-digital-map-lets-you-explore-the-roman-empires-vast-road-network|2503325 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502872-ancient-dna-may-rewrite-the-story-of-icelands-earliest-settlers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 05 Nov 2025 12:00:34 +0000 Biochemical evidence suggests Norse people settled in Iceland almost 70 years before the accepted arrival date of the 870s, and didn't chop down the island's forests 2502872-ancient-dna-may-rewrite-the-story-of-icelands-earliest-settlers|2502872 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2503197-skeleton-with-brutal-injuries-identified-as-duke-assassinated-in-1272/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 06 Nov 2025 08:00:36 +0000 The identity of a skeleton buried under a Budapest convent has been confirmed as Béla of Macsó, a Hungarian royal murdered in a 13th-century power struggle, and archaeologists have pieced together how the attack unfolded 2503197-skeleton-with-brutal-injuries-identified-as-duke-assassinated-in-1272|2503197 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500833-does-the-family-tree-of-ancient-humans-need-a-drastic-rewrite/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:00:00 +0000 Anthropologist Christopher Bae has recently suggested we add two new species of ancient human to our family tree. The plans break the conventions for how species should be named – but Bae argues the rules themselves are flawed 2500833-does-the-family-tree-of-ancient-humans-need-a-drastic-rewrite|2500833 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500060-how-a-surge-in-ancient-plagues-5000-years-ago-shaped-humanity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 28 Oct 2025 16:00:31 +0000 Plague, leprosy, smallpox and other diseases didn't jump from animals to humans when we thought. Ancient DNA is revealing where they come from and how they changed history 2500060-how-a-surge-in-ancient-plagues-5000-years-ago-shaped-humanity|2500060 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502409-denisovans-may-have-interbred-with-mysterious-group-of-ancient-humans/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 31 Oct 2025 15:13:43 +0000 We now have only the second high-quality genome from an ancient Denisovan human, which reveals there were more populations of this species than we thought 2502409-denisovans-may-have-interbred-with-mysterious-group-of-ancient-humans|2502409 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2502176-boys-body-was-mummified-and-turned-green-by-a-copper-coffin/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 31 Oct 2025 06:00:14 +0000 The green mummified remains of a teenager buried in Italy 200 to 400 years ago have given us new insights into the preservative properties of copper 2502176-boys-body-was-mummified-and-turned-green-by-a-copper-coffin|2502176 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2501950-prehistoric-crayons-provide-clues-to-how-neanderthals-created-art/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 29 Oct 2025 18:00:29 +0000 Ochre artefacts found in Crimea show signs of having been used for drawing, adding to evidence that Neanderthals used pigments in symbolic ways 2501950-prehistoric-crayons-provide-clues-to-how-neanderthals-created-art|2501950 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500492-neanderthal-human-hybrids-may-have-been-scourged-by-a-genetic-mismatch/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 20 Oct 2025 10:00:08 +0100 When Homo sapiens and Neanderthals interbred, a genetic variation affecting red blood cells may have hindered reproduction in women who were hybrids, and this might have played a part in Neanderthals’ demise 2500492-neanderthal-human-hybrids-may-have-been-scourged-by-a-genetic-mismatch|2500492 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498245-were-finally-reading-the-secrets-of-herculaneums-lost-library/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 14 Oct 2025 17:00:39 +0100 A whole library’s worth of papyri owned by Julius Caesar’s father-in-law were turned to charcoal by the eruption of Vesuvius. Nearly 2000 years later, we can at last read these lost treasures 2498245-were-finally-reading-the-secrets-of-herculaneums-lost-library|2498245 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2499788-who-were-the-first-humans-to-reach-the-british-isles/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 14 Oct 2025 19:00:31 +0100 As ancient humans left Africa, they encountered many harsh environments including the Sahara and the high Arctic, but one of the last places they inhabited was Britain, likely due to the relentless cold and damp climate 2499788-who-were-the-first-humans-to-reach-the-british-isles|2499788 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500077-ancient-lead-exposure-may-have-influenced-how-our-brains-evolved/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 15 Oct 2025 20:00:12 +0100 Lead poisoning isn't just a modern phenomenon: fossil teeth show signs that it affected ancient hominids, and Homo sapiens may have coped better than our close relatives 2500077-ancient-lead-exposure-may-have-influenced-how-our-brains-evolved|2500077 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2500037-early-hominin-had-human-like-dexterity-and-gorilla-strength/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 15 Oct 2025 17:00:15 +0100 The first confirmed fossil hands of Paranthropus boisei show that this ancient relative was capable of making tools, but was also much stronger than modern humans 2500037-early-hominin-had-human-like-dexterity-and-gorilla-strength|2500037 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2499833-pregnancy-test-for-skeletons-could-help-reveal-ancient-mothers/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 14 Oct 2025 15:06:12 +0100 Progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone can be detected in skeletons over 1000 years old, offering a way to identify individuals who died while pregnant or soon after giving birth 2499833-pregnancy-test-for-skeletons-could-help-reveal-ancient-mothers|2499833 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2499487-evolution-of-intelligence-in-our-ancestors-may-have-come-at-a-cost/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:00:36 +0100 By tracing when variations in the human genome first appeared, researchers have found that advances in cognitive abilities may have led to our vulnerability to mental illness 2499487-evolution-of-intelligence-in-our-ancestors-may-have-come-at-a-cost|2499487 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498947-king-richard-iiis-oral-microbiome-hints-he-had-severe-gum-disease/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:00:59 +0100 The skeleton of King Richard III, which was found beneath a car park more than a decade ago, has well-preserved teeth, allowing scientists to sequence his oral microbiome 2498947-king-richard-iiis-oral-microbiome-hints-he-had-severe-gum-disease|2498947 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2498144-ancient-artists-created-giant-camel-engravings-in-the-arabian-desert/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:00:44 +0100 Almost 200 engravings created around 12,000 years ago have been discovered in Saudi Arabia, including depictions of camels etched into cliff faces over 40 metres high 2498144-ancient-artists-created-giant-camel-engravings-in-the-arabian-desert|2498144 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735620-500-a-compelling-book-about-the-end-of-the-neanderthals-is-a-rare-treat/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 24 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Forget the tropes about how violence or maybe volcanic eruptions killed off our ancient cousins, The Last Neanderthal by Ludovic Slimak offers a very different take on how they died out mg26735620-500-a-compelling-book-about-the-end-of-the-neanderthals-is-a-rare-treat|2497231 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2497765-reconstructed-skull-gives-surprising-clues-to-our-enigmatic-ancestor-x/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:00:46 +0100 The shared ancestor of our species, the Neanderthals and the Denisovans may be far older than we thought – which could completely change our understanding of humanity's evolution 2497765-reconstructed-skull-gives-surprising-clues-to-our-enigmatic-ancestor-x|2497765 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735610-100-wheres-my-jetpack-got-to-and-other-sci-fi-tech-queries/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:00:00 +0100 We are still waiting for the retro-futuristic tech and social revolutions envisioned in science fiction’s old gold, writes Annalee Newitz – not to mention advances in reproduction mg26735610-100-wheres-my-jetpack-got-to-and-other-sci-fi-tech-queries|2496274 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496225-30000-year-old-toolkit-shows-what-ancient-hunter-carried-in-a-pouch/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 16 Sep 2025 19:01:13 +0100 A set of 29 stone tools, including blades and points for hunting, butchering and cutting wood, were found neatly arranged as if carried in a leather pouch that decayed 2496225-30000-year-old-toolkit-shows-what-ancient-hunter-carried-in-a-pouch|2496225 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2496267-the-oldest-human-mummies-were-slowly-smoked-14000-years-ago/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:00:28 +0100 For at least 10,000 years, humans across South-East Asia were being carefully preserved after death by being smoke-dried – a tradition that continues to this day in some cultures 2496267-the-oldest-human-mummies-were-slowly-smoked-14000-years-ago|2496267 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495962-early-neanderthals-hunted-ibex-on-steep-mountain-slopes/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:00:35 +0100 Ancient remains from a cave in Serbia show that Neanderthals were hunting mountain goats 300,000 years ago, adding to evidence of their ability to adapt to different environments 2495962-early-neanderthals-hunted-ibex-on-steep-mountain-slopes|2495962 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495847-britains-economy-thrived-after-the-withdrawal-of-the-roman-empire/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:00:34 +0100 An archaeological dig in northern England shows iron and lead processing continued and even increased after the departure of the Romans 2495847-britains-economy-thrived-after-the-withdrawal-of-the-roman-empire|2495847 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495840-we-evolved-to-match-local-micronutrient-levels-which-may-be-a-problem/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:00:59 +0100 Most human populations evolved to cope with low or high local levels of micronutrients such as zinc, but these localised adaptations might now be problematic 2495840-we-evolved-to-match-local-micronutrient-levels-which-may-be-a-problem|2495840 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2495599-how-cosmic-events-may-have-influenced-hominin-evolution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 09 Sep 2025 19:00:06 +0100 Some cosmic events could have profoundly altered the lives of our ancient human relatives. Did Neanderthals go extinct, at least in part, due to changes in Earth’s magnetic field? Did Australopithecus witness huge meteorite impacts? 2495599-how-cosmic-events-may-have-influenced-hominin-evolution|2495599 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2494661-does-this-sculpted-head-show-an-ancient-hunter-gatherers-hairstyle/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 08 Sep 2025 16:33:37 +0100 A carved figure found in northern France, dated to 27,000 years ago, may reflect how hair was styled in a culture that disappeared during the last glacial maximum 2494661-does-this-sculpted-head-show-an-ancient-hunter-gatherers-hairstyle|2494661 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2492337-an-incredible-denisovan-skull-is-upending-the-story-of-human-evolution/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 25 Aug 2025 15:00:38 +0100 An ancient skull has finally shown us what the Denisovans looked like. Now it turns out they, not Neanderthals, might be our closest relatives, redrawing our family tree and transforming the hunt for Ancestor X 2492337-an-incredible-denisovan-skull-is-upending-the-story-of-human-evolution|2492337 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735581-100-alice-roberts-investigates-the-unstoppable-rise-of-christianity/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 27 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Why did Christianity grow from a niche sect to a religion followed by billions? Michael Marshall explores Alice Roberts’s latest book Domination mg26735581-100-alice-roberts-investigates-the-unstoppable-rise-of-christianity|2493605 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735582-800-understanding-the-denisovans-means-understanding-ourselves/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 27 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Categorising the Denisovans as a distinct species would allow us to more comprehensively trace our own evolutionary development mg26735582-800-understanding-the-denisovans-means-understanding-ourselves|2493791 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735570-900-why-bosses-exploit-their-most-loyal-employees/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Research reveals that managers often take advantage of their hardest-working members of staff. David Robson has some advice for a frustrated reader mg26735570-900-why-bosses-exploit-their-most-loyal-employees|2492932 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735570-500-exploring-humanitys-ancient-origins-in-fantastic-new-bbc-documentary/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Human delivers an unusually clear picture of Homo sapiens as a species shaped by climate, animals, plants, other hominins and the interactions of its own nomadic groups. Bethan Ackerley is enthralled mg26735570-500-exploring-humanitys-ancient-origins-in-fantastic-new-bbc-documentary|2492916 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735570-200-did-childcare-fuel-language-a-new-book-makes-the-case/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Rearing our unusually underdeveloped young may account for the evolution of language. Michael Marshall is intrigued, but wants more evidence from Madeleine Beekman's The Origin of Language mg26735570-200-did-childcare-fuel-language-a-new-book-makes-the-case|2492913 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735561-900-introvert-extravert-otrovert-theres-a-new-personality-type-in-town/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 13 Aug 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Psychiatrist Rami Kaminski says he has observed a previously unrecognised personality type – the "otrovert". Here is what he thinks these people can teach us mg26735561-900-introvert-extravert-otrovert-theres-a-new-personality-type-in-town|2492067 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2492161-dna-analysis-reveals-west-african-ancestry-in-early-medieval-england/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 13 Aug 2025 01:01:19 +0100 An unrelated pair of people buried in cemeteries in 7th-century Britain probably had grandparents from West Africa 2492161-dna-analysis-reveals-west-african-ancestry-in-early-medieval-england|2492161 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2492288-fossil-teeth-may-come-from-a-new-species-of-early-hominin/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:00:00 +0100 Some 2.6-million-year-old teeth found in Ethiopia hint that an unknown species from the Australopithecus genus coexisted with one of our Homo relatives, but it is hard to draw firm conclusions from the evidence 2492288-fossil-teeth-may-come-from-a-new-species-of-early-hominin|2492288 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2492013-why-a-mysterious-group-of-ancient-humans-doesnt-have-a-species-name/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 12 Aug 2025 19:00:27 +0100 An extinct group of humans that were once widespread in Asia don’t have an official species name – part of the reason is archaeological, and part is a legal question 2492013-why-a-mysterious-group-of-ancient-humans-doesnt-have-a-species-name|2492013 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2491651-human-bones-found-in-spanish-cave-show-signs-of-ancient-cannibalism/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 07 Aug 2025 17:00:36 +0100 Hundreds of pieces of bone dating from 5700 years ago carry evidence of being processed and eaten by other humans, bolstering the idea that cannibalism was common in the Neolithic period 2491651-human-bones-found-in-spanish-cave-show-signs-of-ancient-cannibalism|2491651 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2489648-your-pet-dogs-ancestor-was-a-fierce-wild-animal-how-was-it-tamed/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:00:38 +0100 Unexpected archaeological discoveries are rewriting the story of how the big, bad wolf became our first and most beloved pet 2489648-your-pet-dogs-ancestor-was-a-fierce-wild-animal-how-was-it-tamed|2489648 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2491366-ancient-tools-on-sulawesi-may-be-clue-to-origins-of-hobbit-hominins/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 06 Aug 2025 17:00:34 +0100 The Indonesian island of Sulawesi was a likely stepping stone for ancient hominins to reach nearby Flores, the home of the mysterious Homo floresiensis 2491366-ancient-tools-on-sulawesi-may-be-clue-to-origins-of-hobbit-hominins|2491366 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2488813-archaeologists-are-unearthing-the-most-powerful-women-who-ever-lived/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 30 Jul 2025 17:00:59 +0100 Astonishing new archaeological finds and ancient DNA analysis leave no doubt that throughout prehistory women were rulers, warriors, hunters and shamans 2488813-archaeologists-are-unearthing-the-most-powerful-women-who-ever-lived|2488813 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2490848-dna-analysis-reveals-what-really-killed-napoleons-army-in-1812/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 01 Aug 2025 17:00:30 +0100 At least 300,000 men died during Napoleon’s retreat from Russia - now the latest genetic techniques have identified two pathogens that may have contributed to some of the deaths 2490848-dna-analysis-reveals-what-really-killed-napoleons-army-in-1812|2490848 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2490377-ancient-siberian-ice-mummy-is-covered-in-really-special-tattoos/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 31 Jul 2025 01:01:17 +0100 Tattoos may have been widespread in prehistory, with scientists discovering a plethora of body art on a pastoralist who died in the 3rd or 4th century BC 2490377-ancient-siberian-ice-mummy-is-covered-in-really-special-tattoos|2490377 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2490380-ancient-pots-found-near-pompeii-contain-2500-year-old-honey/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 30 Jul 2025 14:00:19 +0100 A mysterious residue inside a set of ancient Greek pots from Paestum, Italy, has now been identified as honey thanks to modern chemical analysis 2490380-ancient-pots-found-near-pompeii-contain-2500-year-old-honey|2490380 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2487980-what-were-ancient-humans-thinking-when-they-began-to-bury-their-dead/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:00:36 +0100 Claims that a small-brained hominin called Homo naledi buried its dead raise intriguing questions about ancient minds and why we engage in this peculiar practice 2487980-what-were-ancient-humans-thinking-when-they-began-to-bury-their-dead|2487980 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2489838-neanderthals-were-probably-maggot-munchers-not-hyper-carnivores/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 25 Jul 2025 20:00:53 +0100 It has been claimed Neanderthals ate a huge amount of meat based on isotope ratios in their bones – but the explanation could instead be a diet rich in maggots 2489838-neanderthals-were-probably-maggot-munchers-not-hyper-carnivores|2489838 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735532-300-triumphant-images-of-women-who-climbed-to-new-heights/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 23 Jul 2025 19:00:00 +0100 Mountaineering Women: Climbing through history tells the stories of more than a dozen female climbers who have conquered the world's greatest peaks mg26735532-300-triumphant-images-of-women-who-climbed-to-new-heights|2488991 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735532-600-homo-naledis-burial-practices-could-change-what-it-means-to-be-human/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 23 Jul 2025 19:00:00 +0100 If ancient humans with brains a third the size of our own buried their dead, as some archaeologists are claiming, then our species may be less special than we thought mg26735532-600-homo-naledis-burial-practices-could-change-what-it-means-to-be-human|2489152 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2489138-ai-helps-reconstruct-damaged-latin-inscriptions-from-the-roman-empire/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 23 Jul 2025 17:00:40 +0100 Google DeepMind and historians created an AI tool called Aeneas that can predict the missing words in Latin inscriptions carved into stone walls and pottery sherds from the ancient Roman Empire. 2489138-ai-helps-reconstruct-damaged-latin-inscriptions-from-the-roman-empire|2489138 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2488544-neanderthal-groups-had-their-own-local-food-culture/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 17 Jul 2025 06:00:42 +0100 A comparison of cut marks on bones reveals that Neanderthal groups living fairly close to each other had their own distinct ways of butchering animals 2488544-neanderthal-groups-had-their-own-local-food-culture|2488544 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2486089-evolution-has-made-humans-both-machiavellian-and-born-socialists/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 09 Jul 2025 17:00:26 +0100 Humanity’s innate treachery is behind social ills ranging from inequality to abuse of power. Lessons from our ancestors can help defeat the enemy within 2486089-evolution-has-made-humans-both-machiavellian-and-born-socialists|2486089 https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg26735512-100-provocative-new-book-says-we-must-persuade-people-to-have-more-babies/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 09 Jul 2025 19:00:00 +0100 The population is set to plummet and we don't know how to stop it, warn Dean Spears and Michael Geruso in their new book, After the Spike mg26735512-100-provocative-new-book-says-we-must-persuade-people-to-have-more-babies|2487263 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2487356-70000-years-ago-humans-underwent-a-major-shift-thats-why-we-exist/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 08 Jul 2025 19:00:52 +0100 Ancient humans in Africa changed their behaviour in a major way 70,000 years ago, which could explain how their descendants managed to people the rest of the world 2487356-70000-years-ago-humans-underwent-a-major-shift-thats-why-we-exist|2487356 https://www.newscientist.com/video/2487152-researchers-re-enact-a-30000-year-old-sea-voyage/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:53:43 +0100 Recreating a 30,000-year-old journey, researchers cross a powerful ocean current in a Stone Age-style canoe, proving how early humans may have reached Japan from Taiwan. 2487152-researchers-re-enact-a-30000-year-old-sea-voyage|2487152 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2487213-hybrid-skull-may-have-been-a-child-of-neanderthal-and-homo-sapiens/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 07 Jul 2025 10:45:27 +0100 The skull of a 5-year-old girl who lived 140,000 years ago has similarities with modern Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, suggesting her parents might have belonged to different species 2487213-hybrid-skull-may-have-been-a-child-of-neanderthal-and-homo-sapiens|2487213 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2486785-prehistoric-spanish-people-transported-2-tonne-stone-by-boat/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Thu, 03 Jul 2025 13:00:10 +0100 An analysis of the provenance of the Matarrubilla stone, a large megalith at Valencina in Spain, indicates that the monument’s builders must have had advanced seafaring technology 2486785-prehistoric-spanish-people-transported-2-tonne-stone-by-boat|2486785 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2486691-neanderthals-had-a-fat-factory-where-they-processed-bones-for-grease/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 02 Jul 2025 20:00:40 +0100 An ancient human site in Germany features animal bones that were smashed into small pieces and heated to extract fat 125,000 years ago, showing that Neanderthal culinary skills were surprisingly sophisticated 2486691-neanderthals-had-a-fat-factory-where-they-processed-bones-for-grease|2486691 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2486737-an-ancient-egyptians-complete-genome-has-been-read-for-the-first-time/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 02 Jul 2025 17:00:32 +0100 The genome of a man who lived in Egypt over 4500 years ago offers a new window on the ancient society and hints at connections with Mesopotamia 2486737-an-ancient-egyptians-complete-genome-has-been-read-for-the-first-time|2486737 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2486546-ancient-dna-reveals-make-up-of-roman-empires-favourite-sauce/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 02 Jul 2025 01:01:00 +0100 Bones found at the site of an ancient fish-processing plant were used to genetically identify the species that went into a fish sauce, often known as garum, eaten throughout the Roman Empire 2486546-ancient-dna-reveals-make-up-of-roman-empires-favourite-sauce|2486546 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2486306-a-neanderthal-shaped-skull-may-explain-why-some-people-get-headaches/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Tue, 01 Jul 2025 16:00:28 +0100 People with Chiari malformations have a skull shape similar to Neanderthals, suggesting that the condition may be caused by DNA inherited from archaic humans 2486306-a-neanderthal-shaped-skull-may-explain-why-some-people-get-headaches|2486306 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2484740-the-remarkable-tale-of-how-humans-nearly-didnt-conquer-the-world/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 30 Jun 2025 17:00:31 +0100 Over tens of thousands of years, waves of Homo sapiens set out across Europe and Asia, only for their societies and cultures to mysteriously vanish. At last, ancient DNA is revealing why 2484740-the-remarkable-tale-of-how-humans-nearly-didnt-conquer-the-world|2484740 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2485925-ancient-mammoth-tusk-boomerang-is-twice-as-old-as-we-thought/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 25 Jun 2025 20:00:31 +0100 A boomerang discovered in a Polish cave was originally dated as 18,000 years old, but it may have been contaminated by preservation materials. A new estimate suggests the mammoth-ivory artefact is 40,000 years old 2485925-ancient-mammoth-tusk-boomerang-is-twice-as-old-as-we-thought|2485925 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2484046-ancient-humans-only-evolved-language-once-but-why/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:00:26 +0100 There’s an argument rumbling about why our ancestors evolved language. And surprisingly, one of the possible explanations has nothing to do with communication 2484046-ancient-humans-only-evolved-language-once-but-why|2484046 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2484993-our-big-brains-may-have-evolved-because-of-placental-sex-hormones/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Fri, 20 Jun 2025 01:01:58 +0100 Unlike other primates, humans are exposed to high levels of placental sex hormones in utero, which may have shaped our evolutionary brain development 2484993-our-big-brains-may-have-evolved-because-of-placental-sex-hormones|2484993 https://www.newscientist.com/article/2484822-we-finally-know-what-the-face-of-a-denisovan-looked-like/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=humans Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:00:00 +0100 A skull from China has been identified as Denisovan using molecular evidence – so ancient humans once known solely from their DNA finally have a face 2484822-we-finally-know-what-the-face-of-a-denisovan-looked-like|2484822