New DNA evidence shows that Europe’s hunter-gatherers and early farmers interacted far more closely than previously thought, with women likely playing a crucial role in spreading farming across northwestern Europe. Centuries later, the arrival of Bell Beaker migrants triggered another sweeping population transformation that extended all the way to Britain.
Cutting Methane Could Slow the Recovery of the Ozone Layer
Reducing methane emissions will slow climate change but could also slow the recovery of the stratospheric ozone layer, new research from the University of Reading shows.
Researchers Take Soft Robotics to New Heights with Pioneering Tiny Pump Able to Power and Control a Robot Butterfly
Engineers have invented an ingenious liquid-metal pump which could make future soft robotics and wearable devices much more portable and agile.
New Approach to Urban Planning With Less Car Traffic and Lower Carbon Emissions
Urban planning needs to tackle greenhouse gas emissions – and an important way to achieve this is by reducing the number and length of car commutes.
Scientists say evolution may work differently than we thought
A major research study is challenging one of evolution’s most influential ideas: that most genetic changes that become permanent are essentially neutral. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that beneficial mutations are actually far more common than scientists have long assumed. The puzzle is that these advantageous mutations rarely...
This newly discovered raptor may have hunted like a giant heron
A newly discovered raptor-like dinosaur from Patagonia is changing how scientists think about ancient predators. Named Kank australis, the 70-million-year-old dinosaur appears to have hunted fish much like modern herons, using a long, flexible neck and specialized vertebrae adapted for swift, precise movements.
This bizarre crocodile relative from the Triassic looked like an ostrich dinosaur
Scientists have discovered Labrujasuchus expectatus, a bizarre crocodile relative that looked more like an ostrich-like dinosaur than anything resembling a modern crocodile. It walked on two legs, had tiny arms, and sported a toothless beak—an unexpected combination for a member of the crocodile lineage.
Longer Droughts and Changes in Rainfall Are Already Occurring in the Amazon, Research Indicates
According to two recently published studies led by scientists from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the Brazilian Amazon is already beginning to experience scenarios previously projected for the coming decades, including longer dry seasons and changes in rainfall patterns.
Antarctic Waters Reveal Hidden Genetic World
The discovery could improve understanding of how the ocean shapes Earth’s climate.
New Method Turns Ocean Water Into Drinking Water, Without Waste
The energy-efficient desalination system produces fresh water without chemical additives and transforms leftover salts into useful materials.