5+ hour, 34+ min ago   (751+ words) Over the past 50,000 years, many of the world's large mammals have gone extinct. Until recent decades, all we knew about them came from fossils. Now, analysis of ancient DNA is adding to the picture. Ancient DNA is damaged and degraded…...

5+ mon, 6+ hour ago   (483+ words) Imagine a creature nearly twice the size of a modern African elephant (which can weigh up to 6,000kg. This was Elephas (Paleoxodon) recki, a prehistoric titan that roamed the landscape of what is now Tanzania nearly two million years ago. Now,…...

9+ mon, 1+ week ago   (455+ words) Addis Ababa — A new fossil discovered at Woranso-Mille, Ethiopia, has revealed that Lucy's species co-existed with another relative species, Arizona State University researcher Yohannes Haile-Selassie reveled today. The Australopithecus deyiremeda, a little-known early human ancestor that lived 3.4 million years, was…...

9+ mon, 2+ week ago   (158+ words) [Daily Maverick] While there is fossil evidence of life older than 3.3bn years, this is the first time that its molecular chemical fingerprints have been detected through high-tech sleuthing. South Africa: Chemical Evidence of Life Uncovered in SA Rocks 3.3bn Years Old…...

11+ mon, 1+ day ago   (681+ words) Rock hyraxes, known in southern Africa more often as "dassies", are furry, thickset creatures with short legs and no discernible tails. They spend much of their time sunning themselves on rocky outcrops. Another thing they sometimes do is drag their…...