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Ancient worlds

Sand dunes in the Simpson Desert.

Ancient rivers buried under outback desert

Friday, 12 March 2010

An ancient river system buried 35 metres below the sand dunes of the Simpson Desert in Central Australia has been revealed by a team of Australian and American researchers.


Fragments of ancient moa eggshells

Ancient DNA teased from fossil eggshells

Wednesday, 10 March 2010

DNA from the fossilised eggshells of extinct birds - including iconic giants such as the moa and elephant bird - have been extracted for the first time.


<i>Asilisaurus kongwe</i>

Dinosaurs: are they 10 million years older?

Friday, 5 March 2010

Scientists have uncovered the bones of a dinosaur-like creature that roamed Earth at least 10 million years earlier than the oldest known dinosaur, according to a recent study.


Ancient aurora

Early Earth embroiled in constant solar storm

Friday, 5 March 2010

A weak magnetic field and powerful solar wind stripped water from the early Earth's atmosphere 3.5 billions years ago and created stunning auroras, scientists said.


Canis lupis

Small dogs originated in Middle East

Wednesday, 24 February 2010

Small, domesticated dogs probably originated in the Middle East more than 12,000 years ago as the descendants of grey wolves.


Gerald Joyce

Life-like evolution in a test tube

Sunday, 21 February 2010

Can life arise from nothing but a chaotic assortment of basic molecules? The answer is a lot closer following a series of ingenious experiments that have shown evolution at work in non-living molecules.


King Tut

King Tut has DNA test, killed by malaria

Wednesday, 17 February 2010

The celebrated Pharaoh Tutankhamun was subjected to modern genetic testing and computer technology to reveal that his parents were siblings and he was likely killed by malaria.


Murchison meteorite

Meteorite contains complex organic molecules

Tuesday, 16 February 2010

Previously unknown organic molecules have been discovered in a 40-year-old meteorite, suggesting the early Solar System contained a soup of highly complex organic chemistry long before life appeared.


Rhinodipteris

Oxygen plunge left ancient fish gasping for air

Wednesday, 10 February 2010

A drop in global oxygen levels may have led to air-breathing marine animals 375 million years ago, said scientists, challenging the theory that it evolved in frolicking freshwater fish.


Darwin

Darwin out of Africa 45,000 years ago

Friday, 5 February 2010

The father of evolution Charles Darwin was a direct descendant of the Cro-Magnon people, whose entry into Europe 30,000 years ago heralded the demise of Neanderthals, scientists revealed.


Megafauna

Humans caused Aussie megafauna extinction

Friday, 29 January 2010

The key anomaly in the Australian megafauna debate has been resolved, and "if people hadn't arrived in Australia, we'd still have the giants of yesteryear to admire," the lead researcher said.


Cao Cao's tomb

DNA may unlock Chinese warlord's secrets

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Scientists in China are collecting DNA from hundreds of men with the surname Cao in the hope they can prove a recently excavated tomb in central China belongs to the legendary warlord Cao Cao.


Queen Nefertiti

Ancient Egyptian make-up was antimicrobial

Thursday, 14 January 2010

Elaborate eye make-up worn by Ancient Egyptians not only made for a dramatic look, but also protected against disease, says a new study.


The crater on Google Maps

Aboriginal folklore leads to meteorite crater

Thursday, 7 January 2010

An Australian Aboriginal 'Dreaming' story has helped experts uncover a meteorite impact crater in the outback of the Northern Territory.


Prehistoric koala

Prehistoric koalas didn’t eat gum, study says

Wednesday, 6 January 2010

Ancient koalas may have enjoyed a much more diverse diet than today’s koalas, but were probably just as loud and lazy as their modern cousins.