Michelle Moran's Blog, page 103
February 12, 2010
Breeding Ancient Cattle Back from Extinction
The only place to see an aurochs in nature these days? A cave painting. The enormous wild cattle that once roamed the European plains have been extinct since 1627, when the last survivor died in a Polish nature reserve. But this could soon change thanks to the work of European preservationists who are hoping they can make the great beast walk again.
Read the rest on Time Magazine.
Hellenistic Period tombs unearthed by torrential rainfall
Eight tombs dating to the Hellenist Period were partially revealed recently in the region of Gonous, Larissa prefecture, after flooding caused by heavy rainfall swept away a rural dirt road.
Read the rest here.
Why Humans Walk 'Flat-Footed'
Cats and dogs trot around on their toes, as do many other mammals. So why do humans and other walk flat-footed? It is surprisingly energy efficient, a new study suggests.
Read the rest on Yahoo.
February 11, 2010
World's Biggest Snake Ate New Prehistoric Croc Species
Christine Dell'Amore
National Geographic News
Read the rest on National Geographic.
Archaeological 'Time Machine' Greatly Improves Accuracy of Early Radiocarbon Dating
ScienceDaily— Researchers at Queen's University have helped produce a new archaeological tool which could answer key questions in human evolution. The new calibration curve, which extends back 50,000 years, is a major landmark in radiocarbon dating -- the method used by archaeologists and geoscientists to establish the age of carbon-based materials.
Read the rest on Science Daily.
February 10, 2010
Mythological love unearthed - Experts dig up chamber used by King Bana to hide his daughter
A secret chamber probably built by an Assam king to hide his lovelorn daughter from Krishna's grandson has been dug up by archaeologists near Tezpur. The find, experts are saying, could be a confirmation of the legendary love story of Aniruddha, Krishna's grandson, and princess Usha, daughter of King Bana.
Read the rest here.
Ancient DNA points to additional New World migration
A 4,000-year-old Greenland man just entered the scientific debate over the origins of prehistoric populations in the Americas.
Read the rest here.
Archaeologists find Byzantine era road
By Kevin Flower
Jerusalem (CNN) -- Archaeologists working under the direction of the Israeli Antiquities Authority have uncovered a 1,500-year-old road running through the center of Jerusalem's Old City.
Read the rest on CNN.
Should We Clone Neanderthals?
If Neanderthals ever walk the earth again, the primordial ooze from which they will rise is an emulsion of oil, water, and DNA capture beads engineered in the laboratory of 454 Life Sciences in Branford, Connecticut. Over the past 4 years those beads have been gathering tiny fragments of DNA from samples of dissolved organic materials, including pieces of Neanderthal bone. Genetic sequences have given paleoanthropologists a new line of evidence for testing ideas about the bi...
February 9, 2010
Grand Canyon archaeologists surprised at findings
Flagstaff, AZ -- Grand Canyon archaeologist Ian Hough reported to a crowd of local archaeologists, Grand Canyon hikers and enthusiasts that his team was surprised by artifacts and features recently unearthed at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
Read the rest on the Examiner.
