Michelle Moran's Blog, page 145

Fossil Discovery Is Heralded

by Gautam Naik

In what could prove to be a landmark discovery, a leading paleontologist said scientists have dug up the 47 million-year-old fossil of an ancient primate whose features suggest it could be the common ancestor of all later monkeys, apes and humans.

Read the rest on the Wall Street Journal.[image error]

Fish Poisoning May Be Why Polynesians Left Paradise

Ciguatera poisoning, the food-borne disease that can come from eating large, carnivorous reef fish, causes vomiting, headaches, and a burning sensation upon contact with cold surfaces.

Read the rest on ScienceDaily.[image error]

How Neanderthals met a grisly fate: devoured by humans

Robin McKie

One of science's most puzzling mysteries - the disappearance of the Neanderthals - may have been solved. Modern humans ate them, says a leading fossil expert.

Read the rest on the Guardian.[image error]

Weekend Fun!

I filmed a short segment on the history of Victorian architecture this weekend a few cities away from where I live in so Cal. Here are a few photos from the "set"!

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Sardinians unlock 'sardonic grin'

(ANSA) - Cagliari, - Sardinian scientists believe they've traced the roots of the 'death-defying' sardonic grin to a plant commonly found on the Italian island.

Read the rest here.[image error]

Emperor Trajan's Palace discovered in southwestern Romania

BUCHAREST (Xinhua) -- Romanian archaeologists have discovered, in southeastern county of Caras-Severin, a complex structure estimated to be 2,000 years old belonging to the Roman culture, local media reported on Thursday.

Read the rest here.[image error]

Venus figurine sheds light on origins of art by early humans

By Thomas H. Maugh II
<!-- sphereit start --> A 40,000-year-old figurine of a voluptuous woman carved from mammoth ivory and excavated from a cave in southwestern Germany is the oldest known example of three-dimensional or figurative representation of humans and sheds new light on the origins of art, researchers reported Wednesday.

Read the rest on the LA Times.[image error]

Neandertals Sophisticated And Fearless Hunters, New Analysis Shows

ScienceDaily — Neandertals, the 'stupid' cousins of modern humans were capable of capturing the most impressive animals.

Read the rest on ScienceDaily.[image error]

Ancient Elite Island With Pyramid Found in Mexico

Alexis Okeowo in México City
for National Geographic News

<!--- startbody --> An island for ancient elites has been found in central Mexico, archaeologists say. Among the ruins are a treasury and a small pyramid that may have been used for rituals.

Read the rest on National Geographic.[image error]

Roman Ruins Survive the Ages Thanks to Volcanic Ash

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