Showing 20 articles starting at article 381
Categories: Anthropology: Cultures, Ecology: Trees
Published Wood sharpens stone: Boomerangs used to retouch lithic tools
(via sciencedaily.com) A new study into the multipurpose uses of boomerangs has highlighted the hardwood objects were used to shape the edges of stone tools used by Australian Indigenous communities. The research demonstrated how boomerangs could function as lithic (or stone) tool retouchers by investigating the use-wear generated on the boomerangs' surfaces during retouching activities. It was found that these use-wear impacts on boomerangs comparable to those observed on Paleolithic bone retouching tools, which date back to more than 200,000 years ago.
Published Taking your time makes a difference
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers find that stem cells in the developing brain of modern humans take longer to divide and make fewer errors when distributing their chromosomes to their daughter cells, compared to those of Neanderthals.
Published High-status Danish Vikings wore exotic beaver furs
(via sciencedaily.com) Beaver fur was a symbol of wealth and an important trade item in 10th Century Denmark, according to a new study.
Published DNA from ancient population in Southern China suggests Native Americans' East Asian roots
(via sciencedaily.com) For the first time, researchers successfully sequenced the genome of ancient human fossils from the Late Pleistocene in southern China. The data suggests that the mysterious hominin belonged to an extinct maternal branch of modern humans that might have contributed to the origin of Native Americans.
Published New genetic research on remote Pacific islands yields surprising findings on world's earliest seafarers
(via sciencedaily.com) New genetic research from remote islands in the Pacific offers fresh insights into the ancestry and culture of the world's earliest seafarers, including family structure, social customs, and the ancestral populations of the people living there today.
Published The heat is on: Traces of fire uncovered dating back at least 800,000 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists reveal an advanced, innovative method that they have developed and used to detect nonvisual traces of fire dating back at least 800,000 years -- one of the earliest known pieces of evidence for the use of fire. The newly developed technique may provide a push toward a more scientific, data-driven type of archaeology, but -- perhaps more importantly -- it could help us better understand the origins of the human story, our most basic traditions and our experimental and innovative nature.
Published Developmental dyslexia essential to human adaptive success
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers say people with developmental dyslexia have specific strengths relating to exploring the unknown that have contributed to the successful adaptation and survival of our species.