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☆ Foxes were once humans’ best friends, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Archaeologists originally uncovered the near-complete D. avus skeleton buried alongside a human at Cañada Seca, a site in northern Patagonia, in 1991. Parts of the D. avus specimen were buried alongside a human at Cañada Seca, a site in northern Patagonia. D. avus lived from the Pleistocene Epoch (around 2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) into the Holocene, becoming extinct about 500 years ago. With a similar diet to D. avus, dogs may have helped speed the foxes’ extinction by outcompeting them. Dogs could also have carried and transmitted diseases that sickened the foxes, Lebrasseur added.

Persons: wasn’t, Ophélie, avus, Francisco Prevosti “, Dusicyon avus, ”, Lebrasseur, Cinthia, ” Lebrasseur, Dr, Aurora, d’Anglade, ‘, Francisco Prevosti, it’s, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Wellcome Trust, Archaeology Research, University of Oxford’s School of Archaeology, Royal Society Open Science, Argentina’s, Technical Research, Universidade, Oxford, Scientific Locations: what’s, Argentina, South America, Cañada Seca, Patagonia, United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Spain, Patagonia . Hunter

☆ George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Another key component was DNA from a living descendant of Samuel Washington. Samuel Washington, George Washington's younger brother, was buried in an unmarked grave at the cemetery at his Harewood estate (an interior view is pictured above) near Charles Town, West Virginia. Fortunately for the authors of the new study, “DNA analysis has come a long way since the early 2000s,” Cavagnino said. Further details came from 95,000 SNPs, an enormous volume of data targeting autosomal DNA (DNA that isn’t attached to sex chromosomes). “The search for Samuel Washington’s grave is no longer underway,” Marshall said.

Persons: George Washington’s, Samuel, Samuel Washington, ”, Charla Marshall, George, Courtney L, George Washington, Cavagnino, George Washington's, Harewood, Frances Benjamin Johnson, Samuel Washington’s, ” Cavagnino, Lucinda “ Lucy ” Payne, George Steptoe Washington Jr, Samuel Walter Washington, Dr, Lucy Payne, Connie J, Mulligan, —, ” Mulligan, “, that’s, — “, Augustine Washington, ” Marshall, Marshall, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, US Department of Defense DNA, West Virginia . Records, US Armed Forces DNA, Library, Zion Episcopal Church, Genomics, University of Florida, Scientific Locations: Washington, Harewood, Charles Town, West Virginia, Mount Vernon , Virginia, Zion

☆ Ancient giant dolphin discovered in the Amazon
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

And though there are Amazonian freshwater dolphin species alive today, they aren’t close kin to that ancient cetacean. There’s the South Asian river dolphin (Platanista genus) and the Amazon river dolphin (Inia genus), also known as the pink river dolphin, and the two groups include several species and subspecies. Researchers discovered the Amazonian dolphin fossil in 2018, near the Napo River in Loreto, Peru. At first, they thought it would turn out to be an ancient relative of modern Amazonian river dolphins. “That was a moment where everybody freaked out, because it wasn’t an Amazonian river dolphin,” Benites-Palomino said.

Persons: ”, Jorge Velez, ” Velez, Juarbe, Aldo Benites, Palomino, John J, Flynn, Palomino “, John, freaked, Benites, yacuruna, Rodolfo Salas, Gismondi, ” Benites, Pebanista, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, American Association for, Advancement of Science, Juarbe, of Los, International Union for, Nature, IUCN, University of Zurich’s Department of Paleontology, American Museum of, of, World Wildlife Fund, Velez, Scientific Locations: Peruvian, South Asia, America, of Los Angeles County, Loreto , Peru, New York City, Peru, of Lima, Amazonia

☆ Why don’t humans have tails?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

One of those led to shorter tails; the more of that protein the genes produced, the shorter the tails. A tail as old as timeFor modern humans, tails are a distant genetic memory. While Alu’s role “seems to be a very important one,” other genetic factors likely contributed to the permanent disappearance of our primate ancestors’ tails,” Xia said. In their experiments, the researchers found that when mice were genetically engineered for tail loss, some developed neural tube deformities that resembled spina bifida in humans. “Maybe the reason why we have this condition in humans is because of this trade-off that our ancestors made 25 million years ago to lose their tails,” Yanai said.

Persons: —, Alu, AluY, Bo Xia, ” Xia, ”, Xia, Itai Yanai, ” Yanai, “, Bo, Yanai, TBXT’s, Liza Shapiro, ” Shapiro, africanus, Shapiro, spina, Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Gene, Broad Institute of MIT, Harvard University, Institute for Systems Genetics, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, University of Texas, Scientific Locations: Austin, Kenya

☆ First direct evidence of prehistoric facial piercing in southwest Asia found in Turkey
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered groundbreaking evidence connecting prehistoric facial piercings to the bodies of the people who wore them. People of all ages were buried at Boncuklu Tarla, but the newly described ornaments were found only near the remains of adults. Shown here is one of the skulls from Boncuklu Tarla as it was found in the grave, with artifacts nearby. Emma L. Baysal‘Unbelievable’ quantityHunter-gatherers occupied Boncuklu Tarla from around 10,300 BC to 7100 BC, as people began to shift away from a nomadic lifestyle and form settlements. Archaeologists at Boncuklu Tarla in southeastern Turkey unearthed artifacts that were used as body piercings.

Persons: ”, Dusan Boric, Boric, Emma L, ” Baysal, “, Baysal, labrets, ” Dusan, “ It’s, Dusan, You’re, ’ ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN — Archaeologists, Sapienza Università, Roma, Tarla, Ankara University, CNN, Scientific Locations: Turkey, Asia, Boncuklu, Italy, Amazonia, Africa

☆ $1.5 billion startup says it's getting close to bringing the woolly mammoth back from the dead with elephant cells
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewThe startup that wants to bring the woolly mammoth back from the dead said it is inching closer to its goal after a breakthrough in creating reprogrammed elephant stem cells. These include bringing back the woolly mammoth and the dodo. But elephant stem cells remained remarkably resistant to the process, per the statement. AdvertisementAfter tweaking the chemical composition of the mixture, Colossal Scientists say they've finally cracked it. Understanding how to turn tweak these elephant stem cells into cells from the extinct species will be another hurdle to tackle going forward.

Persons: —, Ben Lamm, Lamm, George Church, we've, Evan Appleton, Vincent Lynch, Lynch, Hysoli Organizations: Service, Colossal Biosciences, Business, Harvard, University at Buffalo, Science Locations: New York

☆ Star dunes: Ancient find helps scientists unravel secrets of mysterious sand structures
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Using radar scans and analysis of sand grains buried deep inside the star dune, scientists mapped the mound’s internal structure. “It’s moving about half a meter per year,” demonstrating that star dunes are about as active as most other dunes, Duller told CNN. A mystery solvedThe new findings also addressed a longstanding mystery for geologists: Where is all the ancient evidence of star dunes? Star dunes are so big; perhaps eroded parts of their preserved structures were previously identified as standalone remnants of other types of dunes, the study authors reported. “The fact that star dunes have not been identified very much in the stratigraphic record may partly be because many geologists were not very much aware of star dunes and only knew about longitudinal dunes and barchans (crescent-shaped dunes),” Goudie said.

Persons: ” Andrew Goudie, Goudie, ”, Geoff, “, Lala Lallia, Charles Bristow, ” Bristow, Chebbi, Charlie Bristow, Bristow, ” Goudie, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, University of Oxford, Aberystwyth University, sedimentology, Birkbeck College, University of London, University of London's Birkbeck, Google, Scientific Locations: Erg Chebbi, Morocco, United Kingdom, Wales, Aberystwyth, Scotland

☆ Researchers just discovered a massive 'jacuzzi bubbling with almost pure hydrogen' — a lucrative source of clean energy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A team of researchers recently discovered a massive reservoir of hydrogen in a mine in Albania. The reservoir could be a potential source of clean hydrogen energy. But recently, a team of researchers uncovered a massive reservoir of hydrogen buried in a mine in Albania that could serve as a source of clean, hydrogen energy . If the hydrogen in the mine can be safely harnessed, the researchers believe it could be a key energy source. One of the initiative's goals is for the hubs to produce "more than three million metric tons of clean hydrogen per year," about one-third of the 2030 US clean hydrogen production goal.

Persons: —, Laurent Truche, Joe Biden Organizations: Service Locations: Albania, Albania's, Tirana, Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, Appalachia

☆ Romantic kissing’s earliest record dates to 4,500 years ago, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Romantic kisses have long been celebrated in songs, poems and stories, commemorated in art and film. Modern scholars therefore concluded that romantic kisses likely originated in India. Across thousands of cuneiform tablets kissing isn’t the most mentioned topic, “but it is attested regularly,” he said. But Arbøll and Rasmussen suspected that romantic kissing became accepted in Bronze Age Europe, and not because of migration alone. Even today, many cultures shun romantic kissing, Arbøll and Rasmussen reported.

Persons: CNN —, ”, Guy de Maupassant, Troels Pank, Assyriology, Justin R, Garcia, ” Garcia, de Maupassant, Arbøll, Dr, Sophie Lund Rasmussen, ” Arbøll, “, primatologist Frans B.M, De, Rasmussen, isn’t, It’s, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, University of Copenhagen, Indiana University, Kinsey Institute, Oxford University, Emory University, Scientific Locations: Mesopotamia, Bloomington, India, De Waal, Atlanta, Europe, Russia

☆ Scientists thought an ancient tomb had been lost 170 years ago until one expert discovered it practically right in his backyard
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An instructor at Dingle campus of Connecticut-based Sacred Heart University, he's mapping the sites of wedge tombs . "These types of structures are burial places," Mag Fhloinn said, generally dating to around 2,500 to 2,000 BCE. During his searches of the hill, Mag Fhloinn took photographs to create a 3D model. Rotating the 3D model on his screen, Mag Fhloinn saw how well it corresponded with the 1838 drawing. Most wedge tombs face west, particularly to the southwest, Mag Fhloinn said.

Persons: —, Lady Georgiana Chatterton, Raidió, COVID lockdowns, Billy Mag Fhloinn, Fhloinn, RTÉ, Seán Mac, Richard Hitchcock, couldn't, Caimin O'Brien, O'Brien Organizations: Service, Business, Heart University, National Monuments Service Locations: Ireland's Dingle, South, Ireland, Dingle, Connecticut

☆ Skeletons with buckets on their feet and rings around their necks discovered in a Dark Ages graveyard, say reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-27 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewHuman remains found in a 1,000-year-old cemetery were ceremonially adorned with buckets on their feet and rings around their necks, archaeologists discovered, say reports. The mass grave holding over 107 skeletons in what is believed to be a pagan-era cemetery were discovered near Kyiv, Ukraine. AdvertisementResearchers Vsevolod Ivakin and Vyacheslav Baranov, who led the excavation, described the weapons typical for Kyivan Rus and northeastern Europe. Vyacheslav Baranov | National Academy of Sciences of UkraineA stone altar found at the site could have been used for pagan or early Christian rituals. AdvertisementThe ongoing research is a collaboration between several research centers, with funding provided by the German Research Foundation, alongside other organizations.

Persons: —, Vsevolod Ivakin, Vyacheslav Baranov, Baranov, Volodymyr the Great Organizations: Service, Business, National Academy of Sciences of, Archaeological Institute of America, Independent, Research, German Research Foundation Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Roman, Italian, Rus, Europe, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Chicago, Pomeranian, Masovian, Baltics, Eastern Europe

☆ 29 million-year-old grasshopper nest found intact with eggs, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The eggs and overall nest construction closely resemble the eggs and pods of modern grasshopper species. Insect eggs are extremely rare in the fossil record, and intact egg cases are even rarer. This wasn’t just a cluster of eggs — it was a type of subterranean egg pod called an ootheca, with the eggs cradled by a protective layer that had mineralized into a stony rind. So Lee consulted a global insect egg database, containing more than 6,700 living species, to identify the eggs in the fossil pod. The virtually pristine specimen also speaks to the level of preservation in the national park site’s fossil beds, Famoso added.

Persons: ”, Jaemin Lee, Nick Famoso, Famoso, Ricardo Pérez, la Fuente, Christopher Schierup, Schierup, “, Lee, Angela Lin, ” Famoso, ” Lee, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Parks Stewardship, University of California, National Parks Service, University of Oxford’s, University of Oregon’s, Imaging, Scientific Locations: Oregon, Berkeley, Mitchell , Oregon, United Kingdom, Eugene

☆ Birdlike footprints from Triassic mystery animals precede earliest bird fossils by 60 million years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The footprints, found at several sites in southern Africa, were recently identified as the oldest birdlike tracks ever found, preceding the earliest known skeletal fossils of avians by about 60 million years. Some called the tracks birdlike, but others weren’t so sure. Ellenberger may have muddied the waters by assigning many differently shaped tracks to the ichnogenus, “and not all of them are birdlike,” Abrahams said. They could belong to other reptiles or cousins of dinosaurs that evolved birdlike feet,” Clarke said. During a trip to Maphutseng, a fossil locale in Lesotho, the team found a number of birdlike tracks from the Triassic Period.

Persons: “, ”, Miengah Abrahams, Abrahams, Paul Ellenberger, Ellenberger, ” Abrahams, Julia Clarke, ” Clarke, there’s, Morphotype, paravians, —, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, University of Cape, University of Texas, Scientific Locations: Africa, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Austin, archosauria, Maphutseng, Lesotho

☆ Rare fossil reveals behavior dinosaurs may have had in common with birds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That’s what scientists have interpreted from the pose of the dinosaur’s fossil skeleton. The study authors identified it as an alvarezsaurid, a type of small theropod (bipedal meat-eating dinosaur) with a long tail and legs and short front limbs. Alvarezsaurids are part of a larger dinosaur group called maniraptorans, which includes birds and birdlike dinosaurs that were their closest relatives. (A) A photo of the fossil skeleton found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Kohta KuboThe new fossil suggests that this sleeping behavior may have been more common than expected among the non-avian relatives of the earliest birds, the researchers reported.

Persons: Sinornithoides, Jaculinykus yaruui, Kohta Kubo, “, ”, Dr, Jingmai O’Connor, ” O’Connor, ” Kubo, Jaculinykus, Shuvuuia deserti, Kubo, Kobu, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Field, Paleobiology Research, Hokkaido University, Scientific Locations: Mongolia, Chicago, Jaculus, yaruu, Japan, alvarezsaurs

☆ An ancient missing continent was finally rediscovered 155 million years after it vanished
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A chunk of land that broke off from Australia 155 million years ago seemed to have vanished. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe continent of Argoland, which seemingly vanished after splitting from Australia 155 million years ago, has finally been discovered, according to a new study. The discovery could help explain something known as the Wallace line, which is an imaginary boundary that separates Southeast Asian and Australian fauna. With this work, they were finally able to bring Argoland's journey over the past 155 million years back to life. A map shows an approximate location of the Wallace line.

Persons: —, Argoland, Wallace, Eldert Advokaat, Advokaat, Douwe van Hinsbergen, CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN, van Hinsbergen Organizations: Service, Utrecht University, Google Locations: Australia, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, Netherlands, South East Asia, Africa, South America, Argoland, Myanmar, Utrecht

☆ Newly identified species could shed light on evolution of prehistoric ‘sea monsters’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Paleontologists recently described the previously unknown mosasaur from fossils found near the North Dakota town of Walhalla. The town’s name comes from Valhalla, the feasting hall of Norse mythology where dead heroes gather, so the scientists dubbed the mosasaur Jormungandr walhallaensis. When the scientists examined the skull, they quickly realized they had something unusual on their hands. This combination of traits convinced the researchers that what they were looking at was a new genus and species. Here is a line drawing of the skull of the Jormungandr walhallaensis.

Persons: Amelia Zietlow, Richard Gilder, Jormungandr, Zietlow, “ He’s, ” Zietlow, Henry Sharpe, Takuya Konishi, Jormungandr walhallaensis, “, it’s, Konishi, walhallaensis, ” Konishi, Clint Boyd, ”, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, American Museum of, American Museum, Natural, Richard Gilder Graduate, North, North Dakota Geological Survey, American, of, University of Cincinnati, Scientific Locations: North Dakota, Walhalla, Valhalla, New York City, Clidastes, United States

☆ An ancient Egyptian book of spells to guide the dead in the afterlife was found buried with mummies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Archaeologists have uncovered a copy of the "Book of the Dead" in an ancient Egyptian cemetery. The document was used by Egyptian priests to guide the dead to the afterlife. AdvertisementAdvertisementArchaeologists excavating a 3,500-year-old cemetery have discovered an ancient Egyptian "Book of the Dead" filled with spells to guide the deceased in the afterlife. A picture shows a sarcophagus found at the Tuna al-Gebel site, presented to journalists on October 15, 2023. Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and AntiquitiesThe find also uncovered rare canopic jars made of alabaster, used to store spiritually important organs during mummification, and "thousands" of amulets, per the statement.

Persons: —, Sara Cole, Gebel, Isa, Foy Scalf, Scalf, Lara Weiss, Roemer, John Taylor Organizations: Service, Antiquities Department, Paul Getty Museum, The New York Times, of Tourism, Antiquities, Egyptian Ministry of Tourism, University of Chicago, Science, Pelizaeus Museum Locations: Egypt, Tuna, Kingdom, Germany, Sudan

☆ Video shows weird 'kelping' behavior in whales. Scientists think it's the animals using seaweed to exfoliate.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Scientists gathered 105 instances of baleen whales performing a strange behavior called kelping. This could be to help the whales exfoliate, or for them to entertain themselves, researchers said. The group gathered over a hundred videos and photos from social media of whales "kelping", which led them to realize that this behavior isn't isolated to one group of baleen whales. AdvertisementAdvertisementBecause this behavior turned out to be so widespread, the researchers began to speculate why the whales were doing it. But it's also possible, the researchers wrote, that the whales are using the kelp to exfoliate their skin, removing parasites and bacteria.

Persons: —, it's, Olaf Meynecke Organizations: Service, Marine Science, Engineering, Marine Research, Facebook, Flickr Locations: Queensland, Australia, Australia's

☆ Long-lost Roman forts spotted in declassified spy satellite photos
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That survey was among the first to photograph archaeological sites from the air, and in 1934 Poidebard reported finding 116 Roman forts. But nearly a century later, mapping Poidebard’s forts to satellite photos was challenging. Those forts were aligned north to south along what was once the easternmost boundary of the Roman Empire, according to Poidebard. But Poidebard’s survey provided only a partial view of Rome’s ancient infrastructure, the researchers found. While Poidebard’s row of forts along the Roman Empire’s eastern front looked like a military fortification, this new evidence suggested that the forts collectively served a different purpose.

Persons: Rather, Jesse Casana, ” Casana, Casana, Father Antoine Poidebard, Poidebard, Father Antoine Poidebard's, —, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, United, Corona, Dartmouth College, Tell, Antiquity, Scientific Locations: United States, Iraq, Syria, New Hampshire, “, Iran, French, Qreiye, Roman, Birke, Mosul, Ninawa, ”, Rome

☆ Researchers discovered a hidden Antarctic landscape under a layer of ice over a mile thick that shows how different the continent looked millions of years ago
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Researchers recently found an "undiscovered landscape" beneath Antarctica's ice. But between 14 million and 34 million years ago, an ice sheet crept across the continent. It locked some of the lush landscape beneath over a mile of ice, per NBC News. This helped the researchers determine the height of peaks and depths of valleys that lay hidden beneath the ice. A rewarming AntarcticaIt's crucial to understand how warming temperatures will impact Antarctica's ice.

Persons: Stewart Jamieson, Jamieson Organizations: Service, NBC, Agence France, Live, Nature Communications, Reuters There's, Guardian Locations: Antarctica, Maryland, East Antarctica, Patagonia

☆ An orca species that helped humans hunt whales for thousands of years may now be extinct, new research reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An orca species that hunted alongside humans for thousands of years is likely locally extinct. Orcas swam alongside Thaua hunters and led them to whales for thousands of years. Thaua hunters learned that they could work together with orcas in Australia's Twofold Bay, helping lead them straight to their prey. Some Thaua hunters even sang to the orcas to encourage them to herd whales inland. AdvertisementAdvertisement"My people had a long-lasting friendship with the beowa in Eden, especially Old Tom," Holmes wrote.

Persons: Orcas, —, Australia —, orcas, Steven Holmes, Holmes, Isabella Reeves, Reeves, Tom, Nan, Catherine Holmes nee Brierly, Budginbro Organizations: Service Locations: Australia, Eden

☆ An opulent ancient Egyptian tomb containing 5,000-year-old wine may have belonged to a long-forgotten female pharaoh
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A female royal from the first ancient Egyptian dynasty was found buried in a lavish tomb. Researchers think she may have been the first female pharaoh of ancient Egypt. Now researchers excavating her grave in Abydos, Egypt, say that the sheer extravagance they have discovered suggests she may have been the first female pharaoh in ancient Egypt. AdvertisementAdvertisementIf proven to be right, Meret-Neith would then become the first female Pharaoh of Egypt, rewriting the ancient Egyptian dynasty. The next known female pharaoh was Neferusobek and then Hatshepsut, who ruled about 500 years after Neferusobek.

Persons: —, King Djet, Ronald Leprohon, Neith, EC, Christiana Köhler, Margaret Maitland, Elizabeth Carney, Pharaoh of Egypt, Hatshepsut Organizations: Service, University of Vienna, University of Toronto, National Museums Scotland, Science, Clemson University Locations: Egypt, Abydos, Meret, South Carolina

☆ An 11,000-year-old statue of a man holding his penis could reveal secrets about a mysterious Neolithic culture
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A 7.5-foot-tall statue of a man clutching his penis with both hands was uncovered in an ancient site. AdvertisementAdvertisementArchaeologists have uncovered an 11,000-year-old statue of a man clutching his penis — a discovery that could shed new light on a mysterious Neolithic culture. The Urfa man, a 6.2-foot-tall statue of a man seeming to protect his erect penis with both hands, was notably found nearby. Urfa man, also known as the Balikligol statue, is shown in at Archeology Museum in Sanliurfa on February 22, 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe statue guards its mysterious meaningIt's not clear what the statue was meant to represent and how it fits within this mysterious Neolithic culture.

Persons: —, OZAN KOSE, Necmi Karul, Karahan, Gobekli, Esber, Sean Thomas, Thomas, Karul, Benjamin Arbuckle, Klaus Schmidt, Schmidt, Lee Clare, Clare, Ted Banning, Banning, Arbuckle Organizations: Service, Getty, Istanbul University, Agence France Presse, UNESCO, Archeology Museum, Anadolu Agency, The Spectator, AFP, University of North, Chapel, Smithsonian Magazine, Archaeological Institute, BBC, University of Toronto Locations: Karahan Tepe, Turkey, Karahantepe, Sanliurfa, AFP, Syria, Turkiye, Asia, University of North Carolina, Gobekli Tepe, Karahan, Gobekli

☆ Runestones from Denmark praising a Viking queen hint at her power
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Both Jelling runestones also named a royal figure: Queen Thyra, mother of then-reigning King Harald Bluetooth. In recent years, archaeologists have revised prior interpretations of Viking warrior burials as exclusively male, finding that Viking women were fighters, too. The new findings add to the picture of influential Viking women holding prominent roles in statecraft as well as on the battlefield. Fewer than 10 runestones in Denmark from the pre-Christian era mention women at all — and four of those are of Queen Thyra. “Runestones in Denmark were mostly erected in honour of men, but Thyra is commemorated on more runestones than any other person in Viking Age Denmark,” Imer said.

Persons: CNN —, —, Thyra, “, ”, Katherine Cross, ” Cross, King Harald Bluetooth, King Gorm, Harald, Lisbeth, Imer, ” Imer, Queen Thyra, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, telltale, John University, National Museum of Denmark, Museum of, National Museum of, Scientific Locations: Denmark, Sweden, York, Europe, Jelling, Copenhagen, Museum of Denmark, National Museum of Denmark, dak, DAK, statecraft, Viking

☆ A helicopter sparked a massive crocodile mating sex frenzy when they probably mistook the sound for a giant thunderstorm
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A low-flying helicopter sparked a mating frenzy at a crocodile farm in Australia. The crocs may have mistaken the chopper's sound for a storm or rival males. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . But for the reptilian residents of a crocodile farm, a low-flying chopper seemed to signal mating season. It's not quite clear what about the Chinook helicopter excited the crocs, but experts suspect the animals may have mistaken it for a thunderstorm.

Persons: It's, —, John Lever, herpetologist Mark O'Shea, O'Shea Organizations: Service, ABC, University of Wolverhampton, Live Locations: Australia, Queensland

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