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Computers Are Good Fossil Hunters
New technology is allowing researchers to narrow their searches for places where ancient hominids were likely to have lived, traveled and left fossils
November 08, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Secrets of a Lion’s Roar
Not all cats roar, but those that do fascinate us with their mysterious and frightening sounds
November 03, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Modern Humans Once Mated with Other Species
Genetic studies reveal that some modern humans carry DNA from extinct hominid species, evidence of ancient interbreeding
November 02, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
What In The World Is A Kinkajou?
It's a carnivore, though it mostly eats fruit. It has a prehensile tail, but it's not a primate
November 01, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
A Call to Save the Whooping Crane
Smithsonian researchers join an international effort to bring the five-foot-tall bird back from the brink of extinction
November 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Defending the Rhino
As demand for rhino horn soars, police and conservationists in South Africa pit technology against increasingly sophisticated poachers
November 2011 |
By Richard Conniff
Humans Evolved Big Brains to Be Social?
Some scientists think humans and other primates evolved big brains in response to the social challenges of living in large groups
October 31, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Living Sauropods? No Way
Dinosaurs have long been rumored to still survive in the Congo Basin, but is there any truth to the tall tales?
October 28, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
Bat Killer Confirmed
The Geomyces destructans fungus causes deadly white-nose syndrome in bats
October 27, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Great Archaeopteryx Debates Continue
A new study claims to confirm Archaeopteryx as one of the earliest birds, but what does the ongoing debate about this feathered dinosaur mean for the way science works?
October 26, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
The Best Places to See Hominid Bones Online
It's hard to find hominid bones in museums, but it's easy to see them on the Internet
October 26, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Neanderthals: Made for Mountaineering?
Neanderthals' short legs made them well-suited for walking in mountain environments
October 24, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Top 10 Real-Life Body Snatchers
Parasites and zombies are not science fiction; they infest rats, crickets, ants, moths and other creatures, sucking the life out of them
October 24, 2011 |
By Megan Gambino
Paleontologists Unveil the 11th Archaeopteryx
Just in time for the 150th anniversary year of Archaeopteryx, paleontologists announce an 11th specimen of the dinosaur-like bird
October 19, 2011 |
By Brian Switek
How A Carnivore Survives On Bamboo
New research finds that the giant panda may get some bacterial help to digest its bamboo diet
October 19, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Earliest Known Artist’s Studio
The discovery of a 100,000-year-old art studio in Africa hints at when modern human behavior emerged
October 19, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
How Africa Became the Cradle of Humankind
A fossil discovery in 1924 revolutionized the search for human ancestors, leading scientists to Africa
October 17, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Chimps Shouldn’t Be Entertainers
A new study provides evidence that seeing chimps in commercials makes us care less about them as a species
October 13, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Welcome to Hominid Hunting
Smithsonian's newest blog tracks the latest developments in the field of human evolution
October 12, 2011 |
By Erin Wayman
Who Can Identify the World's Rarest Butterfly
Two scientists are in a grim contest to document some of the animal kingdom's most endangered species
October 07, 2011 |
By Rob Dunn
