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Stories from Joshua Rapp Learn

The Cruces de Molinos site in the Chilean Andes contains rock art depictions of llama caravans, possibly marking a ceremonial site for caravaners passing through the mountains.

Thousand-Year-Old Rock Art Likely Served as a Gathering Point for Llama Caravans Crossing the Andes

Trade caravans, whether supported by mules, camels or llamas, have helped archaeologists piece together the past in many corners of the world

Khoikhoi of South Africa dismantling their huts, preparing to move to new pastures—aquatint by Samuel Daniell (1805). Pastoralism has a rich history in Africa, spreading from the Saharan region to East Africa and then across the continent.

Ritual Cemeteries—For Cows and Then Humans—Plot Pastoralist Expansion Across Africa

As early herders spread across northern and then eastern Africa, the communities erected monumental graves which may have served as social gathering points

Puma skull from the Motmot burial.

The Maya Captured, Traded and Sacrificed Jaguars and Other Large Mammals

New archeological findings suggest the Maya city state Copan dealt in a robust jaguar trade

Toxic Chemicals Banned 20 Years Ago Finally Disappearing From Arctic Wildlife

But the appearance of new chemicals is creating an uncertain future for polar bears, orcas and seabirds

Beer-drinking cups being excavated at Khani Masi held some of the earliest chemical evidence of beer. Researchers had to take extra precautions to avoid contaminating the cups with modern compounds.

Ancient Ceramic Cups Reveal Oldest Direct Evidence of Beer in Mesopotamia

Researchers are working on resurrecting the recipe

Anolis scriptus, the Turks and Caicos anole, on Pine Cay

Lizards With Bigger Toes and Smaller Hind Legs Survive Hurricanes

A serendipitous study comparing the physical traits of lizards before and after 2017’s hurricane season shows natural selection in action

Humans and other animals share large amounts of genetic material, making geneticists rethink the traditional notion of inheritance.

Genes That Jump Between Species Could Rewrite Our Understanding of Evolution

Horizontal movement of genetic material is widespread across animals, challenging traditional notions of inheritance

Elephants communicate in low rumbles, each listening for the resulting vibrations in the ground with their feet.

Some Animals Take Turns While Talking, Just Like Humans. Why?

Understanding their courteous exchanges—from frog croaks to elephant rumbles—could shed light on the origins of human conversation

You'd expect to see a raccoon snuffling around at midnight. A sun bear, not so much.

Fear of Humans Is Forcing Daytime Animals Into Night Mode

The stress is pushing some animals to adjust their schedules—but not all will be quick enough to adapt

For most humans, meditating in the snow would be highly uncomfortable. For Wim Hof, it's euphoric. Note: Wim Hof not pictured.

Science Explains How the Iceman Resists Extreme Cold

MRI scans reveal that Wim Hof artificially induces a stress response in his brain

A flock of beluga whales in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of Russia.

How Culture Guides Belugas’ Annual Odysseys Across the Arctic

Strong, multi-generational ties help the cetaceans make the same migrations year after year

The body-shaped sarcophagi of Karajía contained the remains of high-ranking Chachapoya ancestors.

When Genetics and Linguistics Challenge the Winners’ Version of History

New research shows that indigenous Peruvians were more resilient than the conquering Inca gave them credit for

When it comes to ancient remains, isotope analysis could help scientists separate dogs from wolves.

Dogs and Humans Didn’t Become Best Friends Overnight

First, we feared and ate them, a new isotope analysis reveals

Many animals, like this red sphinx cat, are bred to be hairless. Other times, animal baldness is a symptom of stress and other factors.

Do Other Animals Besides Humans Go Bald?

From Andean bears to Rhesus macaques, non-human mammals have hair woes of their own

While highly social and cooperative among themselves, dwarf mongooses take a while to warm up to newcomers.

For Immigrant Mongooses, It Can Take Time to Earn Society’s Trust

In some species, however, deporting your own family members is the norm

Simply by pooping, the once-endangered cape zebra helps researchers measure its health and well-being.

How Stressed Out Are Zebras? Just Ask Their Poop

Scientists are scooping up the pungent piles of data to measure the health of once-endangered ungulates

One of the excavated burials in Drawsko, Poland showed a skeleton with a sickle placed over its neck, likely to prevent the dead from rising again as the undead.

Burials Unearthed in Poland Open the Casket on The Secret Lives of Vampires

What people actually did to prevent the dead from rising again was very different than what Hollywood would have you think

A juvenile Western chimpanzee in the Bossou Forest of Mont Nimba, Guinea.

Western Chimpanzees Have Declined By 80 Percent Over The Past 25 Years

The largest population of these animals—the only critically endangered chimp subspecies—sits in a region riddled with bauxite mines

How Artificial Intelligence Is Improving Magic Tricks

Computer scientists have designed a trick that uses an algorithm to search the internet for the words most associated with images

Caribou herd mountain crossing in Alaska Range.

How Killing Moose Can Save Caribou

Conservation often requires difficult decisions

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