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Sarah Kuta

Daily Correspondent

Sarah Kuta

Sarah Kuta is a freelance journalist based in Longmont, Colorado. She’s been writing and reporting for nearly two decades, covering everything from archaeology and anthropology to evolutionary biology and astronomy. She especially loves writing about wildlife, history, conservation and travel.

Highlights

  • Contributor to National Geographic, Popular Science, Condé Nast Traveler, NBC News, Success magazine, Lonely Planet, the Denver Post, Robb Report, Apartment Therapy and numerous other publications
  • Member of the National Association of Science Writers and the Science Writers Association of the Rocky Mountains
  • Recognized by the Colorado Press Association and the Colorado Associated Press Editors & Reporters

Education

Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University

Stories from Sarah Kuta

An artist's interpretation of what Chosha praecursor might have looked like while splitting its time between water and land 324 million years ago in what is now Texas.

This Ancient Insect Had 24 Legs—and Could Help Explain How the Ancestors of Modern-Day Bugs Took Over the Land

A previously undescribed critter that lived 324 million years ago appears to have been a transitional species that lived between land and sea. It could help researchers fill an 80-million-year gap in the fossil record of how crustaceans evolved into insects

A new museum focused on the world of whales will open next year in Norway.

A New Museum in Norway Is Bringing Visitors Into the World of Whales—From Life-Size Orcas to Immersive Underwater Exhibits

Opening in 2027, The Whale will explore the science, behavior, evolution and cultural history of whales through art, storytelling, sound and architecture

An estimated one million to two million petroglyphs are spread across the Burrup Peninsula and the Dampier Archipelago, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Historical Pollution, Not Current Industrial Emissions, Damaged the World’s Largest and Oldest Collection of Ancient Rock Art, Study Suggests

Researchers say that past exposure to sulfur dioxide is likely to blame for the increased porosity of the Murujuga rock art created by the Ngarda-Ngarli people tens of thousands of years ago

Researchers observed bearded capuchins in Brazil eating birds (shown here), lizards, rodents, opossums, snakes and other small vertebrates.

When Fruit Is Scarce, These Monkeys Hunt Animals. The Behavior May Offer Clues About the Origins of Humans’ Meat-Eating Habits

The bearded capuchins of northeastern Brazil typically eat plant-based foods, but they turn to small vertebrates when those sources are limited. Our ancestors may have done the same, eventually allowing predatory behaviors to be more frequently passed on in our lineage

The historic Edistone Hotel is located in downtown Selma, Alabama.

A Historic Alabama Hotel Linked to the Civil Rights Movement Is Falling Apart. Can the Conservationists Fighting to Save It Turn the Tide?

Selma’s Edistone Hotel has witnessed pivotal chapters in American history, from Reconstruction to “Bloody Sunday.” Now, after years of neglect and a recent wall collapse, the Conservation Fund is working to secure its future

CTE is believed to be caused by repeated head injuries.

At Least One in Four Former NFL Players Who Died Between 2016 and 2021 Had the Progressive Brain Disease CTE, Study Suggests

The true prevalence of the neurodegenerative disease—which is associated with repeated head injuries—among the deceased football players might be much higher. CTE affects other athletes too, including hockey players, soccer players and wrestlers

The fragments shed light on Guernsey's literary culture during the late medieval period.

These Medieval Manuscript Fragments Were Reused as Parchment, Inadvertently Preserving Them for Centuries

Recently discovered on Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, the pages include Bible passages, poems, plays and other texts. They were repurposed as book bindings during the 16th and 17th centuries

Marmots can spend up to eight months in hibernation, so packing on the pounds during the short alpine summer is essential to their survival.

Cast Your Vote for the Chunkiest Alpine Rodent During Colorado’s First-Ever Fat Marmot Week

The inaugural competition puts eight yellow-bellied marmots head-to-head while shining a light on the science behind their seasonal weight gain and survival at high elevations

Archaeologists found human remains inside a mysterious pit in northern Scotland.

A Human Skeleton Was Found Inside a Mysterious Stone Structure in Scotland. Archaeologists Still Don’t Know Why It Was Buried There

Built with fitted stone and a clay-like material that may have helped retain liquid, the unusual structure has left researchers searching for an explanation

The Huashan rock art is spread across more than 80 sites spanning roughly 160 miles.

This Rock Art in China Has Remained Bright Red for Nearly 2,000 Years. How? The Secret Ingredient Might Be Blood

A new study offers clues about how the Luoyue people created rock paintings in what’s now southern China. The murals have somehow been durable enough to withstand rain, heat, wind and humidity for centuries

Claude Monet lived in Giverny, a small village about 50 miles northwest of Paris, for more than four decades.

In France, Brutal Summer Heat Waves Are Taking a Toll on the Flowers That Inspired Claude Monet’s Most Beloved Paintings

The colorful nasturtiums at the artist’s house and gardens have been hit particularly hard this summer as France grapples with a record 52 heatwave days

A series of floods devastated medieval Europe.

Centuries Ago, Europeans Were Plagued by Constant Flooding, With 16 Major Events That Killed Thousands Over the Course of Just Three Years

When researchers went looking for information about the legendary Magdalena Flood, they were surprised to discover that it was just one of many extreme weather events that ravaged the region in the early 1340s

The trial only included people with melanoma, but experts say the same treatment approach could potentially be applied more broadly—to other types of cancer, as well as rare conditions caused by genetic mutations.

A New Personalized Cancer Vaccine Could Keep Skin Cancer From Coming Back, Drugmakers Say

The results, announced this week by Moderna and Merck, could pave the way for a new generation of treatments tailored to individual tumors

The right side of the bird's body is male while the left side is female.

An ‘Extremely Rare’ Half-Male, Half-Female Bird Temporarily Took Up Residence Outside of Chicago

The unusual-looking bobolink is what’s called a bilateral gynandromorph. The bird behaved like a male, eventually wooing a mate and raising fledglings

Scientists suspect the bones belonged to a brown bear or a polar bear.

Ireland’s ‘Kerry Cow’ Bones Are Actually Wild Boar and Bear, Shaking Up the Story of Farming’s Arrival on the Island

The bones were discovered on the Dingle Peninsula more than 30 years ago, but scientists recently decided to take another look at them, this time using modern techniques

Scientists have discovered more than 4,400 ancient preserved human brains, some of which are 12,000 years old.

Archaeologists Have Found Thousands of Intact Ancient Human Brains. Scientists Say They’ve Figured Out Why the Organs Don’t Always Rot

Under the right conditions—wet and oxygen-deprived—the same chemical reactions that cause tissue to break down can instead have the opposite effect, according to a new study

The statue is located in the village of Konotopie, in central Poland.

A Towering 182-Feet-Tall Statue in Rural Poland Is Now the Tallest Virgin Mary in All of Europe. Locals Hope It Will Become a Tourist Destination

The steel and concrete monument honoring the mother of Jesus is located in Konotopie, a rural village about 100 miles from Warsaw

Brazil experienced its first urban outbreak of yellow fever in decades from late 2016 through 2018. During that time, people flocked to health centers to get a vaccine, which can provide lifelong protection.

Brazil’s First Urban Yellow Fever Outbreak in Nearly a Century May Have Been Fueled by a Surprising Culprit

Extremely wet conditions are known to help spread mosquito-borne diseases like yellow fever. But based on computer simulations, researchers suspect that a severe drought may have contributed to the South American country’s recent deadly epidemic

The Eutaw Springs witness tree is estimated to be 300 years old.

Inside the Fight to Save a 300-Year-Old Tree That Survived a Revolutionary War Battle

Arborists are working to preserve the 45-foot-tall live oak in South Carolina’s Eutaw Springs Battlefield Park. The historic tree suffered damage during a lightning strike 50 years ago

Past studies have suggested that what’s good for the heart may also help protect the brain. But researchers hoped to frame that connection in a different way—not just as reduced risk, but as time gained without dementia.

Avoiding These Three Vascular Health Risk Factors in Midlife Can Help You Delay Dementia for About 13 Years, Study Suggests

High blood pressure, diabetes and smoking are three major modifiable risk factors of dementia. New research tracked more than 12,000 participants to quantify how many years of healthy cognitive function you can gain by evading some or all of them during middle age

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