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Stories from Sarah Kuta

Human wounds take longer to heal than the wounds of other mammals, researchers find. That could be because we have fewer hair follicles, and stem cells in hair follicles help regrow skin after an injury.

Human Evolution Traded Fur for Sweat Glands—and Now, Our Wounds Take Longer to Heal Than Those of Other Mammals

Even compared to chimpanzees, one of our closest relatives, humans’ scrapes and cuts tend to stick around for more than twice as long, new research suggests

The letter was postmarked on April 11 in Queenstown, Ireland, one of the two stops the Titanic made before sinking. It reached London one day later.

He Boarded the Titanic, Then Wrote a Letter: ‘It Is a Fine Ship, But I Shall Await My Journey’s End Before I Pass Judgment’

First-class passenger Archibald Gracie wrote the missive shortly after settling into his cabin on the doomed vessel. It just sold at auction for nearly $400,000

The mosasaur vertebra measured more than seven inches wide.

Geologists Stumble Upon Remains of Giant ‘Sea Monster’ in Mississippi, Likely the Largest Mosasaur Ever Identified in the State

Researchers uncovered one vertebra, and based on its size, they estimate the massive creature was at least 30 feet long when it roamed the shallow seas that covered the region roughly 66 million years ago

Before she went missing on Kangaroo Island, Valerie slept in bed with her human parents and enjoyed spending time indoors.

Valerie the Miniature Dachshund Has Been Rescued After Surviving for 529 Days on a Rugged Australian Island

The eight-pound pup is now decompressing after her epic adventure in the wilderness, a feat rescuers say was “just incredible”

Researchers analyzed indentations in the skeleton's pelvis.

Bite Marks on Ancient Skeleton Reveal First Physical Evidence of Roman Gladiators Fighting Lions

Researchers compared the markings found on an ancient skeleton in England to bones that had been chewed on by cheetahs, lions, tigers and leopards in present-day zoos

Officials say they made the decision to euthanize hundreds of koalas for the creatures' welfare after a bushfire in Victoria.

Authorities Snipe Hundreds of Koalas From Helicopters in Controversial ‘Aerial Cull’ in Australia

Between 600 and 700 of the marsupials were killed from the air, likely for the first time in the country’s history. Officials say the decision, which has prompted backlash, was made to minimize the animals’ suffering after a bushfire

Researchers took a closer look at fossilized footprints—including these cat-like tracks—found at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon.

50-Million-Year-Old Footprints Open a ‘Rare Window’ Into the Behaviors of Extinct Animals That Once Roamed in Oregon

Scientists revisited tracks made by a shorebird, a lizard, a cat-like predator and some sort of large herbivore at what is now John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

The commemorative watch was given to Armstrong at a gala dinner in Houston in November 1969.

A Gold Watch That Belonged to Astronaut Neil Armstrong Sold for $2.1 Million at Auction

The commemorative timepiece is similar to the one that Armstrong and other NASA astronauts wore in space

Chattanooga was once one of the most polluted cities in the country. Now, it's North America's first National Park City.

Chattanooga Just Became North America’s First National Park City. Here’s What That Means

The designation was awarded by a London-based charity that aims to make cities more like national parks: “greener, healthier and wilder”

A book bound in Corder's skin has been in the museum's collections since the 1930s. The second copy was given to the museum several decades ago.

Recently Rediscovered Book Bound in Human Skin Goes on Display in England

Curators think the volume’s corners and spine are bound in the skin of William Corder, an infamous criminal who was convicted of murder in the late 1820s

Trevelyan is a former puppet maker, so making the curlew costume was relatively easy for him.

A U.K. Man Just Walked 53 Miles Wearing a Giant, Handmade Bird Costume. Here’s Why He Did It

As he trekked across the English countryside, 46-year-old Matt Trevelyan caused quite a stir with his attention-grabbing outfit

Visitors flock to botanic gardens when their corpse flowers are in bloom. But these charismatic plants are threatened by inbreeding and low genetic diversity, in part due to spotty recordkeeping at institutions around the globe.

Stinky Corpse Flowers Face a Recordkeeping Problem at Botanic Gardens, and It’s Leading to Inbreeding, Study Finds

Inconsistent data may be hurting conservation efforts for these endangered plants, known for attracting visitors to their scent of rotting flesh

Using a remotely operated underwater vehicle, researchers discovered an automobile in one of the USS Yorktown's hangars. The car might have been used by one of the aircraft carrier's high-ranking officers.

Why Was a 1940s Car Discovered in the Wreck of an American Naval Ship That Sank During World War II?

The mysterious automobile was found in a hangar on the USS “Yorktown,” which has been resting on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean since 1942

A female Guam kingfisher (left) and a male (right) perch on a branch on Palmyra Atoll.

Biologists Rejoice as Extremely Rare Guam Kingfishers Lay Their First Wild Eggs in Nearly 40 Years

The brightly colored birds are extinct in the wild, having disappeared from their native Guam in 1988 due to the introduction of the invasive brown tree snake. But now, they’re starting to make a comeback on Palmyra Atoll

Newgrange is one of Ireland's most famous Neolithic passage tombs.

These Massive Monuments Hosted Community Gatherings Where Prehistoric People Mingled, Feasted and Buried Their Dead

A new study contradicts the long-held assumption that Ireland’s Neolithic passage tombs were reserved for members of an elite ruling family

The ivory fragments show signs of manipulation by early humans.

Are These Mysterious 400,000-Year-Old Artifacts the Oldest Ivory Objects Made by Humans?

Found in Ukraine, the fragments show signs of human manipulation—though researchers still haven’t ruled out the possibility that they were shaped by natural forces

Northern snakeheads were first discovered in American waters in 2002.

These Large, Snake-Like Fish Are Invading the United States—and Authorities Want You to Kill Them

Invasive northern snakeheads can “walk” on land, breathe air and survive out of water for several days, and they also compete with native species in waterways

The museum is filled with interactive exhibits and activities, including a bean-themed ball pit play area.

Now Open in Kansas City, The World’s First Barbecue Museum Is a Feast for the Senses

Jump in the bean-themed ball pit, solve a pork puzzle and pose with a championship mustard belt at the new Museum of BBQ

Last year, nine million viewers tuned in to watch “The Great Moose Migration” in Sweden.

Watch Majestic Moose Meander North With This Popular Live Stream From Sweden

“The Great Moose Migration” shows the antler-adorned ungulates making their annual spring trek

Caught on Lake Livingston near Houston using a two-pound line, the massive alligator gar weighed 153 pounds.

Angler Catches 153-Pound Behemoth in Texas Using Ultra-Light Tackle, Likely Setting a New World Record

Art Weston and Kirk Kirkland reeled in and released the enormous freshwater fish, known as an alligator gar, after a four-hour battle on Lake Livingston

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