World’s Fifth-Largest Diamond Found in Lesotho
The 910-carat gem is a D-color, type-IIa stone, meaning it is completely colorless and has no visible impurities
Meet the Newly Named 86 Stars of the Night Sky
The new names are drawn from China, Australia, South Africa, Maya, Polynesian and Coptic traditions
In the 1930s, This Natural History Curator Discovered a Living Fossil–Well, Sort of
Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer was convinced she’d found something special in a pile of fish, but it took some time for her discovery to be recognized
Little Foot, the Most Complete Australopithecus Fossil, Goes on Display
After 20 years of excavation and cleaning, the 3.67-million year old hominin is ready for her closeup
For Immigrant Mongooses, It Can Take Time to Earn Society’s Trust
In some species, however, deporting your own family members is the norm
Genetic Study Shows Skin Color Is Only Skin Deep
Genes for both light and dark pigmentation have been in the human gene pool for at least 900,000 years
Africa’s Largest Contemporary Art Museum Opens in Cape Town
But some critics have questioned whether the institution adequately represents black African artists
Those Little Birds On The Backs Of Rhinos Actually Drink Blood
You think that’s ticks they’re eating?
Ancient DNA Helps Scientists Shed Light on How Ancient Africans Moved and Mixed
New techniques help explain why there is little genetic overlap between modern and ancient Malawi people—and promise much more
Ancient Human Cousin May Have Lived Alongside Early Homo Sapiens
Homo naledi may have been much younger—and more advanced—than previously thought
New Technique Shows San Rock Art Is 5,000 Years Old
Using a highly refined form of carbon dating, researchers were able to date the pigments in art in Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa
South Africa to Legalize Domestic Rhino Horn Trade
A court ruling overturns a 2009 ban, a move that conservationists worry will increase poaching
San People of South Africa Issue Code of Ethics for Researchers
This much-studied population is the first indigenous people of Africa to develop such guidelines
Scientists Spot Hundreds of Humpback Whales Feeding in Massive Groups
The normally solitary creatures gathered off the southwestern coast of South Africa, puzzling researchers
12 Mesmerizing Places to Watch Flowers Bloom
Because there’s no better way exalt the end of winter than with millions of tulips, poppies and roses
A Leaky Roof Has Forced the Johannesburg Art Gallery to Temporarily Close
But there’s some good news to comes out of this soggy situation
Reuben Riffel on Becoming a Top Chef in Post-Apartheid South Africa
South African food culture fosters connection, he says
Most Ivory for Sale Comes From Recently Killed Elephants—Suggesting Poaching Is Taking Its Toll
Carbon dating finds that almost all trafficked ivory comes from animals killed less than three years before their tusks hit the market
Botswana Unexpectedly Reverses Course on Ivory Trade
The southern African nation now supports protection for the animals instead of limited sales of ivory
The Search for Buddy the Kidnapped Penguin Continues
Two students stole and released an endangered African penguin from an Oceanarium. The problem is Buddy doesn’t have the skills to survive
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