When Did Humans Arrive in the Americas? Lice Help Answer That Head-Scratcher
A new analysis of the annoying critters shows when groups from Asia and Europe hitched rides on human hair and skin to arrive on our continent
While Some Chimps Go Low, Others Go High to Avoid a Dangerous Fight
Primate groups climb to elevation to scout out rivals and steer clear of clashes
Archaeologists Find the First Red Paint Made From Plants
Hunter-gatherers cooked up the alluring pigment in the Eastern Mediterranean 15,000 years ago
Atlantic Hurricanes Are Getting More Dangerous, More Quickly
If such changes are in response to climate change, the future may feature more sudden, daunting storms
Two Million Years Ago, This Homo Erectus Lived the High Life
Dating of a child's fossilized jaw and teeth suggest our relatives lived at altitude earlier than once thought
North America's Oldest Known Footprints Point to Earlier Human Arrival to the Continent
New dating methods have added more evidence that these fossils date to 23,000 years ago, pushing back migration to the Americas by thousands of years
Breaking Down the United States' Historical Obsession With Christopher Columbus
Columbus became Columbus in the American Revolution—when the colonials sought out an origin story that didn’t involve the British
One Million Years Ago, Our Human Relatives May Have Challenged Giant Hyenas for Carcasses
Groups of hominins might have successfully scavenged large kills, new modeling finds
Our Human Ancestors Very Nearly Went Extinct 900,000 Years Ago, Genetics Suggest
A study proposes that the population that gave rise to modern humans may have been reduced to roughly 1,300 reproducing individuals
Famed 5,300-Year-Old Alps Iceman Was a Balding Middle-Aged Man With Dark Skin and Eyes
Genetic analysis shows that Ötzi was descended from farmers who migrated from an area that is now part of Turkey
Nile Crocodiles Recognize and React to the Sound of Crying Babies
The reptiles may be aware that primate infants are in trouble—and an easy meal
Our Human Relatives Butchered and Ate Each Other 1.45 Million Years Ago
Telltale marks on a bone from an early human’s leg could be the earliest evidence of cannibalism
Oldest Known Neanderthal Engravings Were Sealed in a Cave for 57,000 Years
The art was created long before modern humans inhabited France's Loire Valley
Humanity’s First Recorded Kiss Was Earlier Than We Thought
Ancient texts suggest romantic smooching, and likely the diseases it transmitted, were widespread in Mesopotamia
54,000 Years Ago, Humans and Neanderthals May Have Inhabited Europe Together
Similarities between artifacts found in Lebanon and France suggest Homo sapiens migrants brought tool traditions with them
Why It’s Time for a Worldwide Lights-Out Program
A new Smithsonian exhibition delves into the issue of light pollution, with easy solutions offering an immediate change
This Eye in the Sky Promises Major Insights Into the Air We Breathe
The satellite mission TEMPO will detect pollutants at a neighborhood scale across the nation
Probiotics May Help Corals Fight a Dangerous Disease Off Florida’s Coast
The new treatment shows promise in lab experiments
Like Humans and Chimps, Cockatoos Can Use a Set of Tools to Get a Meal
In lab experiments, the brainy birds carried a stick and scooped with them to get at cashews kept in a box
This Man Underwent Brain Surgery 3,500 Years Ago
Researchers discovered a punctured skull below the floor of a home in what is now Israel
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