A hunter-gatherer who lived in Indonesia as early as 25,000 years ago may have regularly sucked on betel nuts to release their psychoactive properties.
Scientists have found smallpox viruses in the remains of people in Chile from around 500 years ago, revealing how the virus may have evolved into a global killer.
Snake claims the creature has a "reproductive bone" also found in polar bears.
A study of chimps, gorillas and other great apes, including human children, sheds light on how laughter has evolved.
'A team extracted DNA from a small skull piece'
The oldest known evidence of the plague, which sparked deadly outbreaks dating back about 5,500 years ago is more than 200 years earlier than previously thought.
Scientists dug up a Paleolithic tooth that shows signs that these hominins may have been capable of executing a precise dental procedure.
Gene editing offers many transformative medical benefits. However, uncertainties concerning safety, ethical snares, and risks of inequality and unintended societal impacts demand caution.
A new study found that a pachyderm skeleton, dismissed for decades as unimportant, offers evidence of careful planning, teamwork and a calculated kill.
A new study looks at an unexpected force that helped played a critical role in shaping the lives of ancient humans.