Humans may not have been responsible for Neanderthal extinction
A new research conducted by the University of York and published in the journal Plos One has discovered that humans may not have been the main reason for the extinction of their closely related hominid cousins, the Neanderthals, as has widely been believed. Instead, the study found evidence that the Neanderthal population was already dwindling for thousands of years before the arrival of homo sapiens managed to tip the balance.
archaeology neanderthal homo sapiens extinction
TheGuardianRelated Articles
Galapagos giant tortoise credited with single-handedly saving species released back into the wild
Diego, a 100-year-old Galapagos giant tortoise, has been credited with single-handedly saving his species from extinction, from being one of only two surviving males to fathering almost 800 tortoisees in 50 years. Diego is estimated to be the ancestor of more than 40 percent of Galapagos giant tortoises alive today, and has recently been retired from his species-saving activity and released back into the wild.
release species extinction male diego galapagos tortoise wild
YahooNews
The fishing industry is forcing dolphins and small whales into extinction, study finds
A recent survey of the impact of fishing on populations of marine life founds that modern fishing techniques, i.e. the use of large nets, are mainly to blame for the endangered status of 13 small cetacean species, along with a dozen species of small whales and dolphins, who may be headed for extinction, with the Chinese baiji river dolphin already believed extinct.
chinese endangered extinction fishing industry nets cetacean whales dolphins baiji river-dolphin
ScienceMag
Scientists confused by 18,000-year-old frozen 'dog'
Scientists are trying to figure out if a newly found 18,000-year-old puppy is a wolf or a dog. The body was found in Siberia and so far scientists have not been able to determine the species using DNA sequencing. The puppy was very well preserved in the permafrost and is still being studied.
science archaeology fossil evolution
BBC
15,000-year-old site in Mexico reveals human-made 'mammoth traps'
Researchers have long believed that during the hunter-gatherer phase, humans were not very willing to hunt mammoths, giant elephant-like mammals, except in very special circumstances. But a discovery at Tultepec, north of Mexico City, has revealed human-made pits containing the bones of at least 14 mammoths. The pits were 1.7m deep and 25m wide, with perpendicular walls to prevent escape, suggesting humans may have hunted mammoths much more actively.
science mexico archaeology hunting mammoth
GlobalNews