Researchers from the University of Liverpool and Aberystwyth University have found evidence suggesting that humans were constructing wooden structures as far back as 476,000 years ago, much earlier than previously believed. The discovery was made at Kalambo Falls in Zambia where well-preserved wooden artifacts were found, predating the evolution of Homo sapiens. Stone tool cut-marks […]
In a new study that expands our understanding of how humans contribute to global warming, scientists have discovered that human activity has changed the terrestrial biosphere to make it a significant contributor to climate change. Published in Nature, the study looked at the net balance of the three major greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane, and […]
The more that hunter-gatherers in the Congo smoke cannabis, the less they are infected by parasitic intestinal worms, according to Washington State University (WSU) researchers who say that the tribe may unconsciously be, in effect, smoking medical marijuana. Ed Hagen, a WSU Vancouver anthropologist, explored cannabis use among the Aka foragers to see if people […]
Poop could be a goldmine – literally. Surprisingly, human biosolids contain gold, silver, and other metals, as well as rare elements such as palladium and vanadium that are used in electronics and alloys. Now, researchers are looking at identifying the metals that are getting flushed and how they can be recovered. In a paper presented […]
Analysis of water samples taken from subglacial Lake Whillans – hidden beneath 2,600 feet of ice in Antarctica – has revealed a diverse and exotic microbial community. This provides the first definitive evidence that a functional microbial ecosystem exists beneath the Antarctic ice sheet, confirmingmore than a decade of speculation. The finding, detailed in the […]
A general belief by conservationists that fences can help prevent the spread of diseases, protect wildlife from poachers, and help manage populations of threatened species has been overturned by a new study that shows fences are actually causing extinctions and destroying ecosystems. The counterintuitive new findings, appearing in the journal Science, reviewed the pros and […]
Radiation damage to microbes around the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster has dramatically slowed the decomposition of fallen leaves and other plant matter in the area, according to a study published in the journal Oecologia. The resulting build-up of dry, loose material is a fire hazard that poses the threat of spreading wind-borne radioactivity, […]
The chance discovery of a sample of a mineral called ringwoodite provides strong evidence for scientific theories about vast volumes of water trapped 410 to 660 kilometers (250 – 400 miles) beneath the surface of the Earth. University of Alberta scientist Graham Pearson (pictured) said the discovery was almost accidental in that his team had […]
Stanford University scientists have been using the vast number of vacation snaps on photo-sharing site Flickr to measure where and when people are using natural areas for recreation and tourism. While a great deal is known about how man-made tourist destinations, such as theme parks, contribute to local economies, it has always been more difficult […]
In a fascinating new study, human life expectancy – which is rarely included in analyses of human impacts on the environment – emerged as the key predictor of invasive species and extinctions. The study, published inEcology and Society, examined a combination of 15 social and ecological variables – from tourism and per capita gross domestic […]
