5 Items Tagged

Putting Us in Our Place

Mastodons once roamed over much of North America. One of them died near the future site of San Diego, causing a scientific controversy 130,000 years later.

The Wild Tale of the Cerutti Mastodon, a Fossil That Could Rewrite the Human Story

The Cerutti Mastodon, found near San Diego, shows signs of being butchered 130,000 years ago—but by who? Or what?

Gemma Tarlach August 1, 2024

A dramatic 2020 eruption of Kīlauea was nothing compared with Indonesia's Toba supervolcano eruption 74,000 years ago, the largest eruption of the past 2.5 million years.

How Indonesia’s Toba Volcano Changed Human Evolution

The massive supervolcano eruption 74,000 years ago has been blamed for nearly killing off our species. The emerging truth is much more interesting.

Gemma Tarlach April 29, 2024

Burial 19, or B19, contained the remains of a large dog and newborn infant girl.

When Did Dogs Become Our Best Friends?

A poignant, 2,000-year-old burial in northern Italy could be the latest evidence of an ancient friendship.

Gemma Tarlach March 20, 2024

The first skull fossil from Jebel Irhoud, found by a miner in the early 1960s, was initially thought to belong to a Neanderthal.

Where Did Humans Evolve? (Probably Not Where You’re Thinking)

For decades, East Africa was considered the birthplace of our species. Fossils from Morocco suggest otherwise.

Gemma Tarlach February 22, 2024

How the Great Lakes Formed—And the Mystery of Who Watched It Happen

Skilled hunters adapted to the changing landscape and left tantalizing clues to who they were.

Gemma Tarlach January 11, 2024