Search Results for: Geology
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- Anthropology
Human ancestors made ancient entry to Java
Layers of hardened volcanic ash on the Indonesian island of Java have yielded evidence that Homo erectus reached eastern Asia by 1.5 million years ago and remained there until about 1 million years ago.
By Bruce Bower - Earth
Hormones: Here’s the Beef
Runoff of the hormones excreted by steroid-treated livestock could subtly harm aquatic life.
By Janet Raloff -
Arsenic Pollution Disrupts Hormones
Researchers have found that arsenic thwarts the action of glucocorticoid hormones, suggesting a possible explanation of how long-term exposure to the metal in drinking water could cause cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
By Linda Wang - Planetary Science
Debate over life in Mars rock rekindles
Two recent studies could inject new life into the argument that a 4-billion-year-old Martian meteorite contains fossils of bacteria from the Red Planet but several scientists say the reports fall short of resurrecting that notion.
By Ron Cowen - Earth
Ill Winds
Research suggests that the long-range movement of dust can sicken wildlife, crops—even humans—a continent away.
By Janet Raloff - Paleontology
A Ticklish Debate
Paleontologists engaged in a contentious debate about the origins of feathers often reach interpretations that are poles apart, and they defend their views with fervor.
By Sid Perkins - Paleontology
Did ancient superbees squash diversity?
The recent discovery of several dozen extinct bee species in ancient amber deposits has led one paleontologist to propose that the very success of some bees' social lifestyle led to today's dearth of hive-dwelling species.
By Sid Perkins - Paleontology
Extinctions Tied to Impact from Space
Evidence trapped in 250-million-year-old sediments may help researchers pin the ultimate blame for the massive extinctions that occurred then on the impact of an extraterrestrial object about 9 kilometers across.
By Sid Perkins - Paleontology
Genes Seem to Link Unlikely Relatives
Genetic markers on three proteins suggest a common African ancestor for elephants, aardvarks, elephant shrews, golden moles, and other animals.
By Sid Perkins - Humans
Biomedicine, defense to sidestep budget ax
President Bush's first budget request would boost funding for biomedical and military research but trim federal outlays for other areas of science and technology.
By Peter Weiss - Earth
The Silence of the Bams
If a nuclear explosion were set off in a cavity of the right size and shape, even a moderate-sized nuclear bomb might appear at long distances to be no bigger than a routine explosion used in mining.
By Sid Perkins