Anthropology
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AnthropologyHuman ancestors threw stone-tipped spears at prey
African discoveries show that hunting weapons thrown from a distance appeared by 279,000 years ago.
By Bruce Bower -
AnthropologyHunting boosts lizard numbers in Australian desert
Reptiles prefer to live in places aboriginal people have burned.
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PsychologyThe bright side of sadness
Bad moods can have unappreciated mental upsides.
By Bruce Bower -
AnthropologyFossil skull points to single root for human evolution
New find suggests that humankind’s origins trace to an ancient species that spread from Africa to Asia.
By Bruce Bower -
Science & SocietyScarcity
Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir explain why having too little means so much.
By Nathan Seppa -
AnthropologyNeandertals ate stomach goop, and you can too
Eating partially digested stomach contents, or chyme, has long been a nutritional boost.
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AnthropologyAncient farmers, foragers kept genes to themselves
Ancient DNA and diet clues suggest how farmers and hunter-gathers contributed to modern Europeans’ genetic profiles.
By Bruce Bower -
AnthropologyAncient farming populations went boom, then bust
Agriculture’s introduction led to big falls as well as rises in numbers of Europeans.
By Bruce Bower -
AnthropologyMummified Incan teen drank, did drugs
Girl, who was sacrificed, may have been sedated by alcohol, coca leaves.
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AnthropologyWar arose recently, anthropologists contend
Infrequent killings among hunter-gatherer groups fit a scenario of a largely peaceful Stone Age, a study concludes.
By Bruce Bower -
AnthropologyAgriculture’s roots spread east to Iran
Dig supports prolonged development of domesticated crops at ancient sites across the Fertile Crescent.
By Bruce Bower -