Humans
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Archaeology
Ancient ‘megasites’ may reshape the history of the first cities
At least two ancient paths to urban development existed, some archaeologists argue.
- Archaeology
New cave fossils have revived the debate over Neandertal burials
Part of a Neandertal’s skeleton was found in a hole dug in the same cave in Iraqi Kurdistan where the “flower burial” was found in 1960.
- Health & Medicine
Very few infants seem to be getting sick with the new coronavirus
Scientists tracking how the outbreak of a novel coronavirus is affecting young children and newborns haven’t seen many cases.
- Health & Medicine
Coronavirus’s genetic fingerprints are used to rapidly map its spread
Fast and widespread scientific data sharing and genetic testing have created a picture of how the new coronavirus spreads.
- Humans
Some West Africans may have genes from an ancient ‘ghost’ hominid
A humanlike population undiscovered in fossils may have passed helpful DNA on to human ancestors in West Africa starting as early as 124,000 years ago.
- Archaeology
Food residues offer a taste of pottery’s diverse origins in East Asia
Clay pots emerged in different places and for different reasons, starting at least 16,000 years ago, a study suggests.
- Health & Medicine
Cases of the new coronavirus hint at the disease’s severity, symptoms and spread
As the coronavirus outbreak continues, estimates suggest that the majority of cases are mild. New research is clarifying how more severe cases progress.
- Health & Medicine
CRISPR-edited immune cells for fighting cancer passed a safety test
Immune cells engineered with CRISPR to fight cancer made some errors, but caused no serious side effects in participants of a small clinical trial.
- Archaeology
An ancient skeleton from an underwater Mexican cave sheds light on early Americans
A nearly 10,000-year-old skeleton discovered in a submerged Mexican cave provides more clues to how and when people settled the Americas.
- Archaeology
Wasp nests provide the key to dating 12,000-year-old Aboriginal rock art
Dating wasp nest remnants found beneath and atop painted rock art in Australia suggests the pictures were made some 5,000 years later than thought.
- Health & Medicine
The FDA has approved the first drug to treat peanut allergies
The drug, called Palforzia, may reduce the dangers of unintentional exposure to peanuts for allergic children.
- Health & Medicine
An experimental HIV vaccine failed a key trial in South Africa
A vaccine against the human immunodeficiency virus tested in South Africa did not reduce the risk of infection with the virus.
