ScienceDaily: Fossils & Ruins NewsArticles in anthropology, archaeology, evolution theory and paleontology. Read the latest discoveries from archaeological sites and research institutes around the world. Images, updated daily.Big-brained Animals Evolve Faster- August 15, 2008 Ecologists and evolutionary biologists analyzed body size measures of 7,209 species of birds and found that avian families that have experienced the greatest diversification in body size tend to be those with brains larger than expected for their body size.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814210006.htm Archaeologists Lift Lid On Rare Roman Find- August 14, 2008 Archaeologists have discovered two rare Roman stone sarcophagi. The 1800 year old year old sandstone coffins were uncovered at a dig on the site of former chapel and office buildings in Newcastle upon Tyne They are the first such find -- and arguably the most impressive - in the area for more than 100 years.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080814112212.htm Survival Of The Fittest: Even Cancer Cells Follow The Laws Of Evolution- August 13, 2008 Scientists discovered the underlying process in tumor formation is the same as for life itself -- evolution. This suggests a molecular "survival of the fittest" scenario plays out in every living creature as gene mutations strive for ultimate survival through cancerous tumors. This finding improves our understanding of how evolution shapes life in all forms, while laying a foundation for new cancer drugs and treatments.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080801094300.htm Humans Implicated In Prehistoric Animal Extinctions With New Evidence- August 12, 2008 Scientists sheds new light on the role that our ancestors played in the extinction of Australia's prehistoric animals. Their study suggests that the mass extinction of Tasmania's large prehistoric animals was the result of human hunting, and not climate change as previously believed.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811200028.htm Surprising Details Of Evolution Of Protein Translation Revealed- August 12, 2008 A new study of transfer RNA, a molecule that delivers amino acids to the protein-building machinery of the cell, challenges long-held ideas about the evolutionary history of protein synthesis.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080812135517.htm Roman Temple Uncovered In Ancient Jewish Capital Of Galilee- August 11, 2008 Ruins of a Roman temple from the second century CE have recently been unearthed in the Zippori National Park. Above the temple are foundations of a church from the Byzantine period. The excavations shed light on the multi-cultural society of ancient Zippori (Sepphoris).http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080811072503.htm Pinpointing Genetic Variations In European Americans- August 9, 2008 Researchers have identified just 200 positions within the curves of the DNA helix that they believe capture much of the genetic diversity in European Americans, a population with one of the most diverse and complex historic origins on Earth. Their findings narrow the search for the elusive ancestral clues known as single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, that cause disease and account for the minute variations in the European American population.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807112607.htm Fingerprints Provide Clues To More Than Just Identity- August 8, 2008 Fingerprints can reveal critical evidence, as well as an identity, with the use of a new technology that detects trace amounts of explosives, drugs or other materials left behind in the prints. The new technology also can distinguish between overlapping fingerprints left by different individuals -- a difficult task for current optical forensic methods.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144246.htm Complete Neanderthal Mitochondrial Genome Sequenced From 38,000-year-old Bone- August 8, 2008 The complete mitochondrial genome of a 38,000-year-old Neanderthal has been sequenced. The findings open a window into the Neanderthals' past and helps answer lingering questions about our relationship to them.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807130824.htm Gene For Sexual Switching In Melons Provides Clues To Evolution Of Sex- August 8, 2008 A newly discovered function for a hormone in melons suggests it plays a role in how sexual systems evolve in plants. The finding offers new insights into the molecular basis for sex determination.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080807144242.htm |