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'That's why there's 9 billion of us and not 9 billion of some other primate': Why our ability to adapt is humanity's 'superpower'INTERVIEW Live Science spoke with Herman Pontzer, an evolutionary anthropologist and author of the book "Adaptable," about the science of human diversity.
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'Parasites of human societies': How did we end up so close to cats?Book In the book "The Call of the Honeyguide," applied ecologist Rob Dunn explores mutually beneficial relationships between different species. But Dunn argues the relationship between humans and cats may force a rethink of what shape these mutualisms can take.
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Colorectal cancer is now the most common cause of cancer deaths in the US for people under 50The American Cancer Society estimates that over 55,000 people will die from colorectal cancer in the U.S. this year. Of those, 7% will be under 50.
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'It's nature calling to humans, and humans deciding whether or not to reply': Why we need to start paying attention to our mutually beneficial relationships with other speciesINTERVIEW Live Science spoke with Rob Dunn, an applied ecologist and author of the book "The Call of the Honeyguide," about "mutualism" — how different species team up for their mutual benefit — and how humans can feel more connected to nature.
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'Absolute surprise': Homo erectus skulls found in China are almost 1.8 million years old — the oldest evidence of the ancient human relatives in East AsiaA new date for Homo erectus skulls found in central China provides new insight into how and when ancient human relatives reached eastern Asia.
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Diagnostic dilemma: 83-year-old man's unusual form of syphilis had an 'uncertain' sourceA man went to the emergency room after being in and out of hospitals for a month, and doctors found a surprising explanation for his illness.
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World's oldest known sewn clothing may be stitched pieces of ice age hide unearthed in Oregon caveThe sewn hide, cordage and needles show how Indigenous Americans used complex technology to survive the freezing temperatures at the end of the last ice age and as a means of social expression.
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Teenager contracts rare 'welder's anthrax,' marking the ninth known case ever reportedA teenager training to be a welder contracted a rare and dangerous lung infection, prompting a combined state and federal investigation.
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Kanzi the bonobo could play pretend — a trait thought unique to humansPast anecdotal observations have hinted that great apes play pretend. But now, experimental research shows that our closest living relatives can keep track of imaginary objects.
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More than 43,000 years ago, Neanderthals spent centuries collecting animal skulls in a cave; but archaeologists aren't sure whyNeanderthals repeatedly returned to the cave to store horned animal skulls, revealing this cultural tradition was transmitted over time.
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Some of the oldest harpoons ever found reveal Indigenous people in Brazil were hunting whales 5,000 years agoThe origins of whaling are highly debated. Now, some of the earliest signs of active whale hunting have appeared somewhere unexpected: southern Brazil.
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World's oldest known rock art predates modern humans' entrance into Europe — and it was found in an Indonesian caveThe hand stencil is more than 1,000 years older than the previous earliest evidence of rock art.
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Human origins quiz: How well do you know the story of humanity?Think you know about our human relatives? Take our quiz to find out — and remember, it's human to make mistakes.
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A man's sudden seizures were set off by sudokuIn the weeks following a ski accident, a German man experienced seizures when he completed sudoku puzzles.
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Tiny bump on 7 million-year-old fossil suggests ancient ape walked upright — and might even be a human ancestorThe way Sahelanthropus tchadensis moved has long been debated. The discovery of a small bump on the front of the thigh bone is "beyond convincing" evidence this ape was bipedal.
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60,000-year-old poison arrows from South Africa are the oldest poison weapons ever discoveredFive quartz arrowheads found in a South African cave were laced with a slow-acting tumbleweed poison that would have tired prey during long hunts.
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A rare condition caused a man to get 'scales' on his hands whenever he washed themA man's rare condition caused "excessive wrinkling" in his hands which spread to his wrists and elbows.
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Primates Quiz: Go ape and test your knowledge on our closest relativesTime to stop monkeying around — just don't go bananas if you get the wrong answer!
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AI is getting better and better at generating faces — but you can train to spot the fakesEven the most skilled face recognizers are duped by AI-generated faces, a new study finds. But they can improve with training.
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Scientists claim 'Lucy' may not be our direct ancestor after all, stoking fierce debateRecent fossil finds could mean that "Lucy" wasn't our direct ancestor, some scientists say. Others strongly disagree.
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A fossilized foot found 15 years ago belonged to enigmatic human relative that lived alongside Lucy, scientists sayFreshly unearthed jaw bones and teeth that were found close to a previously discovered foot suggest human relatives tried several ways of walking before honing in on one strategy.
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'A forest with bonobos has never been so quiet': Most extreme case of violence in 'hippie' species recorded, with females ganging up on male in unprecedented attackFemale bonobos routinely form coalitions to stamp out threats from males, but the level of violence in this attack was unprecedented.
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Study reveals why the brain 'zones out' when you're exhaustedYour sleep-deprived brain behaves as if you were about to nod off to sleep, even when you're awake.
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Prehistoric Jomon people in Japan had 'little to no' DNA from the mysterious Denisovans, study findsThe prehistoric Jomon people of Japan had "unexpectedly low" levels of DNA from the Denisovans, our mysterious human relatives.
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