ScienceDaily: Fossils & Ruins News

Have you ever wondered how many species have inhabited Earth?

Posted: 14 Jul 2021 02:01 PM PDT

An environmental sciences professors explain why naming new species may be a never-ending journey.

Study highlights need to replace 'ancestry' in forensics with something more accurate

Posted: 14 Jul 2021 08:05 AM PDT

A new study finds forensics researchers use terms related to ancestry and race in inconsistent ways, and calls for the discipline to adopt a new approach to better account for both the fluidity of populations and how historical events have shaped our skeletal characteristics.

DNA from 1,600-year-old Iranian sheep mummy brings history to life

Posted: 14 Jul 2021 08:05 AM PDT

A team of geneticists and archaeologists has sequenced the DNA from a 1,600-year-old sheep mummy from an ancient Iranian salt mine, Chehrabad. This remarkable specimen has revealed sheep husbandry practices of the ancient Near East, as well as underlining how natural mummification can affect DNA degradation.