Latest articles by Laura Geggel
Tooth Tales: Prehistoric Plaque Reveals Early Humans Ate Weeds
When looking for a meal, prehistoric people in Africa munched on the tuberous roots of weeds such as the purple nutsedge, according to a new study of hardened plaque on samples of ancient teeth.
Octopuses Have Moves, But No Rhythm
Octopuses move with a simple elegance, but they have no rhythm, according to new research.
Tsunami from dinosaur-killing asteroid had mile-high waves and reached halfway across the world
The dinosaur-killing asteroid triggered mile-high monster waves and waters that reached the world over.
Spectacular T. rex skeleton may fetch $25 million at auction (the new owner gets to name it, too)
Paleontologists are unhappy that a T. rex specimen from Montana is hitting the auction block in Hong Kong in November.
How do palm trees withstand hurricanes?
Trees generally snap, or at least lose a few branches, when faced with hurricane-strength winds. Not palm trees. These staples of the tropics typically bend during gusty weather.
Toothless Druid Woman's Face Comes Alive in Wax, Wrinkles and All
A toothless skull was all that researchers had of one of Scotland's oldest known Druids, but now they have something more: a wax re-creation of her face.
Evidence of 'modern' plate tectonics dating to 2.5 billion years ago found in China
Earth scientists in China have found evidence of a subduction zone dating to 2.5 billion years ago.
Why Did These Medieval European Women Have Alien-Like Skulls?
Why were medieval women with egg-shaped skulls buried in Bavaria? A DNA analysis reveals their origins.
What Caused Woman's Odd Liver Problem — Dog or Cat?
A woman in the Netherlands contracted an unusual bacterial infection that may have come from one of her pet cats, according to a new report of her case.
Germanic lord buried with a harem of 6? Not quite, but the real story is fascinating.
A Germanic aristocrat is just one of 80 newly discovered ancient burials.
Amateur freedivers find gold treasure dating to the fall of the Roman Empire
Amateur freedivers found a giant stash of gold coins dating to the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
Neanderthals and Denisovans Lived (and Mated) in This Siberian Cave
The Neanderthals and Denisovans — both relatives of modern humans — were roommates, literally, for thousands of years in a remote Siberian cave, two new studies find.
Book of the Dead fragments, half a world apart, are pieced together
Historians found that a Book of the Dead segment from New Zealand matched another in Los Angeles.
'Very weird' ankylosaur's tail looked like an Aztec war club
Paleontologists in Chile have found the remains of an ankylosaur that represents a new dinosaur lineage.
Did the Maya Really Sacrifice Their Ballgame Players?
How did the Maya, Aztec and other Mesoamerican cultures play the ballgame? And did they really sacrifice the game's players?
Giant Aztec skull 'tower' unearthed in Mexico
More than 500 years ago, the Aztecs created a "trophy tower" out of hundreds of human skulls.
1.32 Million Jews Were Killed in Just Three Months During the Holocaust
Operation Reinhard, known as the single largest murder campaign during the Holocaust, was worse than historians imagined.
Type 1 diabetes: Symptoms, causes and treatment
Reference Type I diabetes occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin. Here's a look at causes, symptoms and treatment of the disease.
