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Zuul: Beast of the Week

movie United States Cretaceous Late Cretaceous Ankylosauria Dinosauria Zuul

 This week we will be learning about an amazing armored dinosaur with a delightfully spooky name.  Check out Zuul crurivastator!  Zuul was an ankylosaur dinosaur that lived in what is now Montana, USA, during the late Cretaceous period, about 75 million years ago.  It measured about 20 feet (6 meters) from beak to tail and would have eaten plants when alive.  The genus name is in direct reference to the monster from the 1984 movie, Ghostbusters, which paleontologists think resembled the dinosaur

31/10/2025 prehistoricbeastoftheweek

Humans evolved faster than any other ape

growth evolution skull

UCL scientists found that human skulls evolved much faster than those of other apes, reflecting the powerful forces driving our brain growth and facial flattening. By comparing 3D models of ape skulls, they showed that humans changed about twice as much as expected. The findings suggest that both cognitive and social factors, not just intelligence, influenced our evolutionary path.

29/10/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

Before T. rex, there was the “dragon prince”

migration predator Dinosauria Khankhuuluu Tyrannosaurus discovery new species

Scientists have unveiled Khankhuuluu, a new Mongolian dinosaur species that predates and closely resembles early Tyrannosaurs. With its long snout, small horns, and lean build, it represents a transitional form between swift mid-sized predators and giant apex hunters like T. rex. The find also suggests that large Tyrannosaurs first evolved in North America following an ancient migration from Asia.

24/10/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

From poison to power: How lead exposure helped shape human intelligence

tooth genetics

Long before humans built cities or wrote words, our ancestors may have faced a hidden threat that shaped who we became. Scientists studying ancient teeth found that early humans, great apes, and even Neanderthals were exposed to lead millions of years ago. This toxic metal can damage the brain, yet modern humans developed a tiny genetic change that protected our minds and allowed language and intelligence to flourish.

16/10/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

Archaeologists uncover lost land bridge that may rewrite human history

migration Turkey

New research along Turkey’s Ayvalık coast reveals a once-submerged land bridge that may have helped early humans cross from Anatolia into Europe. Archaeologists uncovered 138 Paleolithic tools across 10 sites, indicating the region was a crucial migration corridor during the Ice Age. The findings challenge traditional migration theories centered on the Balkans and Levant, suggesting instead that humans used now-vanished pathways across the Aegean.

12/10/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

Zavacephale: Beast of the Week

Mongolia Cretaceous Early Cretaceous specimen Dinosauria Pachycephalosauria Zavacephale

 This week we'll be looking at a newly described little dinosaur that greatly expands our knowledge on one of the most unusual kinds of dinosaurs, the pachycephalosaurs.  Welcome Zavacephale rinpoche!Zavacephale lived in what is now Mongolia during the early Cretaceous period, between 119 and 110 million years ago.  From snout to tail the specimen found would have only been about three feet (1 meter) in length, but it likely would have been able to grow larger.  The genus name, Zavacephale, tran

21/09/2025 prehistoricbeastoftheweek

Forgotten royal warship sunk 500 years ago reveals surprising secrets

From the wreck of the royal Danish-Norwegian flagship Gribshunden, archaeologists have uncovered a rare glimpse into the naval power of the late Middle Ages. This warship, lost in 1495, carried an arsenal of small guns designed for close-range combat, symbolizing the technological leap that allowed European nations to dominate the seas. More than just a vessel, it served as King Hans’ floating castle, projecting both diplomatic influence and military might.

20/09/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

Episode 170: Cariocecus bocagei

Cretaceous Jurassic Late Jurassic Cariocecus Iguanodontia

The iguanodontians were an incredibly successful group within the Cretaceous. They could reach incredible sizes, with the largest species even matching the proportions of some sauropods, and they also had an incredible palaeogeographic range, meaning that their remains are found all over the world today. In the late Jurassic, they were a lot less diverse [&hellip

15/09/2025 palaeocast

Who are the Papua New Guineans? New DNA study reveals stunning origins

DNA migration Guinea Papua New Guinea genetics study

On remote islands of Papua New Guinea, people carry a story that ties us all back to our deepest roots. Although their striking appearance once puzzled scientists, new genetic evidence shows they share a common ancestry with other Asians, shaped by isolation, adaptation, and even interbreeding with mysterious Denisovans. Yet, their unique history — marked by survival bottlenecks and separation from farming-driven booms — leaves open questions about the earliest migrations out of Africa and wheth

15/09/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

Pentaceratops: Beast of the Week

Mexico United States Cretaceous Late Cretaceous Ceratopsia Dinosauria Pentaceratops

This week we will be checking out yet another awesome ceratopsian dinosaur.  Enter Pentaceratops sternbergii! Pentaceratops was a plant-eating dinosaur that measured about twenty feet long from beak to tail. As a ceratopsian (horns, beaks, and frills) it was member of the chasmosaurine group, and was closely related to Chasmosaurus and Coahuilaceratops to name a few.  It lived in what is now New Mexico, USA, during the late Cretaceous Period, between 76 and 73 million years ago.  The genus name,

14/09/2025 prehistoricbeastoftheweek

Who were the mystery humans behind Indonesia’s million-year-old tools?

migration Indonesia fossil discovery evolution

A groundbreaking discovery on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi reveals that early hominins crossed treacherous seas over a million years ago, leaving behind stone tools that reshape our understanding of ancient migration. These findings, older than previous evidence in the region, highlight Sulawesi as a critical piece of the puzzle in human evolution. Yet, the absence of fossils keeps the identity of these tool-makers shrouded in mystery, sparking new questions about whether they were Homo ere

10/09/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

Episode 168/169: Grasslands

Grass dominated ecosystems cover 40% of the land on Earth. Prof. Caroline Strömberg explains why they are so successful

01/09/2025 palaeocast

New fossils reveal a hidden branch in human evolution

tooth Ethiopia fossil specimen discovery evolution

Fossils unearthed in Ethiopia are reshaping our view of human evolution. Instead of a straight march from ape-like ancestors to modern humans, researchers now see a tangled, branching tree with multiple species coexisting. Newly discovered teeth reveal a previously unknown species of Australopithecus that lived alongside some of the earliest Homo specimens nearly 2.8 million years ago. This suggests that nature tested multiple versions of “being human” before our lineage endured.

28/08/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

Irritator: Beast of the Week

reconstitution Brazil Cretaceous Early Cretaceous Dinosauria Irritator

This week's beast is a special dinosaur that helps us understand more about the appearance and lifestyle of its family.  Check out Irritator challengeri!Irritator life reconstruction in watercolor by Christopher DiPiazza.Irritator was a meat-eating dinosaur that lived in what is now Brazil during the early Cretaceous period, between 113 and 110 million years ago. From snout to tail it would have measured between 20 and 26 feet (6 and 8 meters) and was a meat-eater when alive.  The genus name, Ir

24/08/2025 prehistoricbeastoftheweek

The hidden Denisovan gene that helped humans conquer a new world

genetics study

Ancient humans crossing the Bering Strait into the Americas carried more than tools and determination—they also carried a genetic legacy from Denisovans, an extinct human relative. A new study reveals that a mysterious gene called MUC19, inherited through interbreeding between Denisovans, Neanderthals, and humans, may have played a vital role in helping early Americans survive new diseases, foods, and environments.

24/08/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

The hidden Denisovan gene still protecting humans today

DNA migration genetics

Scientists have discovered that a gene called MUC19, inherited from Denisovans through ancient interbreeding, may have played a vital role in helping Indigenous ancestors adapt as they migrated into the Americas. Found at unusually high frequencies in both modern and ancient populations, the gene likely provided immune advantages against new pathogens. This research highlights how archaic DNA, passed through both Denisovans and Neanderthals, enriched human genetic diversity in ways that still sh

24/08/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

Langebaanweg Part 3 – An Animal Archive

museum fossil

While we have discussed the importance of Langebaanweg in terms of its geological positioning and history, the thing it is really famous for is the incredible size and diversity of its fossil assemblage. In the last 60 years the collections of the Iziko Museum in Cape Town have been filled with as much as one [&hellip

22/08/2025 palaeocast

Ancient fossil discovery in Ethiopia rewrites human origins

limb Ethiopia fossil discovery human origin

In the deserts of Ethiopia, scientists uncovered fossils showing that early members of our genus Homo lived side by side with a newly identified species of Australopithecus nearly three million years ago. These finds challenge the old idea of a straight evolutionary ladder, revealing instead a tangled web of ancient relatives.

22/08/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

140,000-year-old skeleton shows earliest interbreeding between humans and Neanderthals

Israel fossil dating discovery Homo sapiens skeleton

Scientists have uncovered the world s earliest fossil showing both Neanderthal and Homo sapiens features: a five-year-old child from Israel s Skhul Cave dating back 140,000 years. This discovery pushes back the timeline of human interbreeding, proving that Neanderthals and modern humans were already mixing long before Europe s later encounters.

21/08/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo

Mysterious Denisovan interbreeding shaped the humans we are today

fossil tracks evolution genetics

Denisovans, a mysterious human relative, left behind far more than a handful of fossils—they left genetic fingerprints in modern humans across the globe. Multiple interbreeding events with distinct Denisovan populations helped shape traits like high-altitude survival in Tibetans, cold-weather adaptation in Inuits, and enhanced immunity. Their influence spanned from Siberia to South America, and scientists are now uncovering how these genetic gifts transformed human evolution, even with such limi

14/08/2025 sciencedaily-human-evo