Fossils of Neanderthals were first discovered in western Europe in the mid-nineteenth century. Since then, the behaviours and activities of our closest evolutionary cousins, the regions of the world that they inhabited, and their evolutionary history have been the subject of much scientific enquiry and... click to read more

The genomes of all organisms are constantly under attack from a variety of sources, including the everyday effects of solar and ionising radiation together with chemical and oxidative insults. However, there are also more specific threats to our genomes like those that posed through invasion... click to read more

When engaged in a conflict with another, many animals will behave aggressively. We see it in dogs at the dog park, in fish in a fish tanks, in people with bullies at school, and even flies at a garbage bin. However, precisely what motivates an... click to read more

Almost everyone enjoys roasted root vegetables, and our ancestors were no exception. An archaeological team excavated the remains of starchy rhizomes cooked 170,000 years ago in the Border Cave, South Africa. In total, 55 whole charred rhizomes were recovered from the same species - Hypoxis... click to read more

When you make scrambled eggs for breakfast, you are probably not expecting any signs of life in the resulting mush, let alone development into chicken embryos. Indeed, it seems common sense that living things are organized structures, and once these structures are jumbled up, life... click to read more