Yersinia pestis is the bacterium that causes plague, a zoonotic disease transmitted from rodents to humans via fleas. It is also renowned for being involved in three pandemics throughout human history. In recent years it has become evident that Y. pestis’ association with humans predates... 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

In recent decades ancient DNA has been continuously used as a part of the tool-kit for studying human history and evolution. Ancient human DNA is found in both organic and inorganic material, for example, bones, teeth, mummified materials, coprolites, soil, etc. Bones and teeth harbor the... click to read more