Despite many recent discoveries that show Neanderthals were technologically and socially sophisticated, there's still a popular idea that these heavy-browed, pale-skinned early humans were mentally inferior to modern Homo sapiens. Now we have even more corroboration that they were pretty sharp. A fascinating new study reveals that Neanderthals were distilling tar for tool-making 200 thousand years ago—long before evidence of tar-making among Homo sapiens. And an experimental anthropologist has some good hypotheses for how they did it, too.

In his late 90s, Russ Gremel decided it was time to donate $2 million worth of stock to the Illinois Audubon Society. Then, he went and adopted an elderly Chihuahua. Gremel, now 98 years old, said he decided to make the donation while he was still alive so he could be among those who spend time in the Gremel Wildlife Sanctuary. Gremel made this remarkable donation because he purchased $1,000 worth of Walgreens stock some seven decades ago.

An analysis of ancient DNA entrapped in Neanderthal dental calculus (calcified dental plaque) has revealed the complexity of Neanderthal behavior, including dietary differences between Neanderthal groups and knowledge of medication.

The myth that humans are superior to all other life forms is a fundamental and unquestioned premise of dominant culture. It is an old historical idea, rooted in colonialism, and is deeply embedded in religion and science. It is one of the root causes for the destruction of the natural world, animal cruelty, war, the extinction of species and other immense problems. The Superior Human? challenges this arrogant and self-destructive ideology; unwinds the myths, using examples and common sense.

Anthropocentrism, philosophical viewpoint arguing that human beings are the central or most significant entities in the world. This is a basic belief embedded in many Western religions and philosophies. Anthropocentrism regards humans as separate from and superior to nature and holds that human life has intrinsic value while other entities (including animals, plants, mineral resources, and so on) are resources that may justifiably be exploited for the benefit of humankind.

Getting candid on camera.

Could private markets give koalas a new lease on life?

In 1911, Marcellin Boule, a French paleontologist, published the first scientific description of the Neanderthal species. And let’s just say it didn’t have a lot of sex appeal. The skeleton in Boule’s volume, dubbed the "Old Man of La Chapelle," was a wretched creature: a hunched-over, brutish, dim-witted, primitive man clearly destined to fail in the game of "survival of the fittest."

Scanning Botswana's remote Linyanti swamp from the low flying chopper, elephant ecologist Mike Chase can't hide the anxiety and dread as he sees what he has seen too many times before. "I don't think anybody in the world has seen the number of dead elephants that I've seen over the last two years," he says. From above, we spot an elephant lying on its side in the cracked river mud. From a distance it could be mistaken for a resting animal. But the acrid stench of death hits us before we even land. Up close, it is a horror.

As more animals face extinction, new technology and improved partnerships could help provide a solution

Interesting

Monogamy is a mystery. A Martian zoologist, visiting Earth and noting our basic biology — not to mention our frequent philandering — would conclude that monogamy is not “natural” to the human species. So why is it so widely promulgated, especially in the modern Western world?

A young dolphin has died after beachgoers took it from the sea to pose for photographs with it. Huge crowds gathered around the small animal on the beach resort at Santa Teresita in Argentina after one man picked it up. But it appears it quickly overheated and died while out of the water. It was still being passed around by the beachgoers after its death and was later left discarded in the sand.

Some say it is culture that makes us human. Others opt for our morality, language, or even our sense of humour. But putting philosophy to one side, what literally makes us human? Surprisingly, there is no official answer. Science has yet to agree on a formal description for our genus, Homo, or our species, sapiens. It's not for lack of trying. There are actually several suggested definitions for the human genus – and an astonishingly broad range of opinions...

Our ancient human ancestors were an elusive lot. Their remains are literally thin on the ground, and even when fossils are unearthed it is rare for them to be complete. Sometimes they must be pieced together from dozens of fragments. That is why a staggering find in 1984 excited the entire field, and continues to do so today over 30 years later. It was a skeleton of a young boy, discovered at Lake Turkana in the deserts of northern Kenya.

On Thursday afternoon, officials began identifying the 14 people killed.

CNRS issues a call for research proposals in wake of terror

We all think of our planet as a vast expanse, but in reality it is only a little speck of dust

Our world is filled with an extraordinary amount of lies, deception, disinformation, misinformation, fakery, fraud, facades, mirages, propaganda and brainwashing. Take a look.