Neanderthals hunted and butchered giant elephants

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more. CNN – Some 125,000 years ago, enormous elephants weighed as much as eight cars each roamed in what’s now northern Europe. Scientifically known as Palaeoloxodon antiquus, the towering animals were the largest land mammals of … Read more

Vikings brought their animals with them to Britain over 1,000 years ago

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more. CNN – When the Vikings crossed the North Sea to reach Britain in the ninth century AD, they brought their dogs and horses with them, according to new research. Archaeologists uncovered what they believe to … Read more

Peru: Protester deaths spark calls for reparations amid a painful past

CNN – “If something happens to me, don’t cry,” Leonardo Hancco told his wife, Ruth Barcena, the morning of December 15 in Peru’s southern city of Ayacucho. The 32-year-old taxi driver and father of a seven-year-old girl had decided to join Peru’s nationwide political protests at the last minute. “If I have decided to join … Read more

Discovery reveals intimate details about the lives of some of the largest dinosaurs

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. CNN – To pry open the mysteries of our planet’s past, scientists typically study rocks and fossilized bones. Eggs are an often overlooked but extremely rich source of information, with birds, reptiles, … Read more

Brutality of prehistoric life revealed by Europe’s bog bodies

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more. CNN – In 1984, a peat cutter discovered human remains in a bog in Cheshire, England. They belonged to a man who died a brutal death some 2,100 years ago before being placed in the … Read more

The Black Death’s legacy, Neanderthal family ties, and other ancient DNA secrets

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more. CNN – The fast-expanding field of ancient DNA, formally known as paleogenetics, came of age in 2022, earning its pioneering scientist Svante Pääbo a Nobel prize for medicine and physiology. Pääbo, the director of the … Read more

Medieval ship found in Norway’s biggest lake

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more. CNN – Resting at the bottom of Mjøsa, the largest lake in Norway, a shipwreck from hundreds of years ago is in almost perfect condition, frozen in time. The vessel, with its unique stem posts … Read more

Prehistoric humans were surprisingly creative cooks

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advances and more. CNN – Stone Age cooks were surprisingly sophisticated, combining an array of ingredients and using different techniques to prepare and flavor their meals, analysis of some of the earliest charred food remains has suggested. Plant … Read more

5 things to know for Nov. 11: Midterms, Student loans, Storm damage, Prices, Climate

CNN – Today is Veterans Day, a federal holiday in the US honoring men and women who have served in the armed forces. Regional observances and events are set to take place across the country to pay tribute to millions of American heroes. Entry to all US National Parks is also free today – including … Read more

Ancient DNA reveals the social lives of Neanderthals

A version of this story appeared in CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. CNN – Neanderthal is an insult still lobbed about to suggest someone is dim-witted and out of touch. The more we learn about our Stone Age cousins, however, the more it appears … Read more