Ancient Chewing Gum Holds DNA Clues
A chunk of chewed birch resin has revealed surprisingly detailed information about a woman who lived 5,700 years ago. Scientists investigated a brownish blob discovered at an archaeological site and were able to extract and analyze a complete strand of DNA that revealed details about the diet, health, and appearance of the Stone Age woman who had chewed it. Listen to learn why ancient people chewed birch pitch and how this very old piece of gum could inspire archaeologists to look in new places for clues to the past.
Read MoreDiscovering Neanderthal String
A recent discovery indicates that our prehistoric relatives may have been smarter than previously thought. A team of paleo-anthropologists, scientists who study the origins of early humans and their relatives, found a bit of string on a prehistoric tool. This artifact offers evidence that Neanderthals had developed an important technology for survival. Listen to learn how Neanderthals made string and why the find is changing views of their intelligence.
Read MoreNew Views on Fossil Footprints
No one knows why early humans began walking upright. But scientists have found evidence that the change from using four legs to two began more than three million years ago, and at least two human species were likely doing it at the same time. This evidence comes from ancient fossilized footprints that were examined using modern technology. Listen to learn how scientists looked at previously-examined footprints and came to intriguing new conclusions.
Read MoreNeanderthal Community Building
Scientists understand that Neanderthals shared certain behaviors with early humans, including their choice to live in communities. But the nature of those communities – whether they were made up of family members or friends, for example - remained unknown. Recently, though, DNA extracted from Neanderthal skeletons found in caves in Russia has revealed intriguing new clues to their community structure. Listen to learn about the Neanderthal family members found in the cave and the new questions about community raised by the research.
Read MoreCURRENT EVENT | April 24, 2024
It has long been assumed that in prehistoric hunter-gatherer societies, men were primarily the ones hunting while women did the gathering. This view persisted until very recently when ground-breaking new research uncovered evidence that women may have hunted too. The evidence supporting this belief comes from observations of modern hunter-gatherer societies and analysis of ancient burial sites. Listen to learn about this surprising discovery and what it means for long-held misconceptions about gender roles in ancient times and today.
Story Length: 3:52
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06/28/2023
https://app.listenwise.com/students/events/2618-ancient-grandmas-were-skilled-hunters
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