Human Urine Not Sterile

Researchers have identified live bacteria in the urine of a sample of healthy women, challenging the long-held notion that human urine is a sterile substance.

Deadly Bat Fungus from Europe

The mysterious "white nose syndrome" responsible for the deaths of millions of North American bats since it was identified in 2006 has been traced to an invasive-species fungus with European origins, possibly introduced to North American bats by human tourists.

Mammoth Butchered by Humans

The remains of a woolly mammoth discovered on the Siberian plains estimated at 10,000 years old show evidence of human butchering after death, including removal of internal organs, the skull, pelvis, ribs and other bones and then the burial of the remaining carcass, presumably an early effort at preservation.

Largest Feathered Dinosaur

Newly discovered fossils from northwestern China have revealed the largest feathered animal yet known, a 30-foot long dinosaur predator (Yutyrannus huali) that lived about 125 million years ago.

Ash Shows Origins of Cooking

Ash of burnt grass, leaves, brush and bone fragments found in the Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa shows that hominins were using fire to cook food at least occasionally some 1 million years ago, the earliest evidence yet found for this practice.

Data Supports Einstein's Idea

New data obtained from the South Pole Telescope provides further support of Einstein's cosmological constant, the leading model to explain the existence of "dark energy" and the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Earth as Sole Origin of Moon

Comparative analysis of titanium isotopes in Earth, meteorites and lunar samples from material brought back by the Apollo missions indicates Earth as the sole originator of the Moon some 4.5 billion years ago, conflicting with the popular theory that the Moon was the result of a collision with a third body.

Animal-Shaped Mounds in Peru

Numerous earthen animal-shaped mounds have been identified along the coastal plains of Peru, ranging from only a few meters to over 400 meters long and dating back some 4000 years, each with unique astronomical orientations in their construction.

New "King of Wasps" Found

A newly discovered, bizarre-looking, giant species of wasp (Megalara garuda) has been discovered in Indonesia, with males growing to about two inches long and possessing long, sickle-shaped jaws.

Ancestor Had Ape-Like Feet

A fossil found in Ethiopia suggests a separate and distinct branch of hominins lived with our human ancestors (Australopithecus afarensis) about 3.4 million years ago, this new branch having grasping feet and suggesting a life primarily lived in trees whereas the foot for Au. afarensis had already adapted for upright walking.

New Class of Landform on Mars

Images from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have revealed a new class of geologic landform named periodic bedrock ridges on the surface of Mars, a structure similar to sand dunes but formed by the wind erosion of bedrock material.

Fossilized Rain Shower

Raindrops captured in the soft ash of a volcanic eruption in South Africa 2.7 billion years ago have been used to calculate the density of Earth's prehistoric atmosphere, a value no greater than 1.3 kilograms per cubic meter and very close to today's value of 1.2 kg/m³.

Ovaries on the Outside

Researchers have discovered a new species of acorn worm (Allapasus aurantiacus) living on the deep ocean floor that is unique in that it has its ovaries attached to the outside of its body, a design that possibly facilitates fertilization from the male.

Hints of Water Ice on Mercury

Data from NASA's Messenger spacecraft have identified craters at Mercury's poles that are permanently in shadow, creating so-called "cold traps" that strongly reflect radar signals, a characteristic of water ice even on a world with surface temperatures exceeding 400 C.