MUNICH — Lager, the world’s most popular beer, originated more than 400 years ago in Bavaria due to a brewing accident, according to recent study. Researchers say the yeast used for brewing cold beer, known as Saccharomyces Pastorianus, emerged at the court of Maximilian the Great in Munich. This was the result of an accidental …
KUNMING, China — Humans may have arrived in the Americas up to 26,000 years ago, about 10,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to new research. Scientists have discovered evidence of Ice Age migrations from the coast of northern China. “The Asian ancestry of Native Americans is more complicated than previously indicated,” says first author …
BERLIN, Germany — Microbes up to 100,000 years-old have been identified in the dental plaque of Neanderthals and prehistoric humans, opening a window into the distant past and providing new opportunities for drug discovery. An international team of researchers successfully revived the ancient bacteria’s natural products from the calcified remains, focusing on reconstructing genomes encased …
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A blinking fish has revealed how our aquatic ancestors first ventured onto land approximately 375 million years ago. These ancestors evolved into tetrapods, which include today’s amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. The mystery of their survival in terrestrial environments has puzzled scientists for decades. A recent study found that the key …
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Our upright posture dates back to an ape that lived in Africa 21 million years ago, a new study reveals. A straight torso enabled Morotopithecus to develop a nutritious diet that included leaves from tall trees. Researchers from the University of Michigan say the ancient primate’s remains provide new insights into …
MENORCA, Spain — Hallucinogenic drugs may be a popular topic of discussion today, but a new study finds evidence that they’ve been all the rage for thousands of years. Long before NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers started talking about the benefits of using psychedelics like ayahuasca, researchers in Spain say ancient Europeans were apparently experimenting with …
PORTSMOUTH, United Kingdom — The mighty Tyrannosaurus rex had humongous lips that covered its sharp, jagged teeth, a new dinosaur study reveals. According to an international team, the depictions of the T. rex in films like “Jurassic Park” that make it look extremely fierce are actually wrong. The study finds predatory dinosaurs had scaly, lizard-like …
LEIPZIG, Germany — Ludwig van Beethoven may have drunk himself to death, say scientists who mapped his genome from a lock of the great composer’s hair. Researchers discovered the musical genius, who became deaf as an adult, was predisposed to liver disease and infected with Hepatitis B. Beethoven’s hair was studied by scientists at the Max Planck Institute of …
BRISTOL, United Kingdom — A colossal dinosaur that had the biggest claws of all time has scientists calling it “Edward Scissorhands on speed.” According to researchers in the United Kingdom, these terrifying claws were more than three feet long, with the creatures using them to attract mates — just like Johnny Depp’s razor-sharp “fingers” helped …
HELSINKI, Finland — The world’s first horse riders saddled up 5,000 years ago, a new study reveals. Researchers in Finland say equestrianism originated in a remote area of the Western Eurasian steppe. The evidence comes from remains in burial mounds called kurgans. The human skeletons displayed “evidence of horsemanship.” They belonged to primitive sheep farmers …