This week, 51,200-year-old narrative rock art is the oldest of its kind, paleolithic humans may have invented underwear 40,000 years ago, and scientists built LEGO bricks out of ancient celestial material to test Moon construction possibilities. Finally, we explore the surprising animals that can mimic human speech.
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We Might Owe Wine To The Asteroid That Killed The Dinosaurs 66 Million Years Ago
Researchers looking for fossilized grape seeds across Colombia, Panama, and Peru have found seeds between 60 and 19 million years old – and one specimen is from the oldest grape ever found in the Western Hemisphere. The team thinks that the proliferation of grapes might have come as a result of the changes in the environment following the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs. Read the full story here
Oldest Narrative Rock Art Discovered With Mind-Blowing Age Of 51,200 Years
Among the towering rock walls of an Indonesian island, archaeologists have discovered the earliest known example of artwork that tells a story, highlighting a “key development in art history” and a major milestone in the history of humankind. Read the full story here
Hippos Can’t Swim, But It Turns Out They Can Fly
New research has discovered that the bodacious bodies of hippos go airborne when they trot, building up enough speed to get all four of their trotters off the ground simultaneously. They might not be giving Superman a run for his money, but the discovery has revealed that these animals are more athletic than we give them credit for, even if they can’t swim. Read the full story here
Palaeolithic Humans May Have Invented Underwear 40,000 Years Ago
Whether you prefer briefs, a thong, or even a jockstrap, the garments with which you furnish your undercarriage may descend from an ancestral pair of undies that were first worn in a chilly Siberian cave 40,000 years ago. At least, that’s the conclusion of a new analysis of the world’s earliest eyed sewing needles, which date back to the Last Glacial Maximum in the famous Denisova Cave. Read the full story here
Meteorite Billions Of Years Old Turned Into LEGO Bricks For Moon Habitat Test
One of the biggest goals for the future exploration of the Moon is to build a permanent base using material found there. Scientists have experimented with creating bricks using different materials, including blood and potatoes. European Space Agency (ESA) researchers have just tested a different method. They made 3D-printed LEGO bricks out of a billions of years old celestial material. Read the full story here
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Feature of the week:
From Orcas To Ducks – The Surprising Animals That Can Mimic Human Speech
Animals mimicking different sounds is nothing new in the natural world: some birds can mimic the sounds of car alarms and camera shutters, while some predator species may have learned the calls of their prey. However, some species have gone a step further and learned to mimic human speech. We’re not talking about the standard parrots – we’re talking about those animals you wouldn’t normally expect. Read the full story here
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Source Link: We Might Owe Wine To The Asteroid That Killed The Dinosaurs, It Turns Out Hippos Can Fly, And Much More This Week