Cave 5K years older than Gobekli Tepe

• VIDEO: Homo sapiens may be older than we thought
• Homo erectus wasn't the first human species to leave Africa 1.8 million years ago, fossils suggest
• 15 historical figures who may not have existed

Skull: Native face of 'Kennewick Man'

Kennewick Man: 'most important' face revealed after 8,500 years (Cicero Moraes).

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Meet the Kennewick Man: Face of "most important" ancient Native American revealed after 8,500 years

Strong and resilient ancestor of current residents

The face of one of the most significant skeletons ever unearthed in North America has been reconstructed for the first time -- more than 8,000 years after the man's death.

The individual, known as the Kennewick Man, was approximately 40 years old when he died during the early Holocene period, which started roughly 11,700 years ago following the conclusion of the last major ice age.

Columbia River, Washington, USA

His remains were discovered along the banks of the Columbia River in 1996, close to Kennewick City in Washington state, from which he derived his name.

• Racism: Trump posts late-night MLK Day message buried on White House website after being slammed
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• Related: Million-year-old human skull discovered in China (unbranded - Newsworthy)

Map: Where is the Columbia River?

The find represented one of the most intact specimens from this era and offers proof of Native American habitation in the region for more than 8,000 years. The skeleton has been pivotal in academic discussions surrounding the earliest inhabitants of the North American continent.

Scientists have now created a reconstruction of his living facial features using his skull, providing insight into the man's history, reports the Express US.

Chief Joseph, Nez Perce People

Lead researcher Cicero Moraes described the reconstruction as depicting a "strong and resilient man," whose characteristics reflected "a life marked by continuous physical effort and survival."

He continued: "First, the skull is analyzed using known averages of soft-tissue thickness and anatomical guidelines to position key features such as the eyes, nose, lips, and ears. More

21 million years of kissing (BBC News)

Nazi Nordic ideal of naked apes (Klaus/Barbie)

Humans have only been going at it for less than 5,000 years, according to science: Archaeologists discover evidence of first human kiss -- and it happened 4,500 years ago. However, kissing (smooching, pecking, making out, speaking French) has been going on much, much longer.

The first ever recorded kiss [discovered so far] happened 4,500 years ago, scientists suggest after discovering evidence that puts the event 1,000 years earlier than previously thought. A study published in the journal Science points to evidence of kissing in the ancient Middle East, in early Mesopotamian societies, documented in ancient texts from 2,500 BCE.

It's just a "Complicated Game"

XTC (Ecstasy), British band with a deep message in "Dear God"

• Ah, romance, it will be the death of us, dragging out our time in samsara (the "Continued Wandering On" of death and rebirth, chasing pleasure first here then there always in search of fulfillment that cannot be found in things.)
• Does this mean we're breaking up? 😭

Kissing?

(BBC via MSN) Humans do it, monkeys do it, even polar bears do it. And now researchers have reconstructed the evolutionary origins of kissing. Their study suggests that the mouth-on-mouth kiss evolved more than 21 million years ago, and was something that the common ancestor of humans and other great apes probably indulged in.

The same research concluded that Neanderthals may have kissed too – and that [modern] humans and Neanderthals may even have smooched one another. The scientists studied kissing because it presents something of an evolutionary puzzle -- it has no obvious survival or reproductive benefits. Yet, it is something that is seen not just in many human societies, but across the animal kingdom. More

• Where did kissing come from? | BBC News

• Archaeologists cook like Neanderthals and find something disturbing
• Mysterious 'pyramid' discovered in Antarctica beneath the ice | indy100
• People think guilty Trump is 'nervous' after lengthy rant calling Epstein child molestation files a 'hoax'

Dinosaur 'mummy' discovered in US

I found a dinosaur mummy!

(Fox 32 Chicago) Paul Callistus Sereno (born Oct. 11, 1957) is a professor of paleontology at the University of Chicago who has discovered several new [announced] dinosaur species [and many more unannounced] on several continents, including at sites in Inner Mongolia, Argentina, Morocco, and Niger (Africa) [1]. One of his widely publicized discoveries includes a nearly complete specimen of Sarcosuchus imperator — commonly referred to as SuperCroc — found in Gadoufaoua, located in the Tenere desert of Niger. More

Archeology cover-up: Hueyatlaco, Mexico

Exposing biggest cover up in archeology

Our indigenous Nahuatl Mexico

(INCREDIBLE HISTORY) In 1959 Juan Armento Camacho found an old bone with scratches, artwork of a hunting scene. It was carved on "green" (young, fresh) bone.

It could be carbon dated. It turned out to be at least 10,000 years old. Some things at this site are 250,000 years old.

Hueyatlaco is an archeological site in the Valsequillo Basin near the city of Puebla, Mexico.

The Mexica tribe "Aztecs" made a country.

After excavations in the 1960s, the site became notorious due to geochronologists' analyses, which have found wildly contradictory estimates for human habitation at Hueyatlaco dating from ca. 370,000 to 25,000 years before present (ybp) [1, 2].

If correct, these controversial findings would substantially exceed the previous oldest-known evidence for habitation of the New World (the White Sands footprints dating roughly 22,000 ybp).

The findings at Hueyatlaco are the subject of continued debate by the scientific community and have seen only occasional discussion in the literature [3]. More

Hueyatlaco The Archeological Enigma That Changes History

• Documentary: Hueyatlaco: The Archeological Enigma that Changes History
• INCREDIBLE HISTORY; Crystal Quintero, Pfc. Sandoval, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Native Americans of North America

Where are the Americas? South, Central, Meso, North

• Mysterious Origins; Bedtime Stories; Indigenous Americans of the Americas; Xochitl, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Human origins in Turkey, Europe?

8.7-million-year-old skull just discovered in Turkey rewrites history!

These are my ancestors, the hominines

(Discovery Future) A groundbreaking discovery in Turkey (Türkiye) is challenging the long-held belief that humans and great apes evolved exclusively in Africa.

Meet Anadoluvius turkae, an 8.7-million-year-old fossil that has sparked a bold hypothesis: The evolutionary lineage leading to humans — known as hominines — may have originated in Europe before migrating to Africa.

• Out of Africa? Everyone descended from Eve of Africa? Hello, Gobekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe, cradles of civilization, 2023 in paleomammalogy
• Skull of 8.7-million-year-old ape found in Turkey suggests our ancestors evolved in Europe and NOT Africa, study claims | Daily Mail Online

Cuvier at Paleontology Museum

Unearthed from the Çorakyerler fossil site in northern Turkey (central Anatolia), this remarkably well-preserved partial cranium sheds new light on our evolutionary past.

Scientists believe that Anadoluvius turkae lived in dry forest environments alongside animals like giraffes, zebras, and lion-like predators, many of which later migrated to Africa.

The implications are profound. If true, this discovery suggests that hominines evolved and diversified in Europe for over 5,000,000 (five million) years before spreading to the eastern Mediterranean and eventually moving into Africa.

This challenges the traditional "Out of Africa" narrative and rekindles debates about where our earliest ancestors first emerged.

Join us as we explore the fascinating story of Anadoluvius turkae, delve into the broader context of primate evolution, and examine the shifting environments that may have driven these migrations.

What does this mean for our understanding of human origins? And what mysteries still await beneath the earth?

🔍 Stay tuned for more insights into humanity’s ancient history, and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for updates on the latest discoveries in science and archaeology! #HumanOrigins #Evolution #FossilDiscovery #Paleoanthropology #Anadoluvius #GreatApes #ScienceExplained #TurkeyFossils #MioceneEpoch #PrimateEvolution

How this content was made: Auto-dubbed Audio tracks for some languages were automatically generated. Learn more

• Discovery Future, Jan. 12, 2025; Pat Macpherson, Amber Larson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Homo Big Head: human ancestor found

Homo juluensis is not just what Brian calls Stewie behind his back. It's now a real scientific designation as of a week ago. Chinese scientists think they have another (formerly contemporaneous) human ancestor on their hands. Who were the Denisovans? Are they today's Tibetans? Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, are they just proto-Europeans?

• Scientists have found a lost species of [smart?] Big-Headed People who lived in Asia
• Evolucion of El Hombre (Human Evolution) Australopithecus anamensis and Australopithecus afarensis (Studocu)

Scientists unveil REAL 'Chinese dragon' fossils

Lucinda Cameron, The Independent, 2/22/24; CC Liu, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Dinocephalosaurus orientalis, Guizhou province, China (Nat'l Museums Scotland/PA Wire)

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We remember you, O Dragon, so please spare us.

More details of a long-necked sea creature compared to a Chinese dragon have been revealed for the first time following new research.

The Dinocephalosaurus orientalis fossils were discovered in Guizhou province, southern China.

With 32 separate neck vertebrae, it had an extraordinarily long neck, researchers say, and its flippered limbs and well-preserved fish in its stomach region indicated it was very well adapted to an oceanic lifestyle.

Naga: sea creature, reptilian dinosaur

But they lived on to battle humans.

The reptile was originally identified in 2003, but the discovery of additional, more complete specimens since then has enabled an international team of scientists to depict the creature in full [which is particularly fitting to reveal at the beginning of the Year of the Dragon].

Nick Fraser, keeper of natural sciences at National Museums Scotland, was one of those involved. He said:

Long neck easy to support in water, chasing fish

“This discovery allows us to see this remarkable long-necked animal in full for the very first time. “It is yet one more example of the weird and wonderful world of the Triassic that continues to baffle palaeontologists. “We are certain that it will capture imaginations across the globe due to its striking appearance, reminiscent of the long and snake-like mythical Chinese dragon.” More:

• VIDEO: Paleontologists unveil secrets of 240-million-year-old fossilized ‘Chinese dragon,’ a creature adapted to water

World's oldest forest found in United States

Green Matters via msn.com, 1/6/24; Dhr. Seven, Pat Macpherson (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Is NY the Garden State? No. Why? There aren't many gardens, just one big Central Park.

Science finds the world's oldest forest and its radical impact on life (science.org)

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What is the world's oldest forest? (TLRjewelry/X)

Scientists uncovered a fossil forest in upstate New York, USA, that offers clues to its nearly 400-million-year-old history, making it the oldest known forest in the world.

According to Science, "dozens" of fossilized ancient tree roots exist at the 385-million-year-old site.

This includes what scientists believe to be Archaeopteris, which is about 20-25 million years older than what scientists previously thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world, per a 1999 report shared by ScienceDaily.

• Buddhism began as a forest tradition revived in Thailand

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  Oldest tree roots, Archaeopteris, from above

  (Science.org) Scientists have discovered the world's oldest forest in an abandoned quarry near Cairo, New York, USA. The 385-million-year-old rocks contain the fossilized woody roots of dozens of ancient trees. The find marks a turning point in Earth's history. When trees evolved these roots, they helped pull carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and lock it away, radically shifting the planet's climate and leading to the atmosphere we know today.
• "The Cairo site is very special," says team member Prof. Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. The quarry floor, about half the size of a U.S. football field, represents a horizontal slice through the soil just below the surface of the ancient forest.
• "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees," Prof. Berry says. "Standing on the quarry surface we can reconstruct the living forest around us in our imagination." More

About an hour's drive from the Catskill Mountains sits an abandoned quarry where the site resides and has been carefully protected from outside interference that would disturb the ongoing research. Here's what we know about the fascinating geological discoveries.

Under the old Bodhi tree

The world's oldest forest that we know of has been identified by a team of paleobotanists and other scientists and researchers near Cairo, N.Y., a region beside the Catskill Mountain range.

According to Science, the site was first found in 2009 and has given researchers clues into how forests develop, what ancient CO2 levels were like, and how the oxygen levels at the time may have contributed to the gigantic growth of various animals and insects.

The oldest forest in the world sits about a 40-minute drive from another fossil forest in Gilboa, N.Y., the remains of which are estimated to be just a few million years younger than the more recent discovery in Cairo.

The Gilboa fossil forest was previously thought to be the world's oldest forest, according to Science and BingUNews, which gives rise to skepticism from some in the field when record-setting assertions are made.

"I'm usually skeptical when folks use absolutes in their science language because our understanding is constantly evolving," explains Oklahoma Geological Survey Field Geologist Dr. Carla Eichler tells Green Matters exclusively.

"So, what's the 'oldest' has truly yet to be proven to be the oldest." Record-setting titles notwithstanding, the Catskill region is thought to be fertile ground, so to speak, for additional research, per BingUNews, that will provide scientists clues into ancient trees and land animals that paint a more complete picture of the evolution [or devolution, as Buddhism's Agganna Sutta explains] of the earth.

What is the oldest living forest?

What's older, fossils in NY or a rainforest in Australia? (WTEN/YouTube © Green Matters)

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While the Cairo site has been bereft of public activity as scientists and researchers continue exploring its fossilized remains in private, outdoor enthusiasts may be wondering what the oldest living forest in the world is and where they can find it.

The 180-million-year-old Daintree Rainforest in Australia takes the cake as the oldest living forest in the world, according to an oldest.org article. The area is home to a thriving, rich diversity of reptiles, amphibians, and insect species and is the site of nearly a half-million tourists annually.

The rainforest is also home to 80 percent of all fern species in the world, and according to Australia's tourism website, the great British historian Sir David Attenborough called it “the most extraordinary place on Earth.” Source: A 385-million-year-old forest in NY is the oldest in the world (msn.com)

• VIDEO: Oldest fortress in the world discovered by archaeologists (Newsweek)
• Things to do in Greenville, North Carolina for a sustainable weekend (greenmatters.com)

Thai Buddhist monkeys MAKING stone tools

Yale Prof. Jessica Thompson; Shots: Health News: Nell Greenfieldboyce, All Things Considered, NPR.org, March 10, 2023; CC Liu, Sheldon S., Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Make us some tools, Georgie. - Nutcrackers, Mabel? - Whatever, just make something.

Would sliced bananas taste better?

Do these monkeys MAKE stone tools or USE stone tools? Both. They're using rocks that come to hand as hammers and anvils, but in doing so they are creating blades (sharp stone flakes). They are not YET using these blades, we are told, but it won't be long. They've made them, so they'll sooner or later find a use for them. And who says they're "Buddhist"? Well, animals can't be one human religion or another, but practically the whole country is Theravada Buddhist and what with rebirth being what it is, it's a safe bet that if they're anything -- and they're probably not anything but instinctual beasts pulled by their karma -- they're Buddhists. My dad says our family [pet] is [our traditional Abrahamic religion] because we made [it] so by [a ritual ceremony]. And why not? What does [it] care? It gets food thanks to our kindness, which is thanks to our [religion]. If the people are, the animals will be.

Stone flakes made by modern monkeys trigger big questions about early humans

Okay, everyone be careful. Don't get your heads wet or you might get sick. And stay in line!

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When monkeys in [devoutly Theravada Buddhist] Thailand use stones as hammers and anvils to help them crack open nuts, they often accidentally create sharp flakes of rock that look like the stone cutting tools made by early humans.

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  Homo habilis, half-monkey/half-human?
  

  [One smart monkey has not yet been spotted cutting anything with one of these stone knives, but when one is, what then? So much for human supremacy. Due to the phenomenon known as the hundredth monkey effect, as soon as one does, another will see it and copy it, then another, then when 100 do, all of them will without having seen any other monkey do it. They'll be making and using them thus hastening their evolution through a process described in anthropology as punctuated equilibrium (socially). These monkeys are already at the "human" stage of Homo habilis (shown here).]

Macaques use stones as hammers to smash open food like nuts and shellfish (Lydia V. Luncz).

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This surprising discovery, described in the journal Science Advances, has archeologists wondering if they need to rethink their assumptions about some of the stone artifacts produced by early human ancestors over a million years ago.

Yale Prof. J. Thompson studies evolution

"You have a bunch of nonhuman [subhuman] primates that are creating objects that look a lot like the kinds of things that we have wanted to exclusively assign to the behavior of humans and human ancestors," says [Professor] Jessica Thompson.

[She's] a paleoanthropologist with Yale University who wasn't on the team that did this new research [but who studies these sorts of things and human evolution].

This monkey took this selfie using a hi-tech tool.

She notes that the manufacture of sharp cutting tools made of stone, which could date as far back to 3.3 million years ago, has long been seen as a key technological innovation in human history.

[It's] one that's wrapped up in a host of assumptions about the evolution of unique human traits.

But now, says Prof. Thompson, archeologists will have to grapple with the problem of trying to figure out whether sharp stone flakes were made intentionally or accidentally. More + VIDEO

Yeah, but can monkeys make and use fire?

Prof. J. Thompson explains how fire may almost make humans unique.