Tens of thousands of years ago in prehistoric Eurasia, some daredevil made friends with a gray wolf. The millions of domesticated dogs we see today are all likely its descendants, and their enormous diversity masks a remarkable fact: Even after millennia of selective breeding, all of them, from the Chihuahua to the St. Bernard, remain members of the same species.Canis familiaris displays by far the most variation of any mammal, and it’s still evolving at a steady clip. The mutation rate is s ...read more
The city of Rome has been around for a long time. According to legend, it was founded over 2,700 years ago and became the most powerful city in the Western world. Volcanic materials are integral to many of the structures, both as building stone and a key ingredient to the remarkably durable Roman concrete. It is no coincidence that Rome is surrounded by volcanic features, some of which have produced cataclysmic eruptions over the past 500,000 years. Welcome to the Roman Magmatic Province.Rome it ...read more
Our understanding of our ancestors gets pretty murky when you go far enough back in time. Still, scientists have discovered numerous tools associated with Homo erectus — widely regarded as a direct ancestor to modern humans — over the years. For example, researchers recently discovered tools in Kenya (associated possibly with Paranthropus or another precursor to the Homo genus) that may date back as far as 3 million years.But there's a difference between making a few tools when the opportuni ...read more
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that plays an indispensable role in keeping the body healthy. Most people get enough B12 from animal-based foods in their diets without issue. Certain lifestyle factors or medical conditions, however, can cause vitamin B12 deficiency, resulting in serious health problems. For many B12-deficient individuals, adding extra B12 to the diet with supplements or fortified foods can easily correct the problem. But how much do you actually need and how does it impact ...read more
It’s a moment that virtually all cat owners either come to love or dread: when your feline pal jumps on your lap and begins the familiar ritual of flexing and pressing its paws into you, rhythmically kneading your body as though you were the world’s biggest ball of dough.Often, cats will purr while doing it, and maybe even drool a little or stare off into the middle distance, zoning out in that way that only cats can. If you’re lucky, it’s a momentary event and then they snuggle down for ...read more
Author Vishay SinghPosted on Categories Discover Magazine