logo
Scientists find possible evidence of humans living 1.5 million years ago in Indonesia

Scientists find possible evidence of humans living 1.5 million years ago in Indonesia

Scientists have found a series of stone tools on Indonesia's Sulawesi island that they believe could be proof of humans living on islands between Asia and Australia 1.5 million years ago, which would make them the earliest known civilisation in the Wallacea region.
Archaeologists from Australia and Indonesia found small, chipped tools – used to cut small animals and carve rocks – under the soil in the region of Soppeng in South Sulawesi. Radioactive tracing of these tools and the teeth of animals found around the site dated back up to 1.48 million years ago.
The findings could transform theories of early human migrations, according to an article the archaeologists published in the journal Nature in August.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Why are honeybees dying en masse in the United States but thriving in China?
Why are honeybees dying en masse in the United States but thriving in China?

South China Morning Post

time5 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Why are honeybees dying en masse in the United States but thriving in China?

While the US suffered its largest recorded collapse in its commercial honeybee colonies, China's bee population has reached a historic high, maintaining the country's long-standing position as the world's largest producer of apiary goods. Advertisement Around 62 per cent of managed colonies perished in a devastating wave of losses that swept across the US from June 2024 to January this year, to the alarm of the agricultural sector which relies on bee pollination for about one-third of its crops. Scientists from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) identified the culprit in June: viruses spread by parasitic mites that have developed resistance to Amitraz, the long-relied-upon miticide, leaving colonies defenceless against infestations, according to a report in the journal Science. In stark contrast, China saw a 25 per cent increase on the last survey to a record 15 million colonies last year, according to researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences' Institute of Apicultural Research (IAR). IAR professor Xu Shufa said that 'the fundamental difference lies in management practices'. Advertisement 'The US model relies on large-scale, clustered operations where single apiaries may contain thousands of colonies. Beekeepers typically transport hives to nectar-rich areas for extended periods, intervening minimally until honey harvest,' Xu said.

New Chinese see-through brain technique offers clearest view of its inner workings
New Chinese see-through brain technique offers clearest view of its inner workings

South China Morning Post

time2 days ago

  • South China Morning Post

New Chinese see-through brain technique offers clearest view of its inner workings

Chinese scientists have developed a technology that can make organs such as the brain or the heart transparent, allowing an exceptionally clear view of their inner workings. The new method produced 'highly accurate and vivid' 3D images of organs by preserving the integrity of their biological structures and enhancing the brightness of the fluorescent dyes scientists use to highlight cells and molecules. The Tsinghua University-led team wrote in the journal Cell that this method was capable of unravelling individual human neurons' micro-connectivity in the brain as well as allowing them to study mouse organs '[The method] prepares ionic glassy tissue that is highly transparent while maintaining the original tissue morphology,' they wrote. They added that at low temperatures the tissues formed a glassy solid that maintained its structural integrity and could be stored over the long-term.

How to boost your immune system naturally, from exercise and diet to vaccines
How to boost your immune system naturally, from exercise and diet to vaccines

South China Morning Post

time3 days ago

  • South China Morning Post

How to boost your immune system naturally, from exercise and diet to vaccines

Tim Friede, a US truck mechanic turned self-taught snake expert, has what has been described as 'super immunity' to snake venom: he has been bitten more than 200 times over nearly two decades by some of the world's most poisonous snakes. Advertisement Globally, snake bites kill more than 100,000 people and cause 300,000 permanent disabilities every year. Friede has teamed up with scientists to use his blood to help develop a broad antivenom that could save the lives of people living in remote rural locations around the world. How did he develop immunity to snake venom that should kill a human in minutes? Not only has he been bitten often, he has also exposed himself repeatedly to toxins, injecting himself with small amounts of diluted venom more than 700 times. Snake bites kill more than 100,000 people globally every year. Photo: Shutterstock Vaccines work on the same principle: a small amount of the offending virus or bacteria is introduced to the system – not enough to kill or make a person sick, just enough that the body recognises an enemy and begins to produce protective antibodies. Advertisement

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store