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Category: Anthropology

Ancient Egyptian embalming materials hold aloe traces, chemical study finds

A PNAS study of 24 museum objects, including old mummy medicine, finds conifer resin and aloe traces in ancient Egyptian embalming materials, with clear limits.

Eland collagen found in 60,000-year-old ochre, but its purpose is unclear

Collagen matching the common eland turned up in 2 of 5 samples of 60,000-year-old ochre-rich sediment in South Africa. Which tissue, and why, is still unknown.

Monkey Feet Complicate a Key Assumption About Human Evolution

Wild sooty mangabeys flex their midfeet by as much as 46 degrees, showing why fossil foot shape alone cannot settle ancient climbing ability.