Sep 25th, 2021 - Mandatory hotel quarantine in the Republic of Ireland for those travelling from designated countries has ended. The country's health minister made an announcement on Saturday saying it was to end "immediately". All countries have now been removed from the list of designated states. There were about 50 people in mandatory quarantine at the time of the announcement, and they are now being released, RTÉ has reported. The requirement was halted on the advice of Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan. Those arriving in Ireland without proof of being vaccinated or a negative PCR test ... [Read More]

Sep 24th, 2021 - You won't find any of these in a tree in your garden... When you think of the world’s biggest species, you probably think of mammals – giraffes, elephants, blue whales. Birds are comparatively small, at least in the UK. Here, you’re more likely to see a robin or a sparrow than something that weighs tens of kilograms. But bird species can be surprisingly large, with the very largest even taller than a human. , which lived in Madagascar over 1,000 years ago, is the smallest of the three species of cassowary. Over a metre long, this bird feeds on fungi, fruit, and even insects or small ... [Read More]

Sep 24th, 2021 - United Airlines has been fined $1.9 million over 25 flights in which the plane sat on the ground for several hours, the largest fine imposed by the government for such long delays. The Transportation Department said Friday that the incidents occurred between December 2015 and February of this year. More than 3,200 passengers were trapped on planes without being given a chance to disembark, the department said. In a consent order, United said most of the delays involved diversions caused by severe weather, when the airline is focused on making sure that planes land safely. The airline said it ... [Read More]

Sep 24th, 2021 - The discovery upends what we thought we knew about prehistoric migration from Asia to the Americas. New data on prehistoric footprints suggest they are the earliest ever found in North America, dating to 23,000 years ago—thousands of years before humans were previously believed to have made their way to the continent. David Bustos, an archaeologist and resource program manager at New Mexico’s White Sands National Park, found the tracks at the park in 2009 on the shore of a lake that has long since become a desert. The impressions ancient humans left behind in the mud on what is now known ... [Read More]

Sep 24th, 2021 - Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Before the Roman Empire, the Italian peninsula was dominated for several centuries by another sophisticated confederation, the Etruscans. After centuries of debate, new genomic analysis has offered fresh insights into the origins of this mysterious Italic civilization. The Etruscan civilization rose to prominence in central Italy during the Iron Age, forging connections with other Mediterranean powers and leaving behind a puzzling archaeological legacy. Their art and social structure, their pre-Indo-European language and their impressive metallurgical skills set the ... [Read More]

Sep 24th, 2021 - A new study delves into the evolution and function of the human growth hormone receptor gene, and asks what forces in humanity's past may have driven changes to this vital piece of DNA. The research shows, through multiple avenues, that a shortened version of the gene—a variant known as GHRd3—may help people survive in situations where resources are scarce or unpredictable. Findings will be published on Sept. 24 in Science Advances . Here's the story the study tells: GHRd3 emerged about 1-2 million years ago, and was likely the overwhelmingly predominant version of the gene in the ... [Read More]

Sep 24th, 2021 - Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a set of artifacts at the Temple of Pharaohs, an ancient structure about 60 miles east of Alexandria. The artifacts may have once been used in religious rituals, and could potentially shed light on some of the ceremonies that took place at the temple around 2,700 years ago. The find was announced by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities earlier this week. Mustafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in a statement that the find was "an important discovery." Among the objects found were pieces of ivory carved ... [Read More]

Sep 24th, 2021 - Found in New Mexico, the fossilized impressions date to between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago, a new study suggests An analysis of fossilized footprints at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico offers what some scientists say is the most conclusive evidence yet that humans lived in North America long before the end of the last Ice Age. The research, published in the journal Science , dates the prints to between 21,000 and 23,000 years ago. “We’d been suspicious of the age for a while, and so now [that] we finally have that it’s really exciting,” study co-author David Bustos , ... [Read More]