From poison to power: How lead exposure helped shape human intelligence Long before humans built cities or wrote words, our ancestors may have faced a hidden threat that shaped who we became. Scientists studying ancient teeth found that early humans, great apes, and even Neanderthals were exposed to lead millions of years ago. This toxic metal can damage the brain, yet modern humans developed a tiny genetic change that protected our minds and allowed language and intelligence to flourish.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/10/2510

Ancient humans in Italy butchered elephants and made tools from their bones Researchers in Italy discovered 400,000-year-old evidence that ancient humans butchered elephants for food and tools. At the Casal Lumbroso site near Rome, they found hundreds of bones and stone implements, many showing impact marks from butchery. The findings reveal a consistent prehistoric strategy for resource use during warmer Middle Pleistocene periods.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/10/2510

Archaeologists uncover lost land bridge that may rewrite human history New research along Turkey’s Ayvalık coast reveals a once-submerged land bridge that may have helped early humans cross from Anatolia into Europe. Archaeologists uncovered 138 Paleolithic tools across 10 sites, indicating the region was a crucial migration corridor during the Ice Age. The findings challenge traditional migration theories centered on the Balkans and Levant, suggesting instead that humans used now-vanished pathways across the Aegean.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/10/2510

12,000-year-old rock art found in Arabia reveals a lost civilization Archaeologists in Saudi Arabia discovered over 170 ancient rock engravings that may be among the earliest monumental artworks in the region. Created between 12,800 and 11,400 years ago, the massive figures were carved when water and life returned to the desert. The art likely marked territories and migration routes, revealing social and symbolic sophistication. Artifacts found nearby show early Arabian peoples connected to distant Neolithic communities.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/10/2510

The hidden Denisovan gene that helped humans conquer a new world Ancient humans crossing the Bering Strait into the Americas carried more than tools and determination—they also carried a genetic legacy from Denisovans, an extinct human relative. A new study reveals that a mysterious gene called MUC19, inherited through interbreeding between Denisovans, Neanderthals, and humans, may have played a vital role in helping early Americans survive new diseases, foods, and environments.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r....eleases/2025/08/2508