Jen Viegas
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Past articles by Jen:
New Track and Field Regs. Limiting Women's Hormone Levels Spark Intense Debate
The International Association of Athletics Federations has capped testosterone levels in women athletes, which could impact stars like So... → Read More
Brain Reconstructions Suggest Reasons for the Decline of Neanderthals
Computer models show that Neanderthals appear to have had a smaller cerebellum than early Homo sapiens. → Read More
How Human Sleep Differs From Other Primates, and What It Means for Our Health
An investigation of primate sleep patterns finds that humans are apparent outliers. We sleep shorter, yet often deeper, than our closest... → Read More
Modern Humans Survived a Supervolcano That Rained Glass Over South Africa
The Toba eruption in Indonesia 74,000 years ago was so massive that its debris, including glass shards, likely fell atop a site inhabited... → Read More
Reconstructed Moa Genome May Move the Meaty Bird Closer to De-Extinction
The first nuclear genome for an extinct moa species begins a new chapter in research on these big bygone birds, possibly improving the ch... → Read More
Hunter-Gatherer Skulls Mounted on Stakes Reveal Symbolic Ritual Practice
A seemingly gory prehistoric site in Sweden may be something else altogether: a sacred burial for revered people. → Read More
Prehistoric Rainforest Collapse Dramatically Changed the Course of Evolution
The collapse of rainforests during the Carboniferous period 300 million years ago triggered great changes in the evolutionary paths of pl... → Read More
A Method for Studying Dinosaurs Can Also Help Fight the Spread of the Flu
Dinosaurs and influenza would seem to have nothing in common, but a powerful new method of analyzing biogeographical data can be applied... → Read More
Humans Achieved Old Age Prior to Modern Medicine
A study of Anglo-Saxon cemeteries suggests two seemingly timeless truths: Some people reach advanced ages likely due to good genes and bi... → Read More
Bad Breath Can Be Caused and Passed on Through a Genetic Mutation
For most people, bad breath is a temporary nuisance, but some individuals inherit a genetic mutation that causes halitosis. → Read More
Bad Breath Can Be Caused and Passed on Through a Genetic Mutation
For most people, bad breath is a temporary nuisance, but some individuals inherit a genetic mutation that causes halitosis. → Read More
Chimps and Six-Year-Olds Want to Mete Out Punishment — Even If It Comes at a Cost
Experiments with chimpanzees and 4 to 6-year-old children show that members of both groups will make a personal sacrifice to see antisoci... → Read More
Ancestor of Humans Lived With Dinosaurs
A very early ancestor to humans originated before dinosaurs went extinct. → Read More
Comparison of Primate Brains Reveals Why Humans Are Unique
The neurotransmitter dopamine appears to be central to human identity, but surprisingly links our brains with those of macaques. → Read More
The Plague Likely Arrived in Europe During the Stone Age
Nomads migrating into Europe during the Stone Age may have brought the plague, setting the stage for epidemics like the Black Death, whic... → Read More
Here’s How Schooling Fish Coordinate Their Graceful, Mesmerizing Movements
The seamless, collective movement of schooling fish, as well as flocking birds, is advantageous to a group, protecting it from predators... → Read More
Humans May Be Forcing ‘Right-Handed’ Whales to Act Like Lefties
Most blue whales are "right-handed," but new research finds they may be acting like lefties under challenging conditions caused by humans. → Read More
Passenger Pigeon DNA Shows How Large, Stable Populations Can Quickly Go Extinct
The DNA of a long-gone bird reveals that evolutionary success can be short lived, providing a cautionary tale for species today — even... → Read More
European Hunter-Gatherers Interbred With Farmers From the Near East
The first farmers were not only well traveled, but also apparently well loved by the hunter-gatherers that they encountered across Europe. → Read More
Mongolian Microfossils Could Be Earth’s First Animals
Tiny fossils no larger than the thickness of a human fingernail could represent the base of the animal kingdom’s tree of life. → Read More