I write about life sciences, health and the environment. My first book "The Genesis Quest" is about how life on Earth began and is out now
Did childcare fuel language? A new book makes the case
Rearing our unusually underdeveloped young may account for the evolution of language. Michael Marshall is intrigued, but wants more evidence from Madeleine Beekman's The Origin of Language
Life happened fast
It’s time to rethink how we study life’s origins. It emerged far earlier, and far quicker, than we once thought possible
Living at high altitude may help ward off obesity
Children seem to be less likely to be obese if they live at high altitude, which may be due to its effect on metabolism and appetite
Why a mysterious group of ancient humans doesn’t have a species name
An extinct group of humans that were once widespread in Asia don’t have an official species name – part of the reason is archaeological, and part is a legal question
Key genetic differences found in people with chronic fatigue syndrome
People with chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis, appear to have eight genetic signals that differ from those without the condition
How regrowing your own teeth could replace dentures and implants
For the more than 7 per cent of people over the age of 20 who don’t have any of their own teeth, the only option is artificial substitutes. But an era of regrowing living teeth may now be almost upon us
Archaeology: a grounded discipline
Long-held notions – such as the perceived lack of intelligence among hunter-gatherers or the causal link between agriculture and centralized power – are now being re-examined
70,000 years ago humans underwent a major shift – that’s why we exist
Ancient humans in Africa changed their behaviour in a major way 70,000 years ago, which could explain how their descendants managed to people the rest of the world
A drowned landscape held clues to the lives of ancient human relatives
More than 6,000 animal — plus two Homo erectus — fossils came from the seafloor off Java
First full genome of Ancient Egyptian sequenced
An ancient Egyptian's complete genome has been read for the first time. The DNA of a man who lived in Egypt over 4500 years ago offers a new window into the ancient society.
An ancient Egyptian's complete genome has been read for the first time
The genome of a man who lived in Egypt over 4500 years ago offers a new window on the ancient society and hints at connections with Mesopotamia
The remarkable tale of how humans nearly didn’t conquer the world
Over tens of thousands of years, waves of Homo sapiens set out across Europe and Asia, only for their societies and cultures to mysteriously vanish. At last, ancient DNA is revealing why
Women's pelvises are shrinking – how is that changing childbirth?
Over the past 150 years, the rise in Caesarean sections and changes in diet could have led to smaller pelvises among women – which may make vaginal birth more difficult but could also reduce common conditions associated with childbirth
Why you should assume that even the simplest animals are conscious
There is mounting evidence that even surprisingly simple animals, like invertebrates, have a level of consciousness - but not in the way you might think
First skull of mysterious human ancestor
An ancient skull discovered in China has been confirmed to belong to a Denisovan.