The Maya are famous for their complex, intertwined calendric systems, and now one calendar, the Maya Long Count, is empirically calibrated to the modern European calendar, according to an international team of researchers.

Through developing a statistical model of Arctic temperature and how it relates to instrumental and proxy records derived from trees, ice cores, and lake sediments, scientists have shown that the warmest summers in the last two decades are unprecedented in the previous six centuries.

Researchers have developed the first method to map evaporation globally using weather stations, which will help scientists evaluate water resource management, assess recent trends of evaporation throughout the globe, and validate surface hydrologic models in various conditions.

New research shows that many US marine mammal populations — especially some seals and sea lions — have rebounded since 1972, because of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Stepping into unexplored territory in efforts to use corn stalks, grass and other non-food plants to make biofuels, scientists have now described the discovery of a potential treasure-trove of candidate enzymes in fungi thriving in the feces and intestinal tracts of horses.

Molecular biology technologies are making the mechanisms underlying the pet obesity epidemic more easily understood.

Researchers have described the anatomy of a single early hominin in six new studies. Australopithecus sediba was discovered near Johannesburg in 2008. The studies demonstrate how our 2-million-year-old ancestor walked, chewed and moved.

A dental study of fossilized remains found in South Africa in 2008 provides new support that this species is one of the closest relatives to early humans.

Scientists have revealed deep similarities in how the brain regulates behavior in arthropods (such as flies and crabs) and vertebrates (such as fish, mice and humans). The findings shed new light on the evolution of the brain and behavior and may aid understanding of disease mechanisms underlying mental health problems.

The 2-million-year-old fossils belong to the species Australopithecus sediba (Au. sediba) and provides “unprecedented insight into the anatomy and phylogenetic position of an early human ancestor,” one of the researchers said.

Scientists have pieced together how the hominid Australopithecus sediba (Au. sediba) walked, chewed, and moved nearly two million years ago. Their research also shows that Au. sediba had a notable feature that differed from that of modern humans —- a functionally longer and more flexible lower back.

It’s been known for decades that animals such as chimpanzees seek out medicinal herbs to treat their diseases. But in recent years, the list of animal pharmacists has grown much longer, and it now appears that the practice of animal self-medication is a lot more widespread than previously thought, according to ecologists.

According to a new study, our Australopithecus ancestors may have used different approaches to getting around on two feet. The new findings represent the culmination of more than four years of research into the anatomy of Australopithecus sediba (Au. sediba). The two-million-year-old fossils, discovered in Malapa cave in South Africa in 2008, are some of the most complete early human ancestral remains ever found.

Using a miniature electronic device implanted in the brain, scientists have tapped into the internal reward system of mice, prodding neurons to release dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. This implantable LED device is smaller than the eye of a needle and activates brain cells with light.

Researchers have successfully measured reaction rates of a second Criegee intermediate, CH3CHOO, and proven that the reactivity of the atmospheric chemical depends strongly on which way the molecule is twisted.

Genetic screening in flies reveals that the circadian clock regulates intestinal regeneration in response to damage, meaning that gut healing fluctuates according to the time of day.

Some plants, such as succulents, have managed to grow very plump leaves. For that to happen, according to a new study, plants had to evolve three-dimensional arrangements of their leaf veins. That’s how they could maintain adequately efficient hydraulics for photosynthesis.

In a surprising finding that helps explain fundamental behaviors of normal and diseased cells, scientists have discovered a set of powerful gene regulators dubbed “super-enhancers” that control cell state and identity.

According to animal scientists, farmers could further protect the environment by breeding chickens with larger digestive organs. This research could solve a major problem in poultry production.

Female flies choose whose sperm they want based on male mating effort. Females in the animal kingdom have many methods available to them to help bias male paternity. One such process is displayed by Euxesta bilimeki, a species of Ulidiid fly, whose females expel and then consume male ejaculate after copulation.

In a classic case of turning an enemy into a friend, scientists have engineered a protein from flesh-eating bacteria to act as a molecular “superglue” that promises to become a disease fighter.

Archaeologists have used the latest in digital imaging technology to record and analyze carvings on the Easter Island statue Hoa Hakananai’a.