Lucy is one of the most complete and famous early human skeletons that we have ever found, from a species called Australopithecus afarensis, or the Southern Ape of Afar, which is a region in Ethiopia. Lucy was discovered by anthropologist Donald Johanson in 1974, as part of an otherwise unsuccessful mission. Lucy was a hugeContinue reading “Australopithecus afarensis ‘Lucy’”
Australopithecus anamensis
The australopithecines were the first hominins to be found that we know for certain came after the human-chimpanzee split. The others that we’ve covered yet are still teetering on the edge of the split between humans and chimpanzees. Australopithecus anamensis is the first of this genus, and it was 4 million years old. Au. anamensisContinue reading “Australopithecus anamensis”
Ardipithecus
Something that’s always interesting is when you find a fossil, name it, give it a genus and a species, and then you find an older species from the same genus. You then look at how the older one evolved into the newer one and how the whole genus relates to other animals. Ardipithecus kadabba wasContinue reading “Ardipithecus”
Orrorin tugenensis
Orrorin is one of those prehistoric animals that you know next to nothing about except for general characteristics, either because it was very similar to another animal or because you didn’t get enough material (which is usually the case). Orrorin is one of those, with only a few teeth and bones found so far. However,Continue reading “Orrorin tugenensis”
Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Looking at the human family tree can be a bit too confusing, as we can’t really make out that much from fossils. For example, from fossils, we may never know if an animal liked one kind of fruit better than another or if two human species got on better than other human species. However, itContinue reading “Sahelanthropus tchadensis”
Less Famous Languages of Europe
Today we’re talking about the Uralic and Celtic language famiiies, which are respectively spoken in the easternmost and westernmost parts of Europe. These are well-known, but not nearly as famous as Germanic and Romance languages. So, let’s get started. First off, before we talk about families, I’m going to get a few oddballs out ofContinue reading “Less Famous Languages of Europe”
The famous languages of Europe
Europe is very diverse in terms of languages, with many different tongues and dialects. Sometimes it’s hard to know where a language ends and a dialect begins. For example, Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian speakers can understand each other better than English and Scots speakers can understand each other, but the first three are separate languagesContinue reading “The famous languages of Europe”
Monsters of Myth: Amphisbaena
Since we finished our dinosaurs A-Z list, we are starting on mythical and legendary monsters and I thought it would be fun to start with a reptile that is very closely based upon an actual animal: The amphisbaena. ‘Amphisbaena’ means ‘to go both ways’ in Ancient Greek and refers to a legendary serpent with twoContinue reading “Monsters of Myth: Amphisbaena”
The Original Granny – Baba Yaga
Recently the Granny series of indie horror games has been very popular. It follows the unnamed protagonist who is captured by a strange, hag-like being called ‘Granny’. The player is locked in Granny’s house and has to solve many puzzles to escape in 5 days without being caught by Granny. The sequels introduce new characters,Continue reading “The Original Granny – Baba Yaga”
Anchiornis: True Colors
In popular culture, dinosaurs are usually bland reptilian monsters that are basically larger-than-life crocodiles. While this representation with brown and green scales and thin, sinewy bodies does serve its purpose of frightening the audience (i.e. Jurassic Park), its not scientifically accurate from what we know. Browns and greens are common colors for reptiles, but they’reContinue reading “Anchiornis: True Colors”
Anay Ganesh 