There Might Not Be Any Wild Horses Left on Earth

SCIENCE Once thought to be the world’s only remaining wild horses, a new study shows Przewalski’s horses have domestic ancestors. (National Geographic) What is domestication? Use our resources to find out. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas New genetic research has revealed that Przewalski’s horses are feral, not wild. What is the difference? Wild animals … Continue reading There Might Not Be Any Wild Horses Left on Earth

How Cats Conquered the World

SCIENCE Thousands of years before cats came to dominate Internet culture, they swept through ancient Eurasia and Africa, carried by farmers, mariners and even Vikings. So finds the first large-scale look at ancient-cat DNA. (Nature) Use our video study guide to explore the origins of the domestic cat. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas For … Continue reading How Cats Conquered the World

The Amazon Rain Forest Is Not an Untamed Jungle

GEOGRAPHY The biodiversity of the Amazon rain forest is not entirely pristine. It was also shaped by an ancient hunger for fruits and nuts. (Nature) Use our activity to learn more about biodiversity in the Amazon. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas A new study analyzes the distribution of domesticated trees in the Amazon rain … Continue reading The Amazon Rain Forest Is Not an Untamed Jungle

First Dogs May Have Been European

SCIENCE Man’s best friends may have started off as European wolves, according to scientists whose research is challenging earlier thinking around how dogs became domestic animals. (National Geographic News, New York Times) Use our resources to better understand domestication and its discontents. Discussion Ideas The idea that dogs evolved from wolves or a common ancestor is hardly a new idea. In fact, dogs’ scientific name, … Continue reading First Dogs May Have Been European