SCIENCE Animals with skeletons did not exist before about 550 million years ago. Then, suddenly, shells, exoskeletons, and skeletons showed up in the biological record. Why? (Science) A few of these ancient, armored species are still around. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas Life on Earth has been around for about three billion years, but … Continue reading How Did Animals Get Their Skeletons?
SCIENCE Compared with other primates and our early human ancestors, we modern humans have skeletons that are relatively lightweight—and scientists say that basically may be because we got lazy. (NPR) Watch our video on the Hadza, the last hunter-gatherer communities on Earth. Discussion Ideas The NPR article says that scientists were studying the bones of different primates, including humans. Besides humans, can you name some … Continue reading When Humans Quit Hunting And Gathering, Their Bones Got Wimpy
UNITED STATES Jamestown Colonists Resorted to Cannibalism Archaeologists have discovered the first physical evidence of cannibalism by desperate English colonists driven by hunger during the Starving Time of 1609-1610 at Jamestown, Virginia—the first permanent English settlement in the New World. Discussion Ideas: Watch our video “Cutmarks”, in which Dr. Jackie Eng discovers cutmarks on skeletons from the ancient Samdzong culture in Nepal. Can students identify … Continue reading Jamestown Colonists Resorted to Cannibalism
