In the News: The Bones of Snake and Man

Fig.1. This jawbone was pulled out of the water 25 kilometers off the coast of Taiwan and offers a view into human evolution (Credit: Yousuke Kaifu) 

This week, ancient history takes center stage, from the persistence of long past events in indigenous traditions to new research in the evolution of snakes. Read these stories and more for this week's #FollowFriday!

• Museums are not the only repositories for documenting historical events. These researchers found that some indigenous oral traditions accurately accounted for events thousands of years ago: . “Ancient Sea Rise Tale Told Accurately for 10,000 Years,” Scientific American (26 Jan 2015)

• The discovery of a water temple complex in Belize sheds light on an ancient culture during a time of drought and decline: “At Newly Discovered Water Temple, Maya Offered Sacrifices to End Drought,” National Geographic (26 Jan 2015)

• This new technology could transform morphological studies in fields like zoology and paleontology, as well as connect researchers to a wealth of information previously unavailable: “Virtual Dissection Method Could Reinvigorate Zoology,” Scientific American (26 Jan 2015)

• The evolution of the snake was pushed back about 70 million years with these fossils: “Oldest Known Snake Fossils Identified,” University of Alberta News (27 Jan 2015) 

• A find off the coast of Taiwan may take us one step closer to understanding human migration and evolution: “Ancient Human Jaw Bone Surfaces off Coast of Taiwan,” Science (27 Jan 2015)