Where did domesticated dogs come from?  That dogs are wolves has been known for some time but which wolves and when did domestication occur has been a more difficult question to answer.  Thousands of dog breeds and wolves have been genotyped to explore this question and that evidence suggests four and possibly more, separate wolf... Continue Reading →
A few days ago I shared some thoughts about the significance of genetic differences that are observed between humans and primates (How Similar is Similar, Part I). I said that it was important that genetic similarity numbers that are frequently used to make a case for genetic uniqueness need to be assessed in the context of... Continue Reading →
A recent paper published by the Answers Research Journal, the research publication of Answers in Genesis, reported a comparison of human and chimpanzee genomes and found that they have, on average, a DNA similarity of  only 70%.  This is a very striking number since the usual numbers you hear thrown about as representing the similarity... Continue Reading →
Everyone has encountered a T. rex in books, movies or museums.  Besides its size and menacing jaws one of the most striking features of a T. rex is its diminutive arms.  So why were the arms of T. rex so short?  There have been many hypotheses including: 1) they had no use and... Continue Reading →
After the Mars Science Laboratory, otherwise known as the Curiosity rover, dropped down the rabbit hole and safely landed on the surface of Mars there was much ado about the first images and hints at a watery past. Â Since then the rover has left the public eye but the rover has been no slouch,... Continue Reading →
To say that the Universe is a big place would be a huge understatement. Â It is difficult to fathom just how big it is. Â When we hear that there are an estimated 10 sextillion to 1 septillion stars in the Universe we have few reference points to compare to those numbers. A number followed by... Continue Reading →
Do places on Earth exist where annual records have been stored for tens of thousands of years and can be accessed today? Ice-cores and tree rings can preserve long records of yearly events but some of the best records come from layers of sediment underlying some lakes which,  if formed under the right conditions, can be read like the annual rings of... Continue Reading →
Previously we explored some meteorites that have been found on Earth that are very likely from Mars (Finding Mars on Earth).  Only a small percentage of the meteorites found on Earth are from Mars with a few more (over 100) originating from the moon.  The remainder presumably come from the far reaches of the... Continue Reading →
The data flowing from Mars has been impressive the past two weeks. Each day brings hundreds of new images many of which contain scenes like no others ever sent back to Earth before.  I have followed the travels of previous rovers and looked at 10s of thousands of pictures they have beamed back over... Continue Reading →
Curiosity has beamed back some really remarkable images from Mars in the past couple of days. Â The site for its landing was chosen because it appeared from satellite images that there was layered rock and some diversity of chemical signatures at different elevations but the pictures taken from ground level reveal a more spectacular and... Continue Reading →
How could anyone not be curious about Mars Curiosity rover? Â NASA gambled by playing up the "7 minutes of terror" landing, using social media very adeptly to get a huge audience right in the middle of the Olympics. Â Failure of the rover to safely land surely would have been a crushing blow to the... Continue Reading →
There are thousands of sites with either human remains or artifacts (stone tools usually) that are known across southern Europe and many are found in locations where they are found in layers stacked on top of each other like in caves or flood plain locations along rivers. But, the exact pattern of Neanderthal and modern human population migrations and changes is not my main interest.
The human fossil record is probably one of these least understood yet frequently discussed topics in the Christian church.  I have neither the expertise nor the desire to attempt to resolve the debate over whether particular fossils represent human ancestors or not. I understand that human origins is a sensitive topic, especially within the conservative evangelical church... Continue Reading →
Update Feb 2014: Â I have rewritten this article with updated information here: Â Fishing For Fossils in the North Sea: The Lost World of Doggerland You may have seen reports of the discovery of the "British Atlantis" circulating the web. Â Those stories seem to have been sparked by a new display of recent research at... Continue Reading →
The PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) Â General Assembly includes a number of seminars on a wide variety of topics each year. Â This year one talk received considerable attention prior to the meeting because of the subject matter and the presenter. Â I made the 6 hour drive to Louisville, KY to hear the talk as... Continue Reading →
Naturalis Historia 