Human brains found at archaeological sites are surprisingly well-preserved
Remains of human brains were considered rare, but not anymore
Your search for all content returned 6 results
Save search
You must be logged in as an individual save a search. Log-in/register
News Story
A long handshake can spread your DNA to objects you didn’t touch
Feb 2019
The finding might have implications for crime scene investigations, researchers say
A long handshake can spread your DNA to objects you didn’t touch
News Story
An old perfume bottle reveals what some ancient Romans smelled like
Jun 2023
Chemical analyses of the contents of a 2,000-year-old flask found a familiar scent: patchouli
An old perfume bottle reveals what some ancient Romans smelled like
News Story
One forensic scientist is scraping bones for clues to time of death
Feb 2022
Noemi Procopio is tracking down molecular clocks that could help identify skeletal remains
One forensic scientist is scraping bones for clues to time of death
Editorial Briefing
Fingerprint age determination by mass spectrometry
Feb 2020
Fingerprint identification is a widely used forensic method for linking an individual to a crime scene. Investigators at a crime scene can find invisible (latent) fingerprints, which consist of natural skin oils, by "dusting" surfaces with carbon powders. Although the presence of fingerprints might implicate a suspect as having been present at a crime scene, the time at which those fingerprints were left could be an important additional piece of evidence for incriminating or exonerating a suspect. According to a report in the journal Analytical Chemistry (January 2020), researchers have demonstrated a technique for determining the age of fingerprints based on the degradation of triacylglycerols (triglycerides)—simple fats or oils consisting of three fatty acyl chains esterified to a glycerol backbone. See also: Fat and oil; Fingerprint identification; Forensic science; Triglyceride (triacylglycerol)
Fingerprint age determination by mass spectrometry
Editorial Briefing
Smallpox found in skeletons of Vikings
Aug 2020
Over the course of history, smallpox has been among the most feared diseases of humankind. Caused by the variola virus (a DNA-containing member of the Poxviridae family) and spread by transfer through respiratory droplets during face-to-face contact, smallpox is an acute infectious disease, involving widespread skin lesions, often resulting in disfiguring scars on the face, and frequently leading to blindness and even death in about 30% of cases. Fortunately, through a successful global vaccination program, the disease was declared eradicated in 1979. Historically, though, the smallpox virus has been in circulation among human populations for about 3000 years. Notably, signature smallpox-like rashes and pustules have been identified on ancient Egyptian mummies from the third century BCE, and accounts of the disease have survived in written documents from China, Japan, and India dating to the fourth century CE. However, there is no written evidence of smallpox's existence in Europe prior to about the 11th century CE, which is when Europeans began travel to and from the Middle East during the Crusades. It was not until the 13th century CE that written evidence suggested the likely presence of smallpox among people living in central and northern Europe. Now, however, using DNA-sequencing methods on human skeletal and dental remains, investigators have identified the smallpox virus in DNA recovered from 11 Viking-Age individuals who lived in northern Europe between 600 and 1050 CE. See also: Anthropology; Archeology; Dental anthropology; Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); DNA sequencing; Infectious disease; Molecular anthropology; Physical anthropology; Smallpox
Smallpox found in skeletons of Vikings