Ancient human footprints found in southern Spain two years ago have been declared nearly 300,000 years old, making them unique in Europe. The footprints are now believed to be 200,000 years older than previously thought, meaning they correspond to a hominid species that predates the Neanderthals. The prints - found…
A VIP turtle that has spent nearly 40 years in captivity has been moved to a new home as part of a plan to return him to the wild. Loggerhead Jorge - thought to be up to 72 years old - has become a legend at his zoo in the…
A British research and charity institution has donated its enormous bird specimen collection to one of the leading natural history museums of Central Europe. The Natural History Museum Vienna (NHM) has announced that it received the Harrison Institute Bird Collection - a Kent-based charity - consisting of 19,000 birds of…
A religious family has been quizzed by police after they kept praying over a son's decomposing body for three days in an attempt to revive him. Gaston Claudio Chaves, 24, had died of natural causes in Las Brenas, Chaco, Argentina. But he was reported missing by his uncle after he…
Heartbroken wildlife keepers have told how a beloved elephant was comforted by her family and friends in a touching mourning ritual during her last moments at a sanctuary in Brazil. Veteran tusker Pocha, 55, had been given her first taste of freedom when she was transferred to the Natural Elephant…
A derelict World War I era railway station in Vienna is to be studied by biologists to unlock the secrets of wild bee communities, it has emerged. More than 450 different types of wild bees registered in the Austrian capital from the over 20,000 bee species known to exist worldwide,…
A new mineral with a creamy white colour has been discovered on a mountain peak in Spain. Dubbed ‘Ermeloita’ in honour of the lush natural space in which it was found, the mineral was discovered on Mount Ermelo (Monte Ermelo) in the province of Pontevedra in the autonomous community of…
Scientists in Germany are optimistic about finding out more about ancient ecosystems after discovering pollen in a fossilised beetle that lived around 50 million years ago. The insect has been unearthed at the Messel Pit, a scientific excavation site in the central German state of Hesse. It inhabited the area…
An astonishingly well-preserved 3,000-year-old statue of a magical water goddess has been unearthed by amazed archaeologists in Germany. The clay figurine was found in a stream where a prehistoric riverside colony had settled between the 8th and 6th centuries BC. Archaeologists believe the 19-centimetre (7-inch) clay figure had been left…
A unique species of orchid has been discovered close to an active volcano in Colombia. Pleurothallis villahermosae stands out for its "great beauty and originality", according to experts, and was named after the town of Villahermosa, where it was found. Researchers at the Jose Celestino Mutis botanical garden in Bogota,…