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Is This Russian Landscape the Birthplace of Native Americans?

February 3, 2012 - 8:28pm

The genetic homeland of Native Americans is a small mountainous region in southern Siberia, a new study suggests.

Elephants Took 24 Million Generations to Evolve From Mouse-Size

February 3, 2012 - 6:32pm

For mammals, evolving into bigger sizes takes a lot longer than shrinking, new evolution study shows.

Space Pictures This Week: Hubble Galaxy, Poet Nebula, More

February 3, 2012 - 5:47pm
Hubble captures a Milky Way "twin," winds shape Mars lava fields, stars carve a nebula's face, and more in the week's best space pictures.

Groundhog Day 2012: Punxsutawney Phil's Forecast Is In

February 3, 2012 - 1:05pm

Early spring or long winter? "Immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil has made his forecast. Get the odd facts behind Groundhog Day 2012.

Giant Crack in Antarctica About to Spawn New York-Size Iceberg

February 2, 2012 - 8:53pm

A vast iceberg is splitting from Antarctica, thanks to a giant crack in a glacier that's "really important" to sea level rise.

New "Super Earth" Found at Right Distance for Life

February 2, 2012 - 7:02pm

The likely rocky planet orbits squarely in its star's habitable zone, making it a prime candidate for life, astronomers report.

Best Science Pictures of 2011 Announced

February 2, 2012 - 5:43pm
A spiny cucumber and a nanotube ''city'' feature among the winners of the 2011 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge.

Two New Moons Found Orbiting Jupiter

February 2, 2012 - 5:30pm

Two tiny satellites add to the planet's swarm of "backward" moons and bring the full Jovian family up to 66 natural satellites.

New Life-Forms Found in Blue Holes—Clues to Life in Alien Oceans?

February 2, 2012 - 3:30pm

Bacteria in water-filled Caribbean sinkholes could offer clues to what might live on icy moons such as Europa, scientists say.

Groundhog Day 2012: Behind Phil's Immortal Allure

February 2, 2012 - 1:03pm

With ancient origins, "immortal" rodent Punxsutawney Phil rules Groundhog Day 2012. Get the surprising facts behind winter's wackiest U.S. weather prediction.

Pictures: Civil War Sub Finally Revealed

February 1, 2012 - 8:25pm
See the wreck of the Hunley—the world's first submarine to sink an enemy ship—finally unveiled after 11 years in a steel truss.

Prehistoric "Shield"-Headed Croc Found

February 1, 2012 - 6:50pm

A fossil croc sporting an odd head "shield" has been found in Morocco, paleontologists say.

Pictures We Love: Best of January

February 1, 2012 - 5:43pm
See the pictures we love, as chosen by National Geographic photo editors—from a too plush penguin to a pantsless pedestrian.

 

Reclaimed Wastewater for Drinking: Safe But Still A Tough Sell

February 1, 2012 - 3:22pm

A new report highlights advancements in recycling technology and predicts growth in treatment programs, if people can get beyond ick factor.

"Alien" Particles Found Invading Our Solar System—A First

January 31, 2012 - 9:08pm

For the first time, a NASA spacecraft has directly observed particles that came from beyond our solar system, astronomers announced.

"Solar Systems" Common Across the Galaxy, NASA Probe Hints

January 31, 2012 - 6:26pm

A new analysis of Kepler data hints that scientists can add more than 400 new worlds to the NASA mission's confirmed discoveries.

Scavenging for Charcoal Fuel in the Rubbish of Manila

January 31, 2012 - 1:14pm
The plight of charcoal scavengers in the Philippines capital underscores why the United Nations declared 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy For All.

First Picture of Alien Planet … Isn't?

January 30, 2012 - 9:13pm

The first picture of a planet outside our solar system may actually depict a swirl of space dust, a new study suggests.

Pythons Eating Through Everglades Mammals at "Astonishing" Rate?

January 30, 2012 - 7:09pm

Invasive Burmese pythons are likely behind "dramatic" declines of the swamp's mammals—from rabbits to bobcats—new research suggests.

Stonehenge Precursor Found? Island Complex Predates Famous Site

January 30, 2012 - 3:58pm

What's more, the Scottish island complex may have been the model for England's famous stone-circle site, new data suggest.