Science Daily

• Do spiders dream? Scientists just found a surprising clue

  Scientists have discovered that spiders may sleep in ways surprisingly similar to humans, complete with distinct sleep stages and a dream-like REM state. Researchers at the University of Bonn studied the Australian jumping spider Portia fimbriata, a remarkably clever hunter known for its sophisticated strategies. By recording the spiders over several days and nights, they found clear evidence of regulated sleep, including a REM-like stage marked by eye movements and muscle twitches.

• A 2,700-year-old solar eclipse just revealed something surprising about Earth

  A solar eclipse recorded more than 2,700 years ago is revealing surprising secrets about Earth's rotation and the Sun's ancient behavior. By correcting an eight-kilometer error in the location of an ancient Chinese capital, scientists were able to reconstruct a total solar eclipse that occurred in 709 BCE and obtain more accurate measurements of how fast Earth was spinning at the time.

• 1.9-million-year-old discovery rewrites the story of human evolution

  New evidence suggests that early humans reached the Jordan Valley at least 1.9 million years ago, hundreds of thousands of years earlier than scientists previously thought. Advanced dating methods revealed that the ‘Ubeidiya site is roughly as old as the famous Dmanisi site in Georgia, placing both among the earliest known human settlements outside Africa.

• Archaeologists may have just found the world's oldest shipwreck

  A mysterious shipwreck off Turkey’s coast may be the oldest ever discovered, dating back approximately 4,500 years to the age of the Egyptian pyramids. Although the wooden vessel has disappeared, its surviving pottery cargo reveals clues about an ancient trading network that may have connected distant Mediterranean civilizations. Researchers believe the ship may have crashed against rocks during a storm while transporting valuable goods such as oil, wine, or tree resin.

• Chinese scientists discover “D-rex,” a giant fungus with roots stretching back 65 million years

  Scientists have discovered a giant new fungus in China that grows up to 20 inches tall and weighs nearly five pounds, making it the largest known of its kind. Dubbed “D-rex,” its evolutionary lineage appears to have emerged shortly after the dinosaurs went extinct, raising intriguing questions about how that ancient catastrophe may have shaped its evolution.