Ancient proteomes from tiny shell ornaments were successfully characterised for the first time, showing the unexpected use of mother-of-pearl from local riverine molluscs in both coastal and inland prehistoric sites.
The extinct stilt-legged equids of North America are not related to Asiatic asses or horses, but instead represent a distinct lineage outside of living equid diversity that became extinct in the terminal Pleistocene.
In this episode, we hear about the emerging field of palaeoshellomics, wasp eggs that keep their food fresh, a monkey with a missing visual cortex, new biological methods inspired by astronomy and how to mix a family with a research career.