The Sahara Desert, once a lush world with trees, rivers, and megafauna like hippos and elephants, has been largely barren for 7,000 years. However, scientists have discovered evidence of its verdant past through ancient DNA from mummified remains.
Researchers found a remarkable rock shelter in southwestern Libya’s Tadrart Acacus mountains, where the remains of 15 women and children were uncovered two decades ago. Ancient DNA analysis revealed information about the ancestry of the Takarkori people and their herding way of life.
The study also shed light on the mysterious force known as dark energy, which is thought to accelerate the universe’s expansion. New data from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument collaboration suggests that dark energy may be weakening over time.
Meanwhile, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried four tourists to a polar orbit, marking a historic journey for each of them. The Crew Dragon capsule splashed down off California’s coast after spending 3.5 days in low-Earth orbit.
Additionally, researchers have discovered stone tools crafted in a style associated with Neanderthals in East Asia for the first time at a site in southwestern China’s Yunnan province. The discovery has puzzled archaeologists and sparked debate about human origins during the Stone Age.
A recent analysis of dinosaur footprints on Scotland’s Isle of Skye revealed that ancestors of T. rex and their plant-eating prey congregated to drink water from a lagoon. Finally, researchers sent a container of cooked soybean paste to the International Space Station, where it was left to ferment before returning to Earth as miso.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/05/science/ancient-dna-sahara-greener-past-science-newsletter-wt/index.html