Articles for author: Jan Otte

Homo longi

Dragon Man Revealed: Mysterious Ancient Skull Confirmed to Be Denisovan

Jan Otte

In these decades, one of the most intriguing puzzles in paleoanthropology has been the Harbin skull known as “Dragon Man.” Discovered almost a century ago from the depths of a Chinese well, the large, thick-browed cranium defied categorization and generated intense arguments on its position in the human family tree. Now, innovative genetic and protein ...

Pazyryk Swan

Ancient Swan Found in Siberia May Symbolize Creation of the Universe

Jan Otte

A delicate felt swan created more than 2,400 years ago has surfaced as an intriguing relic of a long-lost cosmology in the frozen depths of Siberia. Discovered from an old burial mound in the Altai Mountains, this soft figure is more than just a relic; according to archaeologists, it may represent the very birth of ...

Capuchin

Capuchin Monkeys Develop Bizarre and Deadly ‘Baby Snatching’ Tradition

Jan Otte

A group of capuchin monkeys has evolved a terrifying new habit on a remote island off the coast of Panama: kidnapping young howler monkeys. What started as an anomaly, a single young man carrying an infant from another species has descended into a deadly “fad,” engulfing the group with no apparent benefit to the kidnappers ...

From Lab Coats to Laugh Tracks: The Most Iconic TV Scientists of All Time

Jan Otte

Television has given us some unforgettable characters who’ve made science both accessible and entertaining. From brilliant chemists cooking up trouble to physicists unraveling the mysteries of the universe, these fictional scientists have shaped how we view the world of research and discovery. Some have inspired real careers in STEM fields, while others have simply made ...

Javan Gibbon

Forest Highways for Gibbons: How Tree Corridors Are Saving an Endangered Primate

Jan Otte

Deep in the misty mountains of Java, Indonesia, a peaceful revolution is under way one that might decide the fate of the Javan gibbon (Hylobates moloch), a primate whose eerie songs once filled the forests but now fade into silence. With just 4,000 wild acrobatic apes left, victims of unrelenting deforestation and human development are ...

african Elephent

Rare ‘Ghost Elephant’ Caught on Camera in Senegal After Years of Disappearance

Jan Otte

For the first time in five years, a lone African forest elephant known as the “ghost elephant” has been caught on camera in Senegal’s Niokolo-Koba National Park in a haunting yet hopeful moment. recorded by a remote trail camera, the video shows the elusive bull elephant, Ousmane, stopping under the moonlight before disappearing back into ...

a lush green forest filled with lots of trees

Carbon for Cash? Brazil’s Mega Deal Sparks Indigenous Uproar and Legal Showdown

Jan Otte

A $180 million carbon credit gamble deep in the Amazon has turned into a high-stakes legal fight pitting Indigenous people against corporate giants and the Brazilian government of Pará. Called the “world’s largest” carbon credit deal, the September 2024 agreement signed by multinational companies including Amazon, Walmart, and Bayer promised to sell emissions offsets so ...

an underwater view of corals and sponges in the ocean

Reef Health Check: Microbes Offer a Powerful New Monitoring Tool

Jan Otte

The “rainforests of the sea,” coral reefs are under crisis. Rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and acidification have driven these rich ecosystems to the brink; half of the coral cover lost since the 1950s. Conventional monitoring depends on visual polls, tracking fish numbers and coral bleaching. What if, however, the true narrative of reef health is ...

A protest sign that says there is no planet b

The UK’s Current Approach to Balancing Climate Activism and Policy

Jan Otte

In recent years, the United Kingdom has found itself at the forefront of a global conversation on climate change. The nation is navigating a complex landscape where activism and policy-making intertwine, striving to strike a balance that addresses environmental concerns while considering economic implications. This delicate dance requires an understanding of both the scientific realities ...