Eurasian cave lions were bigger than the modern-day African lion and they were hunted to extinction about 11,000 BC. They prowled Europe and it is hard to imagine. And about 40,000 years ago the Neanderthals lived in Europe and they would be forced to encounter …
In November 2023, admirers of the dog ‘Hachiko’ will celebrate the 100th year after his birth. Locals of his birthplace Odate, Akita Prefecture are organising Hachiko Week to mark a century since Hachiko was born in 1923. He died in 1933. He is regarded as …
Today horse-brasses are entirely decorative; adorning heavy horses at horse shows. However, their role is far more than decorative or it used to be. They are protective amulets defending horses against evil spirits. They are a remnant of ancient pagan beliefs. They can almost be …
It is perhaps an opportune moment to discuss the gruesome medicine of mediaeval times in the UK including treatment for gout (stuffed puppy) because gout complaints have risen by 15% in the UK after the Covid pandemic. It is believed that the increase has been …
A recent study found that when humans transferred from being hunter-gatherers to farming their pet dogs’ diet changed from meat to plant-based foods. When grey wolves first became domesticated and became domestic dogs they would have been eating meat almost exclusively but with the advent …
I will very briefly tell you why animals today are much smaller than they were in the days of dinosaurs. Dinosaurs are reptiles i.e. cold-blooded. They rely on the ambient temperature to warm themselves up. This is why they live in warm climates. They require …
Background Scientists had once thought that sociable mammals only came into being after the dinosaurs became extinct about 66 million years ago. They also thought that sociability occurred mostly in the Placentalia of which humans are part. These mammals carried a foetus in their womb. …
There was a big questionmark hanging over the extinction of the woolly rhino which it is believed died out about 14,000 years ago. That time was about 15,000 years after humans first saw them. Researchers, using mitochondrial DNA sequencing thanks to the availability of genetic …
