Africa

  • Spear and arrow points made of stone on a black background.
    early humans

    Supervolcano may have paved way for humans leaving Africa

    Surviving a supervolcano eruption around 74,000 years ago may have facilitated human dispersal from Africa, researchers report.
  • A lion looks through leaves.
    Africa

    Tiny invasive ant makes hunting harder for lions

    A tiny invasive ant is disrupting the life of African lions. It's making it harder for them to hunt zebra, their preferred prey.
  • A tub filled with red fish.
    fisheries

    ‘Fishing cartel’ could boost economies of African countries

    Banding together to sell fishing rights could generate economic benefits for African countries and also protect their seas' biodiversity.
  • vials of sediment in gel
    climate change

    Ancient leaf wax holds clues to future climate

    Ancient sediment containing leaf wax offer insights into the future climate of Africa, say researchers.
  • A footprint in sand.
    early humans ,

    Algorithm leads to new theory of human origins in Africa

    To shed light on where, when, and how humans originated in Africa, researchers took a new approach using contemporary genomic evidence.
  • fort at shore with boat and palm trees
    archaeology

    DNA reveals Persian-African heritage on ‘Swahili coast’

    Ancient trade fostered relationships between Asian merchants and African traders and their families, research finds.
  • A cross-shaped copper item with a tag on it.
    archaeology ,

    Artifacts reveal cultural links from southern Africa’s past

    Geochemical analyses on copper artifacts from southern Africa reveal centuries of previously unknown cultural connections in the region.
  • An arrow points upwards and to the right on a yellow background.
    cancer

    Cancer cases and deaths in Africa could double by 2040

    Westernized lifestyles and dietary changes may partially explain why cancer cases and deaths in Africa are expected to double during the next two decades.
  • Ostrich eggshell beads look like small rings with holes in their centers, sitting in a diagonal row against a black background
    anthropology , ,

    DNA from ancient African foragers indicates cultural change

    An unprecedented dataset of ancient African DNA let researchers outline major demographic shifts that took place between about 80,000 and 20,000 years ago.
  • An adult elephant drinks from a watering hole while a baby stands under the adult
    parasites

    Watering holes in Africa are parasite hotspots

    Watering holes in Africa quench the thirst of animals during dry seasons, but they're also hotspots for parasites that infect the animals.
  • red blots on world map, relatively fewer in Africa
    pandemics

    No, COVID-19 hasn’t ‘skipped’ Africa

    The study in Zambia's capital city challenges the common belief that Africa somehow "dodged" the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • An elephant walks over tall, yellow grass, with another in the distance
    elephants

    Wildlife corridors keep elephants connected by genes

    Preserving wildlife corridors between protected areas could help maintain genetic connections between African elephant populations, researchers report.