|
Each year palaeontologists and other scientists make new discoveries that add to our understanding of evolution, 2018 was a bumper year. Julien Benoit takes a look at some of the big discoveries and breakthroughs of the past 12 months. And in case you missed them, here’s a selection of some of our best read articles on the subject. Kevin Rey draws the links between fossil teeth and a climate-linked
extinction event hundreds of millions of years ago. Elsewhere in this special edition, Gaokgatlhe Mirriam Tawane discusses the value of carefully curating fossils for future study - and for future generations.
|
The dinosaur Ledumahadi mafube - reconstructed in this illustration - made headlines in 2018.
Viktor Radermacher
Julien Benoit, University of the Witwatersrand
Five major finds this year adds to our understanding of evolution and ancient life history.
|
Focus on palaeontology
|
Robert Blumenschine, University of the Witwatersrand
Palaeontological finds offer a compelling and profound way to think about our place in nature.
| |
Julien Benoit, University of the Witwatersrand
Ancient indigenous people often collected fossil shells, teeth and bones that have provided critical clues about human origins.
|
Gaokgatlhe Mirriam Tawane, Ditsong Museums of South Africa
Museums might look dull and old from the outside, but they house a wealth of knowledge that we cannot afford to lose.
| |
Kevin Rey, University of the Witwatersrand
A study has found that a local event rather than a global shift in climate caused the mass extinction in South Africa.
|
|
|
In other news
|
Kealeboga J Maphunye, University of South Africa
South Africa's electoral commission's failure to ensure a credible voters' roll threatens to undo its legacy of free and fair elections.
| |
Peter Rule, Stellenbosch University; Zelda Barends, Stellenbosch University
Parents often see reading as "school business" - something that teachers are responsible for.
|
|
|
International news
|
-
Stefan Stern, City, University of London
For two-and-a-half years misstep has followed misstep.
-
Elizabeth Agnew, Queen's University Belfast
Children need be able to identify potentially harmful sexual behaviours, including sexting, from a young age.
-
Mark Eccleston-Turner, Keele University
The UN Security Council's response to the most recent Ebola outbreak has been weak. But what options does it have?
|
|
