DNA reveals hybrid of Neanderthal mother and Denisovan father

A tiny bone fragment found in a Siberian Cave belongs to the first-known hybrid child born of different ancient humans. A DNA analysis shows the young girl's mother was Neanderthal and her father was Denisovan. While it's been known for a long time the two groups intermingled from traces of their DNA in modern humans, this is the first direct evidence of their dalliances.

First direct evidence of water ice on the surface of the moon

After years of tantalising hints, scientists have finally found direct evidence of water ice tucked away at the bottom of craters near the moon's poles.

No ancestral link between 'hobbits' and two present-day 'pygmy' lineages

• Groups of pygmy people live near a site where fossils of a short-statured species of hominin called Homo floresiensis were found
• Whether present-day inhabitants are descendants of Homo floresiensis was up for debate
• New DNA analysis shows no ancestral link between current population and Homo floresiensis
• Short stature evolved twice in two separate lineages of hominins on Flores

Blogger Comment:

Given that the Homo floresiensis fossils are physically consistent with Australopithecines and physically inconsistent with both Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, this is not a surprising finding.

Vast lake of liquid water detected beneath Mars' southern pole

A giant lake of liquid water seems to be buried beneath the ice near the Red Planet's south pole. Using ground-penetrating radar on an orbiting spacecraft, an Italian team picked up signs of a 20-kilometre-wide body of liquid water, hidden 1.5 kilometres under the ice cap.