Odysseus, who voyaged across the wine-dark seas of the Mediterranean in Homer’s epic, may have had some astonishingly ancient forerunners. A decade ago, when excavators claimed to have found stone tools on the Greek island of Crete dating back at least 130,000 years, other archaeologists were stunned—and skeptical. But since then, at that site and others, researchers have quietly built up a convincing case for Stone Age seafarers—and for the even more remarkable possibility that they were Neanderthals, the extinct cousins of modern humans.

Modern humans may not have been the first travelers to cross the seas.

We've been up here for three days, trekking the 10,000-foot ridges of the Schell Creek Range of east-central Nevada. I take a heavy breath and continue along another granite-and-limestone slope flecked with bristlecone pines — gnarled, 2,000-year-old survivors found only in the American West's highest, harshest landscapes. The searing in my legs and lungs eases as the severe incline levels out into a grassy meadow ringed by aspens, their leaves quaking in the cool breeze. Donnie Vincent holds up a hand to halt me, and grins.

Call it a fad, trendy, or something crunchy-moms do, but an increasingly large number of women are choosing to consume their placenta after birth. Citing improved mood, increased energy levels, reduced pain, and even increased milk production, many women swear by the practice termed placentophagy.

Research published in the journal PLOS ONE by a team of archaeologists and microbiologists from Nevada's Desert Research Institute (DRI) and Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) showcases the use of modern research methods to uncover clues about the genetic ancestry of Native Americans who inhabited the Desert Southwest during the last thousand years.

Single men hoping to find love may have more luck if they own a dog, studies suggest.

Something happens whenever Aaron Morrill takes his large and fluffy mutt, Donut, for her daily walk, and it’s something that always catches him a bit by surprise.

In case you had any doubts, having a dog in your life will definitely increase your chances of meeting the new love of your life. Or, you know, just getting laid.

Something happens whenever Aaron Morrill takes his large and fluffy mutt, Donut, for her daily walk, and it’s something that always catches him a bit by surprise.

Something happens whenever Mr Aaron Morrill takes his large and fluffy mutt, Donut, for her daily walk, and it’s something that always catches him a bit by surprise.

Men who own dogs may have better luck in finding love, various studies suggest. It has been observed that men who own dogs appear to be more caring, attractive, happier, empathetic and approachable.

So you met a nice fella on Bumble and you’ve been out on a handful of dates. Things appear to be going swimmingly, so you decide to invite him back to your place for a night cap. But even though you feel perfectly safe with him, you’re still a little nervous … because he’s about to meet your dog for the first time.