An international study claims lead was a problem for our ancestors and Homo sapiens might have had a genetic edge over other ...

Lead exposure has been thought to be a uniquely modern phenomenon. Exposure to lead by ancient humans could have given modern humans a survival advantage over other species – more specifically, their ...

Lead poisoning has plagued millions of people ever since the world became industrialized, but humans' troubled relationship with the toxic metal goes back much further in time. Our ancient ancestors ...

Long before humans built cities or wrote words, our ancestors may have faced a hidden threat that shaped who we became. Scientists studying ancient teeth found that early humans, great apes, and even ...

When the researchers introduced lead to human brain organoids – or “mini-brains” – carrying the archaic Neanderthal-like version of NOVA1, which is slightly different to the version that modern humans ...

A groundbreaking international study changes the view that exposure to the toxic metal lead is largely a post-industrial phenomenon. The research reveals that our human ancestors were periodically ...

Jack Knudson is an assistant editor for Discover Magazine who writes articles on space, ancient humans, animals, and sustainability, and manages the Planet Earth column of the print issue. View Full ...