If you have ever seen a whirling dervish in action, you may have been mesmerised by the complex three-dimensional patterns these dancers produce with their flowing skirts. It turns out that the patterns are buffeted by the same Coriolis force that produces destructive hurricanes. Image: roboppy
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Beneath a temple thought to mark the location of the Buddha’s birth, archaeologists may have discovered the literal roots of the religion: an ancient tree shrine that predates all known Buddhist sites by at least 300 years. Image: CroDigTap
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The friendly bacteria in our gut may help fight cancer. Two new studies in mice show that some anti-cancer therapies work best when the microbes in our body are strong and healthy – which suggests that antibiotics and cancer might not always make a good combination. Image: Tim Sandle
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The DNA of ancient viruses first spotted in the Neanderthal genome have now been identified in modern humans – although whether they cause disease is not yet clear. Last year, researchers found 14 retroviral gene sequences in Neanderthal and Denisovan DNA that they could not find in modern humans. A new search of modern DNA has now found the ancient sequences. Image: jbokor
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European hunter-gatherers were the first to bring dogs to heel, perhaps as early as 32,000 years ago. Mitochondrial DNA extracted from the bones of 18 prehistoric canids from Eurasia, the US and Argentina have helped track down the continent on which wolves became dogs. Image: candybmw
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