STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNTIL APRIL 21, 2025 AT 3:00 PM U.S. EASTERN TIME

A new study examines the acceleration of social-ecological changes in the first kingdom in Poland, the Piast dynasty, identifying the factors that contributed to its failure. Using new high-resolution pollen records, as well as historical and archaeological data, the study shows a period of rapid ecological change and wealth concentration, followed by a period of rewilding and the collapse of political structures. Using perspectives from complex systems theory, the authors argue that sustainable political systems require a balance between capital accumulation and social connectivity, and that a lack of social cohesion tipped the Piast state towards collapse.

If there was a contest for biggest female bullies of the animal world, lemurs would be near the top of the list. It’s the ladies who get their way and keep males in line. In one branch of the lemur family tree, however, some species have evolved to have a more harmonious relationship between the sexes. New findings suggest that this amiable shift was driven by changes in the “love hormone” oxytocin inside their brains.

Bridges, roads, bike lanes, traffic signals, railroads and interstate highways allow millions of people to travel each year, but they are one of the most expensive investments for governments and taxpayers, according to a group of civil and environmental engineering researchers at Penn State.  

Despite advances in wastewater treatment, tiny plastic particles called microplastics are still slipping through, posing potential health and environmental hazards, according to new research from The University of Texas at Arlington.

For the first time, wild chimpanzees have been pictured eating and sharing fruit containing alcohol.