Scientists at the European Institute for Mummies have sequenced the genome of a 5,300-year-old mummy known as Ötzi the Iceman, according to a paper published on Tuesday. Europe's oldest natural human mummy had brown eyes, was lactose intolerant, and contained DNA of the infectious bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Ötzi appears to have had the first documented case of Lyme disease. Ötzi has been under analysis since 1991, when tourists discovered what they thought was the body of a... Read More
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is mulling a plan to kill several wolves that appear to have become habituated to humans in Jackson, Wyoming. Wolf sightings became frequent in Jackson last December, and some conservationists argue that the wolves should be harassed before they are killed. “These wolves haven’t actually done something yet,” said Defenders of Wildlife representative Suzanne Stone. Wolf manager Mike Jimenez said the Fish and Wildlife Service considered reloc... Read More
A team of five Italian skiers and snowboarders last week recorded the third-ever recorded descent of the southeast face of Aiguille du Moine in the French Alps. Davide Capozzi, Julien Herry, Stefano Bigio, Francesco Civra Dano, and Luca Rolli took advantage of unusually good snow for the mountain. "The descent is steep and exposed throughout, and the snow was very difficult to ski," snowboarder Davide Capozzi wrote on PlanetMountain. Jean Marc Boivin made the first descent of the Aiguille... Read More
Bode Miller has ended his 2011-2012 World Cup season to have surgery on his left knee. Miller, 34, is currently ranked 10th in overall World Cup standings. He won December's Birds of Prey downhill at Beaver Creek, Colorado, his 31st career win, and had recorded three other podium finishes. Miller likely injured the knee while previewing the 2014 downhill course in Sochi, Russia, earlier this month. He will return to the United States for surgery and has no plans to retire from skiing. "Bode ha... Read More
The Danish Navy rescued 16 hostages and arrested 17 pirates off the coast of Somalia on Monday. Two other hostages died of undisclosed injuries. The warship, HDMS Absalon, had followed the pirated vessel for seven days along the Somali coast opening fire on Monday, leading to a surrender by the pirates. Navy spokesman Kenneth Nielsen said 17 pirates were detained in the operation. The nationalities of the hostages have not been released.
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