A study shows that the earliest human inhabitants of Moxos plains began transforming the tropical savanna eco-region in Bolivia 10,000 years ago, that is 8,000 earlier than previously thought.
The study was conducted by scientists from Bern in cooperation with universities in Britain, Spain and the United States.
The study involved an unprecedented large-scale regional analysis of more than 60 archaeological sites, according to the university statement.
Samples were retrieved from 30 forest islands and archaeological excavations were carried out in four of them.
“Until this recent study, scientists had neither searched for, nor excavated, old archaeological sites in this region that might document the pre-Columbian domestication of these globally important crops,” says Umberto Lombardo from Bern university.
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Swiss scientists identify bowstring used by Ötzi the Iceman
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Swiss scientists have established that a cord found next to the body of Neolithic hunter Ötzi the Iceman was a bowstring.
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The Swiss are increasingly questioning traditional gender roles. Acceptance of same-sex parents has risen by 25 percentage points within ten years.
Swiss researchers develop living material from fungi
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A Swiss research team has developed a new type of material from fungi. This could be used to create compostable films, moisture sensors or edible additives for food and cosmetics, they say.
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The Gotthard Pass is to be re-opened to through traffic on Friday at 11am. A partial re-opening is also planned for the Susten Pass.
Work atmosphere more important than salary, say Swiss
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For Swiss employees, the atmosphere at work is more important than the salary, according to a study. However, priorities differ greatly between the generations.
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Fridays are the preferred day for babies to be born in Switzerland, according to a report by the Federal Statistical Office.
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Earliest high mountain settlement identified in Ethiopia
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An international team with Swiss participation discovered the oldest high mountain dwelling at an altitude of almost 3,500 metres in Ethiopia’s Bale mountains. The archaeological find revealed that the hunters made tools from obsidian and fed on giant mole rats, as the scientists reported in the academic journal “Science”. Charcoal remains also came to light during the excavations. The scientists…
Baby teeth reveal previously unknown ancient Siberians
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An international research group has found 31,000-year-old milk teeth – and a previously unknown population group in north-eastern Siberia.
Gene editing leads to faster production of food-friendly cassava
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Zurich researchers have used gene editing to develop a variant of the starchy tuber cassava that is much easier to process for the food industry.
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Herren, the subject of a new biography, tells swissinfo.ch how he managed to naturally control the bug using a method that involved shooting the insect’s natural enemy, a type of wasp, from aeroplanes across huge swathes of Africa. The scientist was only 31 when he took a job in the middle of a crisis: the…
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.