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A West African writing system shows how letters evolve to get simpler

Humans

A West African writing system shows how letters evolve to get simpler

The characters used to write the Vai script, which was invented in Liberia in 1833, have become visually simpler over time, reflecting the evolutionary pressures acting on writing

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The Jubbah Oasis in northern Saudi Arabia, where humans were repeatedly present during periods of increased rainfall over hundreds of thousands of years

Humans

Humans reached Arabia in at least five waves thanks to wetter climates

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Guinea confirms West Africa’s first case of deadly Marburg virus

Health

Guinea confirms West Africa’s first case of deadly Marburg virus

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People planting trees

Environment

A wall of trees is being built across Africa to hold back the desert

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Seven new coronaviruses have been found lurking in bats in Africa

Health

Seven new coronaviruses have been found lurking in bats in Africa

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Fossil teeth

Humans

A skull suggests humans have been getting piercings for 12,000 years

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What’s it like to be a rabbit?

Video

What’s it like to be a rabbit?

Video

archaeological excavation

Humans

Lost Ethiopian town comes from an ancient empire that rivalled Rome

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lions

Life

African lions have started climbing trees to escape buffaloes

Regulars

A man on the remains of a bridge in Zimbabwe

Environment

Images show the devastation of Cyclone Idai

Cyclone Idai has devastated parts of Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi with winds reaching 170 kilometres per hour

Regulars

Life

Stone tools hint that our first human ancestors lived all over Africa

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Humans

Humans have shaped the Serengeti's ecosystems since the Stone Age

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Health

Ebola outbreak has killed 75 in the Democratic Republic of Congo

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Humans

New mega-journal will raise the profile of African science

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