Reuters Science News Summary

New study offers insight The advent of agriculture roughly 11,500 years ago in the Middle East was a milestone for humankind - a revolution in diet and lifestyle that moved beyond the way hunter-gatherers had existed since Homo sapiens arose more than 300,000 years ago in Africa.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

What did people eat before agriculture? New study offers insight

The advent of agriculture roughly 11,500 years ago in the Middle East was a milestone for humankind - a revolution in diet and lifestyle that moved beyond the way hunter-gatherers had existed since Homo sapiens arose more than 300,000 years ago in Africa. While the scarcity of well-preserved human remains from the period preceding this turning point has made the diet of pre-agricultural people a bit of a mystery, new research is now providing insight into this question. Scientists reconstructed the dietary practices of one such culture from North Africa, surprisingly documenting a heavily plant-based diet.

Explainer-The Eta Aquariid meteor shower: When is it and what to expect?

Meteors will be streaking across the sky as Earth passes through dusty debris in space left by Halley's Comet in the annual Eta Aquariid meteor shower, with peak activity in early May. Here is an explanation of this meteor shower.

T. rex is at the center of a debate over dinosaur intelligence

Surmising even the physical appearance of a dinosaur - or any extinct animal - based on its fossils is a tricky proposition, with so many uncertainties involved. Assessing a dinosaur's intelligence, considering the innumerable factors contributing to that trait, is exponentially more difficult. A study published last year by Vanderbilt University neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel that evaluated the intelligence of Tyrannosaurus rex, focusing upon estimated brain size and the number of brain neurons, as comparable to that of primates - specifically a baboon - caused a stir in scientific circles.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)