New technology allows scientists first glimpse of intricate details of Little Foot’s life
High resolution X-ray imaging of Little Foot's skull and dentition shows Little Foot suffered periods of dietary stress and illness when she was a child.
New Earth Sciences Cluster
This new Cluster will further encourage world class research through collaboration, coordination and communications.
A fleeting green moment in time
Scientists predict that an Age of Pandemics is imminent unless human beings change their ways.
Climate research is critical in Africa: how to make it more visible
The threats of climate change to plants, animals and people in Africa mean that the continent is an excellent place for biometeorological research.
Changes in South Africa’s rainfall seasons could affect farming and water resources
Trends across the different rainfall zones can be linked to changes recorded for large-scale climate systems.
Grass on ash: uncovering 200,000 year old beds from South Africa
Before 200,000 years ago, close to the origin of our species, people used ash as layers for broad-leaved grasses to build their beds.
Wits Associate Professor joins South African Young Academy of Science
Jennifer Fitchett, an Associate Professor of Physical Geography at Wits has been selected as a member of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS).
Wits experts to speak at international symposium on climate and environmental factors in COVID-19
Symposium coincides with the publication of their article on environmental drivers and the potential seasonality of COVID-19.
Does alcohol have an undisclosed African heritage?
Until now the search for early evidence of alcohol has fixated on residue analysis.
Learning from South Africa: reconstructing rainfall seasonality in Australia
Examining old vegetation sediments to learn about shifting weather patterns and climate change.
Juggling work and family during lockdown
Three staff members from the Faculty of Science share their experiences of lockdown.
What a bone arrowhead from South Africa reveals about ancient human cognition
The artefact closely resembles thousands of bone arrowheads used by the indigenous San hunter-gatherers from the 18th to the 20th centuries.
SAs response to COVID-19 worsens the plight of waste reclaimers
The clock is ticking: in the absence of government support, not being able to work means waste reclaimers don't have money to buy food.
Behind Kenya's strange weather
It can be attributed to the Indian Ocean Dipole, the difference in sea surface temperatures between the eastern and western tropical Indian Ocean.
How we deduced that our ancestors liked roast vegetables too
The charred remains of root vegetables found at Border Cave help us understand how early humans survived and thrived.
The war on waste pickers
South Africa’s waste pickers are critical to our recycling economy and green future, yet they are marginalised, maligned, and discarded.
Jacarandas then and now
Monitoring the timing of recurring biological events is key to understanding the effects of climate change.
Ancient southern African rock engravings finally find a fitting home
The Origin Centre has added a new wing that's perfect for a visit, the Rock Engraving Archive.
Early modern humans cooked starchy food in South Africa 170 000 years ago
The discovery also points to food being shared and the use of wooden digging sticks to extract the plants from the ground
Tropical cyclones in the South West Indian Ocean: new insights
As storm directions change, countries that are outside the usual tropical storm zones need to ready themselves.
Origins Centre opens new rock art archive in newly built wing
The rock art archive is the first of three new floors that will provide public access to some of South Africa's most valuable historical finds.
Explainer: Why phenology is key in tracking climate change
Monitoring the timing of recurring biological events is key to understanding the effects of climate change.
How our African ancestors made sound in the Stone Age
Researchers show how some bone artefacts from archaeological sites in South Africa's southern Cape region might have been used in sound production.
We tracked South Africa’s sardine run over 66 years: here’s what we found
South Africa's annual sardine run is occurring increasingly late, and there have been instances where it doesn't happen at all. Here's why.
Places we once called home
Archaeologists and anthropologists peer into original homes of the past to see what made us who we are today.
Prof. Lynn Wadley elected as Fellow of the British Academy
Wadley has been made a Fellow of The British Academy in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the field of archaeology.
Building an inclusive circular economy: Recycling with reclaimers
A Johannesburg-based pilot will formally integrate reclaimers (waste pickers) into the recycling economy of South Africa for the important service they provide.
China beckons Limpopo fellow
Spreading his wings through international exposure - Thabiso is the first Witsie to be awarded the prestigious scholarship.
Tropical cyclones are on the rise in southern Africa
Southern Africa has seen a rise in tropical cyclones recently. Why? Listen to Pasha 20, The Conversation Africa’s podcast on research.
Earliest evidence of the cooking and eating of starch
Early human beings who lived around 120 000 years ago in South Africa were “ecological geniuses” who were able to exploit their environment intelligently.
Why the Indian Ocean is spawning strong and deadly tropical cyclones
The Indian Ocean has made its mark on the global news cycle this year.
‘We are all one’ - A must-see exhibition on why we are
Successful Early Sapiens Behaviour Exhibition extended and taking place at Iziko Museum in Cape Town.
Tropical cyclone Idai: The storm that knew no boundaries
This storm provides a grim prospect of the future of tropical cyclones in southern Africa, a region under continued threat from climate change.
Scientists split on South Africa’s winter and summer rainfall zones
South Africa is among a handful of countries that experience winter rainfall in some areas and summer rainfall in others.
Should I be scared of lightning?
Curious Kids is a series for children in which we ask experts to answer questions from kids.
“Weather” and “climate” shouldn't be used interchangeably
To understand climate projections and climate forecasts you need to know the difference between “weather” and “climate”.
Recreating our ancestral past
Wits – in the champion’s league of archaeology – hosted the first African Conference on Experimental Archaeology.
How we recreated a lost African city with laser technology
LiDAR, was used to “redraw” the remains of the city, along the lower western slopes of the Suikerbosrand hills near Johannesburg.