History Shorts: snippets of local history

Today, just six species of sloth remain, split between two families: two-toed and three-toed. But in prehistoric times, sloths were far more diverse—and some were massive compared to the tree-dwellers we know now. If you’ve been to the Natural History Museum in London, you might have seen the striking replica skeleton* of Megatherium americanum , one of these ancient giants. New research from a team of scientists from the Americas sheds light on how these now-extinct sloths reached such impressive sizes—and why they eventually vanished. Bigger sloths, grounded lives Unlike modern sloths, which live exclusively in trees, the largest prehistoric species were ground-dwellers. Some were tall enough to pull leaves from treetops while standing upright. Megatherium , for example, lived in the grasslands of South America until about 10,000 years ago. Fossil footprints from Argentina suggest it walked on hind legs, using its tail for balance. The scientists analyzed ancient DNA and more th...

This article is republished with permission from The Conversation How taking a closer look at your family tree can help you get to grips with climate change By  Flossie Kingsbury , Aberystwyth University Engaging people when it comes to climate change can be challenging. Climate conversations are often technical and dry, making it hard to see how it connects to our own lives. As a historical researcher I’ve been figuring out how we can make this connection clearer, and believe that taking a look at our family histories might hold the answer. Tracing our ancestors’ connections to colonialism and industrialisation can help us personally connect with the climate crisis. Photo: Pixabay While climate change might seem abstract or distant, our own history is inherently personal. Tracing a family tree can show how historical events, including those that influenced climate change , altered life courses. Through pilot research with my own family tree, I’ve found that family history ...