Ancient Amber and Elephant Bone Hammer Redefine Early Earth's History

Chinese scientists have identified the oldest known amber, dating to about 385 million years ago, in the West Junggar region of Xinjiang. The find, published in *Science Advances*, pushes the amber record back by roughly 65 million years and suggests that resin production by plants began far earlier than previously thought, prompting a reassessment of Devonian‑era evolutionary timelines.

In southern England, archaeologists uncovered a hammer made from an elephant bone that is nearly 500,000 years old, the oldest bone tool discovered in Europe. Analyses by researchers from University College London and the Natural History Museum indicate the artifact was likely used by Neanderthals or early Homo heidelbergensis to sharpen stone implements, demonstrating sophisticated tool‑making abilities among pre‑modern humans.