Science Snapshots: November 1, 2026

Even in a desert, early humans sought more than water

More than water alone guided humans in the ancient Arabian Peninsula. Scientists earlier believed human populations expanded across ‘Green Arabia’ wherever lakes formed. But after surveying a 1,500-km stretch in the Rub’ al Khali desert, researchers found evidence of 55 extinct lakes but no stone tools or signs of life. Since early humans relied on stone tools for survival, the team concluded human migration was guided by the availability of both water and toolmaking stones.