Washington, September 9: A new study of Neanderthal skeletons has suggested that the species grew quickly but reached sexual maturity later than so-called modern humans-and quite possibly survived to a ripe old age.

According to a report in National Geographic News, the study also suggests that Neanderthals had a harder time of child bearing and possibly child raising, due to which, modern humans may have simply outbred their heavy-browed rivals.

By studying the skulls of Neanderthal babies, researchers were able to estimate how quickly the infants' brains grew.

Washington, Sept 9 : While it's well-known that a person''''s walk reflects his or her gender, age and mood, a new study has gone a step further by revealing that an observer finds a masculine motion as coming toward them and a characteristically feminine walk looks like it''''s headed the other way.

The study was done by illuminating only the joints of model walkers and asking observers to identify various characteristics about the largely ambiguous figures.

Washington, Sept 9: Move over drugs, smoking and even gambling, for a new compulsion has hit today’s youth – Internet addiction.

The new finding will make mental health professionals face a new affliction, besides compulsive gambling or even the ‘age-old’ smoking and drug addiction.

Louise Nadeau, from Universite de Montreal’s Department of Psychology, is now investigating this newly found compulsive affliction, in which large number of people are continuously hooked on to the Internet for hours.

Washington, Sept 9: Children who are bilingual before the age of five are more likely to stutter than non-bilingual counterparts and also find it harder to overcome their impediment, according to a new study.

The study will be published in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

To reach the conclusion, the researchers reviewed 317 children, who were referred for stutter when aged between 8 and 10.

All the children lived in Greater London, and all had started school in the UK at the age of 4 or 5.

The children''s carers were asked if they spoke a language other than English exclusively or combined with English at home.

Washington, September 9: A University of Colorado at Boulder team working at 16,400 feet in the Peruvian Andes has discovered how barren soils uncovered by retreating glacier ice can swiftly establish a thriving community of microbes, setting the table for lichens, mosses and alpine plants.

Washington  - US stocks soared Monday as investors welcomed the government takeover of beleaguered mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average and broader Standard & Poor's 500 Index both climbed more than 2 per cent, after Asian and European stocks made extensive gains Monday.

Financial and homebuilding shares led the US surge after the Treasury on Sunday said it would place Fannie and Freddie in a conservatorship, replacing their chief executives and eliminating share dividends.