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Ukraine may have been the first part of Europe colonised by early humans. Plus: walking 10,000 steps a day really does seem to make us healthier

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Roman Garba

Early beginnings

Molecular dating has revealed that an area in Ukraine was occupied by humans 1.4 million years ago, making it one of the oldest hominin sites in Europe and possibly the oldest. The site, at Korolevo in western Ukraine, has been studied since the 1970s. A large number of stone tools have been found buried in layers of sediment beside an outcrop of volcanic rock suitable to be made into tools. No bones have been found as the soil is too acidic to preserve them, but it is assumed that the hominins were Homo erectus, a species that evolved around 2 million years ago and spread from Africa to Europe and Asia. Read more.

Stepping up

Walking 10,000 steps a day really does seem to make us healthier. The exact origin of the commonly held belief that people should aim for 10,000 steps a day is unclear, but it has been linked to a marketing campaign promoting pedometers in Japan. Now, a study of more than 72,000 participants suggests that taking between 9000 and 10,000 steps per day really does seem to reduce the risk of an early death or heart-related event. Read more.