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☆ Reconstruction reveals face of Neanderthal specimen Shanidar Z
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Known as Shanidar Z, after the cave in Iraqi Kurdistan where she was found in 2018, the woman was a Neanderthal, a type of ancient human that disappeared around 40,000 years ago. The Shanidar Z facial reconstruction suggests that these differences might not have been so stark in life, Pomeroy said. Shanidar cave in Iraqi Kurdistan was first excavated in the 1950s. Neanderthals may not have honored their dead with bouquets of flowers, but the inhabitants of Shanidar Cave were likely an empathetic species, research suggests. Shanidar Z is the first Neanderthal found in the cave in more than 50 years, Pomeroy said, but the site could still yield more discoveries.

Persons: sapiens, Emma Pomeroy, Pomeroy, ”, “ She’s, ” Pomeroy, Graeme Barker, “, Adrie, Alfons Kennis, Dr, Lucía, Danish paleoartists Adrie Organizations: CNN, BBC, Netflix, University of Cambridge’s, Cambridge, Liverpool, University of Cambridge, Catalan Institute, Human Locations: Kurdistan, Europe, East, Central Asia, Shanidar, Cambridge, Spain, Danish

☆ Stone Age Paleo diet was not rich in meat, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —What did people in the Stone Age eat before the advent of farming around 10,000 years ago? Scientists analyzed chemical signatures preserved in bones and teeth belonging to at least seven different Iberomaurusians and found that plants, not meat, were their primary source of dietary protein. The evidence suggested that the Iberomaurusians consumed “fermentable starchy plants” such as wild cereals or acorns, according to the study. The work undermines the idea that a Stone Age diet was meat heavy — a rigid assumption perpetuated by present-day dietary trends like the Paleo diet. The transition to agriculture was a complex process that occurred at different times and proceeded at different rates, in different ways with different foods, in different places, Pobiner said.

Persons: Heiko Temming, ”, Zineb Moubtahij, Max Planck, Klervia Jaouen, ” Jaouen, Iberomaurusians, ” Moubtahij, —, Briana Pobiner, wasn’t, Jaouen, Pobiner, “ Organizations: CNN, Géosciences Environnement, Max Planck Institute, Stone, Smithsonian National Museum of Locations: what’s, Morocco, Cave, Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, France, Leipzig, Germany, Taforalt, Peru, Levant

☆ Camels evolved from a cold-weather ancestor. We could learn from their remarkable transformation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Bill Weir | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“Gentoo penguins are big climate change winners in the Antarctic,” Heather Lynch told me. Conversely, the more flexible gentoo penguins keep moving farther and farther south, chasing new prey, and even abandoning nests to increase the odds of long-term survival. Julian Quinones/CNNThe gentoo population has exploded by as much as 30,000% in just a few years. Bill Weir/CNNHere lieth the lesson of the camel and the gentoo: Heat will move us, one way or another. I just know River won’t be satisfied without a magic plot twist that somehow saves all creatures great and small.

Persons: Bill Weir, —, “, ”, Bill, CNN's, Julian Quinones, Camels, CNN Bill, I’d, ” Heather Lynch, penguins, we’ve, it’s, Xiulin Ruan, CNN Julian Quinones, “ Don’t, Energy's Organizations: CNN, Brooklyn, Central Park Zoo, CNN Penguins, Stony Brook University, gentoo, Purdue, International Energy Agency, Global Locations: Canada, North America, dromedaries, Sudanese, Egypt, Southern Ocean, Antarctica, Manhattan, British Columbia, Yorkshire, England, Phoenix, Japan, Seville, Spain, Miami, Los Angeles, Angeles, Olivia, Colombia, CNN Seville, China, India, Maine

☆ Neanderthal glue points to complex thinking
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Neanderthals likely made a type of glue from two natural compounds to help them better grip stone tools, according to a new analysis of forgotten artifacts recently rediscovered in a Berlin museum. “The fact that Neanderthals made such a substance gives insight into their capabilities and their way of thinking,” he said. The stone tools were unearthed around 1910 at a French archaeological site called Le Moustier that scientists believe Neanderthals used between 120,000 and 40,000 years ago. Their study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, found that the makers of the stone tools used the adhesive to mold a handle rather than haft the tool to wood. P. SchmidtMicroscopic wear showed the stone tools appeared polished over the handheld part but not elsewhere, likely revealing abrasion from the movement of the tools within the ocher-bitumen grip.

Persons: Patrick Schmidt, ”, Moustier, Gunther Möller, Schmidt, It’s, sapiens, Marie, Hélène, ” Schmidt Organizations: CNN, University of Tübingen’s, French National Museum of, Schmidt Locations: Berlin, Paris, Europe, ocher, Italy, France

☆ To Cure to Burnout, Embrace Seasonality - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Cal Newport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For most of human existence, the pace and intensity of productivity varied widely from season to season. Following the development of agriculture around 10,000 B.C.E., the relationship between work and the seasons became even more structured, with predictably busy planting and harvesting seasons interleaved with predictably quiet winters. This led to a conception of work as something that should occur at the fullest possible intensity, without variation, throughout the year. When knowledge work arose as a major economic sector in the 20th century — the term “knowledge work” itself was coined in 1959 — it borrowed this approach from manufacturing, which was the dominant economic force of the time. Office buildings became invisible factories, with members of this growing class of workers metaphorically clocking in for eight-hour shifts, week after week, month after month, attempting to transform their mental capacities into valuable output with the same regularity as an assembly-line worker churning out automobiles.

Persons: sapiens

☆ 'Intellectually inferior' humans caused Neanderthals to go extinct, a new book claims
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A new book “The Naked Neanderthal” says humans were the main cause thanks to their superior weapons. Compared to early humans, Neanderthals were muscular with a prominent brow and less pronounced chin. Since humans were the final species to occupy the cave, Slimak argues it's because they'd replaced those Neanderthals by wiping them out. Humans' superior weaponsScientists have found relatively few weapons belonging to Neanderthals , Slimak wrote. Yet genes can't tell us much about the nature of these interactions or how closely or amicably humans and Neanderthals lived.

Persons: Ludovic Slimak, —, April Nowell, sapien, “, ”, Slimak, Bill O'Leary, sapiens, they'd, Chemnitz State Museum of Archaeology Hendrik Schmidt, Nowell, haven't, Nikola Solic, ” Nowell, Sapiens Organizations: Service, University of Victoria, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, Getty, Chemnitz State Museum of Archaeology, Reuters Locations: Europe, East, Central Asia, Southern Siberia, Southern France, Chemnitz, France, Spain, Krapina, Croatia

☆ Human bones unearthed from a German cave have altered the timeline of ancient human history
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This led them to Ilsenhöhle cave in Ranis, Germany, one of several sites across Northwestern Europe where LRJ artifacts have been found. AdvertisementMining ancient DNAWhen they excavated the cave, the researchers uncovered more than just LRJ artifacts — they came upon tiny bone fragments, too. AdvertisementTo that end, they extracted DNA, which confirmed the bones belong to Homo sapiens, providing strong evidence that they were responsible for the LRJ artifacts. According to their data, Homo sapiens were present in Ranis 47,500 years ago — thousands of years earlier than previously thought. Geoff M. SmithQuestions remain about how warm-weather-adapted Homo sapiens survived such a dramatic transition.

Persons: —, Josephine Schubert, sapiens, ”, Jean, Jacques Hublin, Hublin, Tim Schüler, Max Planck, ” Hublin, Dorothea Mylopotamitaki, Homo sapiens, Marcel Weiss, “ It’s, sapien, Geoff M, Smith, Geoff Smith, “ Organizations: Service, Business, Burg, College of France, Max, Max Planck Institute, University of Kent Locations: Ranis, Europe, Germany, Northwestern Europe, Western Europe, Africa, Scandinavia, Siberia

☆ What old bones reveal about the earliest Europeans
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Modern humans, or homo sapiens, weren’t previously known to have lived as far north as the region where the tools were made. “The Ranis cave site provides evidence for the first dispersal of Homo sapiens across the higher latitudes of Europe. It also shows that Homo sapiens, our species, crossed the Alps into the cold climes of northern and central Europe earlier than thought. Using the same technique, the team also managed to identify human remains among bones excavated during the 1930s. However, the protein analysis was only able to identify the bones as belonging to hominins — a category that includes Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis, or Neanderthals.

Persons: weren’t, ”, Jean, Jacques Hublin, Max Planck, Marcel Weiss, Friedrich, “, hominins, neanderthalensis, Elena Zavala, ” Zavala, denning, Dorothea Mylopotamitaki “, Sarah Pederzani, William E, Banks, ” Banks, wasn’t Organizations: CNN, Max, Max Planck Institute, Alexander University Erlangen, Evolutionary Anthropology, University of California, University of La, University of Bordeaux Locations: Europe, Ranis, Germany, France, Paris, Leipzig, Moravia, Poland, British, Nürnberg, Berkeley, Siberia, Eurasia, University of La Laguna, Spain, “

☆ This video of David Attenborough narrating a programmer's life shows Hollywood actors were right to be afraid of AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A programmer has created an AI version of David Attenborough to narrate his life. AdvertisementIf you've ever wanted acclaimed broadcaster and documentary filmmaker Sir David Attenborough to narrate your life, you're not alone — and you don't have to keep merely wishing for it anymore. He's been posting quirky experiments with AI on X — like one that uses AI to recommend how you should correct your posture. And it's made possible by combining OpenAI's GPT-4-vision — an AI model that can describe what it sees — and code from Elevens Lab, an AI voice startup. One X user wrote, "I'm going to get David Attenborough to narrate videos of my baby learning how to eat broccoli."

Persons: David Attenborough, Salma Hayek —, —, you've, Sir David Attenborough, Charlie Holtz, Holtz, Attenborough, @charliebholtz, Salma Hayek, Annie Murphy —, it's, Justine Bateman, Bateman Organizations: Service, Elevens Lab, Hollywood, Actors

☆ How head lice reveal secrets about human origins
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Head lice have been constant, if unwanted, human companions for as long as our species has been around. Some 20 years ago, David Reed, a coauthor of the new study and a researcher and curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History, found that human head lice are composed of two ancient lineages, with origins predating Homo sapiens. Doing so allowed researchers to detect the hybrid lice and better capture the genetic diversity of head lice. Ascunce said she had hoped the information they gleaned might answer whether Neanderthal head lice are still around today, but the 15 genetic markers, known as “microsatellites,” that they studied in the lice nuclear DNA didn’t reveal that information. “New ongoing studies are being done using whole genome sequences from human lice, so stay tuned for more exciting research on that.”

Persons: ”, Marina Ascunce, Jeff Gage, Ascunce, It’s, David Reed, sapiens, “ Organizations: CNN, US Department of Agriculture, Plos, Florida Museum, University of Florida Locations: Brazil, Africa, Americas

☆ Most of us have a bit of Neanderthal DNA, with some more than others. Scientists think they've figured out why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementMost of us have a little bit of Neanderthal DNA. An employee of the Natural History Museum in London looks at model of a Neanderthal male/ Will Oliver/PA Images/GettyBut that proportion varies, and some people have slightly more Neanderthal DNA than others. People in East Asia, notably, tend to have more Neanderthal DNA in their genomes, but why they have more has long baffled scientists. "So what's puzzling is that an area where we've never found any Neanderthal remains, there's more Neanderthal DNA," study author Mathias Currat, a geneticist at the University of Geneva, told CNN. Their study found that up to about 20,000 years ago, European genomes were indeed richer in Neanderthal DNA than the Asian genomes they have on record.

Persons: —, Will Oliver, we've, Mathias Currat, Currat, Claudio Quilodrán Organizations: Service, University of Geneva, CNN, Harvard Medical School, That's, UNIGE Faculty of Science Locations: London, East Asia, Siberia, Europe, Anatolia, Western Turkey, Western Europe, Asia

☆ Scientists may have untangled a mystery of Neanderthal ancestry
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A new analysis of ancient genomes is deepening scientists’ understanding of the Neanderthal DNA carried by human populations in Europe and Asia — genetic traces that may have medical relevance today. The researchers found that, over time, the distribution of Neanderthal DNA didn’t always look as it does now. This resulted in a lower proportion of Neanderthal DNA observed in European genomes during this period. “The thing was that they had less Neanderthal ancestry so they diluted the (Neanderthal ancestry) in European populations,” Currat said. For example, Neanderthal DNA may play a small role in swaying the course of Covid-19 infection, according to a September 2020 study.

Persons: we’ve, ”, Mathias Currat, Currat, Dr, David Reich, ” Currat, Tony Capra, wasn’t Organizations: CNN, University of Geneva, Harvard Medical School, Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute, University of California Locations: Europe, Asia, Altai, Central Asia, Eurasia, East Asia, Boston, Anatolia, what’s, Turkey, Western, Northern Europe, Bakar, San Francisco

☆ Neanderthals hunted cave lions at least 48,000 years ago, and feasted on their meat, ancient bones reveal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Neanderthals skillfully hunted giant cave lions, a study showed for the first time. AdvertisementAdvertisementNeanderthals hunted cave lions with wooden spears and feasted on their meat at least 48,000 years ago, according to a study of ancient bones. But they didn't just target cave lions for sustenance. Cave lion bones are shown next to a replica spear Volker Minkus. The study suggests the hunt was designed "to get something on a social level, some social rewards," he said.

Persons: —, Gabriele Russo, Russo, Julio Lacerda, Volker Minkus, it's, It's Organizations: Service Locations: Germany, Bavaria, Eurasia, Siegsdorf, Croatian, Africa

☆ New tests confirm antiquity of ancient human footprints in New Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A 2021 study by these researchers also dated the footprints, based on tiny plant seeds embedded in the sediment alongside them, to about 21,000 to 23,000 years ago. This paper is that corroborative exercise," added study co-lead author Kathleen Springer, also a USGS research geologist in Denver. Scientists believe our species entered North America from Asia by trekking across a land bridge that once connected Siberia to Alaska. The researchers also used optically stimulated luminescence dating to determine the age of quartz grains within the footprint-bearing sediments. "And just like today, if anyone walks in a similar setting, their footprints are preserved if they are covered with another layer of sediment," Springer added.

Persons: Jeff Pigati, Kathleen Springer, sapiens, Matthew Bennett, Bennett, Pigati, Springer, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Sands, U.S . Geological Survey, Scientists, North America, Bournemouth University, Thomson Locations: North America, New Mexico, Illinois, Denver, Africa, Asia, Siberia, Alaska, North, England

In the past few months alone, researchers have linked Neanderthal DNA to a serious hand disease, the shape of people's noses and various other human traits. Research shows some African populations have almost no Neanderthal DNA, while those from European or Asian backgrounds have 1% to 2%. For example, Neanderthal DNA has been linked to auto-immune diseases like Graves’ disease and rheumatoid arthritis. The list goes on: Research has linked Neanderthal genetic variants to skin and hair color, behavioral traits, skull shape and Type 2 diabetes. Researchers found the skulls of domesticated dogs in Homo sapiens sites much further back in time than anyone had found before.

Persons: We’re, ”, Mary Prendergast, Hugo Zeberg, Svante Paabo, Zeberg, It's, Graves, Homo sapiens, Chris Stringer, “, Rick Potts, Paabo, ” Zeberg, Raghavan, Potts, Denisovans, sapiens, Eleanor Scerri, Prendergast, Janet Young, Pat Shipman, John Hawks Organizations: Rice University, Karolinska, Research, Smithsonian Institution, University of Chicago, Germany’s Max Planck Institute, Geoanthropology, Canadian Museum, University of Wisconsin -, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Sweden, Melanesia, New Guinea, Fiji, Africa, Europe, Asia, London, Eurasia, Germany’s, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Our species, Homo sapiens — with our complex thoughts and deep emotions — were the only true humans to ever walk the Earth. A study last week found early humans were building structures with wood before H. sapiens evolved. This ability to read ancient DNA revolutionized the field, and it is constantly improving. He specializes in creating lifelike models of ancient humans for museums, including the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History, in hopes of helping public perception catch up to the science. They haven't been able to gather much ancient DNA from Africa, where H. sapiens first evolved, because it has been degraded by heat and moisture.

Persons: ”, Chris Stringer, ” Stringer, sapiens, Rick Potts, naledi, heidelbergensis, John Shea, “, Svante Paabo, Paabo, Bence Viola, Potts, Shea, ’ ” Shea, let’s, Janet Young, Young, John Gurche, Gurche, ” Gurche, “ They’re, they’re, it’s, haven't, we’ll, Mary Prendergast Organizations: Stony Brook University, University of Toronto, Canadian Museum, Smithsonian, American Museum of, Rice University, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Africa, Europe, Indonesia, Asia, Swedish, East, Southeast Asia

☆ This biotech CEO's strict diet for reversing aging is a blended mush of steamed vegetables and lentils
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | Hilary Brueck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Biotech CEO Bryan Johnson's strict diet, which he claims reverses aging, involves eating a blended mush of steamed vegetables and lentils. "I no longer have arousal from eating junk food," Johnson told Insider in a separate interview. Johnson told Time's Charlotte Alter that he thought his strict health routine was "the most significant revolution in the history of Homo sapiens." "I no longer have arousal from eating junk food," Johnson told Insider in a separate interview. AdvertisementAdvertisementTo be sure, scientists told Insider that Johnson's approach has unclear health benefits.

Persons: Bryan, Johnson, Bryan Johnson, Time's Charlotte Alter, Jan Vijg Organizations: Service, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Archaeologists unearth oldest known wooden structure in the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Archaeologists have unearthed the oldest known wooden structure, and it’s almost half a million years old. The wooden structure has no real parallel in the archaeological record, according to the study. The wooden structure was found at an archaeological site upstream of Kalambo Falls in Zambia. Researchers aren’t certain which species of ancient human made the structure and wooden tools, but it is highly unlikely to have been our own. Larry Barham (right), professor of archaeology at the University of Liverpool, carefully uncovers the wooden structure on the riverbank with a fine spray.

Persons: ”, “ It’s, Geoff, Ya’aqov, It’s, Larry Barham, Annemieke, Milks, wasn’t Organizations: CNN —, University of Aberystwyth, Aberystwyth University, Lincoln, University of Liverpool, University of Reading Locations: Zambia —, United Kingdom, Kalambo, Zambia’s, Tanzania, Kalambo Falls, Zambia, Israel, Europe, what’s

☆ Zambia find shows humans have built with wood for 476,000 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The rarity of wood preservation at early archaeological sites - it is perishable over time - means scientists have little understanding of how early humans used it. "Wood can be shaped into a variety of forms making it an excellent construction material that is strong and durable," Barham added. The Kalambo Falls logs were determined to be from about 476,000 years ago. Wooden tools for foraging and hunting are known from about 400,000 years ago. "Use of wood in this way suggests the cognitive ability to these early humans was greater than we have believed based on stone tools alone."

Persons: Larry Barham, Barham, Geoff, heidelbergensis, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: University of Liverpool, REUTERS, Aberystwyth University, Thomson Locations: Zambia, Handout, Africa's, England, Wales, Morocco, Kalambo, Clay, Israel, Washington

NEW YORK (AP) — Researchers have uncovered a simple structure from the Stone Age that may be the oldest evidence yet of early humans building with wood. But it is much more complex than I thought.”Barham and his team dug up the log structure — plus a handful of wooden tools — from a riverbed site that sits above a waterfall in Zambia. They think the crossed logs could have been the base for a bigger structure like a walkway or a platform. The log structure was made at least 476,000 years ago, while the wood tools are slightly younger, under 400,000 years old. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group.

Persons: It's, ”, Larry Barham, ” Barham, Barham, ’ ” Barham, couldn't, Geoff, —, Dirk Leder, Annemieke Milks, “, ” Milks Organizations: —, University of Liverpool, telltale, Aberystwyth University, Cultural Heritage, University of Reading, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Nature, Zambia, Wales, Africa, Germany’s, Saxony

☆ Human ancestors nearly died out 900,000 years ago, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Ancient humanity was almost wiped out about 900,000 years ago when the global population dwindled to around 1,280 reproducing individuals, according to a new study. What’s more, the population of early human ancestors stayed this small for about 117,000 years. The population bottleneck coincided with dramatic changes in climate during what’s known as the mid-Pleistocene transition, the research team suggested. While ancient DNA has revolutionized our understanding about past populations, the oldest DNA from a human species dates to around 400,000 years ago. “The proposed bottleneck needs to be tested against human and archaeological evidence,” they added.

Persons: ”, Yi, Nick Ashton, Chris Stringer, Ashton, Stringer, “ Organizations: CNN, East China Normal University, British Museum Locations: China, Italy, United States, Israel, London, Africa, what’s, Kenya, Ethiopia, Spain, United Kingdom

☆ Fascia training: What is it and do you need it?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Faye Chiu | Melanie Radzicki Mcmanus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —If you’ve dealt with stiffness and pain in the recent past, you may have come across fascia training — an approach that many in the fitness realm are encouraging people to do. Foam rolling is a common technique in fascia training and can help improve range of motion, according to research. Some skepticism remainsDespite the popularity of fascia training today, and many promising study results, some experts say it’s not a real thing. “But people are saying ‘fascia training’ now because the term is hot.”“Fascia training is a bit of a buzz word,” Barnet Simmons agreed. While plenty of studies have been done on fascia training, many experts claim there is a lack of robust studies.

Persons: proprioception, Robert Schleip, Schleip, ” Schleip, Liz Barnet Simmons, Boris Jovanovic, “, hopscotch, Nick Voci, ” Voci, Barnet Simmons, ” Barnet Simmons, “ I’ve, Voci, ”, it’s, ” Melanie Radzicki McManus Organizations: CNN, Harvard Medical School, Manchester Center, CNN’s, “ Locations: Boston, Glen Rock , New Jersey, Manchester, Manchester Center , Vermont

☆ Homo floresiensis: The curious case of the hobbit and what its remarkable discovery taught us
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

The Liang Bua cave excavation site, where the fossils of Homo floresiensis were discovered on the island of Flores in Indonesia. A 3D cast of the skeleton of Homo Floresiensis on display at Stony Brook University, part of the State University of New York system. The Liang Bua team named the species Homo floresiensis after the island where the fossils were discovered. Sutikna said that a thick layer of volcanic ash was found just on top of the layer where Homo floresiensis was first found. And above the volcanic ash layer, we did not find any fossils of Homo floresiensis or other ancient animals,” he said.

Persons: Thomas Sutikna, trowel, Liang Bua, Sutikna, ”, floresiensis, Achmad Ibrahim, Saptomo, Tim Wiencis, Mike Morwood, Liang, hobbitus —, floresianus —, Paige Madison, Bert Roberts, Robert Pearce, Bua, Homo erectus, erectus, chimplike wristbones, Lucy, australopithecines, Chris Stringer, “ I’m, ” Stringer, “, luzonensis, Matt Tocheri, Flores, Mata Menge, Flores hobbits, Tocheri, ’ There’s, Stringer, it’s, ” Tocheri, ” Madison, we’re Organizations: CNN, Indonesia’s, Archaeometric Research, Research and Innovation Agency, Stony Brook University, State University of New, University of Wollongong, Sydney Morning Herald, Fairfax Media, AP, Lakehead University, Smithsonian Institution Locations: Indonesian, Liang, Flores, Indonesia, Jakarta, Stony, State University of New York, Australian, Australia, Africa, Java, Asia, London, South Africa, Philippines, Yogyakarta, Canada, Thunder Bay , Ontario, It’s, Madison, Sulawesi

☆ Virgin Galactic’s first space tourists had a ‘surreal experience’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Billionaire Richard Branson founded Virgin Galactic in 2004, and it built up a backlog of 800 paying passengers. Andres Leighton/APVirgin Galactic’s rocket-powered space plane carried its first group of tourists on a brief trip Thursday. Entrepreneur and health and wellness coach Keisha Schahaff and her daughter Anastatia Mayers were the first space travelers from Antigua. The skull’s lower jaw has particularly confounded scientists because it combines features of Homo sapiens and another ancient human relative — the mysterious Denisovans. ConsequencesA close-up shot reveals the details of the ancient moss Takakia growing on the Tibetan Plateau.

Persons: Richard Branson, Jon Goodwin, Anastatia Mayers, Keisha Schahaff, Andres Leighton, Mayers, Goodwin, Xuedong Li, Hupehsuchus nanchangensis, Shu, Long Cheng, James Webb, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Virgin Galactic, AP Virgin Galactic’s, International Whaling Commission, Wuhan Center, China Geological Survey, University of Bristol, James Webb Space, CNN Space, Science Locations: Antigua, Russia, India, China, Tibetan, Wuhan, Egypt, Thailand, Switzerland

☆ A frigid apocalypse doomed early humans in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili REUTERS/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - Long before our species Homo sapiens trekked out of Africa, earlier human species also spread to other parts of the world. The frigid interval - comparable in intensity to the more recent ice ages - appears to have rendered Europe inhospitable for the bands of early human hunter-gatherers, as extreme glaciation deprived them of food resources. Fossils and stone tools indicate that Homo erectus established a foothold in Eurasia and later southern Europe relatively early in its history. The human species who subsequently colonized Europe proved more resilient amid persistent glacial conditions. "The study provides insights into the initial vulnerability of early human species to environmental changes and how eventually they adapted to increasing glacial climatic stress," Timmermann said.

Persons: David Lordkipanidze, David Mdzinarishvili, Chris Stringer, Stringer, Axel Timmermann, Chronis Tzedakis, erectus, Homo, sapiens, Timmermann, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Georgian Academy of Sciences, REUTERS, David Mdzinarishvili REUTERS, Pusan National University, University College London, Thomson Locations: Dmanisi, Tbilisi, Africa, Europe, Spain, London, South Korea, Eurasia, Georgia, Italy, Germany, Washington

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