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☆ Being a vegetarian might be in your DNA
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Madeline Holcombe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The study published Wednesday in PLOS One found that there are four genes associated with how well someone is able to adhere to a vegetarian lifestyle. Several of the genes that the study found to be associated with vegetarianism had to do with metabolizing lipids, Yaseen said. Although this study may not provide a definitive answer, it is an important look into nutrition, he said. “This study shines a light on a relatively under-explored area of research: the genetics behind dietary preferences,” Ordovás said. “The association of genetic variants with long-term strict vegetarianism suggests a biological basis for this dietary choice, beyond just cultural, ethical, or environmental reasons.”

Persons: ”, Nabeel Yaseen, Yaseen, José Ordovás, Ordovás, ” Yaseen, ” Ordovás, “ Organizations: CNN, PLOS, Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, Tufts University Locations: Massachusetts

☆ The Zoom backgrounds that make you look more - or less - trustworthy, according to experts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

That’s according to new research, which looks at how people’s choice of Zoom background could be helping or hindering them. And we found that the living room and novelty backgrounds were the worst,” he said. Not everyone has a home office but yet there’s something that still seems a little unserious [about a home or novelty background]. “We found that generally smiling makes you look more trustworthy and competent, no matter what the background,” he said. “Female faces were also rated as more trustworthy and more competent, regardless of the background they were using,” the researchers wrote.

Persons: Paddy Ross, bookcases, ”, “, …, ” Ross, Ross Organizations: CNN, United Kingdom’s Durham University, Durham University

☆ Ancient humans dug up remains of ancestors to use as tools, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Researchers working at a cave in southern Spain have found evidence that the skeletal remains of ancient humans buried there were dug up, modified and even used as tools by subsequent generations. While these types of remains are known as “skull cups,” that doesn’t necessarily mean they were used as containers, Milella said. “Modification and manipulation of human remains are indeed well known for this time, with examples also from the same region. In that sense, Marmoles Cave is consistent with what we know about the funerary behavior of these cultures,” he said. And it is also possible that those who modified the remains may have known the people that they belonged to when they were alive.

Persons: los, Vera Rodríguez, –, Marco Milella, Milella, “, ” Organizations: CNN, University of Bern, Cueva Locations: Spain, Switzerland, Granada

☆ Ancient people may have used human skulls for cups and other body parts for tools, according to a burial site in Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Almost 6,000 years ago, communities used a cave in Spain as a burial place. AdvertisementAdvertisementScraping and cutting of these bones left traces "that can only be attributed to human action," Martínez Sánchez said. "The actions of fragmenting and manipulating the bones may well be related to specific ritual events performed inside the cave," Martínez Sánchez said. "They're often viewed as sort of passageways to another world to the ancestors, to other kinds of worlds that are seen as sacred liminal spaces, spaces that are somewhere in between the land and the living and the land of the ancestors," she said. There's a chance they may have disturbed the human remains as well.

Persons: Cueva, los, Rafael, Martínez, Katina Lillios, wasn't, Martínez Sánchez, Lillios, It's, There's Organizations: Service, University of Cordoba, University of Iowa Locations: Spain, Wall, Silicon, Iberia, Western Europe

☆ Whales swimming behind fishing vessels catch an easy feast of escaped fish, but experts warn this 'free meal' is risky, potentially lethal behavior
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Rupendra Brahambhatt | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Sperm and bottlenose whales are known to pursue fishing boats to catch fish that escape the nets. Hal Whitehead, a sperm whale expert and biology professor at Dalhousie University, told Insider. What's even more interesting is that it's not only whales that have learned to catch fish escaping the fishermen's nets. Usua Oyarbide"As time goes on we hear more and more reports of everything from sperm whales to dolphins doing this. "I've known about sperm whales being engaged with different fisheries but I wasn't aware northern Bottlenose whales show similar behavior, so I've learned something new."

Persons: It's, Whales, Usua, Usua Oyarbide, Oyarbide, Hal Whitehead, wasn't, Andrew Trites, Vince Streano, Whitehead, Trites, I've Organizations: Service, Greenland, Dalhousie University, Marine Mammal Research, University of British, International Whaling Commission, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration Locations: Wall, Silicon, Newfoundland, Greenland, University of British Columbia, Canada, Africa, China, Australia

☆ Ancient viruses could re-emerge as permafrost melts, posing 'unpredictable threats' to our communities, new study says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scientists are studying a new threat emerging from melting permafrost: ancient viruses. The authors of the study — published in PLOS Computational Biology, a peer-reviewed scientific journal — used computer simulations to model how ancient viruses could survive, evolve, and persist in our modern-day communities. This research marks the first "extensive exploration of the ecological risk" these viruses pose, according to the authors. In many of the simulations conducted in the study of the ancient viruses, researchers found that they could thrive in modern communities without making a catastrophic impact, but still caused "non-negligible ecological change." This means the viruses most likely to re-emerge successfully could also be the most likely to pose an ecological risk.

Organizations: Service Locations: French

☆ New study warns against risks of ‘time-traveling pathogens’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Ava Loomar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Through tens of thousands of iterations, the study team tracked how the virus affected species diversity of a bacterial community. About 1% of the ancient viruses caused major disruptions to the digital ecosystems. The pathogen either increased diversity by up to 12% or, conversely, decreased species diversity by 32%. The role of carbon emissionsModern organisms, including humans, have few, if any, natural defense mechanisms for ancient pathogens. If ancient pathogens did somehow manage to escape, they would have trouble finding people to infect.

Persons: Giovanni Strona, Corey Bradshaw, Jean, Michel Claverie’s, Claverie, Bradshaw, ”, Strona, Kimberley Miner, Miner Organizations: CNN, Asahi Shimbun, NASA, Marseille University School of Medicine, Laboratory, Flinders University, Commission’s, Research, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Locations: Greenland, Alaska, Siberia, Tibetan, Canada, Barrow , Alaska, Aix, Australia, Pasadena , California

☆ Skull reshaping was practiced for centuries in ancient Japan by men and women
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Modified skulls found in an ancient burial site in Japan were deliberately reshaped in both men and women as an expression of collective identity. It’s possible, the researchers suggested, that the Hirota cranial reshaping played a part in their trading success. For the new study, the scientists 3D-scanned and digitally modeled 19 adult Hirota skulls to conduct more detailed morphological analysis. Certain indentations were also identified in Hirota skulls but were absent in those of Jomon and Doigahama individuals. At the Hirota site, each marker indicates where burials were found along with the notes on their sex and approximate age group.

Persons: ”, Noriko Seguchi, James Frances Loftus III, ” Seguchi, Loftus, Seguchi, —, crania Organizations: CNN, Faculty of Social, Studies, Kyushu University, Kyushu University Museum Locations: Japan, Tanegashima, Asia, Europe, Germany, Croatia, China, Central America, Mexico, Americas

☆ America's wealthiest 10% are responsible for 40% of its climate-crisis-causing emissions. Tax them, researchers say.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The richest 10% of Americans' income has generated 40% of US carbon emissions, a new study found. Tax shareholders rather than focusing on consumers, the study authors argue. How much carbon emissions are produced in the supply chain to create the earnings of each income group, pre-tax. Not only was the top 10% earners' income generating over 40% of emissions, but the income of the top 1% was responsible for 15%-17% of emissions, they found. In the US, multiple proposals for a carbon tax have been introduced in Congress.

Persons: Peter Unger, Patrick T, Fallon, Jared Starr, Starr, Carlo Allegri, That's Organizations: Investments, Service, Getty Images, Getty, University of Massachusetts Amherst, International Monetary Fund Locations: Manhattan

☆ America’s richest 10% are responsible for 40% of its planet-heating pollution, new report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Robert Alexander/Getty ImagesTo do this, the researchers analyzed huge datasets spanning 30 years to connect financial transactions to carbon pollution. They found the wealthiest 10% in the US, households making more than about $178,000, were responsible for 40% of the nation’s human-caused, planet-heating pollution. But a household making money from the hospital industry would need to bring in $11 million to produce the same amount of planet-heating pollution. Identifying the main actors behind the climate crisis is vital for governments to develop policies that cut planet-heating pollution in a fair way, he added. “At the moment, the way the economy works is that it takes money and turns it into climate pollution that is destabilizing life on Earth,” Nicholas said.

Persons: CNN —, you’ve, it’s, ”, Jared Starr, Robert Alexander, ” Starr, Starr, Kimberly Nicholas, Mark Paul, ” Nicholas Organizations: CNN, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Santa, Santa Fe Municipal Airport, Lund University, Rutgers University, Oxfam, “ Locations: Santa Fe, Santa Fe , New Mexico, Sweden

☆ Ancient reptile was riddled with parasites, fossilized poop reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Researchers didn’t find the parasites in phytosaur bones or teeth; rather, they retrieved them from a nugget of fossilized feces, known as a coprolite. For example, certain fish with spiraling intestines poop out what eventually become spiral-shaped coprolites, according to Nonsrirach. “Studying the remains of parasites in coprolites is important since it provides us with rare insights into ancient parasite-host relationships,” Qvarnström said. “This event raises interesting questions about how prey animals and parasites interact with each other. It suggests that parasites may have been inside the bodies of prey before they were eaten,” Nonsrirach said.

Persons: didn’t, ”, Thanit Nonsrirach, “, Nonsrirach, Coprolites, Martin Qvarnström, Qvarnström, ” Qvarnström, ” Nonsrirach, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Mahasarakham, Uppsala University, University of California Museum of Paleontology, Scientific Locations: Thailand, Asia, Kham Riang, Sweden, Berkeley, coprolites

☆ This time of day is when workers make the most errors, according to a new study
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Aditi Shrikant | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Employee productivity and accuracy decreases during the afternoon, according to a recently published study in the science journal PLOS ONE. Unlike other studies which examine worker productivity, this one doesn't rely on self-evaluations or manager feedback. Instead, researchers tracked computer usage metrics like typing speed, mouse activity, and typing errors. Afternoons tended to be when most typing errors were made. And on Friday afternoons, specifically, there was a decrease in computer activity and increase in typos.

Persons: Taehyun Roh, ScienceDaily.com Organizations: Texas, M University

☆ Ornate necklace found in an ancient grave site of a child and reassembled
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Researchers have reassembled an ancient ornate necklace discovered in the grave of a child who lived in the Neolithic village of Ba’ja in what’s now southern Jordan. More than 2,500 colorful stone and shell beads were found in the grave, which was dated between 7400 and 6800 BC. In 2018, researchers discovered the grave of an 8-year-old child buried in a fetal position. Instead, researchers focused on the beads and the story they might tell about the child as well as Neolithic funerary practices. Decoding ancient meaningThe intricate design of the necklace, one of the oldest and most impressive Neolithic ornaments yet discovered, suggests the child was of high social status.

Persons: Hala Alarashi, Alice Burkhardt, Ba, It’s, ” Alarashi, ” Organizations: CNN —, Spanish National Research Council, University of Côte, Petra Museum Locations: Ba’ja, what’s, Jordan, Petra

☆ Move Over, Men: Women Were Hunters, Too
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Katrina Miller | More About Katrina Miller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The researchers also found that women were more flexible in their approaches to hunting as they aged. Which weapons they chose, the game they chased and who accompanied them during hunts changed with age and the number of children or grandchildren the hunters had. The details about female hunting patterns were not easy to uncover, Ms. Chilczuk said; the reports often prioritized discussions of the male hunters. But the findings, when they emerged, made a certain sense, she added: If hunting was the chief means of survival, why would only men participate? “I always assumed that women did hunt probably more often than was recognized,” she said.

Persons: “, they’re, ”, Scheffler, Chilczuk, Ms, Tammy Buonasera, —, Randy Haas, We’ve Organizations: University of Alaska, Wayne State University Locations: University of Alaska Fairbanks

☆ Big-headed Jurassic sea turtle’s fossil is the most complete ever found
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Few complete fossils of this Jurassic sea turtle, named Solnhofia parsonsi, have been discovered. Today’s marine turtle species all have elongated, rigid flippers to propel them through the ocean depths. But the newly described fossil’s limbs were stumpier than those of modern sea turtles relative to its body size. An artistic reconstruction shows the extinct sea turtle in its coastal marine environment. The newly described fossil presents a far more complete view of those limbs, showing that they differed dramatically from the extremities of sea turtles alive today.

Persons: Solnhofia, parsonsi, ”, Felix Augustin, Augustin, Márton Rabi, Peter Nickolaus S, ” Augustin, Rabi, ” Rabi, Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, geosciences, University of Tübingen, University of Tübingen’s, Scientific Locations: Europe, Germany, Bavaria, Switzerland

☆ Worms Revived After 46,000 Years Frozen in Siberian Permafrost
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Orlando Mayorquin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

At a time when the mighty woolly mammoth roamed the Earth, some 46,000 years ago, a minuscule pair of roundworms became encased in the Siberian permafrost. Millenia later, the worms, thawed out of the ice, would wriggle again, and demonstrate to scientists that life could be paused — almost indefinitely. The discovery, published this week in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS Genetics, offers new insight into how the worms, also known as nematodes, can survive in extreme conditions for extraordinarily long periods of time, in this case tens of thousands of years. In 2018, Anastasia Shatilovich, a scientist from the Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science RAS in Russia, thawed two female worms from a fossilized burrow dug by gophers in the Arctic.

Persons: wriggle, Anastasia Shatilovich Organizations: PLOS Genetics, Institute of Physicochemical, gophers Locations: Russia

☆ A worm has been revived after 46,000 years in the Siberian permafrost
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Scientists have revived a worm that was frozen 46,000 years ago — at a time when woolly mammoths, sabre-toothed tigers and giant elks still roamed the Earth. This a major finding,” he said, adding that other organisms previously revived from this state had survived for decades rather than millennia. Five years ago, scientists from the Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science in Russia found two roundworm species in the Siberian permafrost. The worm was found in the Siberian permafrost. But still, they didn’t know whether the worm was a known species.

Persons: Teymuras Kurzchalia, Kurzchalia, ”, Anastasia Shatilovich, Panagrolaimus kolymaenis, kolymaenis, —, Philipp Schiffer, Schiffer Organizations: CNN —, elks, Max Planck, Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Physicochemical, PLOS Genetics, of Zoology, University of Cologne, CNN Locations: Dresden, Science, Russia, Germany, Cologne

☆ A 46,000-year-old worm found in Siberian permafrost was brought back to life, and started having babies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Scientists revived a 46,000-year-old worm that was living in Siberian permafrost. When they brought it back to life, the worm started having babies. When they revived it, the worm started having babies via a process called parthenogenesis, which doesn't require a mate. According to a press release, the worm spent thousands of years in a type of dormancy called cryptobiosis. This new species, however, called Panagrolaimus kolymaensis, was dormant for tens of thousands of years longer.

Persons: Plectus, Holly Bik, William Crow, Crow Organizations: Service, Privacy, Scientists, Washington Post, University of Hawaiʻi, PLOS Genetics, University of Florida Locations: Wall, Silicon, Mānoa, tundras

☆ A Pancaked Turtle Fossil’s 150-Million-Year-Old Tale
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Asher Elbein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The hyper-saline, oxygen-poor conditions of these waters prevented scavengers from disturbing the bodies of animals that died in the lagoons. The area’s latest find is a beautifully preserved — if pancaked — turtle. Described in an article published Wednesday in the journal PLOS One, the specimen represents an approach to marine life unlike that of any shelled reptile today. The turtle’s name is Solnhofia, said Felix Augustin, a paleontologist at the University of Tübingen in Germany and an author of the study. Originally named in 1975, for decades the creature was known only from a pair of skulls found in Bavaria and Switzerland.

Persons: Felix Augustin Organizations: University of Tübingen Locations: Bavaria, Germany, Switzerland

☆ These ancient Egyptian paintings were hiding a secret
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.CNN —Researchers using a cutting-edge technique have discovered hidden details in two ancient Egyptian paintings in the Theban Necropolis, near the River Nile, that date back more than 3,000 years. Using portable chemical imaging technology, the researchers identified alterations made by the artists that are rare in Egyptian paintings, commonly thought to be the product of highly formalized workflows. We want to understand how these paintings were made.”X-ray fluorescence in chemical imaging technology helps to reveal alterations made in Egyptian tomb paintings that may not seem obvious to the naked eye. “It demonstrates the potential value of quantitative data, obtained through scientific analysis, for a more comprehensive and less subjective interpretation of ancient Egyptian art,” she said. “And the adaption of portable (X-ray) instruments as mobile devices designed for use in the field is a very exciting advancement in the study of ancient Egyptian wall paintings.”

Persons: ”, Philippe Martinez, Amenhotep III, Mona Lisa of Egypt, ” Martinez, “, Menna, Osiris, Ramesses II, Martinez, I’m, ” Joann Fletcher, Lorelei Corcoran Organizations: CNN —, Sorbonne University, MAFTO, UK’s University of York, of Egyptian Art, University of Memphis Locations: Paris, Egypt, Menna, Luxor, Tennessee

☆ Saber-Tooth Cats and Dire Wolves Carried a Terrible Disease in Their Bones
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Miriam Fauzia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Some 50,000 to 10,000 years ago as ice sheets melted and the planet warmed, around 100 species of gigantic animals started to disappear without a trace. Paleontologists have sought to understand exactly how these animals died off, including iconic predators like the saber-tooth cat and the dire wolf. Some hypotheses suggest stiff competition for limited food aggravated by the arrival of humans and gray wolves. But new evidence suggests a bone disease that can debilitate modern cats and dogs, and even some of their humans, may have also played a role. In a paper published Wednesday in the journal PLoS One, researchers report that as the climate shifted, the bones of saber-tooth cats and dire wolves became riddled with defects associated with osteochondrosis dissecans, or OCD, a severe developmental disease where holes form in bone caused by developing tissue that never hardened.

Persons: osteochondrosis dissecans, Mairin Balisi, Raymond M, Alf Organizations: Alf Museum of Paleontology, Claremont , Calif Locations: Claremont ,

☆ Being overweight not linked to dying early, study says, but questions remain
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Being overweight as defined by the body mass index rating scale is not linked to an increase in death when considered separately from other health issues, a new study found. “The use of the word ‘overweight’ is misleading here, as it excludes anyone with a BMI above 30. “This paper found an unequivocal association between BMI and mortality, before and after adjustment for risk factors,” said Leurent, who was not involved in the study. Being overweight may not lead to an early death, but may add to the risk of chronic disease, experts say. While the study did control for smoking and a variety of other diseases linked to early death, that information was only gathered once for each person in the survey.

Persons: ”, Aayush, Rutgers Robert Wood, ’, Baptiste Leurent, Leurent, Robert H, Shmerling, “, Soko, Visaria, Naveed Sattar, ” Sattar, Tom Sanders, Beth, they’ve, It’s, ” Visaria, it’s, University of Glasgow’s Sattar Organizations: CNN, BMI, US Centers for Disease Control, Rutgers, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, University College London, Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, Rutgers School of Public Health, University of Glasgow, King’s College London, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical, “, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, University of Glasgow’s Locations: New Brunswick , New Jersey, Boston, Scotland, “

☆ Virtually every orca in an endangered North American group is suffering from mysterious skin lesions, say scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

There has been an increase in skin disease in Pacfic north-west killer whales, a new study found. There is a possible connection between the skin lesions and the declining condition of the orcas. The study found that 99% of the animals examined exhibited the skin disease. Southern Resident killer whale showing gray targets in saddle patch on October 18, 2014. This comes during a growing interest in orcas after increasing killer whale boat interactions in other waters.

Persons: —, Joe Gaydos, UC Davis, Joseph K Gaydos Organizations: Service, Privacy, PLOS ONE, UC, Center for Whale Research Locations: Pacfic, orcas, Southern, British Columbia, Washington

☆ Shattering the myth of men as hunters and women as gatherers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But researchers have found that women in foraging societies were often the ones bringing home the bacon (and other prey, too). Of the 63 foraging communities examined, 50 had records documenting women hunting. Women hunted game of all sizes, “with large game pursued the most,” the study authors reported. Women also used specialized tools: In the Philippines, for example, Agta women hunted with knives, bows and arrows, or a combination of the two weapons, depending on personal preference. In many of the groups, it seemed as though women had a more flexible approach to hunting than men did, Wall-Scheffler said.

Persons: Cara Wall, Scheffler, “, ”, Vivek Venkataraman, ” Venkataraman, Venkataraman, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle Pacific, Charles University, University of Calgary, Scientific Locations: Czech Republic, Philippines, Canada

☆ Some of the earliest-known cave drawings were from Neanderthals, not humans, and they're 57,000 years old
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

57,000-year-old engravings on the walls of a French cave may have been the work of Neanderthals. The oldest Neanderthal cave engravingsThe markings are made up of lines, squiggles, and dots, likely made by fingers instead of tools. On the left are some curved lines and on the right are more wavy lines that researchers say were made by Neanderthals. Tim Schoon, University of IowaThough early researchers considered Neanderthals less advanced than humans, more recent findings have complicated that view. In 2018, researchers estimated a group of Spanish cave paintings were 65,000 years old and made by Neanderthals.

Persons: —, Claude Marquet, Shara Bailey, Homo sapiens, would've, Tim Schoon, It's, Bailey, sapiens, Cotard, lithics, La Organizations: Service, ONE, University of Tours, New York University, La Roche, University of Iowa Locations: France, La, Europe, Western Europe

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