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☆ Pompeii: Ancient DNA rewrites the stories of people buried by volcanic eruption
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Ancient DNA has revealed surprises about the identities of some people who perished in the ancient Roman town of Pompeii after a volcanic eruption, overturning misconceptions about their genetic relationships, ancestry and sex. Ash and volcanic rock called pumice then covered Pompeii and its residents, preserving scenes of the victims of the city’s destruction like an eerie time capsule. While the Greeks, Etruscans and Samnites attempted to conquer it, Pompeii became a Roman colony, the study authors noted. In 2015, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii began efforts to restore 86 of the 104 casts originally made by Fiorelli. Together, park scientists and the study authors are working on a larger project to better understand the genetic diversity present in Pompeii during the Roman Empire.

Persons: Giuseppe Fiorelli, ”, David Reich, restorers, David Caramelli, Massimo Osanna, Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Valeria Amoretti, ” Caramelli, Reich, Steven Tuck, Tuck, ” Tuck, Caitie Barrett, Barrett, Homer’s “, Bacchus, Alissa Mittnik, “, ” Barrett, Michael Anderson, Anderson, ” Anderson Organizations: CNN, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, University of Florence, Villa, Miami University in, Cornell University, Max Planck Institute, Evolutionary Anthropology, Harvard, San Francisco State University Locations: Pompeii, Naples, what’s, Italy’s Campania, Roman, Italy, Miami University in Ohio, archaeogenetics, Britain, North Africa, Alexandria, Egypt, Bay

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

☆ ‘The scent of eternal life’ resurrects an ancient Egyptian aroma
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A long time agoDammar resin, an ingredient used in embalming, appears next to a bottle of the recreated ancient scent. When the ice disappears, the bears are forced to go on land and attempt to survive without access to food. The planetary nebula, an enormous cloud of cosmic gas and dust, is home to the remnants of a dying star. See images from around the world showcasing this rare sight, which won’t happen again until 2037. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: Barbara Huber, balms, ”, James Webb, Shashwat Harish, Kathy Moran, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Moesgaard Museum, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, James Webb Space Telescope, ESA, Webb, NASA, — Pilots, CNN Space, Science Locations: Egypt, Indonesian, Flores, London, Italy, Florida, India

☆ Oldest DNA reveals life in Greenland 2 million years ago
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

NEW YORK — Scientists discovered the oldest known DNA and used it to reveal what life was like 2 million years ago in the northern tip of Greenland. With animal fossils hard to come by, the researchers extracted environmental DNA, also known as eDNA, from soil samples. Studying really old DNA can be a challenge because the genetic material breaks down over time, leaving scientists with only tiny fragments. In their study, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, they compared the DNA to that of different species, looking for matches. He worked on the study that previously held the “oldest DNA” record, from a mammoth tooth around a million years old.

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