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Read previewThe popular Paleo diet is based on the belief that we are better off eating like our ancestors by sticking to a largely meat-heavy diet. "One way to think about it is as soon as anybody tells you that the Paleo diet was one thing, you can stop listening," said Pontzer, who wasn't involved in the study. The paleo diet is a high-protein diet that emphasizes unprocessed foods. AdvertisementThere is no one Paleo dietThis isn't the only research that disproves the model often held up by proponents of the modern-day definition of the Paleo diet. What's clear is that a meat-heavy diet isn't reflective of what people ate thousands of years ago.
Persons: , Randy Haas, Herman Pontzer, Pontzer, wasn't, Haas, Loren Cordain Organizations: Service, Business, University of Wyoming, Duke University, University of Liverpool, BI Locations: Peru, Patjxa, Germany
The footprints, found at several sites in southern Africa, were recently identified as the oldest birdlike tracks ever found, preceding the earliest known skeletal fossils of avians by about 60 million years. Some called the tracks birdlike, but others weren’t so sure. Ellenberger may have muddied the waters by assigning many differently shaped tracks to the ichnogenus, “and not all of them are birdlike,” Abrahams said. They could belong to other reptiles or cousins of dinosaurs that evolved birdlike feet,” Clarke said. During a trip to Maphutseng, a fossil locale in Lesotho, the team found a number of birdlike tracks from the Triassic Period.
Persons: , , Miengah Abrahams, Abrahams, Paul Ellenberger, Ellenberger, ” Abrahams, Julia Clarke, ” Clarke, there’s, Morphotype, paravians, , ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, University of Cape, University of Texas, Scientific Locations: Africa, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Austin, archosauria, Maphutseng, Lesotho
A new study found evidence of a previously unknown network of societies living in Central Europe in the Late Bronze Age. Researchers used satellite images from Google Earth to find 100 new prehistoric sites. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementArcheologists have discovered evidence of a previously unknown prehistoric civilization spanning 3,000 square miles across Central Europe. Experts have long believed that an advanced civilization that thrived in Central Europe during the Early and Middle Bronze Age, beginning in 2200 BC, was abandoned by 1600 BC.
Persons: Organizations: Service, PLOS, Agency's Locations: Central Europe, Pannonian, Hungary
That’s what scientists have interpreted from the pose of the dinosaur’s fossil skeleton. The study authors identified it as an alvarezsaurid, a type of small theropod (bipedal meat-eating dinosaur) with a long tail and legs and short front limbs. Alvarezsaurids are part of a larger dinosaur group called maniraptorans, which includes birds and birdlike dinosaurs that were their closest relatives. (A) A photo of the fossil skeleton found in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Kohta KuboThe new fossil suggests that this sleeping behavior may have been more common than expected among the non-avian relatives of the earliest birds, the researchers reported.
Persons: Sinornithoides, Jaculinykus yaruui, Kohta Kubo, , , Dr, Jingmai O’Connor, ” O’Connor, ” Kubo, Jaculinykus, Shuvuuia deserti, Kubo, Kobu, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Field, Paleobiology Research, Hokkaido University, Scientific Locations: Mongolia, Chicago, Jaculus, yaruu, Japan, alvarezsaurs
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
Researchers say a "digital detox" won't leave you with any withdrawal symptoms. AdvertisementAdvertisementGoing on a full "digital detox" may not be all that beneficial after all, according to a new study by researchers at Durham University. They say that the findings show social media may not be as addictive as some claim. The digital detox did cause the participants to feel fewer negative emotions, like intimidation and harassment, and many reported experiencing less FOMO. AdvertisementAdvertisementExperts haven't reached a consensus on how harmful and addictive social media really is.
Persons: disconnecting, , Molly Russell, Pinterest, Sally Andrews Organizations: Service, Durham University, Facebook, Meta, Nottingam Trent University
Head lice have plagued communities for centuries across the world. Now, a new study suggests lice DNA can help track human migration from continent to continent. AdvertisementAdvertisementTo complete the study, the researchers looked at 175 head lice from 18 sampling locations and nine geographic regions. More recently, around the 16th century, European colonizers brought their own head lice to the Americas when they arrived, according to NPR. AdvertisementAdvertisement"These lice are mirroring the colonization of the Americas," Ascunce told NPR.
Persons: , we've, Marina Ascunce, Ascunce, Alejandra Perotti, shouldn't, Perotti, — Ascunce Organizations: Service, US Department of Agriculture, NPR Locations: Americas, Bering Strait, Asia, North America, Africa
CNN —Of all 14,669 varieties of plants and animals found in Europe that were registered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species by the end of 2020, one-fifth of them face the risk of extinction, a new analysis has found. The thousands of species found in Europe that appear on the Red List account for nearly 10% of the continent’s total biodiversity, according to the paper. IPBES originally estimated that 1 million plant and animal species across the world were at risk of extinction, including about half a million insect varieties, based on inferences from Red List data. The data on invertebrates provided by the new analysis suggests the number of species threatened with extinction globally is actually closer to 2 million, Hochkirch said. Hochkirch said he hopes the analysis will spur further conservation action for insects and other threatened species in Europe.
Persons: , Axel Hochkirch, Hochkirch, Gerardo Ceballos, Ceballos, ” Ceballos, David Williams, ” Williams, Williams Organizations: CNN, International Union for Conservation, National Museum of, IUCN, of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Intergovernmental, Services, IPBES, University of Leeds, Agriculture Locations: Europe, Luxembourg
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Cock-a-Doodle-Doo
  + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Darren Incorvaia | ) www.nytimes.com   time to read: +2 min
“They are way smarter than you think,” Ms. Hillemacher said. Now, in a study published in the journal PLOS One on Wednesday, Ms. Hillemacher and her colleagues say they have found evidence that roosters can recognize themselves in mirrors. The mirror test is a common, but contested, test of self-awareness. The mirror test has since been used to assess self-recognition in many other species. But different cognitive processes are active in different situations, and there’s no reason to think that the mirror test is accurate for animals with vastly different sensory abilities and social systems than what chimps have.
Persons: Sonja Hillemacher, Ms, Hillemacher, Gordon Gallup, , , Onur Güntürkün, Inga Tiemann Organizations: University of Bonn, Ruhr University Bochum Locations: Germany
The scientists found large whales such as humpbacks and North Atlantic right whales were among the most vulnerable to climate change, and that other toothed whales and dolphins were also at high risk. The scientists looked at the animals' degree of exposure to climate change and sensitivity and capacity to adapt to it. “The U.S. is one of the most data-rich countries when it comes to marine mammals, and those data should be driving what are arguably some of the world’s strongest laws to protect marine mammals," she said. But the way climate change affects the giant animals is global in nature, so the broader approach is helpful, she said. Climate change also could affect the distribution and behavior of marine mammals, the study states.
Persons: Matthew Lettrich, ” Lettrich, Regina Asmutis, Silvia, , Laura Ganley, Ganley, , Gib Brogan, ” Brogan, Patrick Whittle Organizations: , National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, U.S, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Conservation, Anderson Cabot Center, Ocean, New, Aquarium, AP Locations: PORTLAND, Maine, U.S, North Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Massachusetts, Boston, New England, United States, of Maine, Georgia, Florida, Canada, Oceana
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 ,
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,
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
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