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☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

CNN —An ancient skull dating back 300,000 years is unlike any other premodern human fossil ever found, potentially pointing to a new branch in the human family tree, according to new research. Scientists believe the late Middle Pleistocene, which started around 300,000 years ago, was a pivotal period for the evolution of hominins — species that are regarded as human or closely related — including modern humans. However, this discovery, along with other recent research, is slowly changing what people know of the evolutionary pattern in the late Middle Pleistocene. It is similarly shaped to the mandible of Homo sapiens, our modern human species that evolved from Homo erectus. “More fossils and studies are necessary to understand their precise position in the human family tree,” she said.

Persons: ”, María Martinón, Torres, “ Organizations: CNN, National Research Center, Martinón Locations: China, Spain, United Kingdom, Hualongdong, Asia

☆ An ancient skull unlike any human ever seen is baffling scientists and could rewrite the story of our evolution
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An ancient skull found in China is like nothing scientists have ever seen. If it is an undiscovered human ancestor, it could rewrite the story of human evolution. The skull has facial features that are similar to early modern humans, which scientists think began to branch away from Homo erectus between 750,000 to 550,000 years ago. Human history is messier than we thoughtThis isn't the first time human remains have shaken up the neat evolutionary path that is thought to have led to humans. Findings of archaic human remains in Israel and Greece over the past few years dating back about 200,000 years also suggested human ancestors may have left Africa a lot earlier than previously thought.

Persons: Xiujie Wu, Maayan Harel, sapiens, Will Oliver Organizations: Service, Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Hualongdong, East China, East, East Asia, Saharan Africa, Morocco, Israel, Greece, Africa, London, Britain

We met a big leaf magnolia, which produces the largest flowers of any deciduous tree in North America. Its blooms, as big as my head, smelled like a warm Southern evening. It is an ancient species, having evolved 95 million years ago, long before bees existed. Osage oranges evolved in tandem with the giant ground sloths that roamed the earth some 80 million years ago and considered its fruit a delicacy; the sloths died out about 10,000 years ago. It’s one of his favorite trees in the arboretum.

Persons: Marder Locations: North America

☆ 300,000-year-old footprints are some of the oldest in Europe and show how our ancient ancestors co-existed with rhinos and elephants on lake and river shores
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-01 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Three fossilized footprints belong to an extinct species of ancient humans dating back 300,00 years. The prints are among the oldest in Europe and are the oldest ever found in Germany. The fossilized prints were covered for millennia, until a mining company began clearing the area to access coal deposits. The fossilized prints of ancient humans and animals paints a picture of how these species may have co-existed. Researchers found the first ancient rhino print in EuropeThe human prints were surrounded by many more fossilized footprints from prehistoric animals.

Persons: —, paleobotany, Flavio Altamura, Benoit Clarys, Jordi Serangeli, Serangeli, Altamura, antiquus Organizations: Service, University of Tübingen, Senckenberg Locations: Europe, Germany, Lower Saxony, Heidelberg, Schöningen, Siberia, Asia

☆ Cut marks on fossilized bone may reveal ancient cannibalism
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Nine cut marks on a fossilized shin bone suggest that ancient human relatives butchered and possibly ate one another 1.45 million years ago, according to a new study. “These cut marks look very similar to what I’ve seen on animal fossils that were being processed for consumption,” Pobiner said in a news release. Jennifer ClarkWhat the cut marks revealStudy coauthor Michael Pante, a paleoanthropologist at Colorado State University, created 3D models based on molds of marks on the bone. He said cut marks were reported on the cheek bone of a hominin fossil found in Sterkfontein, South Africa, in 2000 that could be about 2 million years old. Pobiner, however, said the source of the cut marks in that case was disputed.

Persons: Briana Pobiner, Pobiner, ” Pobiner, Marks, Jennifer Clark, Michael Pante, boisei, hominins, ” Silvia Bello, ”, Bello, Chris Stringer, Stringer Organizations: CNN, National Museums, Kenya’s, Museum, National Museum of, Washington DC, Colorado State University Locations: Kenya’s Nairobi, Washington, what’s, France, Sterkfontein, South Africa

☆ 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

☆ French cave markings may be oldest known engravings by Neanderthals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Made by dragging fingers across relatively soft rock, lines, swirls and dots on the walls of a cave in France are the oldest known engravings by Neanderthals, according to a new analysis of the ancient marks. The finding adds to a growing body of evidence that Neanderthals — who have been characterized as dim-witted cave dwellers — were creative beings and more complex than the stereotype suggests. Neanderthals’ ‘deliberate composition’To understand how the markings were made and whether they were intentional, the researchers made detailed 3D models of the engravings from photographs of the Loire Valley’s La Roche-Cotard cave using a process known as photogrammetry. Based on the shape, spacing and arrangement of these engravings, the team concluded that markings in eight panels in La Roche-Cotard cave were intentional shapes and patterns created by human hands. At some cave sites in Spain, there’s evidence — albeit contentious — that Neanderthals created abstract motifs and hand stencils.

Persons: Jean, Claude Marquet, Cotard, La Roche, JC Marquet Organizations: CNN, University of Tours Locations: France, La Roche, Europe, Bulgaria, Spain

☆ How interbreeding between humans and our Neanderthal cousins 40,000 years ago affects our health today
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Isobel Van Hagen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Interbreeding with Homo sapiens helps to explain why millions can't straighten their fingers. There is also a Neanderthal gene variant that increases the risk of somebody dying from COVID-19. The study evidences that "intermingling" from Neanderthals and our Homo sapiens ancestors is consequential in examining the prevalence of certain diseases, researchers said. No more than 7% of the human genome is unique to Homo sapiens, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. Brain development and function are what sets Homo sapiens apart, experts explained.

Persons: sapiens, —, Hugo Zeberg, Nikola Solic, Zeberg Organizations: Service, British Society for Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Times Locations: COVID, Europe, Finland, Africa, Sweden, Asia

☆ The future of medicine may lie in space
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Days after I got my first taste of working at a lab bench, a company set forth to prove scientific research can be successfully done in orbit without any humans present. Look upVarda Space Industries plans to use a small capsule, shown in the rendering above, to conduct pharmaceutical research in space. Varda Space industriesThe future of medicine may take flight in space. Unearthed in Ethiopia in 1974 and representing 40% of a skeleton, the remains revealed an early human relative who lived millions of years before Homo sapiens. Meanwhile, other, more recent fossil discoveries are shaking up what we know about early human migration.

Persons: Varda, Lucy, Dave Einsel, paleoanthropologist Dr, Ashleigh L.A, Wiseman, waddle, Frank Postberg, Jochen Brocks, —, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, Logan Science Journalism, Marine Biological, Space Industries, Research, British Antarctic Survey, Sky, University of Cambridge, ATP, Freie Universität Berlin, Australian National University, CNN Space, Science Locations: Woods Hole , Massachusetts, California, Antarctica, Weddell, Ethiopia, Barney Creek, Northern Australia, Australia, New England

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