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Categories: Anthropology: General, Ecology: General
Published Last chance to record archaic Greek language 'heading for extinction'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new data crowdsourcing platform aims to preserve the sound of Romeyka, an endangered millennia-old variety of Greek. Experts consider the language to be a linguistic goldmine and a living bridge to the ancient world.
Published When did the chicken cross the road? New evidence from Central Asia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international team of scholars present the earliest clear archaeological and biomolecular evidence for the raising of chickens for egg production, based on material from 12 archaeological sites spanning one and a half millennia. The research indicates that the domestic chicken, now a staple in diets around the world, is not as ancient as previously thought.
Published Older trees help to protect an endangered species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The oldest trees in the forest help to prevent the disappearance of endangered species in the natural environment, according to a new study. This is the case of the wolf lichen -- threatened throughout Europe --, which now finds refuge in the oldest trees in the high mountains of the Pyrenees. This study reveals for the first time the decisive role of the oldest trees in the conservation of other living beings thanks to their characteristic and unique physiology.
Published Melting glaciers in a warmer climate provide new ground for invasive species
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In 2022 and 2023, biologists from research institutes in the UK and the Falkland Islands led two expeditions to South Georgia to study the impacts of invasive species on this cold and rugged sub-Antarctic island. They report that several invasive plants and invertebrates rapidly colonized the new ground exposed by melting glaciers, leaving few pristine areas for native species. With ongoing climate change, more research is needed across the world to understand how invasive species impact the fragile ecosystems that develop after glacier melting.
Published Mosquito detectives track malaria's history
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A group of researchers is calling on colleagues around the world to join them in what they call 'pathogen prospecting' by tracking down archival specimens of mosquitoes in museums and other collections to examine them for pathogens that would have infected people with malaria while feeding on their blood.
Published New approach to monitoring freshwater quality can identify sources of pollution, and predict their effects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Analysing the diversity of organic compounds dissolved in freshwater provides a reliable measure of ecosystem health, say scientists.
Published Ancient DNA reveals the appearance of a 6th century Chinese emperor
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What did an ancient Chinese emperor from 1,500 years ago look like? A team of researchers reconstructed the face of Chinese Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou using DNA extracted from his remains. The study suggests the emperor's death at the age of 36 might be linked to a stroke. It also sheds light on the origin and migration patterns of a nomadic empire that once ruled parts of northeastern Asia.
Published DNA study IDs descendants of George Washington from unmarked remains, findings to aid service member IDs going back to World War II
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New DNA sequencing technologies have identified the historical remains of George Washington's grandnephews, Samuel Walter Washington and George Steptoe Washington Jr., and their mother, Lucy Payne Washington, from unmarked, fragmentary bones left at the Harewood family cemetery in Charles Town, West Virginia, in the mid-1800s.
Published Researchers find energy development and tree encroachment impact Wyoming pronghorn
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source While Wyoming is home to some of North America's most abundant populations of pronghorn that have largely been stable in recent years, a new analysis shows that many herds are experiencing long-term declines in fawn production.
Published Seeing the forest for the trees: Species diversity is directly correlated with productivity in eastern U.S. forests
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When officials make tough calls on which areas to prioritize for conservation, biodiversity is often their top consideration. But there are several types of diversity, and not all of them overlap perfectly. In a new study, researchers analyzed 20-years' worth of U.S. Forest Service data and show that the simplest measure of diversity is the best predictor of healthy forest growth, providing a roadmap for quickly and efficiently protecting ecological resources.
Published Uncovering the mystery of Dorset's Cerne Giant
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For centuries, the Cerne Giant, a figure carved into a hillside in Dorset, has fascinated locals and visitors to the area. A new paper proposes that the Cerne Giant can in fact be dated to the early Middle Ages, and, as a result, its cultural context and significance more clearly understood.
Published 'Winners and losers' as global warming forces plants uphill
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Some plant species will 'win' and others will 'lose' as global warming forces them to move uphill, new research shows.
Published Persian plateau unveiled as crucial hub for early human migration out of Africa
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study combining genetic, palaeoecological, and archaeological evidence has unveiled the Persian Plateau as a pivotal geographic location serving as a hub for Homo sapiens during the early stages of their migration out of Africa. It highlights the period between 70,000 to 45,000 years ago when human populations did not uniformly spread across Eurasia, leaving a gap in our understanding of their whereabouts during this time frame.
Published Unintended consequences of fire suppression
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reveals how fire suppression ensures that wildfires will burn under extreme conditions at high severity, exacerbating the impacts of climate change and fuel accumulation.
Published Tudor era horse cemetery in Westminster revealed as likely resting place for elite imported animals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Archaeological analysis of a near unique animal cemetery discovered in London nearly 30 years ago has revealed there was an international horse trading network, orchestrated by the elites of late medieval and Tudor England, which brought superior physical specimens to the UK for jousting and for use as status symbols.
Published Researchers name prehistoric amphibian ancestor discovered in Smithsonian collection after Kermit the Frog
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have uncovered the fossilized skull of a 270-million-year-old ancient amphibian ancestor in the collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. The team of researchers described the fossil as a new species of proto-amphibian, which they named Kermitops gratus in honor of the iconic Muppet, Kermit the Frog.
Published Species diversity promotes ecosystem stability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source What maintains stability within an ecosystem and prevents a single best competitor from displacing other species from a community? Does ecosystem stability depend upon the presence of a wide variety of species, as early ecologists believed, or does diversity do the exact opposite, and lead to instability, as modern theory predicts? A new study suggests an answer to this question that has been a subject of debate among ecologists for half a century.
Published Forest, stream habitats keep energy exchanges in balance, global team finds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Forests and streams are separate but linked ecosystems, existing side by side, with energy and nutrients crossing their porous borders and flowing back and forth between them. For example, leaves fall from trees, enter streams, decay and feed aquatic insects. Those insects emerge from the waters and are eaten by birds and bats. An international team has now found that these ecosystems appear to keep the energy exchanges in balance -- a finding that the scientists called surprising.
Published Toba supereruption unveils new insights into early human migration
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Working in the Horn of Africa, researchers have uncovered evidence showing how early modern humans survived in the wake of the eruption of Toba, one of the largest supervolcanoes in history, some 74,000 years ago. Modern humans dispersed from Africa multiple times, but the event that led to global expansion occurred less than 100,000 years ago. Some researchers hypothesize that dispersals were restricted to 'green corridors' formed during humid intervals when food was abundant and human populations expanded in lockstep with their environments. But a new study suggests that humans also may have dispersed during arid intervals along 'blue highways' created by seasonal rivers. Researchers also found evidence of cooking and stone tools that represent the oldest evidence of archery.
Published Monitoring and measuring biodiversity require more than just numbers; scientists advocate for change
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists advocate for change to promote standardized practices in the field -- a practice that has been missing from the science.