Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Anthropology: Early Humans, Geoscience: Volcanoes
Published Fossil hotspots in Africa obscure a more complete picture of human evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study shows how the mismatch between where fossils are preserved and where humans likely lived may influence our understanding of early human evolution.
Published Decoding the world's largest animal genome
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have sequenced the largest genome of all animals, the lungfish genome. Their data help to explain how the fish-ancestors of today's land vertebrates were able to conquer land.
Published Smallest arm bone in human fossil record sheds light on the dawn of Homo floresiensis
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study reports the discovery of extremely rare early human fossils from the Indonesian island of Flores, including an astonishingly small adult limb bone. Dated to about 700,000 years old, the new findings shed light on the evolution of Homo floresiensis, the so-called 'Hobbits' of Flores whose remains were uncovered in 2003 at Liang Bua cave in the island's west.
Published Genetic signatures of domestication identified in pigs, chickens
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Wild boars and red junglefowl gave rise to common pigs and chickens. These animals' genes evolved to express themselves differently, leading to signatures of domestication -- such as weaker bones and better viral resistance -- in pigs and chickens, according to a research team.
Published Half a billion-year-old spiny slug reveals the origins of mollusks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Exceptional fossils with preserved soft parts reveal that the earliest mollusks were flat, armored slugs without shells. The new species, Shishania aculeata, was covered with hollow, organic, cone-shaped spines. The fossils preserve exceptionally rare detailed features which reveal that these spines were produced using a sophisticated secretion system that is shared with annelids (earthworms and relatives).
Published Recent volcanic 'fires' in Iceland triggered by storage and melting in crust
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have detected geochemical signatures of magma pooling and melting beneath the subsurface during the 'Fagradalsfjall Fires', that began on Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula in 2021. Samples show that the start of the eruption began with massive pooling of magma, contrasting initial hypothesis for magma ascent straight from the mantle.
Published New study disputes Hunga Tonga volcano's role in 2023-24 global warm-up
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research is exploring the climate impact of the 2022 Hunga Tonga volcano eruption and challenging existing assumptions about its effects in the process.
Published Ancient microbes offer clues to how complex life evolved
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have discovered that a single-celled organism, a close relative of animals, harbors the remnants of ancient giant viruses woven into its own genetic code. This finding sheds light on how complex organisms may have acquired some of their genes and highlights the dynamic interplay between viruses and their hosts.
Published Insight into one of life's earliest ancestors revealed in new study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have shed light on Earth's earliest ecosystem, showing that within a few hundred million years of planetary formation, life on Earth was already flourishing.
Published 'A history of contact': Geneticists are rewriting the narrative of Neanderthals and other ancient humans
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using genomes from 2,000 living humans as well as three Neanderthals and one Denisovan, an international team mapped the gene flow between the hominin groups over the past quarter-million years.
Published Ancient dingo DNA shows modern dingoes share little ancestry with modern dog breeds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A study of ancient dingo DNA revealed that the distribution of modern dingoes across Australia, including those on K'gari (formerly Fraser Island), pre-dates European colonization and interventions like the dingo-proof fence.
Published Extinct humans survived on the Tibetan plateau for 160,000 years
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Bone remains found in a Tibetan cave 3,280 m above sea level indicate an ancient group of humans survived here for many millennia.
Published First case of Down syndrome in Neanderthals documented in new study
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study documents the first case of Down syndrome in Neanderthals and reveals that they were capable of providing altruistic care and support for a vulnerable member of their social group.
Published Iceland's volcano eruptions may last decades
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists predict from geochemical data that Iceland is entering a new volcanic era that will last for decades, possibly centuries. Under an hour's drive from the country's capital city, the ongoing eruptions pose considerable risks for economic disruption, and they leave evacuated communities uncertain of a possible return.
Published Origins of cumulative culture in human evolution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cumulative culture -- the accumulation of technological modifications and improvements over generations -- allowed humans to adapt to a diversity of environments and challenges. But, it is unclear when cumulative culture first developed during hominin evolution. A new study concludes that humans began to rapidly accumulate technological knowledge through social learning around 600,000 years ago.
Published Early Homo sapiens facilitated the establishment of the Bonelli's eagle in the Mediterranean 50,000 years ago
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have unraveled the ancestral history of one of the most iconic birds of prey in the current Iberian fauna: the Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata). The study combines evidence from several disciplines, including palaeontology, genetics and ecology, to answer questions about when and why the Bonelli's eagle, a species primarily found in tropical and subtropical areas, colonized the Mediterranean Basin.
Published Video analysis of Iceland 2010 eruption could improve volcanic ash forecasts for aviation safety
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Video footage of Iceland's 2010 Eyjafjallaj kull eruption is providing researchers with rare, up-close observations of volcanic ash clouds -- information that could help better forecast how far explosive eruptions disperse their hazardous ash particles.
Published Mapping lava flows with groundbreaking field instrument
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers develop a tool for measuring the viscosity of lava that could increase our understanding of molten rock as well as better improve models of its movement, giving authorities crucial guidance for keeping people safe. They attached a metal rod to a force gauge for accurate measurements and coupled it with a second rod to measure displacement. The entire instrument is designed to be both lightweight enough to be hand-held and durable enough to hold up in a volcanic environment.
Published Bringing back an ancient bird
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using ancient DNA extracted from the toe bone of a museum specimen, biologists have sequenced the genome of an extinct, flightless bird called the little bush moa, shedding light into an unknown corner of avian genetic history. The work is the first complete genetic map of the turkey-sized bird whose distant living cousins include the ostrich, emu, and kiwi.
Published Earth scientists describe a new kind of volcanic eruption
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By analyzing the dynamics of 12 back-to-back explosions that happened in 2018, researchers describe a new type of volcanic eruption mechanism. The explosions were driven by sudden pressure increases as the ground collapsed, which blasted plumes of rock fragments and hot gas into the air, much like a classic stomp-rocket toy.