#Evolution
weird question for people who study the evolution of plants: The ability of trees to generate cloud seeding aerosols seems like an advantageous adaptation, any idea when it evolved?
(inspired by this article: https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/09/this-cloud-particle-is-making-climate-calculations-hazy/ )
#Genetic research is identifying #disease_resistant super #corals in the Caribbean.
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-genetic-disease-resistant-super-corals-caribbean.html
#Genome study reveals 30 years of Darwin's #finch #evolution
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-genome-reveals-years-darwin-finch.html
Explosion in #fish #biodiversity due to #genetic recycling, study shows.
#cichlids #phylogenomics #adaptive_radiation #evolution #speciation
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-explosion-fish-biodiversity-due-genetic.html
Timing #plant #evolution with a fast-ticking #epigenetic clock.
#DNA_methylation #molecular_clock #arabidopsis
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-evolution-fast-ticking-epigenetic-clock.html
Mutual Aid a Factor of Evolution - Introduction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcKfA4IPOMk&ab_channel=AudibleAnarchist
Russian anarchist Peter Kropotkin's massively influential work on mutual aid and co-operation as a factor in evolution, written in 1902.
#MutualAid #cooperation #evolution #social #introduction
Why haven’t we found aliens? A physicist shares the most popular theories. | Brian Cox
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTjgrG2UY30
#Aliens #AlienLife #Universe #BigThink #Theory #FermiParadox #Question #Humans #Evolution #Civilization #ThingsToEvolve
In a real sense, men are the product of women.
😃 So it's not my fault?
Finally, a book on women as evolutionary drivers.
#Beispiel für die #Veränderung der #Informationssituation in der #Industrialisierung und für einen #Versuch auf #Anpassung im #Absolutismus.
#Bericht des #Magistrat zur #Auflistung einer #genauen #Übersicht über #Fabriken und #fabrikähnliche #Gewerbetätigkeiten in #Osnabrück 1845;
#Geeignetheit; #Evolution; #Evolutionstheorie; #Sinn; #Begriff; #Theoriemittel
Das #verwendete #Vokabular stammt aus der #Medienepoche des #Buchdruck;
Just wanted to weigh in and say this is a great answer thread by @ajcullum on #evolution -- I was going to reply to @nealcurtis 's question, but I wouldn't improve it. Nice to see informed social media and thoughtfulness.
Analysis of "Is Evolution Taught Fairly in Textbooks? A High School Senior Investigates" by ID The Future
-- Lies in the Textbooks? --
(from Jackson Wheat)
#evolution #intelligentDesign #science #education
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp_mJ35Dzhc
The study, which is newly published in the Journal of Human #Evolution, confirms previous scant evidence, and supports a multistep evolutionary scenario for the culturalization of the human body.
#Anthropology #Archeology #sflorg
https://www.sflorg.com/2023/09/ant09292301.html
A question for evolutionary biologists: has there ever been an evolutionary mutation that has been as destructive of the ecosphere as humans? Secondly, if mutations are adaptations to the environment how do we explain a mutation that destroys it? In other words, should the wider environment act as a regulator? Apologies if these are dumb questions. #evolution #biology #climate #EvolutionaryBiology
On the Origins of Phenotypic Parallelism in Benthic and Limnetic Stickleback https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad191 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
An intriguing new finding re a key ingredient of conscience (project led by Victor Odouard) —
"Polarize, catalyze, and stabilize: how a minority of norm internalizers amplify group selection and punishment"
#conscience #cooperation #evolution
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00265-023-03380-0
Convergent Evolution in a Murine Intestinal Parasite Rapidly Created the TGM Family of Molecular Mimics to Suppress the Host Immune Response https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evad158 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
28-Sep-2023
Garumbatitian: A new giant dinosaur in the Lower Cretacic of the Iberian Peninsula
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1003035 #science #evolution #paleontology #dinosaurs
28-Sep-2023
A turtle time capsule: DNA found in ancient shell
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1003060 #science #ancientDNA #paleontology #evolution #genome
How Moral Language Can Be Harmful: Addressing, "Evolution is the Dumbest and Most Evil Religion! by AnswersInReason
https://www.tiktok.com/@answersinreason/video/7231969401463983386
#Ethics #EthicsandMorality #Evolution #Language #Metaethics #Morality #MoralPhilosophy #Religion #Science
Hello interwebz!
Back for #Evoluncheons after a week of travel and drowning in a sea of papers. This took all day again -_-
Actually organizing by #evolution 🦠 🧬 🧪 themes from now on, hopefully easier to digest.
https://evoluncheons.blogspot.com/2023/09/28-sep-2023.html
We have 🧵:
28-Sep-2023
A few essential genetic differences tailor flowers to bee or hummingbird #pollinators
Around 20 sites spread across the genome distinguish bee- and hummingbird-pollinated wild Penstemons
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1002279
#science #ecology #bees #hummingbirds #genome #evolution #plants
28-Sep-2023
Innovative approach reveals environmental mechanisms of the #EndCretaceous extinction
Wer meint, #Evolution lasse sich durch das Prinzip "Variation und Selektion" leicht verstehen, sollte mal versuchen, den Verlust gewisser Fischaugen zu erklären …
— Heute in unserer Freitags-#Kolumne: 👉 https://www.laborjournal.de/editorials/2846.php
Examining the genesis of #CRISPR's molecular scissors.
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-genesis-crispr-molecular-scissors.html
It's official: @mathonco receives $10.4 Million to Develop Treatment Strategies to Overcome Drug Resistance in Lung Cancer. Happy to be project leader with friend and college Andriy Marusyk in a grant led by @sandy and Bob Gatenby. #Cancer #Evolution #Ecology
Our latest newsletter, Swiss #Bioinformatics, is out!
Read more on our brand new visual identity, a project to prevent childhood #obesity, how we are enabling an unprecedented level of #datasharing and the uncovering of the #protein universe. As well as our efforts to harness Swiss #bioinformatics for #biodiversity.
Link: tinyurl.com/4s3mmf3t
Subscribe and stay up to date with the latest from SIB and its community! Link: sib.swiss/#newsletter
There is no universal law that says 100% of reality needs to be comprehensible to a species that evolved brains just savvy enough to catch our babies as they fall out of a tree and avoid snakes on the savannas. That we've used this basic wiring to tease out so much of how and why reality operates is nothing short of remarkable.
______________
#reality
#evolution
#Genomes of enigmatic tusk shells provide new insights into early molluscan #evolution https://phys.org/news/2023-09-genomes-enigmatic-tusk-shells-insights.html
#Scaphopoda is the sister taxon to #Bivalvia: Evidence of ancient incomplete lineage sorting https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2302361120
"#Scaphopods exhibit a mosaic of features resembling other lineages: tentacles like the arms of #cephalopods, unique shell ontology similar to #bivalves, and a partially degenerated head that seemingly represents an intermediate state between bivalves and #gastropods"
What is good for the human species is generally not so good for all the other species. #evolution #extinctions #anthropocentric #species #ClimateChange #GlobalWarming
I really enjoy sweet bread.
Hallah, brioche, dinner rolls - incredible.
Add in some raisins, as a treat? Incredible!
Billions of years of evolution and thousands of years of societal progress enables me to eat lemon poppy seed loafs and that is SO great.
Notably, wonder bread and similar sweet bread products don't do it for me. Something about what they represent to me, I think.
Updated Phylogeny and Protein Structure Predictions Revise the Hypothesis on the Origin of MADS-box Transcription Factors in Land Plants https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad194 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
The Genomic Basis of Adaptation to High Elevations in Africanized Honey Bees https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evad157 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
Tom Wessels: The Ecology of Coevolved Species
New England Forests
...examples of animal and plant species that have evolved together and thus shaped each other's ecological roles.... Tom takes us into the forest to explain the ecological principles ... with examples of plants, birds, lichens, and insects.
Tom Wessels is a terrestrial ecologist and Antioch University New England professor emeritus. #EnvironmentalStudies #Climate_Change #Biodiversity #Ecology #Evolution
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCAvBmY7ZgA
Do you want to have a general evidence-based understanding of how human civilizations work?
Listen to the Dissenter: #839 Michael Muthukrishna: A Theory of Everyone
Episode webpage: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thedissenter/episodes/839-Michael-Muthukrishna-A-Theory-of-Everyone-e288lo0
#psychology #evolution #economics #business #ClimateChange #EvolutionaryBiology #CulturalEvolution #genetics #SocialPsychology
A map of the protein universe from #AlphaFold, to boost research and support prediction of unknown #protein families and their functions on a large scale. A study from the group of @TorstenSchwede #AI
This is one of 2 articles led by SIB Groups published in the same issue of Nature. Find out more on the second as well from @pedrobeltrao’s team who looked at protein structures from AlphaFold, uncovering new insights into human #immunity and #evolution.
Read the news: http://tinyurl.com/mr2rmpfc
Good morning. 🕊️☮️☕
27 September 2023
Years ago, at work, in a conversation with a couple of my work friends, and the subject of biological evolution came up. I tried to explain that natural selection is a real thing, which only made them angry. Of course, they pointed out that the "Theory of Evolution" was only a theory and I pointed out that the definition of a scientific theory wasn't. what they thought it was. We went on and on, but they were absolutely positive that the Earth was only about 6000 years old. etc., etc., etc. So, I shut up and let them be. Though, I'm still confounded to this day about how closed-minded people can be even when presented with evidence.
“When you engage in an argument. Always remember that crazy people see themselves as normal. In their mind there is nothing wrong with them or what they are doing. Only normal people see them being crazy.” - De philosopher DJ Kyos
#photo #photography #photographer #birdwatching #morning #confrontation #evolution
A tiny sea creature called a comb jelly has a surprising role in human evolution, a new study reveals. This creature, which is not related to jellyfish, has a nervous system that is more complex than previously thought. The study suggests that the nervous system evolved independently in different branches of life, and that humans share some genes with comb jellies.
“If a group of animals doesn’t need to ‘think,’ evolution will remove their brains. ‘We burn so many calories in our heads. Why would you maintain this expensive information-processing organ if you don’t need it?’” From a story by Michael Marshall in The Guardian on whether sponges or comb jellies were the first evolutionary “trailblazers.” https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/sep/09/sponge-versus-comb-jelly-ancestor-evolution-debate #brains #evolution
Aaah, excited! The #Protolang 8 conference (https://sites.google.com/view/protolang8/home 27-28 September, 2023) at Roma Tre university in #Rome 🇮🇹 is just beginning. :D Two days full of #language #evolution #science. 🧠🗣️🙊 *bounces happily*
Growth-dependent Gene Expression Variation Influences the Strength of Codon Usage Biases https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad189 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
All that #evolution
and it made a #cat.
Evolution of Thought and the Uncanny Valley
In this AI episode -- starring Atomic Dave and AI research -- we dig into the idea of how thought and thinking has evolved over the last century and led us deeper into the Uncanny Valley.
#AI #DavidBoles #HumanMeme #Podcast #UncannyValley #Thought #Thinking #Evolution
https://humanmeme.com/evolution-of-thought-and-the-uncanny-valley
Early Divergence and Gene Exchange Highways in the Evolutionary History of Mesoaciditogales https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evad156 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
Investigating the link between #iron deficiency and regulation of #cell_growth.
#evolution #anabolism #mTOR #KDM3B #LAT3, #RAPTOR
https://phys.org/news/2023-09-link-iron-deficiency-cell-growth.html
Only 22% of Americans believe humans evolved without God's intervention. 40% are straight-up creationists.
With poll results like these how Americans can hope to solve any complex problems that ail them? Without critical thinking skills in the population how a #democracy can even function?
How complex problems like #ClimateChange or #inequality could ever be addressed in an informed way?
https://news.gallup.com/poll/261680/americans-believe-creationism.aspx
Today I watched a little video of wild cockatoos fashioning drumsticks and drumming on logs as part of a courtship display.
🥁 🦜 🤯
The Architecture of Metabolic Networks Constrains the Evolution of Microbial Resource Hierarchies https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad187 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
We carry DNA from extinct cousins like Neanderthals. Science is now revealing their genetic legacy.
AP reports: https://flip.it/OUkI13
‘EvoHom’: human evolution board game on Kickstarter
Just like in life, the outcome isn't certain!
https://aiptcomics.com/2023/09/23/evohom-human-evolution-stemsapien-game/
Time for a new #introduction
I'm a #ComputerScience #PhD candidate at the #University of #Vermont (#UVM). There, I'm doing #AI and #ALife #research with Josh Bongard and many others. Themes include #evolution, #evolvability, innate #intelligence, #cells, #bodies, and #endosymbiosis.
I believe #science should be open and accessible, so I write about my ideas on a #Wordpress #blog, review relevant books on #Goodreads, and publish my source code on #Github (links in my profile).
I'm passionate about #diversity, #social-justice, #sustainability, #ethics, #philosophy, and all things #tech. In my personal life, I love #food and #cooking, #yoga, #hiking, #art and #StarTrek.
I worked for many years on #Google #Search as a #software #engineer, #techlead, and #manager. I used to be proud of that, but lately I have concerns.
My favorite #programming language is #Python, but I know many more, and lately have been quite enjoying #CUDA #GPU programming in #cplusplus.
21-SEP-2023
This parasitic plant convinces hosts to grow into its own flesh—it’s also an extreme example of genome shrinkage
Last week to apply for the open position @dee_unil for a professor in Evolutionary Ecology! Assistant prof level, associate prof possible. #Ecology #Evolution #ecoevo #TenureTrack https://www.unil.ch/dee/home/menuinst/open-position-in-evolutionary-ecology.html
I believe that “Capitalism” could be “The Great Filter" that defeats us.
Horizontally Transferred DNA in the Genome of the Fungus Pyricularia oryzae is Associated With Repressive Histone Modifications https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad186 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
#NewSpecies of Ostrich-Mimic Dinosaur Discovered in Japan https://www.sci.news/paleontology/tyrannomimus-fukuiensis-12284.html
New #theropod #dinosaur from the Lower #Cretaceous of Japan provides critical implications for the early #evolution of #ornithomimosaurs https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-40804-3
"Ornithomimosaurs first appeared in the Early Cretaceous and persisted until Late Cretaceous. Almost all of them were toothless, and apparently their jaws were covered by a horny beak; they also had very long legs and arms."
the podcast arthro-pod has recently released two great works, one on insect wings and one on insect legs, which cover the shape, parts, adaptations, and evolutionary history of insect wings and legs.
The wings episode covers four different hypotheses for how wings evolved, which is more than the usual two.
https://arthro-pod.blogspot.com/2023/09/arthro-pod-ep-144-on-fly-with-insect.html
https://arthro-pod.blogspot.com/2023/08/arthro-pod-ep-143-bugs-have-legs-and.html
Please RT!
⌛️ 2 weeks left to apply!
We offer a 4-year PhD-position @Mol_Ecol
@uniinnsbruck
with a focus on #ants
Announcement & application:
https://lfuonline.uibk.ac.at/public/karriereportal.details?asg_id_in=13778
Info on Working Group: https://molecular-ecology.at
Evolution of Human Brain Left–Right Asymmetry: Old Genes with New Functions https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad181 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
How do seeds travel from one place to another? Why do #flowers have different colors and shapes, and how do some turn into fruits? How did these two types of reproduction evolve? And why are seeds and flowers important to plants, animals, and humans? 🌹🌸💐🌺🌻
In the latest episode of #CrashCourse, American forager and cook Alexis Nikole Nelson introduces the plant kingdom’s evolutionary innovators: #angiosperms and #gymnosperms. 🌱🌱
👉 Learn more: https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/seeds-flowers-evolution-gymnosperms-angiosperms-crash-course-botany
Scientists discover evidence of extinct species of humans from half a million years ago | The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/prehistoric-humans-extinct-archaeology-b2415126.html
#ExtinctSpecies
#Humans
#Evolution
#Archeology
#Technology
#CognitiveAbilities
#Africa
Bright City Lights Linked To Smaller Eyes In Urban Birds: Study | WSUPullman | Global Change Biology
by @GrrlScientist via ForbesScience / Forbes
#ornithology #UrbanBirds #evolution #ecology #LightPollution https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2023/09/20/bright-city-lights-linked-to-smaller-eyes-in-urban-birds-study/
Fascinating to see how #trains have evolved over #time.
#evolution #rail #railways
Source : @EvoIutlon
pic.twitter.com/52zNf8VgaI
Inferring the Direction of Introgression Using Genomic Sequence Data https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad178 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
New special collection in Insect Systematics and Diversity: 16 articles useful to demonstrate and teach key concepts and methods in systematics, evolution, and biodiversity of insects and related arthropods. #entomology #insects #systematics #evolution #biodiversity https://academic.oup.com/isd/pages/systematics-evolution-taxonomy
Beyond X and Y: #Fish have different methods of sex determination https://oceanbites.org/beyond-x-and-y-fish-have-different-methods-of-sex-determination/
Rapid turnover and #evolution of sex-determining regions in Sebastes #rockfishes https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/mec.17090
"Some fish even change sex partway through their adult life, based on size or age! Closely related species of fish often have different #SexChromosomes or lack clear sex #chromosomes altogether, indicating that #SexDetermination evolves quickly and is highly variable."
Genetic Architecture of Flowering Time Differs Between Populations With Contrasting Demographic and Selective Histories https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad185 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
6/6 I’ve implemented this a couple of times in my #engineering work over the years and it’s fascinating to watch #evolution in action, right there on my computer, coming up with implausibly complex solutions that I never explicitly specified because I never knew them—or had to know.
Emergent complexity arising from nothing but mutation, crossover, natural and sexual selection, and genetic drift. Give it a billion years or two and you may even see microscopic floating blobs turn into people.
What do you get when a domesticated #dog breeds with a wild female Pampas #fox? A viable crossbreed. Neat! #science #Biology #evolution
How did #eukaryotes evolve for extreme temps? https://www.futurity.org/high-temp-eukaryotes-2972442-2/ #protists
#ExtremeEnvironments offer an unprecedented opportunity to understand #microbial #eukaryotic #ecology, #evolution, and #genome #biology: Hannah Rappaport & Angela Oliverio https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-40657-4
“several lineages of #amoebae were often recovered from extremely high temperature environments. Studying those lineages may yield great insight into how eukaryotic cells can adapt to life in extremely hot environments.”
From 14 Sep: Birds’ problem-solving skills linked to song complexity - Enlarge / Despite the gaudy clothing, this guy is remarkably crafty.Arthur Morris ... https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/09/birds-problem-solving-skills-linked-to-song-complexity/ #behavioral-science #biology #bird-song #birds #evolution #intelligence #science
#Cats first worked their way into human hearts thousands of years ago when the African wildcat realized the evolutionary advantage of sticking close to humans.
And if you have a cat, this comes to no surprise:
They continue to be master manipulators doing things like changing their purrs and “meow” to curry human favor.
https://theconversation.com/cats-first-finagled-their-way-into-human-hearts-and-homes-thousands-of-years-ago-heres-how-208909
#evolution #science #caturday #catsofmastodon
Strong Purifying Selection in Haploid Tissue–Specific Genes of Scots Pine Supports the Masking Theory https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msad183 #science #evolution #biology #genome #evolgen_paper
In 1809, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed the theory that animals evolve according to their need and that they pass their acquired characteristics to their offspring. #Poetry #Science #History #Evolution #Lamarck (https://sharpgiving.com/thebookofscience/items/p1809.html)
Explorer l’Arbre de la vie (Kew) : 10 699 spécimens d'angiospermes provenant de 64 ordres, 413 familles, 8 336 genres et 10 377 espèces
https://treeoflife.kew.org/
#botanique #science #biologie #angiospermes #Kew #végétation #évolution #plantes
Get PhyloPic posters and Pocket Phylogenies as reward add-ons for backing the PALEOCENE #4 crowdfunding campaign by @keeseycomics! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/keesey/paleocene-4-comic-book/posts/3905852 #sciart #scicomm #biology #evolution #evolutionarybiology #paleoart #deeptime #prehistoric #silhouette
Pocket Phylogenies—visual aids that fit in your wallet for explaining evolution-related questions. Print-out available free here: https://keesey.gumroad.com/l/pocketphylogenies #evolution #evolutionarybiology #sciart #SciArtSeptember #phylogenetics #biology
@Sheril @keesey
First thought: pretty cool!
Second: What do the different directions stand for?
#evolution #sociology
#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BLABBERMOUTH
HENRY ROLLINS: Why I Stopped Making Music
During a recent appearance on producer Rick Rubin's "Broken Record" podcast, punk rock icon Henry Rollins discussed his decision to stop making music 15 years ago
https://blabbermouth.net/news/henry-rollins-why-i-stopped-making-music
#HenryRollins #Music #LogicVersusPassion #LawOfDiminishingReturns #Evolution #Dreams #Growth #CreativeFreedom
#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
BARONESS' JOHN BAIZLEY Discusses His Favorite Shows Ever, Ending The Band's Color Theme & The Evolution Of His Art
Take a deep dive with John!
#Baroness #JohnBaizley #FavoriteShows #EndingColorTheme #Evolution #Art
Endless Forms Most Beautiful, ink #painting with Darwin quote about #evolution layered with an image of his original sketch of the tree of life #sciart #art https://artologica.etsy.com/listing/1560865111
Sometimes I sit back and contemplate the theory of #evolution by natural selection (and other types of selection). The explanatory power is just amazing, and it's philosophical implications are probably under appreciated.
“Where are the design anarchists? Where are the design rebels? Where are the contrary design thinkers?” — Andy Clarke
_____
#Design #ProductDesign #UxDesign #UiDesign #DigitalDesign #WebDesign #Evolution #Creativity
Did humans nearly go extinct about 800,000 years ago?
Popular Science reports: "An ‘ancestral bottleneck’ took out nearly 99 percent of the human population" at that time.
#Humans #Anthropology #Archaeology #Evolution #ClimateChange #Science
Evolution is the "impending change for betterment" - Systemic Evolutions
Change for the betterment of all.
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20230831-the-gen-zers-leading-a-new-pro-union-push
#StitchedInkMedia #Politics #UK #World #USA #Evolution #Change #Union #BBC #SystemicEvolutions #Generations #Profit #Business #CostOfLiving #Value #Work #Time
House cats evolved in the deserts of Africa and the Mideast -- an environment in which fish are exceedingly uncommon. Why, then, do kittehs have such a strong liking for tuna and other fish? Researchers think they've found part of the reason.
#cats #diet #fish #taste #umami #evolution
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-do-cats-love-tuna-so-much-scientists-may-finally-know
Lichens are in an #evolutionary race against #climate change.
The symbiotic organisms could need more than a million years to adapt to just 1 degree Celsius of warming.
Scientists have long known that #lichens grow at a staggeringly slow rate. Some are thousands of years old and grow just millimeters each year. Now, new research suggests lichens are struggling to keep up with the changing climate.
#biology #evolution https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lichens-are-in-an-evolutionary-race-against-climate-change-180979587/
#Human ancestors nearly went extinct 900,000 years ago
A new technique analysing modern #genetic data suggests that pre-humans survived in a group of only 1,280 individuals.
“About 98.7% of human ancestors were lost,” says Haipeng Li, a population geneticist at the University of Chinese Academy of #Sciences in Beijing, who co-led the study. He says that the fossil record in Africa and Eurasia between 950,000 and 650,000 years ago is patchy and that “the #discovery of this bottleneck may explain the chronological gap”.
#Science #History #Evolution #Humanity #Archeology
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02712-4
#PopulationCollapse almost wiped out #human #ancestors, say scientists | #Evolution | The Guardian
Study casts doubt on Neanderthal ‘flower burial’ theory https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/28/study-casts-doubt-on-neanderthal-flower-burial-theory #Science #Anthropology #Evolution @science @anthropology
Tennis players often shout as they smack the ball. Research shows that the interplay between hand and mouth movements can improve motor performance, often on a subconscious level.
https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-hidden-brain-connections-between-our-hands-and-tongues-20230828/
New article out today on the CBC that covers our recent paper on foot use in birds. Even features one of my photos taken in Lamington National Park last month.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/bird-feet-research-university-of-alberta-1.6950738
What’s the World’s Oldest #Language?
Debate rages over which #languages can claim to have the earliest #origin
"These languages and dead ones that are no longer spoken weave together millennia of human interactions. That means the task of determining the world’s oldest language is more than a #linguistic curiosity. For instance, in order to decipher clay tablet inscriptions or trace the #evolution of living tongues, linguists must grapple with questions that extend beyond language. In doing so, their research reveals some of the secrets of ancient civilizations and even sparks debates that blend #science and #culture."
#linguistics
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whats-the-worlds-oldest-language/
For @molecologist, I wrote up the huge @EvolLetters synthesis of genetic diversity data that'll be in textbook treatments of genetic drift for years to come
The glaciers of the last ice age left their mark on the genetic diversity of species across the globe
The Doctoral School of the Faculty of Biology and Medicine in #Lausanne 🇨🇭 offers 3 #PhD Fellowships in Life Science starting April 2024, including in #ecology and #evolution #ecoevo @dee_unil https://www.unil.ch/ecoledoctoralefbm/lang/en/pid/92178