Latest news with #HomoNeanderthalensis
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Human review – history at its most irresistibly infectious
'I can't help it,' says Ella Al-Shamahi. 'It reminds me of The Lord of the Rings!' It's not easy to make prehistory accessible, but a Tolkien comparison works for the time before Homo sapiens ruled the world. Al-Shamahi's five-part documentary traces the rise of humanity, beginning with the era when Homo neanderthalensis, Homo floresiensis and Homo erectus each staked a claim in their own ragged domain. Before written history, when our story was 'written in our bones and DNA', some early humans were in Europe and Asia and had adapted to the cold. Some were learning to harness the power of fire. Some were only about 3ft 6in (1 metre) tall. Others wore hard hats and polo shirts – wait, no, that is one of the archaeologists on a dig in Morocco, where a skull named Jebel Irhoud 1 holds many secrets about our early ancestors. It's the start of a journey that will, in an illuminating first episode, take Al-Shamahi to spectacular locations across Africa and the Middle East. At the risk of repeating what some critics said seven years ago when Al-Shamahi fronted Neanderthals – Meet Your Ancestors on BBC Two (she has popped up in the odd thing since then), it feels as if a presenting star is being born here. An explorer, paleoanthropologist and standup comedian, she passes all the tests that the job of helming a major science or history series throws up. Her bits to camera borrow the old Kevin McCloud trick of pretending to come up with big thoughts on the fly and being delighted by them: she will break eye contact, look away to gather something fascinating, then meet our gaze again to emphasise the key point. It's theatre, but it helps to achieve her main goal, which is to transmit the wonder she experiences as a learned expert to us, the keen but ignorant at home. The urgent whisper she employs in her voiceover – where a less adept presenter would reveal any weaknesses in their intonation – has the same effect. So we are in the company of the best teacher most of us never had, one who joyfully shares knowledge that is too interesting to be intimidating and who trusts us to keep up. Al-Shamahi is unafraid to toss in arcane paleoanthropological terms if the viewer can draw meaning from context – 'gracile' and 'prognathic' are about to slide into your vocabulary – or to converse with Moroccan scientists in Arabic. Her best work here has her cradling the Jebel Irhoud skull and using her own head to illustrate how this ancient creature is different from us, yet almost the same. Someone like Homo sapiens, the upright, tool-and-weapon-using primate that became us, existed as far back as 350,000 years ago, much earlier than was once thought. From there we trace the little breakthroughs that, put together across many millennia, constitute our evolution. Al-Shamahi visits the Great Rift valley in eastern Africa to explain how, 200,000 years ago, climate crises (it was humid in the east and arid in the west, then vice versa) forced communities to move around and mingle, sharing fresh discoveries and their best genes. In Israel, however, we find evidence of one of countless false starts, when Homo sapiens tried to live in the cave next door to neanderthals – a nightmare-neighbour scenario so bad that this branch of Homo sapiens didn't survive it. But we persevered. Al-Shamahi highlights the surprising details of how we gained hegemony. In the Tsodilo Hills of Botswana, there are stone tools that, 100,000 years ago, their owners broke. Why? Because they were offerings to a god, made by primates who were starting to 'see beyond the tangible' and were developing ceremonies and rituals nourished by abstract thought. In the words of Al-Shamahi, who can turn a lyrical phrase when it's warranted, we were 'venturing into the unknown and into the unseen'. This expansion of the brain delivered practical benefits when, only 30 or so millennia later, curiosity about 'the power held in wood and string' saw us move on from axes and spears to the bow and arrow. The programme's landscape shots are frequently stunning. On a perfectly unspoiled, dune-flanked African beach, even the tiniest seashells hold a narrative: about 70,000 years ago we started turning them into necklaces decorated with red ochre, a sign that cultural exchanges were under way. Al-Shamahi's delight in this revelation is irresistibly infectious. In Human, the leap of imagination necessary to understand our very distant past is no distance at all. Human airs on BBC Two and is available on BBC iPlayer
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Brain Abnormality in Modern Humans Linked to Ancient Neanderthal DNA
Significant brain defects known as Chiari malformations could be down the genes some of us have inherited from Neanderthals, according to a new study, causing a mismatch between brain shape and skull shape. The study focuses on Chiari malformation type I (CM-I), where the lower part of the brain extends too far into the spinal cord – typically linked to having a smaller-than-normal occipital bone at the back of the skull. It can lead to headaches, neck pain, and more serious conditions, and is thought to affect up to 1 in 100 people. Several other ancient human species had different skull shapes to our own, and a previous study published in 2013 put forward the idea that interbreeding between Homo sapiens and these other hominins may be a root cause of Chiari malformation type I (CM-I), the mildest type of the group. Related: Now, a team led by osteoarchaeologist Kimberly Plomp from the University of the Philippines has tested this hypothesis. "The legacy of these interbreeding events can be identified in the genomes of many living humans," the researchers write. The researchers used 3D modeling and shape analysis techniques to compare 103 skulls of people today with and without CM-I, and 8 fossil skulls from ancient species, including Homo erectus, Homo heidelbergensis, and Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthals). People with CM-I had differences in skull shape, the analysis showed, including the area where the brain connects to the spine. However, these skull shapes weren't similar to all of the ancient hominins studied – only to Neanderthals. In fact, skulls from H. erectus and H. heidelbergensis were more similar to the skulls of modern humans without CM-I. As a result, the researchers suggest the original hypothesis was too broad, and should be adapted to look specifically at Neanderthal links. "Rather than the genes being traceable to H. erectus, H. heidelbergensis, and H. neanderthalensis, our results are consistent with them being traceable just to H. neanderthalensis," write the researchers. The study team proposes a Neanderthal Introgression Hypothesis to replace the one formed in 2013. It adds to a growing body of evidence around how early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals mingled, interbreeded, and exchanged genetic information. Next, the researchers are keen to expand the sample used in their analysis – in terms of both modern and ancient skulls, and across ages – which should tell us more about the relationship between CM-I skull structures and skulls in these early peoples. The hypothesis also needs to be put to the test in groups of people from different parts of the world. We know that African populations have less Neanderthal DNA than populations in Europe and Asia, which should be reflected in cases of CM-I. Ultimately, these findings and the techniques used to reach them could help inform ways of treating Chiari malformations or perhaps stopping them from happening in the first place – although it's likely there are several causes for the condition, including genetics. "The methods would seem to have the potential to help us develop a deeper understanding of the aetiology and pathogenesis of Chiari malformations, which could in turn strengthen diagnosis and treatment of the condition," write the researchers. The research has been published in Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. One Piece of Advice to Parents Slashed Food Allergies in Children Mondayitis Could Have a Deadly Effect On Your Body Cannabis Use Is Linked to Epigenetic Changes, Scientists Discover
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Surprisingly Advanced Ancient Spear Tip Was Not Made by Modern Humans
Researchers have found that a spear tip carved from bone, unearthed from Russia in 2003, is as old as 80,000 years. This means the hunting weapon could not have been created by modern humans. Homo sapiens didn't venture into Europe until about 45,000 years ago, so the most likely spear-wielders in this case were the Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis). Although examples are still rare, it seems our ancient cousins had advanced their technologies beyond stone tools, using techniques that, until recently, had only been credited to our species. The find was explored in a new paper from a team led by archeologist Liubov Golovanova of the Laboratory of Prehistory in Russia. "The… specimen suggests that at least some groups of late Middle Paleolithic Neanderthals in Europe have started to develop bone-tipped hunting weapons," explain the authors. "They made this invention independently and without influence from early Upper Paleolithic modern humans that started to arrive to the continent much later." The spear tip joins a few other recent finds that demonstrate Neanderthals developed techniques specific to working with bone, such as scraping and flat cutting. These include a 50,000-year-old cache of bone tools from Siberia and 40,000-year-old leather-softening tools from Europe. Bone tools as old as 400,000 years have also been found in Italy. This is about when Neanderthals first emerged, so it is possible this technology existed even before them. But the level of craftsmanship of these really early bone tools is not as advanced as those found in Europe after modern humans arrived, Golovanova and team note. The scarcity of Neanderthal bone tools, compared to stone ones, may be due to decay over time, without specific environmental conditions to preserve them. The Mezmaiskaya Cave, where the spear tip was found amongst a variety of animal remains, stone tools and signs of a campfire, likely provided the conditions required for the bone's long-term preservation. "The preservation of bones is exceptional at Mezmaiskaya Cave," the researchers write. "No evidence of weathering, chemical dissolution, sediment abrasion, root etching, or trampling have been observed on the specimen, indicating that post-depositional alteration or destruction did not affect the surfaces of the bone tool." Golovanova and team identified cracks in the Neanderthal's bone spear tip during their analysis. These, as well as lack of wear, suggest the weapon had been used to successfully strike something soon after it was carved and bound to a wooden shaft using tar. The bone was likely once part of a bison. This research was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science. DNA Reveals Surprising Twist About Christopher Columbus This 134-Year-Old Patent Reveals The Proper Way to Hang Toilet Paper Study Reveals a Simple Technique to Communicate With Your Cat
