Latest news with #CradleofHumankind
IOL News
5 days ago
- Science
- IOL News
Groundbreaking study reveals biological sex and genetic diversity in Paranthropus robustus
Dr Palesa Madupe, Dr Claire Koenig and Dr Ioannis Patramanis. Image: Victor Yan Kin Lee Researchers from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the University of Copenhagen have achieved a scientific first by using 2-million-year-old protein traces to determine the biological sex and uncover previously hidden genetic variation in Paranthropus robustus, an extinct close relative of modern humans. Published in the journal Science, the research analysed ancient proteins extracted from fossilised teeth discovered in South Africa's Cradle of Humankind. The remarkable discovery represents some of the oldest human genetic data ever recovered from Africa and challenges established understandings of this early hominin. The study's co-lead, Dr Palesa Madupe, a research associate at UCT's Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Copenhagen's Globe Institute, is part of a powerful African cohort transforming palaeoanthropology from within. "Because we can sample multiple African Pleistocene hominin individuals classified within the same group, we're now able to observe not just biological sex, but for the first time genetic differences that might have existed among them," said Madupe. UCT's HERI played a central role in the research, with co-director Professor Rebecca Ackermann as a senior author, and contributions from co-director Robyn Pickering and multiple HERI research associates. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The team used cutting-edge palaeoproteomic techniques and mass spectrometry to identify sex-specific variants of amelogenin, a protein found in tooth enamel. Two of the ancient individuals were conclusively male; the others, inferred through novel quantitative methods, were female. Paper co-lead and postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Protein Research, University of Copenhagen, Claire Koenig, explained: 'Enamel is extremely valuable because it provides information about both biological sex and evolutionary relationships. However, since identifying females relies on the absence of specific protein variants, it is crucial to rigorously control our methods to ensure confident results.' The university explained that unexpectedly, another enamel protein – enamelin, revealed genetic diversity among the four individuals. Two shared a particular variant, a third had a distinct one, and a fourth displayed both. Co-lead and postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Copenhagen's Globe Institute Ioannis Patramanis said while studying proteins, specific mutations are thought to be characteristic of a species. 'We were thus quite surprised to discover that what we initially thought was a mutation uniquely describing Paranthropus robustus was actually variable within that group,' said Patramanis. The university added that this revelation forces a rethink of how ancient hominin species are identified, showing genetic variation, not just skeletal traits, must be considered in understanding their complexity. According to the researchers, Paranthropus lived in Africa between 2.8 and 1.2 million years ago, walking upright and likely coexisting with early members of Homo. Though on a different evolutionary path, its story remains central to understanding human origins. Madupe added that this study not only advances palaeoproteomics in Africa, but also highlights the vital role of African scholars in rewriting human history. 'As a young African researcher, I'm honoured to have significantly contributed to such a high-impact publication as its co-lead. But it's not lost on me that people of colour have a long journey to go before it becomes commonplace more of us need to be leading research like this,' said Madupe. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Ackermann detailed that HERI was actively leading that shift and the institute launched programmes introducing palaeoproteomic techniques to a new generation of African scientists and is expanding training across the continent. 'We are excited about the capacity building that has come out of this collaboration. The future of African-led palaeoanthropology research is bright,' Ackerman said. Cape Argus
IOL News
20-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Shifting gears: from instant gratification to long-term investing
Ever wondered what mountain biking and long-term investment success have in common? Well, according to Fedgroup's managing director of wealth and investments, Paul Counihan, quite a lot actually! And no, it's not just bruised egos and the occasional uphill battle. He explained it all kicked off with the recent debut edition of the Fedgroup Cradle 100 mountain bike race in April, set in the jaw-dropping Cradle of Humankind. Over 400 riders, from seasoned pros to weekend warriors, showed up for this 100km thigh-burning, trail-shredding, stage race adventure. But what happened after the race is where things got really interesting. Doing things differently for the right reasons Counihan elaborated and said, 'Instead of the usual prize ceremony, Fedgroup did what we do best – something a little different. Winners were given a choice: take the cash and ride off into the sunset, or double their winnings by investing it in our flagship Secured Investment product. Spoiler alert: most of them chose the long game, which means we had 16 Secured Investment winners and the total prize money tallied to almost R200 000.' Yup, even the minor category champs said 'no thanks' to instant gratification and 'yes please' to future growth. That meant their original prize money, plus a matching amount from Fedgroup, was invested into our Secured Investment. 'And our Secured Investment isn't just a product, it's a tried-and-tested cornerstone of long-term wealth building. Counihan clarifies that 'With a five-year term and lump-sum structure, it's been delivering consistent income and protecting investor capital for over 30 years. And while it quietly outpaces many market returns, it still sits comfortably in the medium-risk category. All due to the safeguarding measures we are able to employ due to our extensive experience and specialist capabilities and expertise - giving you growth without the guesswork. And of course, we charge ZERO fees on Secured Investment! So why does this matter? Because it underscores our commitment to maximise your long-term growth potential without eroding your savings. Just as the right bike lets you focus on the ride, we let you focus on growth, without the drag of fees.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cradle Film Studios Moves Forward as Backers Tout Plans for ‘Most Advanced, High-Tech Studio' in Africa (EXCLUSIVE)
The anticipated Cradle Film Studios took one step closer to completion this week after securing investment from the Industrial Development Corp. (IDC) and entering its financing stage, announced Known Associates Group executive chairman Joel Chikapa Phiri at the Cannes Film Festival. With the completion of a feasibility study on land earmarked for the 30-acre site outside Johannesburg, Phiri said plans are in motion to break ground in January 2026 for what he describes as 'the most advanced high-tech film studio complex in Africa.' More from Variety 'The Odyssey,' 'Maria' Filming Location Greece Hits Troubled Waters Over Ongoing Delays With 40% Cash Rebate Screen Nigeria Sets Ambitious Blueprint as Nollywood Makes History in Cannes: 'This Is a Coming of Age' for Prolific Industry Anupam Kher's 'Tanvi the Great' Reimagines Autism as a Superpower: 'Opposite of Normal Is Extraordinary' (EXCLUSIVE) Known Associates, which is developing the studios in partnership with Moonlighting Films, the largest production servicing company in Africa, announced the project in 2022. 'Cradle Film Studios represents a bold new chapter in African film infrastructure, combining world-class technology with a commitment to sustainability, skills development and cultural preservation,' Phiri said. The complex will sit adjacent to the Cradle of Humankind, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, around 30 miles from Johannesburg and just 10 minutes from an international airport. Spanning more than 440,000 square feet of total production space, it will include more than 160,000 square feet of high-tech sound stages, including Africa's most advanced virtual and smart stage; Africa's first indoor underwater stage, modelled on the concept designed by Pinewood Studios in the U.K.; and dedicated spaces for stunts, wardrobe, props, set dressing, artist support and post-production. Phiri also announced plans to establish Africa's first AI-integrated crew training academy, designed to build what he describes as 'a future-ready, locally anchored workforce' for global production. The project is being spearheaded by Nico Dekker, whose Cape Town Film Studios has played host to Hollywood productions including 'Mad Max: Fury Road' and Netflix's live-action 'One Piece' series. 'Our goal is to make CFS the most advanced, purpose-built film and virtual production studio in Africa — designed to attract both international and local productions,' said Dekker. 'With a sustainable development ethos, a highly skilled local workforce and an experienced leadership team, Cradle Film Studios is poised to redefine the future of film production on the continent.' Kagiso Bapela, head of services for the Strategic Business Unit at South Africa's Industrial Development Corp., added: 'The IDC supports projects across the media value chain — including television broadcasting, film studios, and new media platforms. Cradle Film Studios is a critical element of this value chain and aims to significantly enhance studio capacity in South Africa. It will promote the country as a high-tech filming destination supported by a skilled local crew. Additionally, Cradle Film Studios will contribute to skills development in Gauteng and foster transformation in studio infrastructure ownership.' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
The Citizen
23-04-2025
- The Citizen
Cyclist and former cop killed in crash
Michael Henning (59), a cyclist and former police officer, was killed in a collision with a vehicle while riding in the Cradle of Humankind on April 12. • Also read: 'Cyclists' lives do matter' – one of SA's largest cycling organisations after driver runs down cyclists His wife, Bernadette, confirmed that a case of culpable homicide is being investigated. She added that Henning was known for his resilience and bravery while working for the South African Police Service from 1984 until his retirement in 2021. She stated that during his career, he was promoted to Sergeant in 1987 and eventually advanced to Warrant Officer in 1990. He became a Lieutenant in 1991, a Captain in 1993, and a Lieutenant Colonel in 1997. He also received numerous medals throughout his career and was named Sportsman of the Year for the West Rand District in 2018/ 19. He was stationed with the Public Order Policing Human Resource Development Centre, Tactical and Finance in Krugersdorp. She described Henning as not only a courageous man but also as someone who possessed sheer resilience, able to overcome adversity, no matter how dark some of his days were. 'He was my hero for most of my life; he survived cancer twice and was cancer-free for the last 27 years,' she said. Henning will be laid to rest on Thursday, April 24. Read the full article in the Krugersdorp News' May 2 edition. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
CNN
06-03-2025
- Science
- CNN
Archaeologists uncovered a cache of 1.5 million-year-old bone tools. They're trying to determine who made them
Archaeologists have uncovered a collection of bone tools in northern Tanzania that were shaped by ancient human ancestors 1.5 million years ago, making them the oldest known bone tools by about 1 million years, according to new research. Researchers have unearthed stone tools that date back to at least 3.3 million years ago, but before this discovery, the oldest known bone tools were found at European sites believed to be 250,000 to 500,000 years old. The 27 fragments of limb bones, most from hippopotamuses and elephants, show evidence of having been sharpened and shaped, likely with the aid of stone pieces. Some of the bones reach up to nearly 15 inches (38 centimeters) long. The bone tools, which all appear to have been systematically produced in the same style as one another, were found in Tanzania's Olduvai Gorge. The site is also where archaeologists have previously unearthed artifacts related to some of the first stone tools crafted by early hominins, or human ancestors who walked upright. The new findings, presented in a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature, suggest that our ancient human relatives applied the same techniques they used to make stone tools to specific bones they selected from large mammals. Researchers believe the tools are evidence that hominins long ago were capable of abstract reasoning, or the ability to think critically by identifying patterns and making connections. 'This expansion of technological potential indicates advances in the cognitive abilities and mental structures of these hominins, who knew how to incorporate technical innovations by adapting their knowledge of stone work to the manipulation of bone remains,' said lead study author Dr. Ignacio de la Torre, scientist at the Spanish National Research Council's Institute of History and codirector of the Olduvai Gorge Archaeology Project, in a statement. Windows into human evolution Olduvai Gorge is in East Africa, which is home to some of the earliest evidence of both tool production and use among early human ancestors. It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site often referred to as the 'Cradle of Humankind' and is 'renowned for its unparalleled contribution to our understanding of early human evolution,' said study coauthor Jackson Njau, associate professor in the department of Earth and atmospheric sciences at Indiana University. 'As a Tanzanian native, I've been captivated since my high school days by the groundbreaking discoveries made at renowned Olduvai Gorge site in northern Tanzania,' Njau said. 'The iconic work of the famous archaeologists Drs. Louis and Mary Leakey, which discovered early human fossils … and the world's first human stone tools ignited my fascination and fueled the dreams of countless young students, myself included, who aspired to follow in their footsteps.' The site has a timeline spanning 2 million to 20,000 years ago, and researchers have uncovered the remains of ancient human ancestors such as Homo habilis, Homo erectus and prehistoric Homo sapiens, or modern humans, he said. The archaeological record also includes cultural advancements and the evolution of toolmaking, Njau added. During the Oldowan age, a time period named for stone artifacts found in the gorge, ancient humans used tools created by striking one rock against another to chip off flakes, a process that resulted in a basic shape. These simple tools were made between 2.7 million and 1.5 million years ago. The hand ax emerged during a shift in early human innovation about 1.7 million years ago in a time called the Acheulean age that lasted until about 150,000 years ago. The large and heavy, pointed almond-shaped stones required complex technical ability called knapping, or chipping away small flakes to create sharp edges, for their production, de la Torre said. Ancient craftsmanship on display The Olduvai Gorge bone tools were first spotted in 2018 during excavations carried out between 2015 and 2022. Researchers narrowed in on a specific gully in the gorge after first finding hominin teeth on the surface during a field survey between 2010 and 2011, which Njao helped lead with Robert Blumenschine, professor emeritus of evolutionary anthropology at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Elephant bones resulted in the largest tools, ranging from 8.6 to 15 inches (22 to 38 centimeters) long and 3.1 inches to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) wide, while the hippo bones made for slightly smaller tools spanning from 7 to 12 inches (18 to 30 centimeters) long and 2.3 to 3.1 inches (6 to 8 centimeters) wide. The same knapping techniques were applied to bones made exclusively from the dense, strong long bones of large animals. The tools, mainly made from bones freshly collected from carcasses, shed 'new light on the almost unknown world of early hominin bone technology,' the study authors said. 'The tools show evidence that their creators carefully worked the bones, chipping off flakes to create useful shapes,' said study coauthor Dr. Renata Peters, associate professor at the University College London's Institute of Archaeology, in a statement. 'We were excited to find these bone tools from such an early timeframe. It means that human ancestors were capable of transferring skills from stone to bone, a level of complex cognition that we haven't seen elsewhere for another million years.' The bones add new evidence that early hominin cultures were experiencing a technological transition about 1.5 million years ago, de la Torre said. 'Prior to our discovery, the technological transition from the Oldowan to the Acheulean was limited to the study of stone tools,' de la Torre said. 'This discovery leads us to assume that early humans significantly expanded their technological options, which until then were limited to the production of stone tools and now allowed new raw materials to be incorporated into the repertoire of potential artifacts.' An advanced comprehension of toolmaking and the ability to apply it to different materials suggests that ancient human ancestors had greater cognitive abilities than previously believed, the researchers said. New mysteries emerge Previous discoveries of bone tools have occurred in isolated instances across Europe and Asia, but the 27 bones found at Olduvai Gorge seem to imply mass production, the study authors said. While the bone tool kits found later in Europe, dated to 400,000 years ago, are much more refined, the Olduvai Gorge tools were more effective for heavy-duty tasks, Njau said. While there is no direct evidence to show how the tools were used, the researchers said they believe hominins employed them to strip down animal carcasses for food and to produce new tools. The researchers also don't know which specific human ancestor species made the tools because no hominin remains were found with the bones. But previous research conducted at the site has suggested that Homo erectus and the hominin species Paranthropus boisei lived in the region. Human ancestors were likely inspired to make tools from bone due the abundance of animal carcasses available across the landscape, especially during seasonal migrations, Njau said, while rocks may have been harder to come by depending on where the hominins lived. But bone tools are scarcer in the archaeological record because organic material such as bone can break down more easily, he said. Dr. Briana Pobiner, paleoanthropologist and research scientist in the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, said the study underscores the importance that tools made from materials other than stone had for our ancestors — and how these artifacts can be 'essentially archaeologically invisible.' Pobiner was not involved in the study. 'That there is a collection of 27 bone tools, and not just one or a few, suggests that hominins 1.5 million years ago (at least in this one place) were able to successfully transfer their knowledge of how to knap stone to knapping bone,' Pobiner said. 'To me, this signals that toolmaking was becoming an increasingly important part of our ancestors' lives. And once again, we should be looking in museum collections for more evidence of hominin behavior — in this case, bone tool manufacture — earlier than we might have previously expected.'
