Latest news with #humanevolution
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Ethiopian fossils reveal new species in human evolutionary lineage
By Will Dunham (Reuters) -Researchers have unearthed tooth fossils in Ethiopia dating to about 2.65 million years ago of a previously unknown species in the human evolutionary lineage, one that lived in the same time and place as the earliest-known member of the genus Homo to which our own species belongs. The scientists discovered in the Ledi-Geraru research project area of northeastern Ethiopia's Afar Region 10 teeth - six molars, two incisors, one premolar and one canine - that they concluded belonged to a new Australopithecus species. The teeth came from two individuals. Until now, six species of the genus Australopithecus, an important early human ancestor that displayed a mix of ape-like and human-like traits, were known from fossils at various African sites. The researchers said the newly found teeth bore traits indicating they belonged to a seventh species. A genus is a group of closely related species that share similar characteristics. For example, lions and tigers are from the same genus but represent different species. The scientists also discovered three other teeth dating to 2.59 million years ago that had traits showing they belonged to the oldest-known species of Homo, one that was first revealed by a jawbone unearthed in the same vicinity in 2013. Scientists have not yet assigned names to the Australopithecus and Homo species represented by these 13 teeth because of the incomplete nature of the fossil remains. Our species Homo sapiens is the most recent member of the Homo genus, first appearing roughly 300,000 years ago in Africa before later spreading worldwide. The new dental fossils provide insight into a poorly understood period in human evolution. The close age of the teeth suggests that this newly identified Australopithecus species coexisted in this region with the early Homo species, raising questions about whether they competed for the same resources. The teeth also indicate that there were four hominins - as species in the human evolutionary lineage are known - that inhabited East Africa at the time. Previous fossils showed that another Australopithecus species and a species of Paranthropus, a hominin possessing a specialized skull adapted for heavy chewing, lived in East Africa during this time. An additional Australopithecus species also inhabited southern Africa, bringing the number of hominins then on the continent to five. The presence of these contemporaneous hominins illustrates the complicated nature of the human evolutionary process. "This reinforces the idea that the story of human evolution is not of a single lineage changing slowly through time," said University of Nevada, Las Vegas paleoanthropologist Brian Villmoare, lead author of the research published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. "Rather, the pattern of human evolution is similar to that of other organisms, repeatedly branching into multiple species throughout the fossil record, many of whom lived at the same time," Villmoare added. The researchers are seeking clues about the nature of any interaction between the Australopithecus and Homo species represented by the 13 teeth. "We are currently analyzing teeth to see if we can tell if they ate the same thing," said Arizona State University paleoecologist and project co-director Kaye Reed. If so, they may have fought over resources, Reed said. Crude stone tools dating to about the same time were previously discovered nearby, Reed said, probably made by the Homo species. The researchers determined the age of the teeth using a technique that dated feldspar crystals contained in volcanic ash in the sediments where they were discovered based on radioactive decay of the element argon. The Afar Region, one of Earth's hottest and lowest places, is an arid expanse of badlands. But at the time of these species, rivers flowed across a vegetated landscape into shallow lakes in a landscape populated by a splendid array of animals. These included giraffes, horses, pigs, elephants, hippos and antelopes as well as predators such as saber-toothed cats and hyenas. Homo is generally thought to have descended from a species of Australopithecus, though the exact species and the timing have been a matter of debate. Australopithecus eventually died out. Australopithecus includes the famous fossil Lucy, who was a member of the species Australopithecus afarensis who lived approximately 3.18 million years ago. Lucy's remains were discovered in 1974, also in the Afar Region. The newly discovered teeth had characteristics that showed they did not belong to Lucy's species, the researchers said. "This new Australopithecus species is in no way some 'missing link,' and we actually don't think that it was necessarily ancestral to any known species," Villmoare said. "Species arose and many went extinct," Reed said. "Each find is a piece of the puzzle that puts human evolution into a twiggy tree, rather than a linear graphic." Solve the daily Crossword
South China Morning Post
07-08-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
‘Dormant bombs': unique genes that make us smart may also fuel cancer, China study shows
A genetic study in China that could have major implications for human evolution – and cancer research – has shown that a special type of recently evolved gene can be sequestered by cancerous tumours to fuel their growth. The team of researchers from Peking University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) examined a group of young genes that emerged de novo, meaning they recently evolved from regions of the genome that do not code for proteins rather than from coding genes through typical gene evolution Unlike most genes, which evolve from existing genes through duplication and modification, 'motherless' de novo genes come from DNA that previously had no function. These new genes are thought to be key to some uniquely human traits, such as our advanced cognitive abilities and susceptibility to certain diseases. 'We identified 37 young de novo genes,' the team said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Genomics on July 17, adding that they found strong evidence that these genes were functional and actively coded for the creation of proteins. 'Collectively, this set of 37 genes represents the most rigorously validated catalogue of young human de novo genes to date.' The researchers said that the expression of these genes was 'significantly' increased in tumours, while the deletion of some of the genes could suppress the proliferation of tumour cells.
The Guardian
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: terrified celebrities swim with sharks in a bizarre reality series
9pm, ITV1At the risk of sounding cold-blooded, the fact that no celebrity gets gobbled up by a shark ruins any real jeopardy in this new reality series. Lenny Henry, Lucy Punch and Ross Noble are some of the stars swimming with their new fish friends – the aim being to prove that sharks are misunderstood. But they're a good bunch and it's worth rooting for Helen George – who is too scared to even go in the sea with her kids – as she dives straight in with bull sharks. Hollie Richardson 8pm, Channel 4The beloved media doctor filmed this series before his death last year, and it only adds to his already impressive TV legacy. He met people around the world whose lifestyles seem to defy ageing – starting with 70-year-old skydiver Dane. Does jumping out of a plane improve memory? Mosley investigates. HR 9pm, BBC Two 'We're just the latest in a long line of other humans,' says paleoanthropologist Ella al-Shamahi, for anyone up for starting the week with an existential crisis. She's a fantastic guide in this groundbreaking new series about human evolution, which starts by telling us there were once at least six other human species alive at the same time. HR 9pm, Channel 4Gird your loins: it's the return of this steamy swinging thriller, with a new couple. Surgeon Charlotte (Annabel Scholey) and her husband Jacob (Sam Palladio) work at the same hospital, and the power struggle is upended when Nordic nurse Mia (Aggy K Adams) joins the operating room … and moves in next door to them. HR 9pm, BBC ThreeThe series offering a dispiriting insight into the very wealthy via the people who serve their needs. Salvatore has stormed off in a huff, leaving an inexperienced team to handle a demanding corporate retreat. As guests arrive by helicopter, the staff are preoccupied by their own squabbling. Phil Harrison 9pm, Sky AtlanticEverything seems cushty for relentless manipulator Bertha (Carrie Coon): after much furtive bullying and cajoling, the marriage of her daughter and a hot duke has been formally announced. Only some amusingly soapy dramatic contrivances could possibly stand in Bertha's way from this point on. Jack Seale Dog (Channing Tatum, 2022), 7pm, Film4 Channing Tatum could have made any film he wanted for his directorial debut, and it's telling that he ended up making Dog. On the surface, Dog is a Turner & Hooch rip-off about an army ranger who has to escort his dead friend's dog across the country to be put down. However, the number of layers Tatum manages to fold in are incredible. There's comedy, and a surprisingly clear-eyed take on mental health in the military. And you'll probably cry at the end. So much better than it needed to be. Stuart Heritage
