In Spain, Neanderthals, as depicted in an artist's illustration, provided care for a child with Down syndrome, offering insights into their societal practices. Credit: MAURICIO ANTON/SCIENCE SOURCE In a groundbreaking discovery, anthropologists studying Neanderthal remains at Cova Negra cave in Spain uncovered a fragment of a child's skull dating back more than 146,000 years. Analysis...
Credit: BETH ZAIKEN Four thousand years ago, the last woolly mammoth on an island off the coast of modern-day Siberia died. This isolation could have led to fatal inbreeding and population declines, contributing to the species' extinction. However, a new study reveals that while the Wrangel Island mammoths were indeed inbred, this alone did not...
As we age, the protective caps at the end of our chromosomes called telomeres get shorter and shorterDepositphotos In pre-clinical studies, a small molecule successfully stimulated neuron regeneration, decreased inflammation, and enhanced memory, speed, coordination, grip strength, and other factors. These findings hold significant promise for aging and associated diseases. Researchers at the University of Texas...
Credit: Depositphotos Climate change presents one of humanity's most pressing public health challenges. Global warming, a central aspect of this crisis, is linked to deteriorating health, especially impacting vulnerable populations like pregnant women and children. Scientists have previously demonstrated that heat exposure increases the risk of preterm birth and stillbirth. New research continues to reveal concerning...
A breakthrough insight into the incomprehensively complex inner workings of AI models, illustrated using generative tools Understanding how AI models "think" has become increasingly critical for humanity's future. Until recently, AI systems like GPT and Claude remained enigmatic to their creators. Now, researchers claim they can identify and even manipulate concepts within an AI's cognitive...
Researchers have found that a father's diet before conception greatly affects his children's health. The artwork shows an allegorical fertilization scene where a fat sperm (colored yellow to symbolize fat) meets the egg (represented as the moon in a starry sky) and lights it up by passing on diet-induced genetic information. Recent research has highlighted...
Researchers claim that Homo naledi, a small-brained human relative, buried its dead and made art long before our own species did.MARK THIESSEN/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC Three papers that were presented at a meeting today and put online laid out an astounding situation. It is suggested that approximately 240,000 years ago, a large network of limestone caves in South...
A small fern, found only on a few Pacific islands, contains over 100 meters of DNA in each cell, more than any known organism. "The fern, known as Tmesipteris oblanceolata, has round structures that produce spores", says Oriane Hidalgo. A printed version of the entire human genome would fill 220 large books. However, printing the...
Credit: Canvas Bats are incredible creatures with unique biological traits that enable them to survive and thrive in ways that seem almost impossible. From their rapid heart rates during flight to their remarkable longevity, bats defy many expectations of mammalian biology. Understanding these traits could offer insights into extending human health and lifespan. Bats in Flight When...
Credit: Pixabay A recent study reveals that artificial intelligence (AI) software analyzing MRI scans can detect differences in the cellular organization of the brains of men and women. Researchers observed these distinctions in the white matter, which primarily resides in the innermost layer of the human brain and facilitates communication between different brain regions. Men and...
