Smart switching could solve communication tangle May 25, 2009
The beautiful fossil primate skeleton has generated a whirlwind of superlatives in the media, but as Chris Beard explains, Ida offers little extra detail to the story of human evolution. Most read. (Yahoo News -- Instant Messaging)
Did early humans feast on Neanderthals? May 22, 2009
Hyenas and Neanderthals also appear to have eaten each other on occasion, but project leader Gerrit Dusseldorp of the University of Witwatersrand's Institute for Human Evolution says Neanderthals were superior hunters due to their greater intelligence, communication skills and ability to cooperate. Dusseldorp indicated that, per Rozzi's study, it's possible modern humans butchered Neanderthals. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Missing link in evolution found? May 21, 2009
NEW YORK: Paleontologists have unveiled a 47-million-year-old beautifully preserved skeleton of a monkey-like creature, which they claim may provide a missing link in human evolution ... Paleontologists have unveiled a 47-million-year-old beautifully preserved skeleton of a monkey-like creature, which they claim may provide a missing link in human evolution. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Missing Link Found? May 21, 2009
May 20, 2009 A "missing link" found in Germany may be a key to human evolution a nearly intact skeleton of a 47-million-year-old lemur-like creature. RELATED STORY. (National Geographic)
Scientists: 'Missing Link' Fossil Not Worth Media Hype May 21, 2009
"What does it tell us about human evolution that we didn't know? Precious little," said Stony Brook University paleoanthropologist John Fleagle. But the fossil is certainly significant for what it can tell us about early primate evolution, he said. (Fox News)
Common Ancestor Of Humans, Modern Primates? 'Extraordinary' Fossil Is 47 Million Years Old May 20, 2009
Discovered in Messel Pit, Germany, the fossil, described as Darwinius masillae, is 20 times older than most fossils that explain human evolution ... Known as Ida, the fossil is a transitional species it shows characteristics from the very primitive non-human evolutionary line (prosimians, such as lemurs), but is more related to the human evolutionary line (anthropoids, such as monkeys, apes and humans). (Science Daily)
Missing link primate likely to stir debate May 20, 2009
May 19: The American Museum of Natural History on Tuesday unveiled at 47 million-year-old fossil that could be a missing link in the study of human evolution ... Known as "Ida," the nearly complete is 20 times older than most fossils that provide evidence for human evolution ... It from the very primitive non-human evolutionary line (prosimians, such as lemurs), but is more related to the (anthropoids, such as monkeys, apes and humans), said Norwegian paleontologist Jrn Hurum of the University... (MSNBC -- Environment)
47-Million-Year-Old Primate Fossil Goes On Display May 20, 2009
The fossil primate, called Ida, could revolutionize the understanding of human evolution, experts say. Dr. Jorn Hurum first heard about the fossil in Hamburg, Germany and was invited to view the fossil in a private meeting. (KWTX.com, TX)
Genome-wide Insights Into Patterns Of The World's Human Population Structures May 19, 2009
Revealing such patterns provides insights into the history of human evolution, the predominant evolutionary forces that shaped local populations, and the relationships among populations. "Studying genomic patterns of human population structure also has practical applications in disease-gene mapping," noted Dr. Joshua M. Akey, University of Washington (UW) assistant professor of genome sciences. (Science Daily)
Hubble's Doors Close For Last Time May 19, 2009
First there was human evolution and history. Then, one day, an American president gave his nation the idea of flying to the moon. (CBS News)
Social Security is trick on illegals May 14, 2009
In fact, Eugenics is often called the self-direction of human evolution. But you re correct, Poultry, much of the eugenics that Hilter incorporated in the Third Reich was derived from U.S. related law. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Female Managers Own the Future May 12, 2009
A cursory history of human evolution reveals the implications for management. As people evolved, men were the hunters and the women were the gatherers. (Suite101.com)
Today In the Kitchen: Spring brings three A’s from garden May 8, 2009
Their taste is like an ancient memory, part of human evolution. In addition to eating them out of hand or on cereal, they are quite wonderful in blended drinks because their flavor stands up to the other ingredients, usually milk, yogurt or ice cream. (Green Valley News & Sun, AZ)
Feet suggest hobbits unrelated to H. erectus May 8, 2009
The new anatomical evidence, being reported today in the journal Nature, is unlikely to solve the mystery of just where the species - formally designated Homo floresiensis - fits in human evolution ... Lieberman, who specializes in hominid locomotion studies, said the primitive foot provided a "tantalizing model" for a nonmodern hominid that "evolved for effective walking before selection for endurance running occurred in human evolution.". (San Francisco Chronicle -- Science)
'Hobbits' Couldn't Hustle: Feet Of Homo Floresiensis Were Primitive But Not Pathological May 7, 2009
"H. floresiensis is either an island-dwarfed descendant of H. erectus that not only underwent body-size reduction but also extensive evolutionary reversals, or, as our analysis suggests, it represents a new species full of primitive retentions from an ancestor that dispersed out of Africa much earlier than anyone would have predicted. Either way, the implications for human evolution are profound.". In addition to Jungers and Harcourt-Smith, authors of the research paper include Roshna... (Science Daily)
Scientists knuckle down in hunt for hobbit origins May 7, 2009
"Either way the implications for human evolution are profound," said Professor Jungers, whose study showing hobbit feet were stiff, with a straight big toe, but very long in proportion to the lower leg, is published in the journal Nature. Professor Morwood said more hobbit teeth had been found in the cave last year and kept on ice so ancient DNA experts could test them for genetic material. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Australia)
Studies say 'hobbit' previously unknown species May 7, 2009
Companion studies published by the Journal of Human Evolution bolster this theory and conjecture that these more ancient forebears may be the still poorly understood Homo habilis. In any case, Homo floresiensis would be confirmed as a separate species. (Yahoo News -- Top Stories)
Junior year: Construction, championships and controversy May 4, 2009
Professor Richard Smith, who taught Introduction to Human Evolution, left his class behind to become the dean of Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Popular accounting professor Tzachi Zach will now teach at Ohio State University after being denied tenure. (Washington University Student Life, MO)
U of Minnesota study finds high school teachers influence student views of evolution & creationism May 2, 2009
The authors are interested in working with high school biology teachers -- and particularly with college students who plan to teach biology -- to improve their understanding of evolution and develop best practices for covering sensitive topics such as human evolution and life's origins. . (EurekAlert!)
Evolution Of Human Sex Roles More Complex Than Described By Universal Theory Apr 28, 2009
31, 2007) The standard practice of tracking only female life histories leads to mistaken conclusions about the forces that shape human evolution, according to a new article. The reason is that men's and. (Science Daily)
Inside the baby mind Apr 28, 2009
While the prefrontal cortex has been greatly enlarged during human evolution - it's responsible for a wide variety of cognitive abilities, from directed attention to abstract thought - it's also the last brain area to fully develop, and often isn't done developing until late adolescence. Although scientists have long held the lack of a functional prefrontal cortex responsible for all sorts of "childish" behaviors, researchers are beginning to realize that, sometimes, it might actually be better... (Boston Globe)
Secrets of the Phallus: Why is the Penis Shaped Like That? Apr 28, 2009
But according to evolutionary psychologist of the State University of New York at Albany, the human penis is actually an impressive tool in the truest sense of the word, one manufactured by nature over hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution. You may be surprised to discover just how highly specialized a tool it is. (Scientific American)
We're at the center of the universe - unless we're not Apr 19, 2009
Along the way he touches on string theory, the Gaia hypothesis, how chemical life might have become biological life, human evolution, and lots of stray factoids. Pythagoras didn't invent the theorem that bears his name, for example, and Einstein didn't want special relativity called "relativity.". (Boston Globe)
Analysis: Neanderthals split into three populations Apr 17, 2009
"The results are not strong nor convincing but they are certainly plausible and are apparently in line with what others have inferred about Neanderthal populations using other kinds of data," says anthropological geneticist Henry Harpending of the University of Utah, author of The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution, who was not part of the study. "This paper could motivate a re-examination of tools and of morphology (fossil appearance and structure) to see if... (USA Today -- Tech)
Art for evolution's sake Apr 12, 2009
THE ART INSTINCT: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution By Denis Dutton Bloomsbury, 278 pp ... THE ART INSTINCT: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution By Denis Dutton. (Boston Globe)
Humans could evolve into all-new species Apr 11, 2009
The pressures of modern life may be speeding up the pace of human evolution, some anthropologists think. Nowadays, the idea that human evolution is a continuing process is widely accepted among anthropologists, said Robert Wald Sussman, the editor of the Yearbook of Physical Anthropology at Washington University in St Louis ... In their book, the Utah anthropologists contend that human evolution has accelerated in the past 10,000 years, rather than slowing or stopping. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Boys' purpose Apr 9, 2009
A: We are in a natural human evolution regarding both women and men, and I think that now we are entering the decade of the boy. We have been in the decade of the girl. (USA Today -- News)
Fancy some meat? Chimpanzees exchange hunting booty for sex Apr 8, 2009
" Dr Gomes thinks that her findings could even provide clues about human evolution. She suggests this study could lay the foundations for human studies exploring the link between "good hunting skills and reproductive success". "This has got me really interested in humans," she said. "I'm thinking of moving on to working with hunter-gatherers. " Michael Gurven from the University of California in Santa Barbara studies human behaviour in communities of hunter-gatherers in South America. He told... (BBC News)
Study: 'Friends With Benefits' Sex Common in College Apr 3, 2009
Recreational sex "really requires either effective birth control or women to be economically independent or both to be viable, and both are relatively recent in human evolution.". Copyright. (Fox News)
Hundreds Of Natural-selection Studies Could Be Wrong, Study Demonstrates Apr 1, 2009
Nei said that many scientists who examine human evolution have used faulty statistical methods in their studies and, as a result, their conclusions could be wrong. For example, in one published study the scientists used a statistical method to demonstrate pervasive natural selection during human evolution ... "This group documented adaptive evolution in many genes expressed in the brain, thyroid, and placenta, which are assumed to be important for human evolution," said Masafumi Nozawa, a... (Science Daily)
Kevin Rood: There are transitional’ species on record Mar 28, 2009
I assume he is referring to human evolution. Darwin died in 1882, and since his death, 24 species relating to human evolution have been discovered. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)
Rock-cut Narasimha at Dudhai Mar 26, 2009
The Narasimha is one of the strangest concepts of Hindu mythology and if one were to try and apply the belief that each of the ten avatars or incarnations of the god Vishnu are representative of a human state and taken together represent the cycle of human evolution, then the case of Narasimha becomes a wee bit more puzzling. The earliest incarnation is that of the Matsya which as a creature that lives in the water ties in perfectly with the theory of life evolving in the water. (India Times)
Fallen Earth Mar 26, 2009
The Lightbearer faction holds that the Shiva virus was actually a good thing because it accelerated human evolution by creating millions of mutants. (The fact that it cut the gene pool down to virtually nothing doesn't seem to have factored into their thinking. (IGN PC Games)
What is Colic? Mar 24, 2009
In a nutshell, it has to do with the fact that the gestation for humans was lessened from one year to nine months during the stage of human evolution when the brain became larger and the head bigger. In other words, it was get out or risk perishing. (Suite101.com)
Lawmakers ease math requirement Mar 21, 2009
WorkingClass wrote on Mar 20, 2009 8:58 PM:" 'As the 21st century began, human evolution was at a turning point. Natural selection, the process by which the strongest, the smartest, the fastest, reproduced in greater numbers than the rest, a process which had once favored the noblest traits of man, now began to favor different traits. Most science fiction of the day predicted a future that was more civilized and more intelligent. But as time went on, things seemed to be heading in the opposite... (Longview Daily News, WA)
Optimum running speed is stride toward understanding human body form Mar 20, 2009
A new study, published online March 18 in the Journal of Human Evolution, shows that the efficiency of human running varies with speed and that each individual has an optimal pace at which he or she can cover the greatest distance with the least effort ... Human walking is also known to have an optimally efficient speed, so the new findings may help researchers determine the relative importance of the different gaits in driving human evolution, Steudel says. (EurekAlert!)
Evolution letter Mar 14, 2009
nIn the full title of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, the reference to races is referring to the taxonomic designation of those groups within a species, and not to human races, as Darwin did not even discuss human evolution until his later work, The Descent of Man, 12 years later. nAttributing scientific revelations to the Bible, thousands of years after the fact, is convenient historical revisionism. (Winona Daily News, MN)
Dead Gene Comes Back To Life In Humans Mar 12, 2009
11, 2009) Researchers have discovered that a long-defunct gene was resurrected during the course of human evolution. This is believed to be the first evidence of a doomed gene infection-fighting human IRGM making a comeback in the human/great ape lineage. (Science Daily)
Evolving views on Darwin Mar 7, 2009
An array of books greets the 200th anniversary of the man who put the idea of human evolution to the world. Alison Bashford considers a selection. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)
Gandhi's glasses and a rabbit's head Mar 6, 2009
As long as political conditions are attached to restitution of colonial-era plunder to Asia and Africa, the Western world will remain mired in hierarchical smugness about its supposed superiority in culture and human evolution. The Mahatma's glasses and the Chinese rabbit heads should have served as ultimate reminders of the destructive impact of Western colonial rule. (Asia Times Online)
Inside your saliva Mar 5, 2009
"A lot of the value of saliva is attributable to the fact that, in human evolution, we've had to eat marginal plant foods, things that are marginal in quality and full of toxins, and we need these particular salivary adaptations to help cope with those types of food," he said. Share this on. (CNN)
"Lucy" Discoverer Donald C. Johanson Mar 4, 2009
Most of the evidence for human evolution older than three million years, you could fit in the palm of your hand ... As a spokeswoman for human evolution, what does she say ... A: Well I think the major message she brings to all the people who have an opportunity to see her or understand who she was is that the evidence for human evolution is irrefutable. (Time.com)
In a helpless baby, the roots of our social glue Mar 3, 2009
By the latest estimates, the average population size during the hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution that preceded the Neolithic Age may have been around 2,000 breeding adults. "What would humans have been fighting over?" Hrdy said. (International Herald Tribune)
Grin and bear it Mar 3, 2009
"Essentially, being hairless was the key to much of human evolution.". So there's reason to believe our nudity arose out of practical need, but that doesn't answer why we're so ashamed by it. (BBC News -- UK)
Gene Identified That Helps Plant Cells Keep Communication Channels Open Mar 1, 2009
9, 2001) Research on components of the brain's electrical signaling system has answered a basic question about our human evolution, confirming scientific belief that we two-legged, computer-using. (July 17, 2006) Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered a new way to open ion channels, in the membrane of cells. (Science Daily)
Moral Disgust Linked To Primitive Emotion Feb 28, 2009
"People think about morality as being this pinnacle of human evolution and development," Chapman says. "But we showed that this very old and primitive response is playing an important role, too.". (CBS News)
Immorality really in 'bad taste' Feb 28, 2009
Morality is often pointed to as the pinnacle of human evolution and development, says lead author Hanah Chapman, a graduate student in the department of psychology. However, disgust is an ancient and rather primitive emotion which played a key evolutionary role in survival. (India Times, India)
Fossils fill gap in human lineage Feb 27, 2009
The specimens of this ancient creature are helping bridge a long gap during a crucial phase of human evolution ... what we're monitoring here is the genesis of that second stage of human evolution - the genesis of Australopithecus ... "I think you could argue, fairly, that the circumstantial evidence based on geography and habitat is of one evolving phyletically into the other and what we're monitoring here is the genesis of that second stage of human evolution - the genesis of... (BBC News -- Science)
How Did Chimpanzees Get So Strong Anyway? Feb 26, 2009
John Hawks is an anthropologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison who specializes in human evolution and genetics. He maintains an. (Slate)
Scanning Artifacts Up To Two Tons With Astounding Precision Feb 26, 2009
2, 2007) Chronology and adaptability of early humans in different paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental settings are important topics in the study of human evolution. China houses several early-human. (Science Daily)
Is beauty a case of he said, she said? Feb 25, 2009
"The differences that we have found might relate to the different social roles that, hypothetically, men and women had during human evolution." he said. The researchers tested 10 men and 10 women, showing them paintings and photos of urban scenes and landscapes, asking them to rate each scene as either "beautiful" or "not beautiful.". (Albany Times Union)
Study: Degrading Sex Lyrics Affect Teens Feb 25, 2009
"The research behind the report said that those numbers hold up even when you consider all the other factors that could lead to teens having sex.Some familiar with the study said the results are similar to other surveys and that both parents and teens should at least consider that their choices in music might affect their behavior. Distributed by Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,... (KIRO TV, WA)
Going vegetarian to save the planet Feb 25, 2009
Studies of human evolution have shown that our ancestors were vegetarian by nature. The structure of the human body is not suited for eating meat. (Corvallis Gazette Times, OR)
Genetics Research Sheds Light On Evolution Of The Human Diet Feb 21, 2009
Anne Stone, associate professor of anthropology in Arizona State University's School of Human Evolution and Social Change, will discuss how diet holds keys to understanding who we are, how we live and form societies, and how we evolved from hunter-gatherers to agriculturists, all the way to modern urban dwellers, at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting. See also. (Science Daily)
Got a question? Let me Google that for you Feb 20, 2009
In this view, the Internet is a kind of climax in human evolution. Long past the days of telling stories over camp fires, we are now much more efficiently gathering our information and learned wisdom in one place. (MSNBC -- Technology)
S.E. Cupp: Darwin Isn't Dead... He's in Hiding Feb 16, 2009
The rest believe that God created humans as described in Genesis, or guided human evolution over a longer period of time. Or they have no opinion at all -- not exactly a ringing endorsement of Darwins chef-doeuvre. (Newsmax)
Penn genetics researcher presents on evolutionary history of modern humans in Africa Feb 16, 2009
In honor of Darwin's 200th birthday on February 12, Tishkoff's talk will focus on the process of evolution due to natural selection using examples from recent human evolution: the independent origin of lactose tolerance in east African pastoralists and the role that malaria and other infectious diseases play in shaping genetic variation in the human genome, with an emphasis on African populations. "What I plan to address is a question that I get from reporters all the time: Are humans still... (EurekAlert!)
Darwin the Liberator How evolutionary thought undermined the ... Feb 14, 2009
How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin's Views on Human Evolution ... But Desmond and Moore make the case that human evolution was at the forefront of Darwin's thinking ... "Human evolution wasn't his last piece in the evolution jigsaw; it was the first," Desmond and Moore write. (Washington Post)
Scientists begin to decode the history of human evolution Feb 14, 2009
We are really just beginning to see the landscape of human evolution. We re working toward a coherent picture of how we evolved over time, said Pardis Christine Sabeti, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Health)
Article had racist claims Feb 14, 2009
It would be appropriate for the Daily News to publish an apology for reprinting the on human evolution that was based on speculation and advances a philosophy that promotes racism. By asserting that blue-eyed, light skinned people are more advanced than brown eyed, dark skinned people The Daily News (hopefully unwittingly) joins the ranks of those who embrace white supremacy. (Longview Daily News, WA)
High-tech Tests Allow Anthropologists To Track Ancient Hominids Across The Landscape Feb 14, 2009
13, 2009) Dazzling new scientific techniques are allowing archaeologists to track the movements and menus of extinct hominids through the seasons and years as they ate their way across the African landscape, helping to illuminate the evolution of human diets. Piecing together relationships between the diets of hominids several million years ago to that of early and modern humans is allowing scientists to see how diet relates to the evolution of cognitive abilities, social structures, locomotion... (Science Daily)
Scientists say they reconstructed a Neanderthal genome Feb 14, 2009
The Neanderthal genome, when fully analyzed, is expected to shed light on many critical aspects of human evolution. It will help document two important sets of genetic changes: those that occurred between 5. (International Herald Tribune -- Health)
Research summit considers evolution of fuel Feb 14, 2009
On the anniversary of Charles Darwins birthday, leaders from research institutions, government offices, and businesses gathered at Treehaven to consider what may be the next step in the human evolution: the creation of a carbon neutral energy cycle. The second annual Northwoods Research Summit, organized by the UW-Extension and its partners, welcomed keynote speaker Dr. John Greenler of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) to set the stage for a day-long event designed to promote... (Forest Republican, WI)
Readings in evolution Feb 14, 2009
Fresh reads: Here are a few recently published works mentioned in Phillip Manning's : "The Young Charles Darwin," by Keith Thomson; "Darwin's Sacred Cause: How a Hatred of Slavery Shaped Darwin's Views on Human Evolution," by Adrian Desmond and James Moore; "The 10,000 Year Explosion: How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution," by Gregory Cochran and Henry Harpending; "The Well Dressed Ape: A Natural History of Myself," by Hannah Holmes; "Why Evolution Is True," by Jerry A. Coyne; "Banquet at... (MSNBC)
Gabriel Pulls Out Of Oscars Over Song Limit Feb 14, 2009
Learn about other important discoveries of human evolution known to scientists. Learn about Lucy s discovery in 1974 and why it's the most famous fossil ever to be discovered. (KIRO TV, WA)
