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This article profiles 10 early- and mid-career scientists who are working on a range of important issues, including climate change, Alzheimer's disease, and social equity. The scientists come from diverse fields such as paleoanthropology, nanotechnology, atmospheric chemistry, chemical engineering, and evolutionary virology. The article emphasizes the importance of collaboration, diverse perspectives, and mentoring the next generation of scientists. It features profiles of five scientists and their research, including studies on cooperation between plants and arthropods, the composition of molecules in space, measuring the early universe, the social and ethical implications of genomics research, and improving photosynthesis for agricultural productivity. [Extracted from the article]

In a spookily pictorialized story on page 72, behavioral scientists Athena Aktipis and Coltan Scrivner present some delightful research about morbid curiosity and scary play. In our cover story starting on page 22, human biologist Cara Ocobock and biological anthropologist Sarah Lacy upend a long-dominant theory of human evolution: that men alone evolved to hunt. Materials scientist and aeronautics expert Debbie G. Senesky designs electronics resilient enough to work on Venus - where the surface is hot enough to melt lead, and the skies rain sulfuric acid. [Extracted from the article]

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The article reports on the revision of the dating of human remains in China. It mentions the discovery of human remains that are a blend of Homo erectus and Homo sapiens, the dating of those remains that is 50,000 years earlier than it was believed that H. sapiens arrived in China, and the changes in the chronology of when early humans first migrated out of Africa.

Unearthed 20 years ago this month, H. floresiensis has shaken up the human family tree to an even greater extent than the Harbin skull. "The insights that ancient fossil discoveries give us into modern lives is just as valuable" WITHOUT fossils, we would struggle to understand the ancient roots of humanity. [Extracted from the article]

The article in National Geographic explores the latest discoveries in human evolution, highlighting important findings in Asia and advancements in protein analysis and genetic testing. It emphasizes the complexity of the human story and the interconnectedness of different hominin species in our past. The issue also delves into topics such as mysterious circles on the Mediterranean seafloor, red wood ants, and a reexamination of Camp Century in Greenland, shedding light on forgotten scientific research that now aids in understanding climate change. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the ancient tools recovered by digging the Turkana lake of Kenya. It includes information on the works of paleoanthropologists Sonia Harmand and her husband Jason Lewis related to the stone tools production and evolution of tools. It also includes the views of Michael Haslam of the University of Oxford.

The article focuses on the research regarding ancient proteins hidden in fossils and artifacts with the extraction and sequencing of ancient DNA. It mentions study of ancient proteins, paleoproteomics is an emerging interdisciplinary and paleontology, paleoanthropology and archaeology and researchers identified proteins in fossils using a type of mass spectrometer. It also mentions detecting proteins by using antibodies that would recognize the protein.

The article focuses on the revision of human evolution due to new discoveries. Topics include paleoanthropologist Lee Berger's discovery of human bones in Johannesburg, South Africa, the use of three dimensional (3D) scanning to document archeological discoveries, and the discovery of hominin species differing from Homo erectus.

The article focuses on the evolution of Homo erectus alongside the evolution of other hominin species. Topics include the how paleoanthropologists use fossil remains to determine human evolution, the evolution of Neanderthals, and discoveries of Australopithecus remains. Information is provided on researcher Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

Bob Brain, a prominent member of the South African Archaeological Society (ARCHSOC), has passed away at the age of 92. Brain was known for his groundbreaking work in paleoanthropology, particularly in the study of bone wear patterns and decay. His research debunked the Osteodontokeratic hypothesis, which suggested that fossilized bones found in cave sites were tools used by early humans. Brain's contributions to the field of taphonomy and his dedication to science have made him a respected figure in South Africa and beyond. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the use of DNA sequencing in studies of ancient humans. Svante Pääbo at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology used ancient DNA to show that modern humans are the product of interbreeding between hominins like humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans. Two theories of human origin are the Out of Africa model, which says that humans are descendants of an African population, and the multiregional model, which treats groups of hominins as a single evolving species. INSETS: REBUILDING ANCIENT GENOMES;JUST ANOTHER PROMISCUOUS PRIMATE?.

The article discusses the analyses of the fossil remains of a miniature human species named Homo floresiensis, which scientists have nicknamed the hobbit. A brief overview of the discovery of the H. floresiensis speciman, known as LB1, while excavating the cave Liang Bua on Flores Island, Indonesia, is presented. Also presented is an overview of how additional findings forced paleoanthropologists to rethink human evolution and the bizarre morphology of H. floresiensis. INSETS: A Mysterious Mosaic;Did Homo sapiens Copy Hobbits?;The Hobbits' Roots;Blazing a Trail

A recent study conducted at the University of Wisconsin explored the immunologic mechanisms underlying mixed lymphohematopoietic chimerism, a strategy for achieving operational transplant tolerance in kidney transplants. The study used a non-myeloablative, tomotherapy-based total lymphoid irradiation protocol combined with anti-thymocyte globulin and T cell co-stimulatory blockade to induce mixed chimerism in a rhesus macaque kidney and hematopoietic cell transplant model. The findings showed that chimeric animals exhibited expansion of regulatory T cells and increased differentiation of allo-protective T cell phenotypes. These responses may contribute to the development of allogenic tolerance in kidney transplants. [Extracted from the article]

A new paper published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology describes the fossils of a 380-million-year-old predatory fish named Harajicadectes zhumini. This fish, known from at least 17 fossil specimens, is the first reasonably complete bony fish found from Devonian rocks in central Australia. Harajicadectes is a member of the Tetrapodomorpha group, which includes the forerunners of modern tetrapods. The discovery of this fish is the result of 50 years of exploration and research, and it provides valuable insights into the evolution of air breathing in vertebrates. [Extracted from the article]

The article states that paleoanthropologists led by Zeresenay Alemseged have found an infant Australopithecus afarensis (A. afarensis) skeleton, called Selam, in the Dikka site of the Afar region of Ethiopia. The discovery of the youngest preserved hominid fossil skeleton raises questions about how modern human ancestors became bipedal and if A. afarensis led an arboreal life. INSETS: What readers want to know;What the experts are saying;Spectacular Skeleton.

The article reports on the search for the skeletal remains of Peking Man, which have been missing since they were shipped for safekeeping to the U.S. during World War II. In recent years archaeologists have expressed doubts that Peking Man was as advanced as once was thought. Some of the archaeologists both in China and abroad say that the Chinese scientists are too caught up in politics to consider new ideas about Peking Man.

The article discusses research on Neandertal fossils. Next year will mark the 150th anniversary of the discovery at Neandertal, a little valley near Düsseldorf in western Germany, of the first recognized fossil humans. They were the first known example of an extinct species of human, they evolved mostly in Europe, and we now have an unrivaled fossil record accumulated by a century and a half of research. The New York conference provided a more balanced picture of a "New Neandertal" that is both very similar to and very different from us. Emblematic of this New Neandertal is a composite skeleton created at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and discussed at the conference by Ian Tattersall, one of its curators. Human fossils are precious and fragile, and to study them scientists have embraced or developed new methods in recent years. CT scanning, for example, is used with increasing frequency to assess fine internal details of specimens, such as the inner ear of Neandertals. Modern human specimens are also being digitized, allowing us to assess bone shape and size variations and understand their significance in anatomical evolution. Meanwhile, the genuine specimens have been the object of increased attention through the study of DNA, proteins, and chemical elements that can be found in bones and teeth--giving us a completely new source of valuable information about our remote relatives' biology and their daily lives.

Homo longi, the man from Harbin Or perhaps the first cranium of one already known TWO NEW studies add further pieces to the jigsaw puzzle that is human evolution. One [...]

Asserts the evolution from apes to humans through recent findings in paleoanthropology. Reference to a study by Sherwood L. Washburn "The Evolution of Man"; Similarities in molecular patterns between African and Asian apes and humans; Interpretation of the hominoid fossil record; Dryomorphs and Ramamorphs; Emergence of the Homo classification.

Gigantopithecus blacki, a giant primate that stood three meters tall and weighed 250 kilograms, once roamed southern China. However, the species is only represented in the fossil record by a few thousand teeth and four jawbones. A recent study conducted by Chinese, Australian, and US scientists has shed light on the extinction of G. blacki. The research suggests that the species went extinct between 295,000 and 215,000 years ago due to environmental changes, including an increase in the strength of the seasons and a decrease in the diversity of their food sources. Unlike their close relative, the orangutans, G. blacki was unable to adapt to these changes, leading to their demise. This study provides valuable insights into the vulnerability of certain species to environmental and habitat changes and highlights the importance of understanding past extinctions in order to protect other large animals in the future. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses the developments in the investigation of Homo naledi (H. naledi) relative to the discoveries of H. naledi fossils by a team led by doctor Lee Berger of the University of Witwatersrand. It says that the fossils were revealed to be much younger than expected, with information on the fossils discovered at the Lesedi chamber near the Dinaledi chamber, the significance of the body skeleton of H. naledi, and the implications of the discovery on archaeology.

Mystery man A newly reinterpreted fossil muddies the waters of human history EARLY HUMAN fossils are so rare that each new discovery may rewrite the textbooks. A chance find two [...]

The article reports that Yale University paleoanthropologist Jessica Thompson has promoted a theory that early humanoids such as australopithecines may have targeted marrow from scavenged animal carcasses as a way of including protein into their diets with a low hazard risk, as opposed to dangers inherent in hunting.

The article discusses the evolution of the human pelvis through referencing fossil discoveries of the pelvises of hominins, including that of Homo erectus. The paleoanthropological discovery of the fossil of the Homo naledi at the Rising Star cave in South Africa, including its similar anatomy to the prehistoric hominid known as Lucy, is discussed.

The article discusses fossil discoveries that offer information on Australopithecus afarensis (AA). Topics mentioned include the sexual dimorphism in AA based on the skeleton nicknamed Kadanuumuu discovered in 2005, the nature of locomotion of AA based on the skeleton Selam from Ethiopia that was described in 2006 by paleoanthropologist Zeray Alemseged and his team, and the discovery of a partial fossil foot in Ethiopia that belongs to a different species.

The article discusses an ongoing debate regarding the discovery of a new human species that lived as recently as 17,000 years ago at a site on the Indonesian island of Flores known as LB1, called Homo floresiensis, also known as the hobbit. An argument by Maciej Henneberg in the August 2014 issue of the journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA" that the H. floresiensis is not a new species of human, but a Homo sapien individual with Down syndrome, is presented.

The article offers information on human evolution and discusses how scientists use fossils to determine human history. Information is provided on paleoanthropology, the complexity of human evolution, and the discovery of several different hominin species. Information is provided on evolutionary theorist Charles Darwin's Tree of Life theory, showing the connection between species.

The article presents a profile of the Middle Awash research project, an archaeological and anthropological excavation in the Afar Desert of Ethiopia, and its discoveries regarding human evolution. Introductory details are given noting the region's significance for paleoanthropology. The uncovering of a skeleton of the pre-human evolutionary ancestor Ardipithecus ramidus is then described in-depth along with explanation of the human evolution between "Ardi" and Homo sapiens.

The article examines research on fossil hominids and human evolution. The work of paleoanthropologist Tim White of the University of California-Berkeley, who discovered "Ardi", the fossil remains of a female hominid who lived 4.4 million years before the 21st century in the Afar region of Ethiopia, is discussed. White states that the Afar region is invaluable to research on human evolution because it contains fossils spanning millions of years of the process, from the earliest known direct ancestors of man to hominid fossils as recent as 160,000 years old -- an early human being. A history of notable discoveries in the research of human evolution is presented. INSETS: UNEARTHING OUR ROOTS;KEY HUMAN SPECIES.

Several letters to the editor are presented in response to articles in previous issues including "Aliens among us" in the 1-15 March, 2016 issue, "Human puzzle" in the 16-30 June, 2016 issue, and "Redefining gender issues and conservation" in the 16-30 June, 2016 issue.

This article discusses the use of fossil records and DNA to investigate the demise of the Neanderthals in Europe. Debates about the domination of Neanderthals by Homo Sapiens following the end of an Ice Age more than 30,000 years ago are assessed. The use of medical and forensic technology such as computer tomography and genetic sequencing to investigate the physiology of Neanderthals is explored. INSETS: CREATING A NEANDERTHAL;EVOLVING TOOL KIT;DENTAL EXAM.

A series of composite images of the facial characteristics, skulls, and skeletons of Neanderthals are presented with comparable human figures provided for context.

The article focuses on the stunning finds in the Republic of Georgia that upend long-standing ideas about the first hominids to journey out of Africa. Most paleoanthropologists concluded that the first intercontinental traveling was undertaken by an early member of Homo erectus. Researchers working at Dmanisi in the Republic of Georgia have unearthed a trove of well preserved human fossils, stone tools and animal remains. A popular theory of why humans left Africa, proposes that H. erectus' large body size needed a higher-quality diet, that included meat to meet its increased energy needs.

Focuses on a fossil site in northeastern China's Liaoning Province. Discoveries of dinosaurs, birds, mammals, fish and insect fossils preserved in clay, silt and ash; Details of fossilized specimens; Comments of Xu Xing of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing; History of the area; How conditions provided a fruitful environment for plants and animals to differentiate and flourish; Discovery of fossils of dinosaurs with feathers, which supported the now widely endorsed theory that modern-day birds descended from dinosaurs. INSETS: Aquatic Prowler;Dino Becomes Dinner.

In this article, a method of reconstructing animal calls from the skeletal remains of the larynx and other bones of the vocal tract is presented. The duplicated vocalizations of woolly mammoths, an extinct Hawaiian bird called the Kauai Oo, and proto-human Australopithecus afarensis are described. A chart describing the noises made by various species of animals which lived during the Jurassic period including Ambulocetus (an otter-like mammal), Parasaurolophus, and the Jurassic cricket is also included.

Profiles the paleoanthropologist Louis Leakey. His discoveries about fossil-hunting and human origins; Career highlights; Criticisms of Leakey's work; His expedition and findings at the Olduvai Gorge; Discovery of the first fossil ape skull called Proconsul; Work of his wife Mary Leakey and his family.

An interview with palaeoanthropologist Richard Leakey is presented. He notes a high-profile debate over Homo floresiensis or better known as the Hobbitt. He mentions that he quit palaeoanthropology in the late 1980s, going on to conservation and then to politics in his native Kenya. He also offers information on his charitable organisation WildlifeDirect, which is leading the fight against poisoning.

The article reports on the issue of hominid fossils in Africa surfacing due to erosion and then being destroyed by herds of goats and other livestock trampling them. Louise Leakey and other paleoanthropologists working in the Turkana basin of Kenya want to address this by collecting fossils year-round instead of during a limited field season.

The article reports on a study published in "Nature" which suggests that the shape and positioning of hominid footprints unearthed at Tanzania's Laetoli site and have been attributed to Lucy's species Australopithecus afarensis differ enough from A. afarensis to qualify as marks of a separate Australopithecus species. Topics include paleoanthropologist Ellison McNutt's claim about the print sizes and the research team's description of the Laetoli individual's foot shapes and left leg.

The article opines that a report published in April 2015 which estimates the new age of the Australopithecus fossil ‘Little Foot' at 3.67 million years and makes it older than Australopithecus afarensis ‘Lucy' believed to be our ancestor presents challenges in ascertaining human's direct ancestors.

Burma is the only place in the world that has yielded fossil evidence of an important link in the primate order between the lower and higher primates. To document the origin of the higher primates, paleoanthropologists have retraced the steps of a 1923 expedition to Burma by legendary fossil collector Barnum Brown.

Discusses paleoanthropologist Pat Shipman's findings regarding ancestral humans and the contradictory data gathered compared to previous studies. Hominids of two million years ago found to be scavengers instead of accomplished hunters as of the November 1983 issue of 'Natural History.'