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The first human species Homo heidelbergensis (skull pictured) could have spread to Earth because wetter weather conditions more favorable for migration occurred, according to a climate model.Credit: Javier Trueba/MSF/Scientific photo library
Record-breaking simulation of the past two million years of Earth’s climate provides evidence that temperature and other planetary conditions influenced early human migrations – and possibly contributed to the emergence of the modern human species about 300,000 years ago. “It’s another brick in the wall to support the role of climate in shaping human ancestry,” says marine geologist Peter de Menocal.
Nature | 5 minute read
DNA extracted from blood ingested by leeches has been used to track wildlife in China’s Ailaoshan Nature Reserve. More than 160 park rangers went pest hunting along their regular patrol routes, collecting 30,468 leeches in three months. The researchers then extracted DNA from the blood of the leeches and detected 86 different species, among the endangered Yunnan spiny frogs (Nanorana yunnanensis) to Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) and humans. Biodiversity was highest in the high-altitude interior of the reserve, suggesting that human activity had driven wildlife away from other areas.
Reference: Nature Communication paper
It’s well known that somatic mutations — which occur in the body’s genetic code and accumulate over time — can cause cancer, but their broader role in aging is less clear. Now researchers have measured somatic mutation rates in a range of mammals and found a striking correlation between that rate and lifespan, proving the theory that mutations are a cause of aging rather than a result of it.
Nature | 6 minute video
Reference: Nature paper
Features & Reviews
Last July, London-based company DeepMind released an artificial intelligence (AI) tool called AlphaFold. The software could predict the 3D shape of a protein from its genetic sequence with, for the most part, pinpoint accuracy. Since then, AlphaFold mania has gripped the life sciences. In some cases, AI has saved scientists time; in others, it has made possible previously inconceivable research in areas ranging from drug discovery and protein design to the origins of complex life.
Nature | 17 minute read
Astronomers are starting to dream of how a new generation of mega-rockets could enable groundbreaking space telescopes and larger, bolder interplanetary missions. NASA’s Space Launch System and SpaceX’s spacecraft are large and powerful enough to carry heavy and complex spacecraft further and faster than ever before. “Starship holds the promise of transforming the solar system in ways we can’t quite appreciate,” says planetary scientist Alan Stern. “It completely changes the game.”
American scientist | 12 minute read
Conservation scientist Morad Tahbaz is one of a long list of people involved in scientific activities who are imprisoned in Iran for espionage. Tahbaz and seven colleagues are currently serving ten-year sentences for research that used camera traps to monitor endangered cheetahs. The scientific community must do more to raise its voice for academics who have been wrongfully imprisoned, says Nature editorial.
Nature | 4 minute read
