Moroccan Hominin Fossils: Potential Close Ancestors of Modern Humans

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

Ancient Human Jawbone Discovered in Morocco’s Man Cave

Hamza Mehimdate, Casablanca Pre-History Program

Approximately 550,000-year-old fossils discovered in North Africa potentially belong to a shared ancestor of Neanderthals, Denisovans, and modern humans, existing right before these three significant hominin lineages diverged.

Neanderthals and Denisovans, the final common ancestors of modern humans, are believed to have thrived between 765,000 and 550,000 years ago. However, key questions about their existence and habitats still challenge our understanding of human evolution.

Recent fossil discoveries suggest that researchers, including Jean-Jacques Hublin from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, are nearing the pivotal moment of divergence in ancient human lineages.

Hublin and his team examined various fossils, including two adult jawbones, one juvenile jawbone, and several vertebrae unearthed from a cave referred to as the Cave of Mankind near Casablanca, Morocco. One of the adult jawbones had been detailed in a 1969 study, while the remaining specimens are presented for the first time.

The fossilized molars share similarities with early Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, yet their jaw structures resemble ancient African Homo erectus.

Fortunately, these Moroccan hominids existed around the same period as changes in Earth’s magnetic field, recorded within the geological formations containing the fossils, allowing for precise dating to approximately 773,000 years ago.

Hublin described the find as filling a “significant gap” in the African human fossil record dating back to between one million and 600,000 years ago. Paleogenetic studies reveal that the ancestors of Neanderthals and Denisovans diverged around this time, while H. sapiens evolved independently in Africa.

The newly identified fossils are contemporaneous with a hominid population in Spain, previously hypothesized to serve as a common ancestor between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals.

Excavation Team at Moroccan Fossil Site

R. Gallotti, Casablanca Pre-History Program

Both Homo ancestors and Moroccan hominins exhibit “a mosaic of primitive and derived features,” Hublin notes, suggesting possible genetic exchanges across the Strait of Gibraltar. However, notable distinctions exist between the fossils from both areas, with Spanish specimens appearing more Neanderthal-like.

“The last common ancestor likely inhabited both sides of the Mediterranean during that era, indicating a deep African lineage for Homo sapiens opposed to the Eurasian origin theories proposed by some,” Hublin states.

Julian Lewis, a professor at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia, expresses intrigue over the physical differences in early Pleistocene hominids closely related to our species.

“The key takeaway is that these differences have been developing for a substantial period,” Lewis concluded, alluding to the arrival of the Homo ancestor in Spain, indicating it may represent one of several species across North Africa that eventually crossed over to Europe.

Chris Stringer from the Natural History Museum in London has also contributed to this discussion. His research, including findings from human fossils in China published last year, suggests that the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and Denisovans could date back over a million years.

“The specific continent for that common ancestor’s existence remains unknown,” Stringer remarked. “Yet even if it lived outside Africa, our analysis indicates that the evolution of Homo sapiens predominantly took place in Africa, suggesting a potential early migration back into Africa for continued evolution.”

These newly identified Moroccan fossils may even represent early specimens of Homo sapiens, though sufficient skeletal fragments are lacking for definitive classification.

Ongoing comparisons with previously studied fossils will help ascertain their evolutionary positioning.

Topics:

Human Evolution/
Ancient Hominins

Source: www.newscientist.com

How El Niño Triggered Famine in Early Modern Europe: Uncovering the Climate Crisis’ Impact

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Igor Mitreski

El Niño’s Impact on European Agriculture: Crop Failures and Price Hikes

Public Domain

Impact of El Niño on Crop Failures — El Niño’s Impact on European Agriculture: Crop Failures and Price Hikes

Public Domain

El Niño, a climate phenomenon affecting the Pacific Ocean region, significantly influenced the economy and climate of Europe, resulting in widespread famine from 1500 to 1800.

During El Niño, the warming of ocean waters in the central and eastern Pacific disrupts trade winds, which leads to altered global rainfall patterns. The cooling phase, known as La Niña, and the oscillation between these two phases is referred to as the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

This climatic variation poses severe risks in tropical and subtropical areas, notably in Australia, where it can lead to droughts and wildfires, and in the Americas, where it causes increased rainfall.

However, until recently, the focus on El Niño’s effects on Europe was minimal. Emil Esmaili from Columbia University and his research team studied records from 160 famines in early modern Europe, correlating them with El Niño and La Niña data derived from tree rings.

The findings revealed that over 40% of famines in Central Europe during this era were directly linked to El Niño events.

El Niño typically increases rainfall in the region, which can lead to excess soil moisture, resulting in crop failures. Though it did not directly trigger famine in other European areas, it raised the likelihood of famine occurrences by 24% across all nine regions studied.

To better understand this correlation, Esmaili’s team assessed grain and fish prices, discovering that El Niño significantly drove up food prices throughout Europe for several years.

Researchers, including David Yubilaba from the University of Sydney, indicate that ENSO events can still lead to food insecurity and malnutrition in low-income households in regions such as South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and parts of Africa.

While El Niño continues to influence the climate in Europe, its impact on food security is expected to be less severe today. “Modern agricultural practices are now more resilient, weather forecasting has greatly improved, and markets have become more consolidated,” says Ubilaba.

Topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

New Study Examines Paleolithic Shift: Transition from Neanderthals to Anatomically Modern Humans

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

The transition from the Middle to Upper Paleolithic, occurring approximately 50,000 to 38,000 years ago, was a pivotal period characterized by the decline and extinction of Neanderthals alongside the emergence and expansion of anatomically modern humans, known as Homo sapiens. Paleoanthropologists at the University of Cologne have created a high-resolution model of population dynamics to reconstruct this significant transition on the Iberian Peninsula. Their ensemble simulations investigated Neanderthal survival, the arrival of modern humans, and the potential for interbreeding.

This image shows a Neanderthal and a human child. Image credit: Neanderthal Museum.

During this critical transition from the Middle Paleolithic to the Upper Paleolithic, Neanderthal populations experienced a steady decline across Europe, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula, leading to their eventual extinction.

Simultaneously, anatomically modern humans spread throughout Europe, marking a significant shift in human history.

This era was further defined by dramatic climate fluctuations, featuring alternating cold and warm periods. Rapid warming events occurred within centuries, contrasting with gradual cooling phases, known as the Dansgaard-Eschger phenomenon, which were punctuated by severe cooling caused by iceberg releases into the North Atlantic (Heinrich phenomenon).

The precise timing of Neanderthal extinction and the arrival of modern humans remains uncertain, leaving open the possibility of interactions between the two species.

Genetic analyses of archaeological bones compared to modern populations indicate admixture events in eastern Europe during the early phases of modern human migration.

Given the uncertainty of these dates, it remains possible that the two populations on the Iberian Peninsula may have intermixed at a later time, though this has yet to be substantiated.

In this innovative study, Professor Yaping Hsiao and his colleagues from the University of Cologne utilized numerical models to exploratory simulate potential encounters between Neanderthals and modern humans on the Iberian Peninsula.

These models considered ongoing climate changes while simulating the populations of both groups, along with their interactions and connectivity.

“By running the model multiple times with varying parameters, we can assess the plausibility of different scenarios, such as the early extinction of Neanderthals, small at-risk populations, or prolonged survival leading to admixture,” explained Professor Hsiao.

“However, for the majority of the simulations, the two groups did not converge.”

Across all scenarios, the populations exhibited high sensitivity to climate change.

Mixing between the two species was plausible if both populations could maintain stability over an extended period.

At a low probability (1%), a small fraction of the total population—approximately 2-6%—could possess genes from both groups by the end of the simulation.

This admixture likely occurred in the northwestern region of the Iberian Peninsula, where modern humans may have arrived early enough to interact with still-surviving Neanderthal populations.

“By integrating climate, demography, and cultural factors, our dynamic model provides a comprehensive framework that enhances our interpretation of the archaeological and genomic records,” stated Professor Gerd Christian Weniger from the University of Cologne.

For further details, refer to a paper that will be published in the online journal PLoS ONE.

_____

Y. Xiao et al. 2025. Pathways at the Crossroads of Iberia: Dynamic Modeling of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition. PLoS ONE 20 (12): e0339184; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0339184

Source: www.sci.news

Could the Internet Go Dark? Exploring the Vulnerable Systems That Connect Our Modern World

Posted on October 26, 2025 by

Waking up to a world without internet might seem liberating, but you may find yourself pondering your next steps.

If you have a checkbook handy, consider using it to purchase some groceries. Should your landline still function, you can reach out to your employer. Then, as long as you still remember how to find your way without modern navigation, a trip to the store is possible.

The recent outage in a Virginia data center highlighted that while the internet is a crucial component of contemporary existence, its foundation rests on aging systems and physical components, leading many to question what it would take for it to come crashing down.

The answer is straightforward: a streak of bad luck, deliberate cyberattacks, or a combination of both. Severe weather events can knock out numerous data centers. Unexpected triggers in AI-generated codes at significant providers like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft could lead to widespread software failures. Armed interventions targeting critical infrastructure could also play a role.

Although these scenarios would be devastating, the more significant concerns for a select group of internet specialists revolve around sudden failures in the outdated protocols that support the entire network. Picture this as a plumbing system that manages connection flows or an address directory that allows machines to locate one another.

We refer to it as “the big one,” but if that occurs, having a checkbook on hand might be crucial.

Something substantial could commence When a tornado swept through Council Bluffs, Iowa, it ravaged a set of low-lying data centers critical to Google’s operations.

This region is known as us-central1, one of Google’s data center clusters, vital for various services including its cloud platform, YouTube, and Gmail (2019) power outages reported here took place that affected users across the United States and Europe.

As YouTube cooking videos become glitchy, dinner preparations go awry. Employees worldwide rush to update emails that suddenly vanish, resorting to face-to-face communication instead. US officials noted a deterioration in certain government services before refocusing their efforts on a new operation against Signal.

While this situation is inconvenient, it doesn’t signify the end of the internet. “Technically, as long as two devices are connected with a router, the Internet functions,” states Michał “Risiek” Wojniak, who works in DNS, the system linked to this week’s outage.

However, “there’s a significant concentration of control happening online,” points out Stephen Murdoch, a computer science professor at University College London. “This mirrors trends in economics: it’s typically more cost-effective to centralize operations.”

But what if extreme heat wipes out US East-1, part of the Virginia facility housing “Data Center Array,” a crucial node for Amazon Web Services (AWS), the epicenter of this week’s outage, as well as nearby regions? Meanwhile, a significant cluster in Europe suffers a cyberattack. frankfurt or London. As a result, the network may redirect traffic to a secondary hub (a less-frequented data center), which subsequently faces capacity issues akin to a congested side road in Los Angeles.

Aerial view of the Amazon Web Services data center known as US East-1 in Ashburn, Virginia. Photo: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Alternatively, if we shift focus from disaster scenarios to automation risks, increased traffic might unveil hidden bugs within AWS’s internally revised infrastructure, possibly an oversight from months prior. Earlier this summer, two AWS employees were let go amid a broader push towards automation. Faced with an influx of unknown requests, AWS begins to falter.

The signal will falter, and so will Slack, Netflix, and Lloyds Bank. Your Roomba vacuum becomes silent. Smart mattresses may misbehave, just like smart locks.

Without Amazon and Google, the internet would be nearly unrecognizable. Together, AWS, Microsoft, and Google command over 60% of the global cloud services market, making it nearly impossible to quantify the number of services reliant on them.

“However, at its core, the Internet continues to operate,” remarks Doug Madley, an expert in internet infrastructure who studies disruptions. “While the usual activities may be limited, the underlying network remains functional.”

You might believe the biggest risk lies in attacks on undersea cables. While this notion captivates think tanks in Washington, little action has materialized. Undersea cables incur regular damage, Madley notes, with the United Nations estimating between 150 to 200 faults occurring annually.

“To significantly impair communication, a vast amount of data must be disrupted. The undersea cable sector often asserts, ‘We manage these issues routinely.’

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Subsequently, a group of anonymous hackers targets a DNS service provider, a key player in the Internet’s directory system. For example, Verisign manages all online domains ending with certain “.com” or “.net” suffixes. Other providers oversee domains like “.biz” and “.us.”

According to Madley, the likelihood of such a provider being taken down is minimal. “If anything were to happen to VeriSign, .com would vanish, which presents a strong financial motivation for them to prevent that.”

Collectively, AWS, Microsoft, and Google dominate over 60% of the global cloud services market. Photo: Sebastian Boson/AFP/Getty Images

To genuinely disrupt the larger ecosystem, a colossal error involving fundamental infrastructure beyond Amazon or Google would be required. Such a scenario would be unprecedented; the closest parallel occurred in 2016 when an attack on Dyn, a small DNS provider, brought down Guardian, X, among others.

If .com were to disappear, essential services like banks, hospitals, and various communication platforms would vanish too. Although some elements of the government’s internet structure remain intact, such as the U.S. secure messaging system Siprnet.

Yet, the internet would persist, at least for niche communities. There are self-hosted blogs, decentralized social networks like Mastodon, and particular domains like “.io” or “.is.”

Murdoch and Madrid contemplate a drastic scenario capable of eliminating the rest. Murdoch alludes to a potential bug in the BIND software supporting DNS. Meanwhile, Madrid emphasizes testimonies from Massachusetts hackers who informed Congress in 1998 about a vulnerability that could “bring the Internet down in 30 minutes.”

This vulnerability pertains to a system one layer above DNS: the Border Gateway Protocol, directing all web traffic. Madley argues that such an event is highly improbable, as it would require a full-scale emergency response, and the protocols are “incredibly resilient; otherwise, we would have already experienced a collapse.”

Even if the internet were to be entirely shut down, it’s uncertain whether it would ever reboot, warns Murdoch. “Once the Internet is active, it doesn’t get turned off. The method of restarting it is not well understood.”

The UK previously had a contingency plan for such a situation. Should the internet ever be disabled, Murdoch notes, individuals knowledgeable about its workings would gather at a pub outside London and brainstorm the next steps.

“I’m not sure if this is still true. This was years ago, and I couldn’t recall the exact pub.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Matt Richell Explores How Modern Life is Shaping Adolescence

Posted on September 12, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Social media can impact youth negatively.

Alice Tomlinson/Getty Images

How We Grow
Matt Richtel (Mariner Books)

The true narrative of How We Grow by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Matt Richtel raises significant concerns for parents observing their children approach adolescence.

Elanib was once a cheerful girl, but upon entering puberty, she underwent drastic changes seemingly without reason. Struggling to focus on her studies and battling depression, treatments proved ineffective. Despite her parents’ relentless support, her story ended tragically. “It wasn’t due to a lack of relationships or care,” her father recounts to Richtel. “I did everything I could to help her.”

In How We Grow, Richtel fuses interviews, scientific studies, historical context, and insights from prominent researchers to explore the roots of today’s potential mental health crisis among youth. This book highlights a sobering reality, painting a vivid picture of the profound changes that define this critical transition into adulthood.

Adolescence coincides with significant shifts in brain chemistry. As teens grapple with their identity, they often display rebellious, moody, and impulsive behaviours. Richtel also emphasizes that in many countries, adolescence is now beginning far earlier, with serious ramifications. For example, throughout the 19th century, American children typically entered adolescence four years later than they do today. Since 1900, the average age for American girls to start menstruating has dropped from 14 to 12, largely attributed to improvements in nutrition that accelerate bodily development.

The world has undoubtedly evolved. Our environments are now thoroughly mapped, technology ensures most people are physically safe and nourished. However, the spheres in which teenagers rebel have shifted towards their identities and ethics, increasingly occurring online, presenting more complex information and perspectives to navigate.

The noticeable decline in cases of bulimia and alcohol-related accidents among teenagers in the US may be attributed to this inward focus, yet the Covid-19 lockdown left many adolescents isolated at a time when personal interactions are crucial for developing emotional intelligence, disrupting their existing support networks.

This shift means the adolescent body matures faster while their brains remain underdeveloped, as Richtel notes. Generally, this does not lead to dire consequences, but the influence of the online environment is inconsistent.

While research on the effects of social media on mental health varies, How We Grow suggests it acts as a volume knob, amplifying pre-existing emotional states. Courtney, one interviewee who had her first period at age 10, encapsulates this notion perfectly.

Provocative yet reassuring, How We Grow offers insights into adolescence for both teens and parents, shedding light on the realities of growing up and how to navigate them more effectively. For me, navigating adolescent rebellion was less about striving for independence and more about reshaping the future for the next generation.

Chris Sims is an author based in Somerset, UK.

If you need someone to talk to, contact the Samaritans in the UK at 116123 (Samaritans.org); or the US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 (988lifeline.org). You can also visit bit.ly/suicidehelplines for services in other countries.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Ancient Emotional Body Map: Insights into the Modern Mind

Posted on July 1, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Emotions can manifest as physical sensations—be it a surge of anger, a flutter of excitement, or waves of joy, our feelings often have a tangible presence in our bodies.

This phenomenon arises from the interplay between our mental and physical states.

For instance, experiencing anxiety on a first date may trigger a fight-or-flight response, leading to the release of hormones like adrenaline, which elevate heart rate and tense muscles, allowing you to perceive sensations in your chest and throughout your body.

Both positive and negative emotions can influence various bodily functions, including digestion, breathing, perspiration, skin sensitivity, salivation, blood circulation, body temperature, facial tension, and more.

That’s why we often refer to “gut feelings” and “nervous energy.” These physiological shifts can significantly impact our emotions, creating a continual feedback loop connecting our body and mind.

In 2013, a Finnish researcher conducted a study in which individuals mapped out how different emotions corresponded to specific body areas.

While each person’s emotional experience is unique, common sensations can often be found in specific regions. For example, anger typically resonates in the chest and hands, while happiness is prominently felt in the chest and face.

Over time, our perceptions of where we feel emotions in our bodies may have evolved.

A follow-up study in 2024 examined the emotional mappings of people in ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) by analyzing a million words from historical texts to discover connections between emotions and body parts.

Researchers noted some parallels with present-day emotional responses. For instance, pride was linked to the heart by Mesopotamians, while happiness was most closely associated with the liver, and anger was related to the feet.

These distinctions may stem from Mesopotamian cultural beliefs surrounding the body, wherein the liver was viewed as the central organ of the soul’s essence.

This article addresses the inquiry from Elisevarn of Sheffield: “Why do we feel emotions in different parts of our body?”

For any questions, please email us at Question @sciencefocus.com or reach out via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram Page (please include your name and location).

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Shakespeare Reimagined for Modern Gaming: Cannes’ Debut Game ‘Lili’ Voices Macbeth

Posted on May 22, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

While the Cannes Film Festival is typically not linked to video games, this year it hosts a unique collaboration. “Lili” is a joint project created by the New York-based game studio Ink Story, known for 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, which explores the narrative of Iranian photojournalists as well as a modern adaptation of Macbeth presented by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

“It’s an incredible opportunity to have my first video game experience showcased at Cannes,” shares Vasiliki Honsari, co-founder of Ink Story. “People often say they aren’t familiar with gaming and may only give it a quick try. However, once they engage, you can sense their growth in empowerment within the film industry.”

Although the Cannes Festival’s immersive competition launched in 2024, the lineup rarely features traditional video games. “VR films and projection mapping are central to this initiative,” explains Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki’s husband and another co-founder of Ink Story. Nonetheless, “Lili” integrates live-action sequences with gaming mechanics, similar to titles like *Lies* and *Immortality*. The lead, Zar Amir Ebrahimi, previously won the Best Actress award at Cannes three years ago.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/BcEiI_y_9X8?wmode=opaque&feature=oembed" title="LILI | Official Trailer" height="480" width="854" allowfullscreen="

Centered around the character of Mrs. Macbeth, Lili portrays her as the determined wife of a Basij officer (a paramilitary volunteer group within Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard). Much like the original play, she plots a murder to elevate her husband’s position. “What fascinates us is Lady Macbeth’s manipulative nature,” Navid explains.

“Her societal limitations based on gender compelled her to strive for a leadership role,” he adds. “Had she been a man, she could have become one of the greatest kings, but as a woman, she had to navigate a restrictive system. Our character Lili shares this experience.”

Players take on the role of a member of Hecateb, a group of hackers allied with Macbeth’s witches. You access Lili’s cellphone and computer while keeping an eye on her via a CCTV camera in her home. Key themes include surveillance and censorship. At one point, Lili attempts to view a YouTube Makeup Tutorial but is thwarted by the state firewall. This unpleasant voyeuristic dynamic is intentional. “We all participate in the problem of surveillance, looking and spying on one another,” comments Navid.

“She’s suffocating beneath the various masks she wears”… Zal Amir Ebrahimi from Lili. Photo: Ellie Smith

You can help her bypass these barriers, leading to a memorable scene where she wraps her head in cling film before applying eyeliner and lipstick. “This makeup ritual symbolizes her attempts to adapt to a world where she cannot express her identity,” Vassiliki points out. “We’ve highlighted the multiple layers of masks she bears, portraying the choking nature of her existence.”

Set for release in late 2026, Lili may eventually transform into a theatrical production, according to RSC’s Saraelis. Navid mentions plans for a film adaptation, utilizing some of the same footage from the game. This indicates an increasingly blurred line between gaming, cinema, and theatre, and it’s unlikely that this will be the last project the RSC takes on with gaming.

“I’ve always been intrigued by the intersection of games and theatre,” remarks Ellis, who initially proposed the collaboration to Ink Story. “We collaborated with top Shakespeare scholars. Professor Emma Smith from Oxford was instrumental in the dramaturgy of this project,” notes Ellis. Smith believes that if Shakespeare were alive today, he would be writing for games; Ellis concurs, emphasizing, “He was an innovator.”

Source: www.theguardian.com

Important information about modern stimulants

Posted on April 16, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

What are negative side effects of females?

The negative side effects of females vary depending on the tolerance and the means of intake of the person taking it.

After the rush of medication is relieved, many users continue to chew it. They forget to drink water and are unable to sleep or eat for days. In this phase, known as “fine tuning,” users can focus excessively on activities such as disassembly of the bike (forgotten to reassemble) or spending time collecting things like pebbles and shiny gum wrappers. They may get excited and aggressive. Delusion, hallucination Mental illness can be set.

Some people constantly hurt or pick the skin to eradicate “female bugs,” leaving often scars and open wounds.

Long-term side effects include cognitive decline, memory loss, severe depression, cardiac valve damage, and periodontal disease and tooth decay. “methane.”

Can a female kill?

This is becoming more and more common, but is usually not fatal, unless the dose of methane is adulterous with fentanyl. However, people can overdose meth alone, and their deaths are on the rise.

In 2023, the most recent year when statistics are available, nearly 35,000 overdose deaths in the US were involved in Meth or other meth, with or without fentanyl contributions. That’s about 870% increase from around 3,600 deaths in 2013, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The true measure of female lethality cannot be captured by overdose. People die from female-related causes, such as strokes and cerebral hemorrhage, and accidents during the rather trace of methane, such as wandering traffic or hitting a vehicle. Females can cause chronic users to overheat and convulse.

How do females enter the country?

Traffickers hide it in many ways. Law enforcement officers Mineral water (“Conversion Lab” In the US, then extract the drug liquid); in a tractor trailer that lists cargo as AS “TomatilosIt is packed in a roll of “;” toilet paper; It’s disguised WatermelonIt was mailed in a bag of ; Cheats.

How can people stop being a female?

There are drugs that cure opioid cravings, but no approved drugs to treat meta addiction. Furthermore, overdose inverters like naloxone do not work for people overdose of methane (unless the drug is stained with fentanyl).

1 Behavioral treatment Female poisoning is called “emergency management.” The urine screen is negative, It has been featured for a long time in the treatment of addiction for veteran issues program.

Are there other names for Meta?

It is known as ice, Tina, crystal, glass, speed. nickname “crank” nodded to the biker who smuggled it in the engine’s crankcase.

How many females are there?

It’s been over a century and has changed quite a bit and become much more powerful.

In 1887, German chemists synthesized the compound ephedrine. Ephedra plants. By 1893, Japanese scientists were developing methamphetamine. During World War II, military forces in Germany, British and Americans distributed female tablets to awaken the troops and to suppress appetite. In Japan, tablets are given to Kamikaze pilots, It’s sold at the counter.

In 1944, the Food and Drug Administration approved it. Methamphetamine drugs, Desocin is used to treat narcotics, obesity and ADHD.

According to Researcherby the late 1960s, warnings “Speed Kill”-Referring to drugs and driving – He was promoted in the US.

In the 1990s, females became known as dance club drugs. The “cook” of the house created a batch of them. Most use pseudoephedrine, a component of over-the-counter cold medicines.

In 2005, we noticed an increase in the use of meta, Congress Combat methamphetamine epidemicasks retailers to move cold medicines containing pseudo-ephedrine behind the counter. While the opioid crisis was gathering strength, female production began to decline.

Next, as reported Atlantic Oceanchemists have discovered a powerful formulation to avoid pseudoephedrine. This formula was adapted by Mexico Cartels have been distributed in the southwest along the west coast, starting with mass-produced methane.

2024 Annual National Drug Threat ReportThe Drug Enforcement Bureau said the cartel was taking advantage of US demand for counterfeit drugs by producing METH with tablets that mimic ADHD drugs.

Source: www.nytimes.com

New research suggests that modern humans are descended from two ancestor groups

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Over the past 20 years, a general view of human evolutionary genetics is Homo sapiens It first appeared in Africa about 200,000 to 300,000 years ago, and descended from a single lineage. However, a new study from the University of Cambridge shows that modern humans are the result of two groups (potentially HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS and Homo Erectus) It branched out 1.5 million years ago and gathered at a mixed event 300,000 years ago at an 80:20% ratio.

a HOMO HEIDELBERGENSISNeanderthals and Cromagnone. Image credit: Sinc/José Antonio Peñas.

“The question of where we came from has been something that has captivated people for centuries,” said Dr. Trevor Cousins of Cambridge University.

“For a long time, it has been assumed that we evolved from a single, consecutive ancestor lineage, but the exact details of our origins are uncertain.”

“Our research shows clear indications of the origins of our evolutionary being more complex, including various groups that have developed individually over a million years, and have since returned to form modern human species,” added Richard Durbin, a professor at Cambridge University.

Previous studies have already shown that Neanderthals and Denisovans are mated, but Homo sapiens About 50,000 years ago, new research suggests that a much more important genetic mixing occurred long before these interactions were about 300,000 years ago.

Unlike Neanderthal DNA, which makes up about 2% of the genome of non-African modern humans, this ancient mixed event contributes ten times its amount and is found in all modern humans.

The team's methods rely on analysis of modern human DNA rather than extracting genetic material from ancient bones, allowing us to infer the existence of ancestral populations that otherwise left no physical traces.

The authors developed a computational algorithm called Cobraa, which models the methods that ancient populations fell apart and later integrated.

They tested the algorithm using simulated data and applied it to real human genetic data from the 1000 Genomes project, a global initiative that sequences DNA from populations in Africa, Asia, Europe and America.

Researchers were able to identify these two ancestral populations, but also identified some impressive changes that occurred after the two populations were initially decomposed.

“At the moment the two ancestral populations split, we see a serious bottleneck in one of them, suggesting that it had been reduced to a very small size before slowly growing over a million years,” said Professor Aylwyn of Cambridge University.

“This group later contributed to about 80% of modern human genetic material and also appeared to be a population of ancestors that diverged the Neanderthals and Denisovans.”

“However, some of the population genes that contributed to our small numbers of genetic material, especially those associated with brain function and neural processing, may play an important role in human evolution,” Dr. Cousins said.

This is a reconstruction of the artist Homo Erectus. Image credit: Yale University.

Scientists also found that genes inherited from the second population are often separated from the genome regions associated with gene function, suggesting that they may be less compatible with numerous genetic backgrounds.

This suggests a process known as the cleansing of selection, in which natural selection removes harmful mutations over time.

So who was our mystical human ancestors? Fossil evidence suggests species such as Homo Erectus and HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS Although he lived in both Africa and other regions during this period, becoming a potential candidate for these ancestral populations, more research (probably more evidence) is needed to identify which genetic ancestors correspond to which fossil groups.

The authors hope to refine the model to explain more progressive genetic exchanges between populations rather than sharp divisions or reunions.

They also plan to explore how their findings relate to other anthropology discoveries, such as fossil evidence from Africa, suggesting that early humans may have been much more diverse than previously thought.

“It's amazing to see today's DNA and reconstruct events that were hundreds of thousands or millions of years ago,” Professor Scally said.

“And we can tell you that our history is much richer and more complicated than we imagined.”

study It was published in the journal today Natural Genetics.

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T. Cousins et al. The structured coalescence model reveals the deep ancestral structure shared by all modern humans. Nat GenetPublished online on March 18th, 2025. doi:10.1038/s41588-025-02117-1

Source: www.sci.news

The ancient ancestors of geese are the earliest recorded modern birds

Posted on February 6, 2025 by Igor Mitreski

Vegavis Iaai was an ancient relative of ducks and geese, but it dived for fish like graves and runes

Mark Whitton

The 69 million-year-old skull found in Antarctica is identified as a relative of geese and ducks, making it the oldest known modern bird.

It belongs to the first identified species named 20 years ago Vegavis Iaai, He lived alongside the last dinosaurs in the late Cretaceous period. However, only fragments of the skull had been discovered previously, so scientists were unable to agree on what kind of bird it was, or whether it was a non-vian dinosaur like a bird instead.

The fossil skull was discovered in 2011 on Vega Island off the coast of Antarctic Peninsula. However, it was enveloped in such a fierce rock that the excavator had to scrape away the surrounding stones for hundreds of hours before scanning to reveal details about its interior.

Patrick O'Connor At Ohio University, which worked on the analysis, it says that two almost perfect skull features occur only in modern birds. First, the upper beak is made up of bones, which are primarily called the anterior axis, and the size of the second bone, the maxilla, is significantly reduced, contributing only to a small portion of the bone-palate.

Second, in modern birds, the forebrain is huge compared to the rest of the brain. Like pre-modern birds and dinosaurs of nearby birds Velociraptorthese areas are proportionally much smaller.

meanwhile Vegavis According to O'Connor, it has the ability to clearly mark it as being in the same group of waterfowls as ducks and geese. The bird's beak shape, jaw muscle tissue and hind legs suggest that they were very specialized in diving into the pursuit of fish.

“Perhaps you can easily mistake it for modern graves and runes. This is only related to ducks and each other,” he says.

Jacqueline Nguyen The Australian Museum in Sydney says that this ancient species has been the subject of many debate among bird evolutionary scientists, but new research will help resolve the debate.

“together, [the evidence] It suggests that Vegavis It looks completely different from the duck and geese parents, and this could have been an “evolutionary experiment” in the early history of this group of birds.” says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Ancient modern human genome successfully sequenced

Posted on December 13, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Scientists sequenced and analyzed the genomes of seven people who lived between 42,000 and 49,000 years ago in Ranis, Germany, and Zlatiks, Czech Republic. As a result, the Ranis and Zlati Kush were linked by distant kinship ties, and that they were part of the same small, isolated group, representing the deepest known split from lineages outside Africa. was shown. The Ranis genome contains a Neanderthal component derived from a single admixture event common to all non-Africans, which the authors date back 45,000 to 49,000 years ago. This means that all non-African ancestors sequenced so far existed in a common population during this time, and further The human remains suggest that they represent a distinct non-African population.

Illustration of the Zlati Kush, who belonged to the same group as the Ranis and had close relationships with two of them. Image credit: Tom Björklund / Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

Dr. Alev Schumer of the Max Planck Institute for Evolution said, “After modern humans left Africa, they met and interbred with Neanderthals, and as a result, approximately 2 to 3 percent of Neanderthal DNA is present in all areas outside Africa.'' It's in people's genomes.” Anthropology and its colleagues.

“However, little is known about the genetics of Europe's first settlers or the timing of interbreeding between Neanderthals and non-Africans.”

“An important site in Europe is Zlaty Kush in the Czech Republic, where the complete skull of a single individual who lived about 45,000 years ago was discovered and previously genetically analyzed.”

“However, due to the lack of archaeological context, we were unable to link this person to an archaeologically defined group.”

“Ilsenhöhle, located in Ranis, Germany, about 230 km from the nearby site Zlatiks, is known for a particular type of archeology, Rincombi-Ranissian-Jersmanovičian (LRJ), dating back about 45,000 years. ”

“It has long been debated whether the LRJ culture was created by Neanderthals or early modern humans.”

“Although most small bone fragments have been preserved at Ranis, previous research was able to analyze mitochondrial DNA from 13 of these remains, indicating that they belong to modern humans rather than Neanderthals. It turns out.”

“However, because mitochondrial sequences represent only a small portion of genetic information, their relationship to other modern humans has remained a mystery.”

In the new study, the authors analyzed the nuclear genomes of 13 specimens taken from Ranis and found that they represented at least six individuals.

Based on the size of the bones, it was determined that two of the children were infants, and that three were genetically male and three were female.

Interestingly, these individuals included mothers and daughters as well as more distant biological relatives.

The researchers also sequenced more DNA from the female skull found in Zlati Kush, producing a high-quality genome for this individual.

“To our surprise, we discovered that there is a fifth or sixth degree genetic relationship between the two people from Zlati Kush and Ranis,” Dr. Schumer said.

“This means that Zlati Kush is genetically part of an extended family of Ranis and likely created LRJ-type tools as well.”

Of the six Ranis bones, one bone is particularly well preserved, in fact, it is the best preserved modern human bone from the Pleistocene for DNA searches.

This allowed the research team to obtain a high-quality genome from this male individual, called Ranis13.

Together, the Ranis13 and Zlatý kůň genomes represent the oldest high-quality living human genome sequenced to date.

Analyzing genetic variation associated with phenotypic traits, scientists found that Ranis and Zlati Kush individuals carried mutations associated with dark skin and hair color, as well as brown eyes. I did. This reflects the recent African origins of this early European population.

By analyzing parts of the genomes of Ranis and Zlati Kush inherited from the same ancestor, the authors found that their populations consisted of at most a few hundred individuals and were spread over a larger area. We estimate that there is a possibility.

They found no evidence that this small early modern human population contributed to later European or other world populations.

The Zlati Kush/Ranis people coexisted with Neanderthals in Europe, raising the possibility that Neanderthals were among their recent ancestors after they migrated to Europe.

Previous studies of modern humans dating back more than 40,000 years have found evidence of recent admixture between modern humans and Neanderthals.

However, no such evidence for recent Neanderthal admixture was detected in the genomes of Zlati-Kush/Ranis individuals.

Illustration by Zlatý kůň/Ranis group. Image credit: Tom Björklund / Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

“The fact that no such Neanderthal ancestry remains in Ranis and Zlati Kush, while modern human populations that may have later arrived in Europe inherited such Neanderthal ancestry. is an older Zlati Kush/Ranis lineage This could mean that they entered Europe by a different route or may not have overlapped with the areas inhabited by Neanderthals.''Also Max Planck. said Dr. Kay Pruefer of the Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

The Zlati Kush/Ranis population represents the earliest divergence from modern human groups that migrated from Africa and later dispersed across Eurasia.

Despite this early separation, the Neanderthal ancestry of Zlatikush and Ranis derives from the same ancient admixture event that can be detected in all peoples outside Africa today.

By analyzing the length of Neanderthal-contributed segments in the high-coverage Ranis13 genome and using direct radiocarbon dating of this individual, researchers found that this common Neanderthal admixture dates back to 45,000 years ago. It was estimated to be 49,000 years old.

Since all modern non-African populations share this Neanderthal ancestry with the Zlati Kush and Ranis, this means that approximately 45,000 to 49,000 years ago, non-African populations of consistent ancestry still existed. It means you must have done it.

Dr Johannes Kraus, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, said: “These results provide a deeper understanding of the early pioneers who settled in Europe.”

“They also suggest that the remains of modern humans more than 50,000 years old found outside Africa have interbred with Neanderthals and are part of the general non-African population now found in many parts of the world. This indicates that it may not have been the case.”

of findings Published in today's magazine nature.

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AP Sumer others. The genomes of the earliest modern humans constrain the timing of admixture with Neanderthals. naturepublished online on December 12, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08420-x

This article is adapted from the original release by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

Source: www.sci.news

Enantiornis fossil from 80 million years ago connects Archeopteryx to modern birds

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Paleontologists have unearthed the exquisitely preserved remains of a Cretaceous enantiornithine bird in São Paulo state in southeastern Brazil. The skull’s extraordinary three-dimensional preservation allowed researchers to digitally reconstruct the bird’s brain.

Artist’s impression Nabaornis Hestia. Image credit: Júlia D’Oliveira.

The newly identified Enantiornithine species They lived in what is now Brazil about 80 million years ago (late Cretaceous period).

with scientific name Nabaornis Hestiathe ancient bird was about the same size as a starling.

This species had a larger cerebrum Archeopteryxsuggesting that they had more advanced cognitive abilities than early bird-like dinosaurs.

However, most regions of the brain, such as the cerebellum, are underdeveloped, suggesting that the complex flight control mechanisms of modern birds have not yet evolved.

“The structure of the brain is Nabaornis Hestia almost exactly in between Archeopteryx Dr Guillermo Navarone, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, says:

Fossilized remains are Nabaornis Hestia It was recovered in 2016 from the local Williams Quarry in Presidente Prudente, part of Brazil’s Adamantina Formation.

Tens of millions of years ago, the site was probably an arid region with slow-flowing streams, allowing for the impressive preservation of fossils.

The extraordinary three-dimensional preservation has allowed paleontologists to use advanced micro-CT scanning techniques to reconstruct the toothless, large-eyed bird’s skull and brain in stunning detail.

fossilized skeleton Nabaornis Hestia. Image credit: Stephanie Abramowitz.

“This fossil is truly one of a kind and I was in awe from the moment I first saw it to the moment I finished assembling the skull and brain. “You can fully understand the scientific structure,” Dr. Navarone said.

Professor Daniel Field from the University of Cambridge added: “Modern birds have some of the most sophisticated cognitive abilities in the animal kingdom, rivaled only by mammals.”

“However, scientists have struggled to understand when and how birds’ unique brains and remarkable intelligence evolved. The field is looking forward to discovering fossils just like this one. I’ve been waiting for it.”

On the other hand, the skull Nabaornis Hestia At first glance, it resembles a small pigeon, but upon closer inspection, it turns out that it is not a modern bird at all, but a member of the “opposite birds”, or “opposite birds”.

Birds of the order Enantiornithiformes, which diverged from modern birds more than 130 million years ago, have complex feathers and are thought to have been able to fly as competently as modern birds. .

However, the anatomical structure of the brain Nabaornis Hestia This raises new questions: How does enantiornithine behave without a range of brain features observed in living birds, including an enlarged cerebellum, which is a spatial control center in living birds? Did they control the flight?

“This fossil represents a species at an intermediate point in the evolutionary process of bird cognition,” Professor Field said.

“The cognitive ability is Nabaornis Hestia They may have had an advantage in finding food and shelter, and were capable of elaborate mating displays and other complex social behaviors. ”

“This discovery shows that some of the birds that flew above the dinosaurs already had fully modern skull shapes more than 80 million years ago,” Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County said. said researcher Dr. Luis Chiappe.

This finding is reported in the following article: paper in a diary nature.

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LM Chiappe others. 2024. Cretaceous birds from Brazil tell the story of the evolution of bird skulls and brains. nature 635, 376-381; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08114-4

Source: www.sci.news

Study finds evidence of multiple instances of Denisovan populations interbreeding with modern humans

Posted on November 9, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

The identification of a new human group called the Denisovans has been one of the most exciting discoveries in human evolution over the past decade. Unlike Neanderthal remains, the Denisovan fossil record consists of only a few skeletal fragments. Several Denisovan populations, which likely had vast geographic ranges, adapted to different environments and through multiple different interbreeding events that helped shape early human history, according to a new study. I passed on some of my genes.

Portrait of a young Denisovan woman based on a skeletal profile reconstructed from ancient DNA methylation maps. Image credit: Maayan Harel.

Denisovans are an extinct hominin group first identified through genome sequences determined from finger bone fragments found in the Denisova Cave in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia.

“This was one of the most exciting discoveries in human evolution in the past decade,” said Dr Linda Ongaro, a researcher at Trinity College Dublin.

Subsequent genome analysis showed that Denisovans diverged from Neanderthals 400,000 years ago, and that at least two distinct Denisovan populations intermingled with the ancestors of modern Asians.

The only physical remains of Denisovans discovered so far are a finger bone fragment, three teeth, and a skull fragment from the Denisovan Cave. Jaw bones and rib bones from Baisiya Karst Cave on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.

“It's a common misconception that humans evolved suddenly and cleanly from one common ancestor, but the more we learn, the more we realize that interbreeding with different hominins occurred and helped shape the humans we know today. ” said Dr. Ongaro.

“Unlike Neanderthal remains, the Denisovan fossil record consists only of finger bones, jaw bones, teeth, and skull fragments.”

“However, by exploiting the remaining Denisovan parts of modern humans' genomes, scientists have found evidence of at least three past events in which genes from different Denisovan populations invaded modern humans' genetic characteristics. I discovered.”

Each of these shows different levels of relatedness to the sequenced Altai Denisovans, illustrating the complex relationships between these sister lineages.

Dr. Ongaro and his colleague Professor Emilia Huerta Sánchez of Trinity College Dublin and Brown University, in their new paper, have a wide geographical range, from Siberia to Southeast Asia, and from Oceania to the south. We have reviewed evidence pointing to several likely Denisovan populations. America has adapted to a unique environment.

They also outlined a number of genes of Denisovan origin that conferred advantages to modern humans in different environments.

“Among these are genetic loci that confer tolerance to hypoxia or hypoxic conditions, which makes a lot of sense because we see it in the Tibetan population. Multiple genes that increase immunity. Another “Influences lipid metabolism and provides heat when stimulated by cold, providing benefits to Arctic Inuit populations,” Dr. Ongaro said.

“There are many directions for future research that will help us more fully understand how Denisovans influenced modern humans, including uncovering currently hidden traces of Denisovan ancestry. This includes more detailed genetic analyzes in understudied populations that have the potential to

“Additionally, by integrating more genetic data with archaeological information, finding more Denisovan fossils will certainly fill in some more gaps.”

of paper Published in a magazine natural genetics.

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L. Ongaro & E. Huerta-Sánchez. History of multiple Denisovan introgressions in modern humans. Nat Genetpublished on November 5, 2024. doi: 10.1038/s41588-024-01960-y

Source: www.sci.news

Paleontologists discover significant discrepancies in growth patterns between ancient and modern mammals from the Jurassic era

Posted on August 8, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

In a new study, paleontologists used synchrotron X-ray tomography of annual growth in dental cementum from fossil mammals belonging to three Jurassic animal groups to elucidate the origin of mammalian growth patterns that are intrinsically linked to mammals being warm-blooded.

Jurassic forest mammals. Image courtesy of © Zhao Chuang.

“This is the first time we've been able to reconstruct the growth patterns of early mammals in such detail,” said Dr Elise Newnham, a postdoctoral researcher at Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Bonn.

“By studying the spacing and texture of these growth rings, we can not only tell us how fast they grew at different stages of their life, but also make inferences about their metabolism and overall lifespan.”

The study calls into question previous assumptions about the growth patterns of our mammalian ancestors and the idea that these animals may have grown in a way similar to modern mammals.

Instead, the study answers a question raised by similar recent studies of early mammalian ancestors: when did modern mammalian life cycles evolve?

The researchers found that the first signs of modern mammalian growth patterns — high growth rates in young animals that stop at puberty — began in the earliest true mammals about 130 million years ago, compared with relatively little change throughout their lives in previously evolved mammalian forms.

However, like mammals, these animals grow slower and live much longer than modern small mammals such as mice and mice, with a maximum lifespan of 8 to 14 years.

The timing of this change in growth rate, combined with changes in tree-ring structure, indicates when these animals reached puberty and possibly sexual maturity.

“These data suggest that while all living small mammals reach sexual maturity within a few months of birth, the earliest mammals took several years to reach sexual maturity, supporting the results of a recent study on one of our study animals. Cruxatodon” Dr Pam Gill, a researcher at the Natural History Museum and University of Bristol, said:

“What's more, we find that this long, drawn-out life history was common to early mammals throughout the Jurassic Period.”

“Our results suggest that distinctive mammalian life history traits, such as high metabolic rate and extended parental care, evolved gradually over millions of years,” Dr Newnham said.

“The Jurassic period appears to have been a pivotal period in this evolution.”

The researchers used a technique called synchrotron X-ray tomography to image tiny growth rings in fossilized root cementum, the bone tissue that attaches teeth to the jaw. These rings are similar to those found in trees, but on a microscopic scale.

By counting the growth rings and analysing their thickness and texture, they were able to reconstruct the growth patterns and lifespan of the extinct animals.

“This work is a great example of how new technologies are revolutionizing our understanding of the distant past,” said Professor Thomas Martin from the University of Bonn.

“By closely examining these fossilized teeth, we can gain valuable insight into the lives of organisms that lived millions of years ago.”

“We are incredibly excited to be involved in this project,” said researcher Dr Jen Bright, from the University of Hull.

“Putting Jurassic fossils in a particle accelerator (synchrotron) to reconstruct the past sounds like science fiction, but it's actually possible!”

of Investigation result Published in a journal Scientific advances.

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Ellis Newham others2024. Origin of mammalian growth patterns during the Jurassic mammalian radiation. Scientific advances 10(32); doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ado4555

Source: www.sci.news

Ancient fossils reveal slower growth rates in mammals compared to modern species from Jurassic period

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Cruxatodon kiltlingtonensisA small mammal from the Jurassic period

Maiya Carrara

During the Middle Jurassic, small mammals lived much longer than modern ones and received parental care for years rather than weeks, suggesting that at some point there was a major change in the growth rates of small mammals, although the exact cause is unknown.

The discovery is based on two fossil skeletons of extinct mouse-sized creatures. Cruxatodon kiltlingtonensis, It lived on the Isle of Skye in Scotland about 166 million years ago, and its fossils were unearthed decades apart, the first in the 1970s and the second in 2016.

The unusual discovery of two fossils of the same species, one adult and one juvenile, allowed the team to compare the specimens to study how the animals grew and developed. “That meant we could ask questions we never dreamed of with just one specimen,” he says. Elsa Panciroli At the National Museum of Scotland.

First, the scientists used X-ray images to count the growth rings on the specimens' teeth, which are similar to growth rings on tree trunks and can be used to estimate age. They found that the adult specimens were about 7 years old, and the juvenile specimens were between 7 months and 2 years old.

Panciroli said he expected the fossil to be much younger, since the pup still had its baby teeth. “This was quite surprising, as this animal is about the size of a squirrel or a shrew,” Panciroli said. “We would have expected its teeth to grow back within a few weeks or months, so we could see straight away that it must have been developing quite differently. [than modern species].”

This discovery K. Quiltrington Mice took up to two years to wean from their mothers, a big jump from the few weeks most small mammals require today. Analysis of the length and size of the fossil bones reveals that the animals “grew throughout their lives,” Panchiroli says. Today, small mammals like mice grow rapidly when they're young but then stop growing as adults.

It's unclear exactly when and why small mammals evolved this way, but Panchiroli said it could be linked to environmental changes or it could be the result of mammals having warmer blood and a faster metabolism.

Panciroli and her team return to Skye every year, and are optimistic that they will be able to better understand these changes: “Hopefully in the coming years we'll find more fossils and new ways to ask these questions,” she says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Review of Riven: A modern, intense reimagining of the beloved 90s island adventure classic

Posted on July 16, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

TThe best-selling PC game of 1997, Riven It now seems like a relic of a lost creative era. Set on a sunlit archipelago that would be swarming with Instagram influencers if it were real, the game combines computer-generated stills from postcards with live-action footage to create an elaborate island-scale escape room. Packed across five CDs, the game is a technical marvel, but its depths were only understood by those with the tenacity and tenacity to master lateral thinking. Few designers have come close to matching ingenuity or ability since. Riven– Similarities; the memory sank like a pebble in a still ocean.

After 30 years, this remake is back Riven The mysterious and enchanting world of Islands is recreated as a fully realized destination. To explore these islands, you walk over scorched cliffs and through stone-cold tunnels, rather than clicking through richly rendered still images (there’s also the option to play with a VR headset, for those ready and equipped for it). The basic beats and rhythms will be familiar to fans; you’ll still be playing with a mouse in one hand and a notebook in the other, cracking codes and figuring out how the world’s creaky underlying mechanisms fit together. But much has also changed, including the solutions to some of the puzzles. And there are new characters, including a star-studded appearance by real-life investigative journalist Ronan Farrow (who, along with his mother, actor Mia Farrow, is an avid fan of the islands). Riven And its predecessor mist).

The oppressive, murky pace won’t be to everyone’s tastes, and you’ll need a powerful machine to recreate the world as the author intended, but surprisingly, Riven‘s mystical powers have only grown stronger with each passing year. There’s nothing quite like it. As many of us count the days until summer vacation, it’s a destination without tourists, with lush scenery and tricky puzzles that, when solved, provide an invigorating, satisfying feeling.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Navigating the Challenges of Modern Sports Games with EA Customer Support | Games

Posted on June 28, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

I I’m so grateful for my dual citizenship now. The horror of Scotland’s dismal performance at Euro 2024 was tempered by Canada’s heroic play in the inaugural Copa America and by the Edmonton Oilers, a Canadian hockey team that’s reached its third Stanley Cup final in 18 years – a team so thoroughly Canadian that it has a fossil fuel in its name.

Thank you, NHL 93 and 94 on the Mega Drive. Not only were those two games the twin-headed epitome of sports gaming perfection, but they’re also the reason I can walk into any pub in Canada and bluff my way through a conversation about Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, and Mark Messier. I could also make the case for why Jeremy Roenick is the most underrated hockey player of his generation, if only because NHL 94 combined the four horsemen of the apocalypse into one. He was on par with Barry Sanders in Madden, Kylian Mbappe in any FIFA, the Stockton/Malone combo in NBA Jam, and other insanely good players whose teams you couldn’t beat.

The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers will play in 3D. Photo: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

I hadn’t played NHL in decades, but inspired by the Oilers’ near-victory, I decided to fire up NHL 24 on my Xbox, and I was instantly neurotic. What happened to the simple game on the Mega Drive, where you skate to one side, shoot at the back post, and get one-timers into the net 4 out of 5 times? Now it’s hyper-realistic, with 50-meter control options and loads of icy inertia. In the first game, I felt like a Rebel soldier during the Empire’s attack on Hoth.

So, back to the beginning. Master the basics with free skating. Then move on to the awesome 1v1v1 mode, where three people shoot at the same goal in a variety of snowy, convenient locations. This is the perfect place to start mastering the individual skills that matter in a game where creating scoring chances is surprisingly easy, but actually scoring is like threading a needle. With the puck. While sliding. And while getting hit.

Once you’ve mastered basic individual skills, move on to a 3v3 NHL three-match. You score your team’s first goal and feel great. Then the game stops, the Hawk mascot starts dancing in frustration and you start playing as the Blackhawks. This is how it should be at the Euros. Can you imagine a beleaguered Gareth Southgate trying to explain why he chose Hartlepool’s Hangus the Monkey over Harry Kane? Or how well Scotland would have performed with the Gunnersaurus in place of the injured Kieran Tierney?

I got overconfident and tried my first trick deke move, lost the ball, Hawk got the puck, and the mascot scored on me. A mascot! And I got two points! Why? Apparently we were playing MONEY PUCK, which is a rhyming slang for what I was yelling at the screen. But I put in the hours and soon got a mascot to play on my team. And it’s fun!

I was ready to play online. But things have changed because I’m one of those people with an old EA account linked to an email address I no longer have access to. I went through 7 layers of hell that is EA Online Support and submitted a ticket asking them to link another account to my Xbox One. I was told I needed to wait 6 minutes. That’s not too bad. The number 6 shows up on the screen but doesn’t change. For 10 minutes. And then it finally switched over.

Up to 8.

So 10.

So it’s 11.

Hell, EA took all the money they ripped people off of Fifa Ultimate Team and spent it on time travel. Wait a few days and you’ll see how the dinosaurs went extinct (and probably starve to death while waiting for help from EA).

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NHL 94 on the Mega Drive – Ahh, the good old days. Photo: EA

After decades, I finally connected with a human being. To access my account, I need to correctly answer six personal questions. Six! No way. The Canadian citizenship test was easier than this. Six personal questions? More than I asked my wife before we got married. Two questions are enough to access my bank account. Frustrated, I tried to prove my identity, offering to hold out my finger since I wouldn’t need it to play NHL 24 online anyway.

I tried to imitate Karen and said I wanted to speak to a manager, politely explaining that I was writing an article about the game. My “helper” said she would raise a ticket with the team and someone would get in touch. In the end, no one contacted me. Later, I realized there was an old case on my account from 2021. Clicked through the transcript. Same issue, still not fixed then.

My virtual hockey adventures will likely continue for a few more decades. I never have Something that happened on the Mega Drive.

Source: www.theguardian.com

New DNA studies indicate that modern horses were not domesticated until at least 2700 B.C.

Posted on June 8, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Horses revolutionized human history by increasing mobility, but the timeline between their domestication and widespread integration as a form of transportation remains debated.

Genetic evidence suggests that modern domestic horses emerged around 3000 BC in the steppes of western Eurasia, including an area inhabited by nomadic peoples known as the Yamnaya.

According to some accounts, the Yamnaya people migrated to Europe on horseback.

The earlier appearance of a different lineage of domesticated horses (probably used for milk) in association with the Botai culture of Central Asia (context: c. 3500 BC) also adds confusion.

To explore the possible timing of domestication, Dr. Ludovic Orlando of the Toulouse Centre for Anthropology and Genomics, Dr. Pablo Librado of the Barcelona Institute of Evolutionary Biology and their colleagues analysed the genomes of 475 ancient horses and 77 modern horses.

“I started working with horses about 10 years ago, and at the time there were only a few ancient genomes,” Dr. Librado said.

“With this new study, we now have hundreds of specimens. The increased resolution over Central Europe, the Carpathians and the Transylvanian Basin was particularly important, as this region was at the heart of the ongoing debate about a large-scale horse-driven migration out of the steppes around 5,000 years ago, or maybe even earlier.”

The researchers found that around 2200 BC there was a clear change in horse breeding practices (including the introduction of inbreeding), which resulted in the replacement of almost all horse bloodlines with modern livestock bloodlines.

This expansion was preceded by a domestication bottleneck (starting around 2,700 BC) that shortened generation times (related to the age at which horses breed) and made it easier to breed new domestic horses.

Previous studies have suggested that the Yamnaya migration occurred between 3,300 and 2,600 BCE.

The timing suggested by this study is therefore inconsistent with the hypothesis that the Yamnaya-related steppe peoples were accompanied by large herds of modern domesticated horses.

The authors also found evidence of domestication of the Botai horse, including shortened generation times, which means that horse domestication may have occurred in some areas before 2700 BC, but did not lead to widespread migration of horses.

“One question I've long wondered about is the scale of production: how was it possible to suddenly keep such large numbers of horses from a relatively small livestock area to meet growing global demand by the turn of the second millennium BC?” Dr Orlando said.

“Now we have the answer: breeders have controlled the reproduction of the animals so well that the time interval between two generations has been almost halved.”

“Simply put, they were able to speed up the breeding process and essentially double their production rate.”

“Our methodology for measuring temporal changes in generation time has great potential,” Dr. Librado explained.

“This adds a new method to the archaeozoological toolkit for monitoring the development of managed breeding in a range of livestock species beyond horses.”

“But it could also help shed light on generation intervals in our hunter-gatherer ancestors and how these intervals evolved alongside changing lifestyles and significant climatic changes.”

“Our evidence supports two stages of domestication of the horse,” Dr Orlando said.

“The first attempts, which occurred around 5,500 years ago, were aimed at addressing the decline of horse populations and providing food for people living on the steppes of Central Asia.”

“The domestic horse as we know it emerged from a second period of domestication about 4,200 years ago.”

“This allowed high-speed travel for the first time and truly changed human history.”

of study Published in this week's journal Nature.

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P. Librado otherHorse travel became widespread in Eurasia around 2200 BC. NaturePublished online June 6, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07597-5

Source: www.sci.news

A breeding revolution 4,200 years ago shaped the origins of the modern horse.

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

Horse domestication began on the Eurasian steppes

Lina Shatalova/iStockphoto/Getty Images

A genetic study of hundreds of ancient horses suggests that ancient breeders dramatically shortened the horse’s natural development period, starting around 4,200 years ago. This intense breeding allowed the lineage to rapidly expand across Eurasia within a few centuries, according to researchers led by Ludovic Orlando at the Centre for Human Biology and Genomics in Toulouse, France.

“In other words, they controlled horse breeding,” he says, “so this tells us something about the breeding processes behind the success of horse breeding around the world.”

Horses were first domesticated 5,500 years ago by the Botai people in what is now Kazakhstan. The Botai, however, did not spread their horse culture to other regions and eventually went extinct. Horses released back into the wild.

More than 1,000 years later, a different lineage of horse was domesticated in the Pontic-Caspian steppes of southern Russia. This lineage eventually spread worldwide, giving rise to all the domesticated horses we see today, according to Orlando.

To trace the history of horse domestication, Orlando and his team analyzed the genomes of 475 ancient horses dating back 50,000 years in Eurasia. They compared these genomes with those of 71 modern domestic horses representing 40 breeds from around the world, along with six species of the endangered mullein genus (a separate subspecies).

The research found that, except for the Botai, horses were not domesticated before the third millennium BCE, indicating that horses did not play a significant role in early human migration or cultural expansion, as previously suggested, Orlando explained.

DNA analysis showed that horses in the Pontic-Caspian steppe underwent significant inbreeding around 4,200 years ago, likely in an effort to develop specific traits for high-quality riding or chariot horses, according to Orlando.

Through a combination of genome sequencing and carbon dating, scientists estimated that the average time between two successive horse generations, called the generation time interval, was significantly shortened during the same period of inbreeding in the Pontic-Caspian steppes, halving the interval seen in the wild.

“During the domestication bottleneck around 2200 BCE, breeders were able to control horse reproduction so well that generations became faster and faster,” Orlando said.

Orlando suggests that breeders may have achieved this shortening of generation times not by breeding horses at a younger age, but by increasing survival rates. Unlike wild horses, horses in human care are less susceptible to deaths among mares and newborn foals, as they are protected from predators and disturbances that could jeopardize their survival, according to researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna led by Kristin Orlich.

topic:

Source: www.newscientist.com

The Last of Us Part II Remastered: A Stellar Refresh of a Modern Classic – A Review | Games

Posted on January 18, 2024 by Igor Mitreski

IIt’s hard to believe that The Last of Us Part II was first released almost four years ago, right in the middle of the coronavirus lockdown period. There was a haunting irony in the idea of people stuck at home due to a global pandemic playing an apocalyptic video game about a global pandemic. Well, the coronavirus never went away, and neither did The Last of Us. In 2021, a free upgrade will allow new PS5 owners to play a tweaked version of the PS4 original, followed by the arrival of the critically acclaimed TV drama series and new You’ve got an audience. A desperate story of Ellie and Joel.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered is now available, an overhauled version of this great game. This adds a new fidelity mode that offers his 4K resolution at 30 frames per second, and a performance mode at 1440p, 60 fps. You’ll need a decent display to notice the difference from older PS5 upgrades, but the difference is there. Movement is smoother, the lighting is brighter, and the details of the scenery, especially the foliage, are brought to life, further increasing the immersion in this muddy, desolate world. What struck me most were the game’s epic battle scenes, which now feel completely fluid and intense, and the emotional cinematic moments that the game already achieved so well.

“Emotional movie moment”…The Last of Us Part II Remastered.

More importantly, the controls change with the complete implementation of the Dual Sense controller. Detailed haptic feedback and adaptive triggers make the differences in the feel of various weapons obvious, increasing the sheer physicality of combat. The addition of a guitar mode, where you can use the touchpad to strum Joel’s old acoustic, is a peripheral but very fun feature.

What really makes the game exciting is the abundance of bonus content. The new mode, named No Return, is a roguelike survival game where you aim to survive as long as possible through waves of multiple enemy attacks. You can choose a path through a series of procedurally generated stages. Each stage is based on an area from the main game. If you die, it’s game over. Once you reach the end, a huge boss battle awaits you.

This kind of “horde mode” isn’t new, but Naughty Dog has done a great job of transferring the main game’s narrative tension into these enclosed gunfights. Instead of just standing in the shadows and blowing up anything that moves, you’ll have to sneak through abandoned stores and backyards, listening for signs of enemies. Also, there are stages where you are dealing with infected people, and there are stages where human soldiers appear, and the tactics change accordingly. You get a fascinating mix of stealth and all-out action, and you can upgrade your weapons and items at the end of each stage. It’s also fun to play as different characters for the first time, such as Dina or Tommy, as each trait affects gameplay differently. Unfortunately, there’s no multiplayer co-op here. It would have been fun to share the experience with friends, The Last of Us’ problems online are well knownThat’s not surprising.

Stay alive as long as possible… No Return Mode in The Last of Us Part II Remastered.

However, my favorite addition is the Lost Levels, which are a selection of three playable stages cut from the game. There’s additional build-up to the Jackson party where Dina and Ellie kiss, an extended section of the Seattle sewers, and finally a final scene where Ellie hunts a boar. These short sequences are unfinished and understandably rough at times, but they offer a truly fascinating glimpse into the development process. This kind of content is rarely shared with players (or journalists, for that matter).

Every scene also has audio commentary from the lead designer, who explains how much detail goes into every little section of the game, from how the designer establishes the emotional context of a scene to determining the exact length of a fire escape ladder. Gain insight into how much thought and planning goes into it. , thereby emphasizing the player’s sense of security and escape.What I remember from Lost Level great story At the GameCity festival a few years ago, Uncharted lead designer Richard Lemarchand talked about the development of Uncharted 3. Game design students should jump at this learning opportunity.

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The Last of Us Part II Remastered feels like the video game equivalent of a Criterion Collection Blu-ray, hand-picked to celebrate a groundbreaking release. Reliving this brutal adventure in a visually and haptically enhanced format was just as exhausting, moving, and exhilarating as my first playthrough. It’s nice to see a video game treated this way, but it’s also a reminder of how few studios and releases see this kind of respectful repackaging.i love that kind of thing Limited run game That will be the case with the physical release, but imagine if all the remasters and reboots show deleted scenes and developer insights. There’s so much nonsense about the game development process on forums and social media, and so many assumptions that are completely wrong. Improved access to the process will benefit everyone.

For those who have never played the game or experienced it on PS5, this is a must-have experience. This is the cutting edge of mainstream narrative gaming, lovingly reincarnated.

Source: www.theguardian.com

The influence of ancient Neanderthal DNA on modern daily routines

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Igor Mitreski

Recent research has revealed a link between Neanderthal genetics and the tendency of some modern humans to wake up early. The study traces back to the interbreeding of modern humans and Neanderthals in Eurasia and suggests that genetic variation in Neanderthals influences the circadian rhythms of modern human descendants. Credit: SciTechDaily.com

A new paper has been published in a magazine Genome biology and evolutionAccording to a paper published by Oxford University Press, genetic material from Neanderthal ancestors may have contributed to the tendency of some people today to be “early risers” – the type of people who find it easier to get up early and go to bed. I discovered that there is a possibility that

Human evolution and genetic adaptation

All anatomically modern humans trace their origins to Africa about 300,000 years ago, where environmental factors shaped many of their biological characteristics. About 70,000 years ago, the ancestors of modern Eurasian humans began migrating into Eurasia, where they encountered a variety of new environments, including high latitude regions with large seasonal fluctuations in sunlight and temperature.

But other hominins, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans, lived in Eurasia for more than 400,000 years. These archaic humans diverged from modern humans about 700,000 years ago, and as a result, our ancestors and archaic humans evolved under different environmental conditions. This led to the accumulation of strain-specific genetic variation and phenotypes. When humans came to Eurasia, they interbred with archaic humans from the continent. This created the possibility for humans to acquire genetic variations already adapted to these new environments.

Genes of ancient humans and characteristics of modern humans

Although previous studies have shown that many of the archaic ancestors of modern humans are not beneficial and have been removed by natural selection, some archaic hominin variants that remain in human populations has shown evidence of adaptation. For example, archaic genetic variation is thought to be associated with differences in hemoglobin levels, immune resistance to new pathogens, levels of skin pigmentation, and fat composition among Tibetans at high altitudes.

Changes in patterns and levels of light exposure have biological and behavioral effects that lead to evolutionary adaptations. Scientists have extensively studied the evolution of circadian adaptations in insects, plants, and fish, but humans have been less well studied. The Eurasian environment where Neanderthals and Denisovans lived for hundreds of thousands of years is located at higher latitudes and has more variable daylight hours than where modern humans evolved before leaving Africa. So the researchers investigated whether there was genetic evidence for differences in circadian clocks between Neanderthals and modern humans.

Research methods and findings

The researchers defined a set of 246 circadian genes using a combination of literature searches and expert knowledge. They found hundreds of genetic variations unique to each strain that can affect genes involved in the circadian clock. Using artificial intelligence techniques, they identified 28 circadian genes that contain mutations that could alter splicing in archaic humans and that may be differentially regulated between modern and archaic humans. identified 16 circadian genes.

This indicates that there may be functional differences between the circadian clocks of ancient and modern humans. Eurasian modern humans and Neanderthal ancestors interbred, so some humans may have acquired circadian variation from Neanderthals.

To test this, the researchers studied a large population of hundreds of thousands of people in the UK Biobank and found that introgressed genetic mutations (mutations that passed from Neanderthals to modern humans) could affect wakefulness and sleep. We investigated whether there is a relationship with physical preference for. They discovered a number of introgressed mutants that affected sleep preferences, and most surprisingly, they found that these mutants consistently increased morningness, or the tendency to rise early. This suggests a directional influence on this trait and is consistent with adaptations to high latitudes observed in other animals.

Increased morning time in humans is associated with a shortened circadian clock period. This may be beneficial at high latitudes, as it has been shown that sleep and wakefulness can be coordinated more quickly with external timing cues. Shortening of the circadian period is required to synchronize with the long summer light period at high latitudes in Drosophila, and selection for a shorter circadian period results in the latitudinal period decreasing with increasing latitude in natural Drosophila populations. There is a latitudinal gradient in which the

Therefore, the bias toward morningness in introgressed mutants may indicate selection for shortened circadian periods in populations living at high latitudes. The tendency to be a morning person may have been evolutionarily beneficial to our ancestors who lived in the high latitudes of Europe, and would have been a Neanderthal genetic trait worth preserving.

“By combining ancient times, DNA“After extensive genetic and artificial intelligence research in modern humans, we discovered substantial genetic differences in the circadian systems of Neanderthals and modern humans,” said John, lead author of the paper.・A. Capra said.

“And by analyzing Neanderthal DNA fragments that remain in the genomes of modern humans, we discovered surprising trends, many of which affect the regulation of circadian genes in modern humans. These effects are primarily in the consistent direction of increasing Neanderthal tendencies.” Morning people. This change is consistent with the effects of living at high latitudes on animals’ circadian clocks, which may allow them to adjust more quickly to changing seasonal light patterns.

“Our next steps include applying these analyzes to more diverse modern human populations and investigating the effects of the Neanderthal variants we identified on circadian clocks in model systems. and applying similar analyzes to other potentially adaptive traits.”

Reference: “Archaic Introgression Shaped Human Circadian Traits” by Keila Velazquez-Arcelay, Laura L Colbran, Evonne McArthur, Colin M Brand, David C Rinker, Justin K Siemann, Douglas G McMahon, John A Capra, December 14, 2023 , Genome biology and evolution.
DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evad203

Source: scitechdaily.com

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