In the News: History of Humans

Fig.1 Newly discovered jawbone of modern human relative in Ethiopia dates to 2.8 million years ago (Credit: William Kimbel)

Ancient bones and human relatives are highlighted in week's #FollowFriday post. Read about the known origins of human kind, preserving mummies during climate change, a 7-foot long arthropod, and more!

• Mummies that have been preserved for thousands of years are now in danger due to climate change. These scientists took a micro-approach to save this archaeological collection: “Saving The World’s Oldest Mummies From Rot In A Warmer, Wetter World,” Smithsonian Magazine (10 March 2015)

• Have you made your March Madness bracket yet? These scientists made theirs with mammals outside of the NCAA: “Could A Quokka Beat A Numbat? Oddsmakers Say Yes,” NPR (06 March 2015)

• How much does a collection cost? This study examines gene banks and their economic value: “The Cost-Benefit Of Australian Genbanks,” Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog (06 March 2015)

• The earliest ancient human fossil pushes the known origins of humankind back by 500,000 years: “Ethiopian Jawbone May Mark Dawn Of Humankind,” Nature (04 March 2015)

• Emerging infectious diseases are not just a danger to humans, but can affect our non-human primate cousins as well. How can we shift the focus from humans to the other species as well? “Disease Poses Risk To Chimpanzee Conservation, Gombe Study Finds,” eScience Commons, Emory University (10 March 2015)

• An ancient explosion in new marine life gave rise to this 7-foot arthropod: “Think Man-Sized Swimming Centipede - And Be Glad It’s A Fossil,” NPR (11 March 2015)