The Field Museum's Center for Cultural Understanding and Change has launched an Institute to develop museum-based public interest anthropology. The program aims to facilitate interaction between communities and universities on critical social issues.
Stanford biologists Paul R. Ehrlich and Marcus W. Feldman critique genetic determinism in their essay, arguing that human behavior is shaped by environmental factors rather than genes. They also challenge the concept of heritability, pointing out its limitations in predicting human behaviors.
A CWRU anthropologist has discovered a distinct pattern of human adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia among the Ambaras people in Ethiopia, who have normal sea-level hemoglobin and oxygen saturations. This finding suggests that there are three patterns of adaptation to high-altitude living among indigenous populations.
New research reveals that health problems among American Indians began thousands of years ago, with agriculture and urbanization contributing to a decline in overall health. Indigenous groups living along coastal areas had the healthiest skeletons, while nomads and rural settlers were also among the healthiest groups.
Nancy Bowers, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography doctoral student, has been awarded the 2002 Chrysalis Scholarship from the Association for Women Geoscientists. Her research focuses on analyzing high-frequency fluctuations in Earth's magnetic field as observed in oceanic crust data.
A team of researchers reanalyzed the data from Boas' 1912 study on cranial measurements, finding that genetic factors dominate variation in head shape. The study's results contradict Boas' claims that environmental influences are the primary driver of cranial plasticity.
The western chimpanzee is critically endangered with only 4% of its original population remaining. Conservation efforts are underway to address threats such as agricultural development, logging, and the bush meat trade. The action plan provides a roadmap for halting or reversing the decline in chimpanzee numbers in West Africa.
Researchers have discovered that indigenous inhabitants of the Amazon improved the soil, rather than degrading it. The ability to reproduce this super-fertile soil could enable intensive agriculture in hot regions, making a significant impact on food production.
The American Sociological Association asserts that measuring race is essential for understanding its role in shaping social definitions, power relationships, and institutional practices. Despite biological research questioning its utility, sociologists argue that racial categories persist and influence daily life.
The study found that many low-income single parents experience close to full-time jobs with brief periods of lay-off or lower hours. They often struggle to make ends meet due to limited benefits from their employers, leading to a weaker safety net for children.
Researchers investigate active Archaean plate tectonics based on features in ultramafic blocks within oceanic crust remnants. Additionally, studies explore eukaryotic stromatolite builders' impact on Precambrian iron formations and atmospheric oxygenation.
A team of scientists excavated a chimpanzee nut-cracking site in West Africa, uncovering new facets and confirming existing knowledge about chimpanzee tool behavior. The study suggests that some Oldowan sites may be re-interpreted as nut-cracking sites, providing new insights into human evolution.
Researchers are studying prehistoric human footpaths in Costa Rica, which were visible only through satellite images but invisible to the naked eye. The team hopes to uncover insights into ancient settlements, cultural practices, and potential connections between villages.
Researchers investigate church records to reconstruct the virulence, spacial diffusion and temporal dynamics of the Black Death. They argue that the disease was transmitted through person-to-person contact, contrary to traditional theories linking it to bubonic plague.
A recent study published in Science reveals that chimpanzees and humans have strikingly different patterns of gene expression in the brain, with humans exhibiting accelerated evolutionary change. This difference may hold clues to understanding medical traits such as AIDS, malaria, and Alzheimer's disease.
A study by Timothy Sullivan found that homeless urban Guatemalan street children have a similar average body mass index (BMI) to American children, suggesting better health and survival rates despite harsh conditions. The research challenges previous assumptions about the negative impact of homelessness on child health.
The Ford Foundation grant will help researchers define problems facing social sciences, compare historical trajectories in several countries, and foster international discussion. Academically, the social sciences face challenges due to shifting emphasis on science, technology, and quantitative research methods.
Scientists have discovered two significant fossil finds in Europe, shedding light on the early evolution of humans. The oldest relative of all living great apes was found in Germany, while a nearly complete skull of Dryopithecus was uncovered in Hungary.
A study of Maya children in the US found nearly half are overweight and 42% are obese, with TV and computer gaming linked to a higher risk. The disparity is attributed to American acculturation and socioeconomic factors, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.
Researchers found a shift in diet and personal ornamentation, such as beads, around 40-50 thousand years ago, which may indicate increased human population density. This change occurred simultaneously in Africa, Asia, and Europe, suggesting that modern humans did not expand from a single geographic location.
D'Andrade's research focuses on cognitive anthropology, quantitative methods, and American culture, with a focus on insightful interpretations of historical trends shaping the future goals of anthropology. He is one of 14 individuals honored by the NAS this year.
Research finds that husbands' psychological well-being declines modestly when their wives' percentage contribution to family income increases, despite stable marital happiness. This decline may be due to married men feeling unwelcome or challenged by greater equity in decision-making and household duties.
An ivory statuette of a lion-tamer may be part of the throne given to Apollo by King Midas, according to Dr. Keith DeVries. The statuette's style and date match Phrygian art from Turkey, supporting a strong case for its association with the king's throne.
Researchers found that a modern human-like growth period in humans is a relatively recent evolutionary acquisition, arising around 120,000 years ago. The analysis of fossil teeth suggests that the prolonged growth and development seen in humans today is not as old as previously thought.
Researchers have shed light on the brutal treatment of Maya scribes who supported defeated kings. The scribes' fingers were broken before they were executed, as part of a bizarre practice that muffled their ability to produce powerful texts. This practice highlights the importance of these scribes in Maya society.
Cannibalism is reevaluated as a complex practice with positive meanings among the Wari' people of the Amazon rainforest. The study reveals that funerary cannibalism was an act of affection, respect, and coping mechanism for grief, helping survivors to reconcile with their deceased loved ones.
The discovery of 70 prehistoric stone ax heads at the Grossmann site near O’Fallon, Illinois, sheds new light on Cahokian society. The pristine ax heads, made from St. François basalt, suggest a possible connection to social status and wealth.
The study highlights the loss of large predatory fish as a key factor in altering marine food webs, leading to changes in ecosystem composition. Historical records suggest that fishing impacts may have begun thousands of years ago, contributing to current ecosystem level changes.
A new study challenges long-held beliefs that humans evolved from chimpanzee-like ancestors into upright beings and thrived in tropical grasslands. Soil analysis reveals that early humans preferred humid forest environments, contrary to expectations.
A UCSF study reveals that uninsured patients with chronic illnesses face significant challenges in managing their conditions, including poor symptom recognition and limited access to medication. This can lead to greater illness severity and premature death. Free community clinics are crucial for addressing these disparities.
The Gault site in Texas holds the most intensively occupied Clovis site currently known in North America, revealing a 500-700 year progression of the Clovis culture. This unique campsite has yielded five stratigraphically separate occupational events, providing valuable insights into the earliest occupants of Texas and North America.
A University of Michigan study finds that ancient human fossils from Australia and Europe show distinctive characteristics to an older African population, contradicting the 'Eve theory'. The research suggests that multiple groups of humans survived and thrived globally, rather than a single ancestral group replacing others.
A new $1.85 million grant-funded study will investigate how African-American and white patients develop, maintain, and change self-care behaviors over time. The study aims to identify how these racial differences affect health outcomes and long-term quality of life.
The UCSF Center aims to improve nursing care for older Americans by training more gerontological nurse scientists. The center will prepare nurses to educate future nurses and conduct research on aging health care policy.
At least a third of the 1.6 million US nursing home residents may suffer from malnutrition or dehydration, according to UCSF researcher Kayser-Jones. Inadequate staffing and lack of individualized care contribute to this issue, with chronic conditions like depression exacerbating it.
A team of scientists from the University of Massachusetts suggests that some Nasca lines in Peru may mark underground water sources. The research project, detailed in Discover magazine, indicates that the lines depict natural forces and are aligned with groundwater associated with faults in the bedrock.
The University of Michigan has thoroughly investigated the book 'Darkness in El Dorado' by Patrick Tierney and found that major claims are false. The university confirms that Dr. Neel's medical care was humane and medically appropriate, and the measles outbreak occurred before his arrival.
A team of archaeologists led by Dr. Clark Erickson discovered a unique landscape-scale fishery operated by pre-Columbian native peoples in the Baures region of Bolivia. The ancient earthworks, built around 300 years ago, provided intensive aquaculture allowing for sustainable food production.
The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has awarded $20,000 doctoral research grants to five Canadian students. The winners will study various aspects of international development, including civil war's impact on Burundi's populations and the effects of State decentralization in Senegal.
Researchers from Temple University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute found starch grains on stone tools in Panama dating back nearly 7,000 years. This direct evidence suggests that farming was taking place in tropical America earlier than previously thought.
A group of Puebloans from the Mesa Verde region is believed to have settled in three ruins on the west side of the Rio Grande River, exhibiting characteristics of the Mesa Verde culture. The site, Pinnacle Ruin, was inhabited by a large group who made a 250-mile journey south after Four Corners collapsed.
The Foundation for Exploration and Research on Cultural Origins (FERCO) has funded eight research projects on ancient civilizations in Asia, North America and Europe. These projects include studies of early maritime adaptations, trade networks and the distribution of obsidian, among others.
The extinction of the Miss Waldron's red colobus monkey is a warning sign of an impending ecological disaster in West Africa. The loss of large-bodied monkeys, including primates and forest antelope, threatens the region's biodiversity, highlighting the need for improved law enforcement, protected areas, and conservation education.
A new $100,000 prize has been established at UC San Diego to honor human cognition pioneer David Rumelhart. The prize will recognize significant contributions in the field of human cognition and be awarded biennially.
The UCSF School of Medicine has developed a radical new curriculum that integrates disciplines, introduces clinical concepts early, and expedites students' entry into patient care. The new model will replace the traditional structure and include courses taught in integrated blocks centered on clinical cases.
Scientists have conclusively determined that European Neandertals were top-level carnivores who lived on a diet of mainly hunted animal meat. The team analyzed bone-chemistry and stable-isotope analysis to reconstruct the Neandertal diet, finding that they likely ate almost exclusively meat.
A new study of ancient stone tools in Eritrea reveals that early humans harvested seafood in Africa around 125,000 years ago. The discovery suggests a widespread adaptive strategy in early human behavior that spread across the continent between 115,000 and 125,000 years ago.
Dr. F. Ann Walker, a researcher on the kissing bug, will present her award-winning research on heme proteins and Chagas' disease at the American Chemical Society meeting. The study highlights the intersection of entomology, inorganic biochemistry, medicine, and anthropology.
Researchers found that the artifacts at Cahokia were made from Missouri flint clay deposits, indicating a local production process. This new evidence suggests that the Cahokia society focused on a local rather than long-distance acquisition process for their ceremonial objects.
The study confirms the complex origins of Native Americans by analyzing craniofacial measurements of old and new skulls from around the world. The results separate the native inhabitants of the Western Hemisphere into several different groups, including those descended from Asian groups such as the Jomon people of Japan.
Researchers uncover evidence of advanced textile production in Ice Age women, revealing intricately woven clothing and accessories made from plant fibers. The findings challenge traditional images of our ancestors, highlighting the important role that women played in late Pleistocene societies.
A study by UCSF researcher Shelley Adler found that only a third of women with breast cancer disclose using alternative treatments to their medical doctors. The main reasons for remaining silent were attitudes toward physicians and the perception that disclosure was not relevant to the doctor-patient relationship. Women tend to discuss...
Dr. Kayser-Jones' groundbreaking research on dietary needs of nursing home residents has greatly influenced nursing care practices. Her work has had far-reaching effects on education, clinical practice, and health policy.
A recent study published in Science found that chimpanzee subspecies are genetically mixed and more diverse than previously thought. The research suggests that the variation in the chimpanzee genome is not due to cultural differences, but rather a result of genetic variation between populations.
New radiocarbon dating reveals Neandertals coexisted with early modern humans in central Europe for thousands of years, casting doubt on theories of extinction and migration. The findings also suggest potential genetic exchange between Neandertals and modern humans.
The discovery of a new tomb at Teotihuacan's Pyramid of the Moon has provided critical evidence for reconstructing the city's 2,000-year-old history. The tomb contains human skeletons, animal bones, and offerings that differ from previous discoveries, suggesting a significant cultural shift between two phases of pyramid construction.
A team of researchers from Case Western Reserve University has discovered a new species of human ancestor, Australopithecus garhi, in the Afar Desert of Ethiopia. The fossils, dated to 2.5 million years ago, exhibit a unique combination of traits that were unexpected and fill a major gap in our understanding of human evolution.
The Navajo Faith Healing Project examines traditional religious healing practices among the Navajo people, combining ceremonies, chants, and peyote rituals to treat physical and mental ailments. The study reveals a holistic approach to healthcare, integrating faith healing with Western medicine in some cases.
A new Ohio University study found that 10% of college students have sold their blood plasma for payments, often using the funds for nonessential goods. The study revealed that paid student donors come from higher-income families and are more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle practices.
Alan Walker, a distinguished professor at Penn State, has been recognized by the British Royal Society for his groundbreaking work on human origins. He is one of forty-two new Fellows elected this year and was honored for his distinguished contributions to the world's knowledge of human origins.