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Study: No known hominin is ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans

A recent study using dental fossils suggests that the common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans diverged nearly 1 million years ago, contradicting previous molecular evidence. The researchers found no known hominin species matches the expected dental morphology of the last common ancestor.

This week in Molecular Biology and Evolution

A recent molecular biology study suggests a significant reduction in population sizes of common ancestors of humans and chimpanzees, from 1.2 million to 30,000, coinciding with a great ape ancestral migration event from Eurasia to Africa.

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Where we split from sharks: Common ancestor comes into focus

The study of Acanthodes bronni, a 290-million-year-old fossil fish, sheds light on the evolution of early jawed vertebrates. The researchers found that the common ancestor of all jawed vertebrates resembled a shark, with features such as cartilaginous jaws and primitive sensory organs.

I know something you don't know -- and I will tell you!

Researchers found that wild chimpanzees were more likely to alarm call to a snake when group members were unaware, indicating they recognize knowledge states. This study suggests that sharing new information with others is a fundamental aspect of language evolution, present in our common ancestor with chimps.

Identifying the origin of the fly

The study identifies three periods of rapid evolution in the fly family tree, with mosquito, March fly, and common house fly branches emerging around 220, 175, and 50 million years ago. This research provides a framework for future comparative work on species critical to society and science.

Unknown animals nearly invisible but yet there

A new DNA study by University of Gothenburg researchers has uncovered over 120 previously unknown bryozoan species in Swedish waters, including a completely new species. The findings shed light on the evolution and relationships of these nearly invisible animals, which are found in marine and freshwater environments.

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Fish out of water

A new species of fish from tropical South America has been discovered, confirming suspected roots to the loricariid catfish family tree. The species, Lithogenes wahari, shares traits with both the Loricariidae and Astroblepidae families, including bony armor and a grasping pelvic fin.

Earth's original ancestor was LUCA, not Adam nor Eve

A recent study published in Nature reveals that the common ancestor of all life on earth, LUCA, was not a heat-loving organism as previously thought. Instead, it thrived in a cooler microclimate, resolving a paradox about the origins of life on Earth.

The origin of the brain lies in a worm

The study reveals surprising similarities in the developing CNS of Platynereis embryos and vertebrates, suggesting that the vertebrate nervous system is probably much older than expected. This finding provides strong evidence for a theory that vertebrates and annelid CNS are of common descent.

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The chimpanzee stone age

Researchers discovered evidence that chimpanzees used stone tools to crack nuts around 4300 years ago, pushing back the origin of this behavior by thousands of years. The study found similarities between chimpanzee and human ancestors' cultural attributes, suggesting a possible common ancestor for these behaviors.

Iron Age burial sites provide evidence of social changes

In the Iron Age, local identity was centered around ancestral burial sites, but shifted to family and settlement ties as people began to settle and cultivate land. This change had significant implications for community cohesion and collective identity.

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