Anthropology & archaeology. (Science News of the year: the weekly newsmagazine of science).Fair enough People everywhere divvy up Verb 1. divvy up - give out as one's portion or share portion out, apportion, share, deal hand out, pass out, give out, distribute - give to several people; "The teacher handed out the exams" food and make other deals based on social concepts of fairness, not individual self-interest, a cross-cultural project found (161: 104). Erectus set A newly found fossil skull entered an ongoing debate about whether the human ancestor Homo erectus Homo erectus (hō`mō ērĕk`təs), extinct hominid living between 1.6 million and 250,000 years ago. Homo erectus is thought to have evolved in Africa from H. habilis, the first member of the genus Homo. was a single species or several (161: 179 *). Genetic divide Investigators reported that the distinctive looks and thinking styles of people and chimpanzees derive from contrasting actions of their similar DNA sequences (161: 227). Early writers Excavators of an ancient site in southeastern Mexico stirred controversy with the announcement that they had found examples of the earliest known writing in the Americas (162: 355). Neander-tot An anthropologist recovered the 40,O00-year-old skeleton of a Neandertal baby from a French museum, where it had been stored and forgotten for nearly 90 years (162: 148). Cracking up Scientists unearthed Unearthed is the name of a Triple J project to find and "dig up" (hence the name) hidden talent in regional Australia. Unearthed has had three incarnations - they first visited each region of Australia where Triple J had a transmitter - 41 regions in all. the first chimpanzee chimpanzee, an ape, genus Pan, of the equatorial forests of central and W Africa. The common chimpanzee, Pan troglodytes, lives N of the Congo River. Full-grown animals of this species are up to 5 ft (1. archaeological site, which included stone nut-cracking implements (161: 195 *). Another dig yielded evidence that hard-shelled nuts were a dietary staple of human ancestors living in the Middle East 780,000 years ago (161: 117). DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. diaspora A controversial genetic analysis concluded that Homo sapiens evolved by leaving Africa in multiple waves beginning at least 600,000 years ago and then interbreeding interbreeding crossbreeding, as between half-breds. with Neandertals and other close relatives (161: 149). Lake likers Chilean excavations revealed that, starting around 13,000 years ago, people lived at extremely high altitudes during rainy periods, when they could set up hunting camps on the shores of mountain lakes (162: 259 *). Ancient care A nearly toothless fossil jaw found in France reignited scientific debate over whether skeletal remains of physically disabled individuals show that our Stone Age ancestors provided life-saving aid to the ill and infirm INFIRM. Weak, feeble. 2. When a witness is infirm to an extent likely to destroy his life, or to prevent his attendance at the trial, his testimony de bene esge may be taken at any age. 1 P. Will. 117; see Aged witness.; Going witness. (162: 328). * An asterisk indicates that the text of the item is available free on SCIENCE NEWS ONLINE (http://www.sciencenews.org). |
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