MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Historical Society, in partnership with Native Nations in Wisconsin, is excited to share new details from the active archaeological site where two submerged dugout canoes, approximately 1,200 and 3,000 years old, were previously identified. The site drew international attention after divers successfully recovered the dugout canoes in 2021 and 2022, respectively, and today the site remains a source of intrigue for historians and residents as the significance of the discovery expands.

I watched it in theaters yesterday and enjoyed it! Beautiful post-apocalyptic imagery, decent writing, great digital graphics, great story boarding. I’m always excited for sci fi epics and this scratched that itch.

One facet I thought could have been more robust was the question of human vs ape intelligence (which obviously comes up a lot). I felt there was competing messaging without a lot of complex exploration of intelligence or speciesism which could have deepened the film.

Snippet: HERVs are “non-coding” sequences comprising of genetic material that originated from the infection of germ cells with ancient retroviruses during evolution, which now constitute approximately 8% of the human genome7,8,9. After the initial infections took place, these sequences inserted in the genome and multiplied themselves using a ‘copy-and-paste’ mechanism known as retrotransposition. At present, there is no evidence that these elements are currently retrotransposing, and studies suggest the majority of HERV insertions occurred over \~1.2 million years ago10,11. Instead, they have been hypothesised to regulate neighbouring genes, as most HERV sequences comprise of solitary viral promoters known as long terminal repeats (LTRs)9,12. However, many sequences additionally contain remnants of viral genes (e.g., gag, pol, env) that may encode additional biological functions, other than just regulating gene expression locally. For example, HERVs from the families W and FRD encoding env play a fundamental role in cellular fusion during the formation of the placenta and are now annotated as the syncytin-1 and syncytin-2 genes, respectively13. Critically, 14,968 HERV transcriptional units comprising of ancient viral genes flanked by LTRs have been annotated in the reference genome, from across 60 HERV families14. Although HERVs have been implicated in major psychiatric conditions15,16,17,18,19,20, most studies precede the comprehensive genomic annotation of these sequences. These studies also relied on methods that aggregate family-level expression data, such as Western blotting, reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), or microarrays, and most also analysed very small sample sizes, meaning they were underpowered for the investigation of complex polygenic traits1. Finally, by employing case-control study designs, they were more likely to capture expression changes elicited by environmental factors associated with a psychiatric diagnosis, such as smoking or treatment21.

Here, we use a TWAS approach that considers neurological HERV expression estimated to precise genomic locations, to identify expression signatures associated with psychiatric conditions, while circumventing the limitations more prevalent in traditional case-control studies. Due to the inclusion of global HERV expression, or the ‘retrotranscriptome’, in this analysis, we call this approach a ‘retrotranscriptome-wide association study’ (rTWAS). We identify extensive HERV expression and regulation in the adult cortex, including in association with genetic risk for psychiatric disorders. We also detect co-expression networks linking the expression of canonical genes with HERVs, allowing us to broadly infer the function some specific HERVs may play in neurobiology. This work provides a rationale for exploring neurological HERV expression in complex neuropsychiatric traits.

I have only seen the movies once each but I have a vague memory of it being part of the plot in The Last Jedi. Am I remembering wrong?

Abstract: The transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture stands as one of the most important dietary revolutions in human history. Yet, due to a scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Pleistocene sites, little is known about the dietary practices of pre-agricultural human groups. Here we present the isotopic evidence of pronounced plant reliance among Late Stone Age hunter-gatherers from North Africa (15,000–13,000 cal BP), predating the advent of agriculture by several millennia. Employing a comprehensive multi-isotopic approach, we conducted zinc (δ66Zn) and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) analysis on dental enamel, bulk carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotope analysis on dentin and bone collagen, and single amino acid analysis on human and faunal remains from Taforalt (Morocco). Our results unequivocally demonstrate a substantial plant-based component in the diets of these hunter-gatherers. This distinct dietary pattern challenges the prevailing notion of high reliance on animal proteins among pre-agricultural human groups. It also raises intriguing questions surrounding the absence of agricultural development in North Africa during the early Holocene. This study underscores the importance of investigating dietary practices during the transition to agriculture and provides insights into the complexities of human subsistence strategies across different regions.

New single

Abstract: Teotihuacan was one of the thriving cultures in the Mesoamerica pre-Hispanic times, located in the Central Valley of Mexico. The city-state was a dominant centre point during the Classic period and its influence affected other contemporaneous cultures. Around the year 550 CE, a continuous decrease in urban population and selective building destruction was noted, accompanied by widespread fire. The layout of the city is identified by an avenue that articulates the political-administrative and religious centres, with such significant and impressive buildings as the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Temple of Feathered Serpent. A systematic analysis of building damage in the pyramids reveals several Earthquake Archaeological Effects, (EAEs) potentially related to seismic loading. A damage pattern compatible with a strong ground shaking was also identified in the west staircase of the Old Temple of the Feathered Serpent, in the first rows of the west staircase of the Adosada platform (New Temple), and in the Pyramid of the Sun. In total, five ancient earthquakes have been determined from the damage, dated from the Tzacualli cultural period (1–100 CE), to the Xolalpan – Metepec period (450–550 CE). Unfortunately, this methodology does not determine the earthquake source. Therefore, we consider the possibility that repetitive megathrust earthquakes (Mw \> 8.5) from the Middle American Trench (Pacific coast) could be responsible for the spatial pattern of the building damage. This proposal does not conflict with other existing theories for the Teotihuacan abrupt collapse, considering that the sudden overlapping of natural disasters like earthquakes could increase internal warfare (uprising), and civil unrest.

I haven’t worn jeans since the skinny jeans days, looking for updated advice! Trying to style a cute bomber jacket.

Abstract: For the past four decades, the ‘Secondary Products Revolution’ model, i.e., the exploitation of animal resources that do not involve killing the animal, such as the production of milk and wool and the use of animals for physical labour has been the object of heated discussion between Neolithic scholars. According to this model, the use of animal strength arrived relatively late in Europe—during the socio-economic changes of the Late Neolithic in the 4th millennium BCE. Plough marks are the most convincing direct evidence of the use of animal traction. However, few are preserved making them relatively rare throughout Europe and dating them is difficult and often imprecise. Recent research at the Anciens Arsenaux site in Sion, Valais, Switzerland has revealed the presence of the oldest known plough marks in Europe, dating from the beginning of the 5th millennium BCE. They bear witness to the use of animal traction quite soon after the establishment of an agro-pastoral economy in the Alpine region. This is corroborated by recent archaeozoological studies and suggests that this important innovation could already be part of the Neolithic package introduced into Europe during the 6th millennium BCE.

Abstract: Mutually beneficial partnerships between genomics researchers and North American Indigenous Nations are rare yet becoming more common. Here, we present one such partnership that provides insight into the peopling of the Americas and furnishes another line of evidence that can be used to further treaty and Indigenous rights. We show that the genomics of sampled individuals from the Blackfoot Confederacy belong to a previously undescribed ancient lineage that diverged from other genomic lineages in the Americas in Late Pleistocene times. Using multiple complementary forms of knowledge, we provide a scenario for Blackfoot population history that fits with oral tradition and provides a plausible model for the evolutionary process of the peopling of the Americas.

snippet “ The settlement unearthed at Cap d'Erquy comprises approximately twenty circular dwellings strategically positioned around a central plaza. Based on archaeological assessments, it is estimated that this village was inhabited by a Gallic community between the 8th and 5th centuries B.C.

"This is an exceptional discovery that allows us to better understand the daily life of the Gauls during the Early Iron Age,” explains Jean-Yves Peskebrel, an archaeologist at INRAE.”

Original press release (French)

a cautionary tale of corporatism gone awry, told lightheartedly, with robots.

Dinner rolls, biscuits, etc.