Recent acceleration of human adaptive evolution
by John Hawks, Eric T. Wang, Gregory M. Cochran, Henry C. Harpending and Robert K. Moyzis
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
A map ahead of its time
The only surviving copy of the 500-year-old map that first used the name America goes on permanent display this month at the Library of Congress, but even as it prepares for its debut, the 1507 Waldseemuller map remains a puzzle for researchers.Why did the mapmaker name the territory America and then change his mind later? How was he able to draw South America so accurately? Why did he put a huge ocean west of America years before European explorers discovered the Pacific?
More at Reuters
Inside news
From Steve Sailer:
Dying to see what turns up"We are those mutants"
I've been posting teasers for awhile about an upcoming big paper on evolution co-written by the Murderer's Row of Greg Cochran, Henry Harpending, John Hawks, Bob Moyzis, and Eric Wang. It officially comes out Monday evening, Dec. 10, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
I'm not going to say anymore about it now so that the big boys at the NYT and The Economist can have time to write their stories without anyone jumping the gun ... other than to leave you with a Cochran quote as the title of this post.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Attila's capital?
Google Earth has spawned up a number of 'virtual' archaeologists, and many of them are doing the discipline a good service. Here are the remains of a walled city, previously unrecorded, near Timisoara in Romania. Chances are, it's Attila's capital, which is known to have been somewhere near the Danube, but never unearthed.Here is what fifth century Roman ambassador Priscus had to say abut Attila's court, which provides vital, and the only, clues:
The next day I entered the enclosure of Attila's palace, bearing gifts to his wife, whose name was Kreka. She had three sons, of whom the eldest governed the Acatiri and the other nations who dwell in Pontic Scythia. Within the enclosure were numerous buildings, some of carved boards beautifully fitted together, others of straight, fastened on round wooden blocks which rose to a moderate height from the ground. Attila's wife lived here, and, having been admitted by the barbarians at the door, I found her reclining on a soft couch. The floor of the room was covered with woollen mats for walking on. A number of servants stood round her, and maids sitting on the floor in front of her embroidered with colours linen cloths intended to be placed over the Scythian dress for ornament. Having approached, saluted, and presented the gifts, I went out, and walked to another house, where Attila was, and waited for Onegesius, who, as I knew, was with Attila. I stood in the middle of a great crowd--the guards of Attila and his attendants knew me, and so no one hindered me. I saw a number of people advancing, and a great commotion and noise, Attila's egress being expected. And he came forth from the house with a dignified gait, looking round on this side and on that. He was accompanied by Onegesius, and stood in front of the house; and many persons who had lawsuits with one another came up and received his judgment. Then he returned into the house, and received ambassadors of barbarous peoples.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Gut Reaction
I didnt know the gut was so nerve rich! This post at the science blogs explores the relations between the brain and the gut
Cannabis, Marijuana and Schizophrenia
I always wondered about this one: Do drugs have a link to Schizophrenia @ Current Psychiatry?
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Origin of the Slavs
Dienekes speaks at length on the paper 'Y-STR variation among Slavs: evidence for the Slavic homeland in the middle Dnieper basin' by Krzysztof Rębała, Alexei I. Mikulich, Iosif S. Tsybovsky, Daniela Siváková, Zuzana Džupinková, Aneta Szczerkowska-Dobosz and Zofia Szczerkowska
The good life
More news from Greece and around.
Archaeologists have discovered mashed grapes that could have been used to make wine 6,500 years old at a neolithic site in Dikili.
Meanwhile, archaeologists in Cyprus have stumbled upon the oldest perfume making factory in the world.
Archaeologists have discovered mashed grapes that could have been used to make wine 6,500 years old at a neolithic site in Dikili.
Meanwhile, archaeologists in Cyprus have stumbled upon the oldest perfume making factory in the world.
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