Daily Archives: May 9, 2017

When fossil hunters unveiled the remains of a mysterious and archaic new species of human found deep inside a cave in South Africa two years ago, the scientific community was stunned. Since then, bodies of the long-lost family members have piled up.

In work published on Tuesday in the journal eLife, the team reveals how high that pile has become. They now have the remnants of at least 18 Homo naledi, as the species is named. The most recent haul of bones, found in a cave chamber 100 metres from the first, includes a nearly complete adult skull.

Tests on the material found the bones to be between 335,000 and 236,000 years old, making them far younger than many scientists had expected. It means that this species of primitive hominid was actually around at the same time as Homo sapiens, said Lee Berger, the lead scientist at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

The bones, remarkably, show few signs of disease or stress from poor development, suggesting that Homo naledi may have been the dominant species in the area at the time. They are the healthiest dead things youll ever see, said Berger.

Homo naledi stood about 150cm tall fully grown and weighed about 45kg. But it is extraordinary for its mixture of ancient and modern features. It has a small brain and curved fingers that are well-adapted for climbing, but the wrists, hands, legs and feet are more like those found on Neanderthals or modern humans. If the dating is accurate, Homo naledi may have emerged in Africa about two million years ago but held on to some of its more ancient features even as modern humans evolved.

This is astonishingly young for a species that still displays primitive characteristics found in fossils about two million years old, said Chris Stringer at the Natural History Museum in London, who was not involved in the research.

The age of the bones, and their discovery in the Rising Star cave system on the edge of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage site near Johannesburg, has led Berger to speculate that some ancient stone tools found in the region might have wrongly been attributed to Homo sapiens. Instead, they might be the work of Homo naledi, he said.

No stone tools have ever been found with Homo naledi bones, but Stringer does not rule out the possibility that the species may have made them. It seems highly likely that its handiwork is present in the archaeological record of southern Africa, but currently unattributed, he said.

Another question raised by the remains is how they got to their final resting place. Berger does not believe that the creatures got there by accident. I think the discovery of this second chamber adds to the idea that Homo naledi deliberately disposed of its dead in the deep underground chambers in the Rising Star cave system, he said. I cant see any other way, other than them going into these remote chambers themselves and bringing bodies in. To do that, he suspects, they were also able to control fire.

Others are not so confident. Stringer said he and many other experts doubted that Homo naledi, with a brain the size of a gorillas, was capable of such complex behaviour. Perhaps further exploration will reveal other, closer, entrances or sinkholes which were temporarily open, through which the remains could have been introduced by accidental or natural processes? he said.

According to Jessica Thompson, a palaeolithic archaeologist at Emory University in Atlanta, what the bones do make clear is that human evolution was not the straightforward, linear progression from one species to another that it is often made out to have been. It doesnt start out with something that looks like a monkey, and the something that looks like an ape, and then something that looks like a human, and then all of the sudden youve got people, she said. Its much more complicated than that.

See more here:

New haul of Homo naledi bones sheds surprising light on human evolution - The Guardian

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Understanding evolution is one of the cornerstones of biology evolution is, in fact, the sole explanation for lifes diversity on our planet. Based on the evolution of proteins, researchers may explain the emergence of new species and functions through genetic changes or how enzymes with novel functions might be engineered.

One popular approach to the study of evolution is to compare genome data using bioinformatics tools. Scientists using these approaches may compare specific proteins, which consist of combinations of 20 universal building blocks, called amino acids.

So far, the bioinformatics tools used to study the evolution of single proteins have assumed that the speed at which different regions of proteins evolve can be modelled with a statistical distribution whose shape is determined by a single variable.

That assumption, however, does not reflect reality, and it might have led to a large proportion of biased phylogenetic results being published over the last two decades or so, explains Minh Quang Bui, from the Center for Integrative Bioinformatics (CIBIV).

Arndt von Haeseler, group leader at the Max F Perutz Laboratories (MFPL) and Lars Jermiin from the Australian National University have now found a revolutionary way of implementing different rates of evolution into bioinformatics models.

It was well known among experts that the popular approach might not capture the complexities of protein evolution. However, the computational cost of using more realistic models was unacceptably high.

We have now developed a fast algorithm that gives us previously unavailable insights into protein evolution the new tool is likely to have a huge impact on a wide variety of research areas, including on the evolution of pathogens and the dispersal of agricultural pests, adds Lars Jermiin.

The new program ModelFinder will allow more accurate scientific estimates of evolutionary processes. This enhanced understanding of evolution will help us come one step closer to unravelling the mysteries, which are responsible for the great diversity on our planet.

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A new bioinformatics tool to decipher evolutionary biology - Drug Target Review

YaleNews features works recently or soon to be published by members of the University community. Descriptions are based on material provided by the publishers. Authors of new books may forward publishers book descriptions to us byemail.

The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwins Forgotten Theory of Mate Choice Shapes the Animal World and Us

Richard O. Prum, the William Robertson Coe Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and professor of forestry and environmental studies

(Doubleday)

In the great halls of science, dogma holds that Darwins theory of natural selection explains every branch on the tree of life: which species thrive, which wither away to extinction, and what features each evolves. But, Richard Prum asks, can adaptation by natural selection really account for everything we see in nature?

Prum reviving Darwins own views thinks not. Deep in tropical jungles around the world are birds with an array of appearances and mating displays: Club-winged Manakins who sing with their wings, Great Argus Pheasants who dazzle prospective mates with a four-foot-wide cone of feathers covered in golden 3D spheres, Red-capped Manakins who moonwalk. In 30 years of fieldwork, Prum has seen numerous display traits that seem disconnected from, if not contrary to, selection for individual survival. To explain this, he dusts off Darwins long-neglected theory of sexual selection in which the act of choosing a mate for purely aesthetic reasons for the mere pleasure of it is an independent engine of evolutionary change.

Mate choice can drive ornamental traits from the constraints of adaptive evolution, allowing them to grow ever more elaborate. It also sets the stakes for sexual conflict, in which the sexual autonomy of the female evolves in response to male sexual control. Most crucially, this framework provides important insights into the evolution of human sexuality, particularly the ways in which female preferences have changed male bodies, and even maleness itself, through evolutionary time.

See more books by members of the Yale community.

Originally posted here:

Book: The Evolution of Beauty - Yale News

A recent article in Nature Ecology &Evolution, Public literacy in evolution, discusses a newly launched project to push evolution on the European public. Called EvoKE, or EVOlutionary Knowledge for Everyone, the projects main concern isto find ways to increase European citizens acceptance and understanding of evolution. In multiple places, the article quotes EvoKE leaders who areworriedabout the level of acceptance of evolution. The language is telling:

In case you missed it, EvoKE spends a lot of time frettingabout whether the European public accepts evolution. They seem particularly distressedabout those movements thatdo not encourage people to accept evolution.

In response, theproject aims to get political. The last paragraph states:

In 2007, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted the resolution: The dangers of creationism in education. This resolution urged state members to notably defend and promote scientific knowledge, and to promote evolution knowledge as a fundamental scientific theory in school curricula. However, we are not aware of an EU policy agenda regarding the teaching of evolution. Support for EvoKE and the projects that came out of the meeting would certainly be a way for the European Council to be more proactive on those issues.

We reported on the above-mentioned 2007 resolution, adopted by the Council of Europe, at the time. Memorably, it stated that teaching intelligent design may entail a threat to human rights. Specifically, that resolutiondeclared:

To summarize, the resolution claims that intelligent design is a form of creationism thatis dangerous, anti-science, promotes deception, is religiously motivated. It says that teaching these ideas amounts toa serious attack on human rights, ofutmost virulence on human rights and one of the most serious threats to human rights and civic rights. The resolution goes on for 105 paragraphs this way.Read the whole thing.

And remember, thisrabidly intolerant screed isnt arandomblog rant from some intolerant undergraduate atheist student club. It was adopted as a resolution by the Council of Europe, a quasi-governmental body and would-be protector of human rights. According to the article in Nature Ecology & Evolution, the EvoKE project wants to lobby the European Union a true governmental body with real lawmaking powers to draw inspiration from this resolution and start making policy.

What kind of policy could come from such a declaration, standing directly against freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of scientific inquiry? The resolutions claims that intelligent design could pose a threat to human rightssounds like a thinly veiled wishto criminalize or legally inhibit ID advocacy. Is this how EvoKE aims to encourage Europe to accept evolution by declaring that alternative views pose a threat to human rights? Would they threaten dissenters with legal retaliationfor being anti-science?

Oppressive regimeshave tried gambits like that in the past.One hopes that EvoKE would aim to persuade the public with reason and evidence, not through the force of the law. But on any objective showing, reason and evidence are on the side of intelligent design, notevolution. Maybe thats why, it seems, some are tempted by harsher remedies.

Image: Europe from space, by Smh232 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

See original here:

EvoKE Project Pushes European Public to Accept Evolution - Discovery Institute

VPNs, or virtual private networks, have been around for a while. Over the past two decades, VPN evolution has transitioned...

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the technology from point-to-point connectors that facilitate remote access to one that's based on sophisticated security multipoint connectivity.

Every technology has a lifecycle, and VPNs are no different. VPN evolution has taken place over the years, adapting to the networks that have been shaped by broadband connectivity, the cloud and mobility, as well as the endpoint devices themselves.

Reflecting back on the early days of VPNs and how far we have come, the evolution can be broken down into four phases. Let's take a closer look.

In the early 1990s, VPNs were used solely for dial-up connections and to create private networks across public infrastructure. Data networks allowed VPN remote connectivity through dial-up modems operated by telecommunication carriers. As cyberattacks and data breaches were not yet a major issue or concern for early internet surfers, VPNs were not yet in demand for their privacy and security features.

However, as the internet progressed, so did cybercriminals. In the mid-1990s, computer viruses, identity theft, malware, hacking, phishing and denial-of-service attacks began to spread globally, and a more secure and sophisticated internet was now vital.

In the 2000s, VPNs became mainstream and were essentially available to all users for remote dial-in, mobile and multiuse networks. The emergence of home computers and private email proved to rapidly increase the vulnerability of internet connections and networks. To protect sensitive information and to reduce risks of cyberattacks, internet users began using VPNs to secure connections, prevent malware, ensure digital privacy and hide their physical locations.

Security features, such as firewalls, VPN tunneling, encryption, authentication and endpoint security, were now critical to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network.

The proliferation of smartphones and connected devices, starting in 2010, fueled the next wave of VPN technology and drove more sophisticated security options. Secure connections were simply not enough. The need to authenticate the user and the endpoint device required new capabilities. To ensure a new level of authentication for VPNs, advanced methods such as one-time password tokens, fingerprint IDs, iris scans and voice recognition were integrated.

As the need for VPNs grew, they needed to be centrally managed. Today, VPNs offer comprehensive automation that eliminates the need for endpoint administration or user involvement. By taking the responsibility of facilitating VPNs away from users, configuration and management are free from manual errors. Endpoint devices are also more intelligent, enabling them to communicate with VPNs and other third-party infrastructure, such as firewalls, mobile device management, proxies and other malware, and antivirus software.

VPNs are increasingly used to secure data tunnels between end devices and internal corporate networks.

As the internet of things and industrial internet of things mature, the implications for VPNs will also continue to evolve. Due to the majority of businesses implementing BYOD or allowing employees to work from home, VPNs are increasingly used to secure data tunnels between end devices and internal corporate networks. The leading VPNs can secure virtually any device using any connection medium, as well as maintain secure connections as they traverse from network to network.

With the growth of connected cars, vehicle VPNs have emerged. A vehicle VPN enables users to safely and securely access a private network from a car without compromising any sensitive information. VPNs also help prevent hacking and other potential security threats, a particularly important benefit when manufacturers roll out software updates for engine control and car electronics systems via the internet and cloud data centers.

It is worth noting that the same VPN used to secure a laptop's network connection is the same VPN that can be used to secure a car's internet connection.

Cybercriminals will continue to find new ways to infiltrate and attack internet connections and private networks. With over 3 billion internet users worldwide, it is crucial for every end device to use a VPN for secure and encrypted data exchange. Currently, only a fraction of internet users use VPNs. Furthermore, as more households acquire more connected devices, the risk of cyberattacks will dramatically increase.

Today's modern VPNs are versatile, cost-efficient and offer comprehensive automation. All internet users can benefit from the security and privacy that a VPN provides through personal firewalls, advanced authentication and ciphertext.

Secure communication is one of the most important foundations for our future, and it is imperative to protect data in motion with VPN evolution.

The evolving role of SSL VPNs

The history of VPNs

Past, present and future VPNs

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How has VPN evolution changed remote access? - TechTarget

Dr. Robert Burger of Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine sat down with the Enquirer to talk about his career and life as an athlete and sports parent. Phil Didion for The Enquirer

Dr. Rober Burger of Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine.(Photo: Phil Didion for The Enquirer)Buy Photo

Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine is the presenting sponor of the Cincinnati.com Sports Awards May 22 at The Aronoff Center.

Dr. Robert Burger is the head team physician and medical director for Xavier University and La Salle High School, among others. Burger played football at La Salle and the University of Notre Dame, and was a member of the Fighting Irishs 1977 national championship team. He sat down for an interview with The Enquirer to talk about sports medicine and his personal ties to athletics.

Jason Hoffman: Can you walk us through the role of the team medical director and what goes into that?

Dr. Robert Burger: Being a team medical director is a role similar to being a head coach. You have to surround yourself with a lot of quality professionals and each person needs to know their role and be accessible, available and accountable for what they do. A real key person in that team is the trainer. Thats the person whos on the front lines evaluating the athletes. They know the kids and take care of them throughout the season. They know how each individual is unique and which specific special needs they might have medically as well as what special conditions they might have that affect their ability to play. Along with that, there are the physical therapists and the office personnel who work along with the coaches, parents and athletic directors. It really is a coordinated network of people that care for our athletes.

JH: Can you walk me through some of the biggest changes youve seen in sports medicine?

RB: I have to go back even farther than 26 years to 40- to- 45 years back when I was in high school. Back then, the trainer was a student who was maybe interested in sports medicine who taped ankles. Treatment before a hot practice was you took salt tablets, and if somebody had heat problems it was usually because they didnt take enough salt tablets. We didnt have MRIs. Still, there were team doctors involved. Our team doctors, when I played high school football, were pediatricians who were willing to give their time and services. What we have today, and how thats evolved, is that teams are really taken care of by a team of individuals. Were fortunate now that most of the schools have qualified, licensed athletic trainers, and theyre the frontline person whos working every day with the athletes. Along with that, we have the team physicians, whos there and over time gets to know the parents, athletes and coaches. And now, after 26 years, its evolved to where Im taking care of the children of the athletes I used to take care of, which is neat but it also makes you feel like you have a couple gray hairs and youve aged a little bit. So, its been fun. Also, our understanding of issues like concussions is just light years different. Our ability with an MRI to diagnose quickly the injuries, where previously we didnt have that. So, really now, we have a team approach to taking care of athletes and its enhanced care and gives the athlete the chance to enjoy playing sports during that unique window of time they have.

JH: You were a high school and collegiate athlete as were your sons. From the position of having been an athlete yourself, being a team physician, and being a sports parent, whats that been like?

RB: Number one, its special. Its a really special time for an athlete and a really special time for a parent. Now, I feel like an old timer because I was blessed with four sons that played six or seven sports when they were in high school and they all played college sports. I greatly value what sports can do in terms of accountability, teamwork, self-confidence, discipline, the ability to improve at what you do, and that is something I treasure from my experience as an athlete. To be able to watch my sons has been some of the most enjoyable and memorable moments of my life. To be able to watch them grow and its something where they werent Gods gift to athletics where it was a foregone conclusion they were going to achieve success and theyve been challenged and experienced adversity, and theyve all been able to excel to a certain level, so it has been an absolute treat.

JH: Can you expand on what sports has given you and your family?

RB: I had a terrific education. I was blessed to attend La Salle High School and the University of Notre Dame as well as the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. The toughest class I ever took in life was football at the University of Notre Dame. My sons played football at Ohio State and Notre Dame and both of them went through challenges. Did they have tough classes? Yes. And they received great educations. But the biggest challenge you have is learning to deal with the adversity, getting up after youve been knocked down, to push yourself to your limits, and to grow and to learn and mature as a person. To recognize the strengths that you have and to surround yourself with good people. Those are all great lessons weve learned through sports. Even though its been 40 years since I played college football, those are lessons I draw from every day of my life today.

For more of the conversation, including a video with Dr. Burger, visit cincinnati.com/sports.

For more information on the Cincinnati.com Sports Awards, visit sportsawards.cincinnati.com.

The rest is here:

Local doctor talks sports medicine evolution - Cincinnati.com