If you think your puppy understands when you are telling him to have food or drop that sock, you might be correct about it, a scientist has confirmed.

Emily Bray, a post-doctoral research associate at the&nbsp;Arizona Canine Cognition Center&nbsp;at the University of Arizona's School of Anthropology has confirmed that puppies are born with the skills to understand and communicate with human beings.

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"Puppies will look at and return a person's social gaze and successfully use the information given by that person in a social context from a very young age, all prior to any extensive experience with people," Bray said.

Bray and her team observed 375 puppies that were eight weeks old and were tested for a battery of social-cognitive measures that had been taught to adult dogs, but not to puppies.

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"We know that adult dogs are good at these tasks," Bray explained. "When does that start? Does it take years of observing humans and living with humans, or is that ability something they are more biologically prepared for that has evolved over the course of domestication?"

These puppies (who were a group of golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers and lab-golden mix) were all staying with their mother and were not yet introduced to training.

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The puppies were subjected to two tasks. The first was making eye contact with the researchers and the second was to follow the researcher’s hands and eyes that were gesturing towards a treat, which were hidden under cups.

Puppies able to successfully follow the cues and found the treats on their own, hinting that they do not need training for these activities and can easily communicate with humans.

"They're not perfect, but it's definitely better than chance. There's something that they're picking up on, even at 8 weeks old," she said.

One main thing that the researchers had to follow was to adopt the “baby talk” in which they had to talk in a high-pitched voice to get the puppy’s attention.

If you think your puppy understands when you are telling him to have food or drop that sock, you might be correct about it, a scientist has confirmed. Emily Bray, a post-doctoral research associate at the Arizona Canine Cognition Center at the University of Arizona's School of Anthropology has confirmed that puppies are born with the skills to understand and communicate with human beings.

If you think your puppy understands when you are telling him to have food or drop that sock, you might be correct about it, a scientist has confirmed. Emily Bray, a post-doctoral research associate at the Arizona Canine Cognition Center at the University of Arizona's School of Anthropology has confirmed that puppies are born with the skills to understand and communicate with human beings. Also read | World's only alpine parrot species actually left for the mountains to avoid humans "Puppies will look at and return a person's social gaze and successfully use the information given by that person in a social context from a very young age, all prior to any extensive experience with people," Bray said. Bray and her team observed 375 puppies that were eight weeks old and were tested for a battery of social-cognitive measures that had been taught to adult dogs, but not to puppies. Also read | Chimpanzees learn 'handshakes' according to social group: Study "We know that adult dogs are good at these tasks," Bray explained. "When does that start? Does it take years of observing humans and living with humans, or is that ability something they are more biologically prepared for that has evolved over the course of domestication?" These puppies (who were a group of golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers and lab-golden mix) were all staying with their mother and were not yet introduced to training. Also read | NASA posts photo of serpent-shaped cloud that forms stars The puppies were subjected to two tasks. The first was making eye contact with the researchers and the second was to follow the researcher’s hands and eyes that were gesturing towards a treat, which were hidden under cups. Puppies able to successfully follow the cues and found the treats on their own, hinting that they do not need training for these activities and can easily communicate with humans. "They're not perfect, but it's definitely better than chance. There's something that they're picking up on, even at 8 weeks old," she said. One main thing that the researchers had to follow was to adopt the “baby talk” in which they had to talk in a high-pitched voice to get the puppy’s attention.

Puppies are born to talk to human beings: Study

Stem cell injected in macaque's embryo, in yet another experiment which pushes the boundaries of science and renews the debate around ethics. Scientists say the experiment will gain more info on early humans and diseases.

Stem cell injected in Macaque's embryo

Sophisticated scanning technology is revealing intriguing secrets about Little Foot, the remarkable fossil of an early human forerunner that inhabited South Africa 3.67 million years ago during a critical juncture in our evolutionary history.&nbsp;

Scientists said on Tuesday they examined key parts of the nearly complete and well-preserved fossil at Britain's national synchrotron facility, Diamond Light Source. The scanning focused upon Little Foot's cranial vault - the upper part of her braincase - and her lower jaw, or mandible.&nbsp;

The researchers gained insight not only into the biology of Little Foot's species but also into the hardships that this individual, an adult female, encountered during her life.&nbsp;

Little Foot's species blended ape-like and human-like traits and is considered a possible direct ancestor of humans. University of the Witwatersrand paleoanthropologist Ron Clarke, who unearthed the fossil in the 1990s in the Sterkfontein Caves northwest of Johannesburg and is a co-author of the new study, has identified the species as Australopithecus prometheus.&nbsp;

"In the cranial vault, we could identify the vascular canals in the spongious bone that are probably involved in brain thermoregulation - how the brain cools down," said University of Cambridge paleoanthropologist Amélie Beaudet, who led the study published in the journal e-Life.&nbsp;

"This is very interesting as we did not have much information about that system," Beaudet added, noting that it likely played a key role in the threefold brain size increase from Australopithecus to modern humans.&nbsp;

Little Foot's teeth also were revealing.&nbsp;

"The dental tissues are really well preserved. She was relatively old since her teeth are quite worn," Beaudet said, though Little Foot's precise age has not yet been determined.&nbsp;

The researchers spotted defects in the tooth enamel indicative of two childhood bouts of physiological stress, such as disease or malnutrition.&nbsp;

Sophisticated scanning technology is revealing intriguing secrets about Little Foot, the remarkable fossil of an early human forerunner that inhabited South Africa 3.

Sophisticated scanning technology is revealing intriguing secrets about Little Foot, the remarkable fossil of an early human forerunner that inhabited South Africa 3.67 million years ago during a critical juncture in our evolutionary history. Scientists said on Tuesday they examined key parts of the nearly complete and well-preserved fossil at Britain's national synchrotron facility, Diamond Light Source. The scanning focused upon Little Foot's cranial vault - the upper part of her braincase - and her lower jaw, or mandible. The researchers gained insight not only into the biology of Little Foot's species but also into the hardships that this individual, an adult female, encountered during her life. Little Foot's species blended ape-like and human-like traits and is considered a possible direct ancestor of humans. University of the Witwatersrand paleoanthropologist Ron Clarke, who unearthed the fossil in the 1990s in the Sterkfontein Caves northwest of Johannesburg and is a co-author of the new study, has identified the species as Australopithecus prometheus. "In the cranial vault, we could identify the vascular canals in the spongious bone that are probably involved in brain thermoregulation - how the brain cools down," said University of Cambridge paleoanthropologist Amélie Beaudet, who led the study published in the journal e-Life. "This is very interesting as we did not have much information about that system," Beaudet added, noting that it likely played a key role in the threefold brain size increase from Australopithecus to modern humans. Little Foot's teeth also were revealing. "The dental tissues are really well preserved. She was relatively old since her teeth are quite worn," Beaudet said, though Little Foot's precise age has not yet been determined. The researchers spotted defects in the tooth enamel indicative of two childhood bouts of physiological stress, such as disease or malnutrition.

'Little Foot' fossil's elaborate study sheds light on human origins 

Scientists said Wednesday they had discovered the oldest remains of a domestic dog in the Americas dating back more than 10,000 years, suggesting the animals accompanied the first waves of human settlers.

Humans are thought to have migrated to North America from Siberia over what is today the Bering Strait at the end of the last Ice Age -- between 30,000 and 11,000 years ago.

The history of dogs has been intertwined with man since ancient times, and studying canine DNA can provide a good timeline for human settlement.

A new study led by the University at Buffalo analysed the mitochondrial DNA of a bone fragment found in Southeast Alaska.

The team initially thought the fragment belonged to a bear.

But closer examination revealed it to be part of a femur of a dog that lived in the region around 10,150 years ago, and that shared a genetic lineage with American dogs that lived before the arrival of European breeds.

"Because dogs are a proxy for human occupation, our data help provide not only a timing but also a location for the entry of dogs and people into the Americas," said Charlotte Lindqvist, an evolutionary biologist from the University at Buffalo and the University of South Dakota.

She said the findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, supports the theory that humans arrived in North America from Siberia.

"Southeast Alaska might have served as an ice-free stopping point of sorts, and now -- with our dog -- we think that early human migration through the region might be much more important than some previously suspected," said Lindqvist.

- Older migrations -

A carbon isotope analysis of the bone fragment showed that the ancient Southeast Alaskan dog likely had a marine diet that consisted of fish and seal and whale scraps.

Lindqvist said dogs did not arrive in North America all at once. Some arrived later from East Asia with the Thule people, while Siberian huskies were imported to Alaska during the Gold Rush in the 19th century.

There is a long-standing contention about whether the first humans entered North America through a continental corridor that formed as the ice sheets receded, or along the North Pacific coast thousands of years earlier.

Previous age estimates of dog remains were younger than the fragment found by Lindqvist and the team, suggesting that dogs arrived in the continent during the later, continental migrations.&nbsp;

Lindqvist said her findings supported the theory that dogs in fact arrived in North America among the first waves of humans settlers.

"We also have evidence that the coastal edge of the ice sheet started melting at least around 17,000 year ago, whereas the inland corridor was not viable until around 13,000 years ago," she told AFP.&nbsp;

"And genetic evidence that a coastal route for the first Americans over 16,000 years ago seems most likely. Our study supports that our coastal dog is a descendant of dogs that participated in this initial migration."

Scientists said Wednesday they had discovered the oldest remains of a domestic dog in the Americas dating back more than 10,000 years, suggesting the animals accompanied the first waves of human settlers.

Scientists said Wednesday they had discovered the oldest remains of a domestic dog in the Americas dating back more than 10,000 years, suggesting the animals accompanied the first waves of human settlers. Humans are thought to have migrated to North America from Siberia over what is today the Bering Strait at the end of the last Ice Age -- between 30,000 and 11,000 years ago. The history of dogs has been intertwined with man since ancient times, and studying canine DNA can provide a good timeline for human settlement. A new study led by the University at Buffalo analysed the mitochondrial DNA of a bone fragment found in Southeast Alaska. The team initially thought the fragment belonged to a bear. But closer examination revealed it to be part of a femur of a dog that lived in the region around 10,150 years ago, and that shared a genetic lineage with American dogs that lived before the arrival of European breeds. "Because dogs are a proxy for human occupation, our data help provide not only a timing but also a location for the entry of dogs and people into the Americas," said Charlotte Lindqvist, an evolutionary biologist from the University at Buffalo and the University of South Dakota. She said the findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, supports the theory that humans arrived in North America from Siberia. "Southeast Alaska might have served as an ice-free stopping point of sorts, and now -- with our dog -- we think that early human migration through the region might be much more important than some previously suspected," said Lindqvist. - Older migrations - A carbon isotope analysis of the bone fragment showed that the ancient Southeast Alaskan dog likely had a marine diet that consisted of fish and seal and whale scraps. Lindqvist said dogs did not arrive in North America all at once. Some arrived later from East Asia with the Thule people, while Siberian huskies were imported to Alaska during the Gold Rush in the 19th century. There is a long-standing contention about whether the first humans entered North America through a continental corridor that formed as the ice sheets receded, or along the North Pacific coast thousands of years earlier. Previous age estimates of dog remains were younger than the fragment found by Lindqvist and the team, suggesting that dogs arrived in the continent during the later, continental migrations. Lindqvist said her findings supported the theory that dogs in fact arrived in North America among the first waves of humans settlers. "We also have evidence that the coastal edge of the ice sheet started melting at least around 17,000 year ago, whereas the inland corridor was not viable until around 13,000 years ago," she told AFP. "And genetic evidence that a coastal route for the first Americans over 16,000 years ago seems most likely. Our study supports that our coastal dog is a descendant of dogs that participated in this initial migration."

Dogs came to North America with earliest humans, study says

For years, we have all thought that human beings have evolved to their maximum. But researchers have now revealed that human babies are now being born with slightly different features.

In what is being termed as 'microevolution', scientists have found that babies are now being born with a slightly smaller jaw and&nbsp;extra bones in their legs and feet.

The babies are also being born without wisdom teeth now, but they seem to have an extra artery in their arms.

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The study was published in a&nbsp;study that was published in the Journal of Anatomy. The researchers of this study have claimed that human are evolving at a rate faster than any other creature or humans in the past have evolved at.

The change in wisdom teeth is because over time the human mouths have gotten smaller, which has resulted in less room for teeth in our mouths now.

Dr Teghan Lucas from Flinders University, Adelaide explained that due to our increased ability to chew food and also natural selection, fewer babies have wisdom teeth now.&nbsp;

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"A lot of people thought humans have stopped evolving. But our study shows we are still evolving - faster than at any point in the past 250 years," she added.

As for the artery, the&nbsp;median artery forms when a baby is in its mother's womb, but used to disappear after the baby was born. However, now,&nbsp;one in three people have their median arteries throughout their lives. ALthough, the researchers have assured that this poses no danger to the human lives.

Calling it 'micro evolution',&nbsp;Author Professor Maciej Henneberg explained,&nbsp;"The median artery is a perfect example of how we are still evolving because people born more recently have a higher prevalence of this artery when compared to humans from previous generations."

For years, we have all thought that human beings have evolved to their maximum. But researchers have now revealed that human babies are now being born with slightly different features.

For years, we have all thought that human beings have evolved to their maximum. But researchers have now revealed that human babies are now being born with slightly different features. In what is being termed as 'microevolution', scientists have found that babies are now being born with a slightly smaller jaw and extra bones in their legs and feet. The babies are also being born without wisdom teeth now, but they seem to have an extra artery in their arms. Also read| Researchers urge scientists to find more about bat viruses The study was published in a study that was published in the Journal of Anatomy. The researchers of this study have claimed that human are evolving at a rate faster than any other creature or humans in the past have evolved at. The change in wisdom teeth is because over time the human mouths have gotten smaller, which has resulted in less room for teeth in our mouths now. Dr Teghan Lucas from Flinders University, Adelaide explained that due to our increased ability to chew food and also natural selection, fewer babies have wisdom teeth now. Also read| Genes from extinct human cousins increase risk for severe COVID-19: Study "A lot of people thought humans have stopped evolving. But our study shows we are still evolving - faster than at any point in the past 250 years," she added. As for the artery, the median artery forms when a baby is in its mother's womb, but used to disappear after the baby was born. However, now, one in three people have their median arteries throughout their lives. ALthough, the researchers have assured that this poses no danger to the human lives. Calling it 'micro evolution', Author Professor Maciej Henneberg explained, "The median artery is a perfect example of how we are still evolving because people born more recently have a higher prevalence of this artery when compared to humans from previous generations."

Human 'microevolution' forming more arteries, less wisdom teeth in babies

A 13-tonne shipment of beauty products suspected to have been made out of human hair was seized on Wednesday by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of New York/Newark. The products were worth over $8,00,000.

According to the CPB, the shipment might have come from Xinjiang, China, signalling potential human rights abuses of forced labour and imprisonment. Xinjiang is an autonomous rural region in the northwest of China and home to roughly 11 million Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority with a distinct culture and language.

The US State Department estimates that over one million Uyghurs have been detained in a massive network of internment camps in Xinjiang, where they are reportedly "subjected to torture, cruel and inhumane treatment such as physical and sexual abuse, forced labor, and death."

This is the second time this year that the CBP has seized products from China suspected to have been made from prisoner's hair.

China has faced international scrutiny for its treatment of the Uyghurs, and in June, Trump signed a bill into law that aimed to punish Beijing for its repression of the ethnic minority. 
&nbsp;

A 13-tonne shipment of beauty products suspected to have been made out of human hair was seized on Wednesday by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of New York/Newark.

A 13-tonne shipment of beauty products suspected to have been made out of human hair was seized on Wednesday by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Port of New York/Newark. The products were worth over $8,00,000. According to the CPB, the shipment might have come from Xinjiang, China, signalling potential human rights abuses of forced labour and imprisonment. Xinjiang is an autonomous rural region in the northwest of China and home to roughly 11 million Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority with a distinct culture and language. The US State Department estimates that over one million Uyghurs have been detained in a massive network of internment camps in Xinjiang, where they are reportedly "subjected to torture, cruel and inhumane treatment such as physical and sexual abuse, forced labor, and death." This is the second time this year that the CBP has seized products from China suspected to have been made from prisoner's hair. China has faced international scrutiny for its treatment of the Uyghurs, and in June, Trump signed a bill into law that aimed to punish Beijing for its repression of the ethnic minority.

13-tonne shipment of human hair, said to be originating from China, seized

Human speech evolved from chimpanzee "lip smacking", a new study by UK scientists has concluded after drawing a connection between the rhythm of the lip-smacks and spoken language.

A consortium of researchers led by the University of Warwick found that the rhythm of chimpanzee lip-smacks exhibit a speech-like signature after studying two captive and two wild populations of chimpanzees.

The study published in the journal 'Biology Letters' used video recordings collected at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland and Leipzig Zoo in Germany as well as recordings of wild apes in Uganda.

"Our results prove that spoken language was pulled together within our ancestral lineage using 'ingredients' that were already available and in use by other primates and hominids," said Dr Adriano Lameira, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick.

"This dispels much of the scientific enigma that language evolution has represented so far. We can also be reassured that our ignorance has been partly a consequence of our huge underestimation of the vocal and cognitive capacities of our great ape cousins," he said.

In all languages people open and shut their mouths between two and seven times a second, which seems to be a key facet of communication in every language. The latest research, captured in a paper entitled "Chimpanzee lip-smacks confirm primate continuity for speech-rhythm evolution', adds to similar results seen in other apes.

"Orangutans babble, gibbons sing " all with this rhythm," said Lameira.

He and his colleagues argue that this implies we inherited the trait from a common ancestor. And while most descendants use it as a general form of interaction, one particular ape added more complex sounds and grammar and it became language. It shows that to speak humans appropriated this animal instinct, which helps with understanding how speech came to be.

Geoffrey Pullum, from the University of Edinburgh, said: "It is quite plausible that rhythmic organisation of vocal gestures might be, to some extent, among the capabilities of great apes, and necessary for any development of linguistic capabilities. But the distance from rhythmic organisation of vocal gestures to language is huge."

The latest findings support the hypothesis that speech recruited ancient primate rhythmic signals and suggest that multi-site studies may still reveal new windows of understanding about these signals' use and production along the evolutionary timeline of speech.

Human speech evolved from chimpanzee "lip smacking", a new study by UK scientists has concluded after drawing a connection between the rhythm of the lip-smacks and spoken language.

Human speech evolved from chimpanzee "lip smacking", a new study by UK scientists has concluded after drawing a connection between the rhythm of the lip-smacks and spoken language. A consortium of researchers led by the University of Warwick found that the rhythm of chimpanzee lip-smacks exhibit a speech-like signature after studying two captive and two wild populations of chimpanzees. The study published in the journal 'Biology Letters' used video recordings collected at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland and Leipzig Zoo in Germany as well as recordings of wild apes in Uganda. "Our results prove that spoken language was pulled together within our ancestral lineage using 'ingredients' that were already available and in use by other primates and hominids," said Dr Adriano Lameira, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Warwick. "This dispels much of the scientific enigma that language evolution has represented so far. We can also be reassured that our ignorance has been partly a consequence of our huge underestimation of the vocal and cognitive capacities of our great ape cousins," he said. In all languages people open and shut their mouths between two and seven times a second, which seems to be a key facet of communication in every language. The latest research, captured in a paper entitled "Chimpanzee lip-smacks confirm primate continuity for speech-rhythm evolution', adds to similar results seen in other apes. "Orangutans babble, gibbons sing " all with this rhythm," said Lameira. He and his colleagues argue that this implies we inherited the trait from a common ancestor. And while most descendants use it as a general form of interaction, one particular ape added more complex sounds and grammar and it became language. It shows that to speak humans appropriated this animal instinct, which helps with understanding how speech came to be. Geoffrey Pullum, from the University of Edinburgh, said: "It is quite plausible that rhythmic organisation of vocal gestures might be, to some extent, among the capabilities of great apes, and necessary for any development of linguistic capabilities. But the distance from rhythmic organisation of vocal gestures to language is huge." The latest findings support the hypothesis that speech recruited ancient primate rhythmic signals and suggest that multi-site studies may still reveal new windows of understanding about these signals' use and production along the evolutionary timeline of speech.

UK scientists link chimpanzee lip-smacking to human speech

Scientists have recently discovered remnants of ancient humans who lived in Africa about half a million years ago.

The genes of these humans continue to live on in people inhabiting the planet contemporarily, The Guardian reported.

It has been dubbed the ''ghost population''

The researchers stumbled upon the traces while analysing genomes from populations in West Africa.

They claimed that a fifth of the sample DNA came from the ''ghost population''.

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According to researchers, modern west Africans interbred with the yet-to-be-discovered archaic humans over thousands of years ago, similar to the copulation of ancient Europeans with Neanderthals.

“In the west Africans we looked at, all have ancestry from this unknown archaic population,” said Sriram Sankararaman, a computational biologist who led the research at the University of California in Los Angeles to The Guardian.

A long time ago, the world was inhabited by human species or subspecies that were related to each other. Upon interaction with each other, mating was inevitable.

<h6><img alt="pppp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1264ad2e-eaf9-458a-b7da-2f05508d40f2" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%283%29.jpg" /> 
Handout photo released by the CNRS on September 2, 2014 shows lines engraved into rock made by Neanderthals at the Gorham's Cave in Gibraltar | AFP</h6>

&nbsp; 
Consequently, modern Europeans have bit of Neanderthal genes. Similarly, Australians, Polynesians, and Melanesians carry genes from Denisovans.

There were speculations earlier of ancient humans roaming Africa, but with no proof.

Arun Durvasula and Sankararaman, the researchers on the project gathered 405 genomes from multiple West African populations, and followed it up with statistical techniques.

The goal was to ascertain whether interbreeding had possibly happened in the past, which the results suggested it did.

Then the researchers looked out for inconsistencies in the DNA, ie, the ghost population. With extrapolation, they realised that these probably came from ancient relatives that had no proof of existence.

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“They seem to have made a pretty substantial impact on the genomes of the present day individuals we studied,” Sankararaman said. “They account for 2% to 19% of their genetic ancestry”, the researcher added.

The sample populations grouped as four came from three countries: two from Nigeria, and one each from Sierra Leone and the Gambia.

Even though difficult to ascertain, the researchers believe that that ''ghost population'' split from the ancestors of Neanderthals and modern humans between 360,000 and 1 million years ago.

“It’s very likely that the true picture is much more complicated,” he said.

“We do not know what this African population may have been. It is tempting to speculate. But I’ve got to say it is just too soon to know. We haven’t discovered enough fossils in most of Africa to say we know what was there”, Sankararaman added.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scientists-warn-a-million-species-at-risk-of-extinction-216395">One million species risk extinction due to modern civilisation</a>

Scientists have recently discovered remnants of ancient humans who lived in Africa about half a million years ago. The genes of these humans continue to live on in people inhabiting the planet contemporarily, The Guardian reported.

Scientists have recently discovered remnants of ancient humans who lived in Africa about half a million years ago. The genes of these humans continue to live on in people inhabiting the planet contemporarily, The Guardian reported. It has been dubbed the ''ghost population'' The researchers stumbled upon the traces while analysing genomes from populations in West Africa. They claimed that a fifth of the sample DNA came from the ''ghost population''. Also read: California Academy of Sciences discovers 71 new species of animals and plants this year According to researchers, modern west Africans interbred with the yet-to-be-discovered archaic humans over thousands of years ago, similar to the copulation of ancient Europeans with Neanderthals. “In the west Africans we looked at, all have ancestry from this unknown archaic population,” said Sriram Sankararaman, a computational biologist who led the research at the University of California in Los Angeles to The Guardian. A long time ago, the world was inhabited by human species or subspecies that were related to each other. Upon interaction with each other, mating was inevitable. Handout photo released by the CNRS on September 2, 2014 shows lines engraved into rock made by Neanderthals at the Gorham's Cave in Gibraltar | AFP Consequently, modern Europeans have bit of Neanderthal genes. Similarly, Australians, Polynesians, and Melanesians carry genes from Denisovans. There were speculations earlier of ancient humans roaming Africa, but with no proof. Arun Durvasula and Sankararaman, the researchers on the project gathered 405 genomes from multiple West African populations, and followed it up with statistical techniques. The goal was to ascertain whether interbreeding had possibly happened in the past, which the results suggested it did. Then the researchers looked out for inconsistencies in the DNA, ie, the ghost population. With extrapolation, they realised that these probably came from ancient relatives that had no proof of existence. Also read: DNA research reveals two new species of eel that delivers strongest electric jolt “They seem to have made a pretty substantial impact on the genomes of the present day individuals we studied,” Sankararaman said. “They account for 2% to 19% of their genetic ancestry”, the researcher added. The sample populations grouped as four came from three countries: two from Nigeria, and one each from Sierra Leone and the Gambia. Even though difficult to ascertain, the researchers believe that that ''ghost population'' split from the ancestors of Neanderthals and modern humans between 360,000 and 1 million years ago. “It’s very likely that the true picture is much more complicated,” he said. “We do not know what this African population may have been. It is tempting to speculate. But I’ve got to say it is just too soon to know. We haven’t discovered enough fossils in most of Africa to say we know what was there”, Sankararaman added. Also read: One million species risk extinction due to modern civilisation

Ghost populations? Scientists find evidence of unnacounted human species in Africa

We know what Neanderthals looked like. Now, thanks to ancient DNA, Israeli scientists have unveiled the appearance of another of our ancient relatives.

Very few clues exist about the lives of the Denisovans cousins of Neanderthals who went extinct around 50,000 years ago: three teeth, a pinky bone, and a lower jaw.

But that was enough for researchers at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem to draw conclusions on their appearance.

The mission was challenging, according to Professor Liran Carmel, one of two scientists leading the study.

"It is very difficult to start from DNA sequences and end up with an anatomical profile," he said.

If it were that easy, police around the world would be pulling DNA from crime scenes and drawing up profiles of the suspects, he added.

Instead, he and his team reconstructed the appearance of the Denisovans after three years of examining the patterns of chemical changes in their ancient DNA.

They then compared these motifs to those of the DNA of Neanderthals and modern man.

Using knowledge of human disorders in which genes lose their function for anatomical features, they explored what those differences might mean.

Using this method which Carmel described as "85 per cent reliable" they highlighted 56 differences between the Denisovan and modern man and/or Neanderthals.

"The Denisovan is more similar to Neanderthal than to us because they are evolutionarily closer," he said.

Denisovan skulls were likely wider than those of modern humans or Neanderthals, the study found, and they probably had no chins.

Scientists hope the new technique will allow them to identify skulls discovered in China a few years ago and whose width seems to indicate they might be Denisovans.

Ancient human hybrid

Contemporaries of the Neanderthals, the Denisovans first came to light a decade ago.

A finger bone was unearthed a decade ago in a cave called Denisova in southern Siberia near the Mongolian border.

The tiny bone "belonged to a 13-year-old Denisovan girl, who died in the cave" around&nbsp;70,000 years ago, Carmel explained.

"That pinky bone reopened a whole new chapter in the evolution of man," he said.

Denisovans and Neanderthals branched off some 400,000 to 500,000 years ago into two distinct branches, separate from the Homo Sapiens branch of modern humans.

While Neanderthals travelled from Africa to Europe and West Asia, Denisovans were present in east Asia.

Scientists don't know why these human relatives became extinct, but believe they left some of their genomes to some modern-day men.

Up to six per cent of present-day Melanesians and Aboriginal Australians have Denisovan DNA, according to the Hebrew University.

They are also thought to have transmitted a gene to the Tibetans allowing them to breathe at high altitude.

The fossilised jawbone of a Denisovan found in the mountains of Tibet proves they adapted to live at high altitude at least 160,000 years ago.

The Denisovans may have made tools and even jewellery, new research published in January showed.

Neanderthals migrated into regions where Denisovans lived, said Erella Hovers, a prehistoric archaeology professor at the Hebrew University.

Scientists even found a bone fragment from a young girl born to a Denisovan father and Neanderthal mother, she said.

But, she added, the cultural relationships between the branches of the human family remain unclear.

We know what Neanderthals looked like. Now, thanks to ancient DNA, Israeli scientists have unveiled the appearance of another of our ancient relatives. Very few clues exist about the lives of the Denisovans cousins of Neanderthals who went extinct around 50,000 years ago: three teeth, a pinky bone, and a lower jaw.

We know what Neanderthals looked like. Now, thanks to ancient DNA, Israeli scientists have unveiled the appearance of another of our ancient relatives. Very few clues exist about the lives of the Denisovans cousins of Neanderthals who went extinct around 50,000 years ago: three teeth, a pinky bone, and a lower jaw. But that was enough for researchers at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem to draw conclusions on their appearance. The mission was challenging, according to Professor Liran Carmel, one of two scientists leading the study. "It is very difficult to start from DNA sequences and end up with an anatomical profile," he said. If it were that easy, police around the world would be pulling DNA from crime scenes and drawing up profiles of the suspects, he added. Instead, he and his team reconstructed the appearance of the Denisovans after three years of examining the patterns of chemical changes in their ancient DNA. They then compared these motifs to those of the DNA of Neanderthals and modern man. Using knowledge of human disorders in which genes lose their function for anatomical features, they explored what those differences might mean. Using this method which Carmel described as "85 per cent reliable" they highlighted 56 differences between the Denisovan and modern man and/or Neanderthals. "The Denisovan is more similar to Neanderthal than to us because they are evolutionarily closer," he said. Denisovan skulls were likely wider than those of modern humans or Neanderthals, the study found, and they probably had no chins. Scientists hope the new technique will allow them to identify skulls discovered in China a few years ago and whose width seems to indicate they might be Denisovans. Ancient human hybrid Contemporaries of the Neanderthals, the Denisovans first came to light a decade ago. A finger bone was unearthed a decade ago in a cave called Denisova in southern Siberia near the Mongolian border. The tiny bone "belonged to a 13-year-old Denisovan girl, who died in the cave" around 70,000 years ago, Carmel explained. "That pinky bone reopened a whole new chapter in the evolution of man," he said. Denisovans and Neanderthals branched off some 400,000 to 500,000 years ago into two distinct branches, separate from the Homo Sapiens branch of modern humans. While Neanderthals travelled from Africa to Europe and West Asia, Denisovans were present in east Asia. Scientists don't know why these human relatives became extinct, but believe they left some of their genomes to some modern-day men. Up to six per cent of present-day Melanesians and Aboriginal Australians have Denisovan DNA, according to the Hebrew University. They are also thought to have transmitted a gene to the Tibetans allowing them to breathe at high altitude. The fossilised jawbone of a Denisovan found in the mountains of Tibet proves they adapted to live at high altitude at least 160,000 years ago. The Denisovans may have made tools and even jewellery, new research published in January showed. Neanderthals migrated into regions where Denisovans lived, said Erella Hovers, a prehistoric archaeology professor at the Hebrew University. Scientists even found a bone fragment from a young girl born to a Denisovan father and Neanderthal mother, she said. But, she added, the cultural relationships between the branches of the human family remain unclear.

Israel scientists unveil the appearance of ancient human relative

As the United States races to put humans back on the moon for the first time in nearly 50 years, a NASA-funded lab in Colorado aims to launch robots there first to build telescopes that will look far into our galaxy and remotely operated by astronauts.

NASA lab wants to put robots on the moon

Chinese authorities said tests of a batch of human immunoglobulin for intravenous injection, reportedly contaminated with the HIV antibody, showed the negative presence of the virus.

"Shanghai authorities have run virus tests for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C on the reported batch and they all show negative," the National Medical Products Administration said in a statement on late Wednesday.

China's National Health Commission had earlier said there was a "very low" risk of HIV infection from the batch after a baby was reported to have tested "weak" HIV positive.

It asked medical institutions to halt the use of the batch and seal remaining supplies for further investigation.

Shanghai's Medical Products Administration said it had ordered the manufacturer to halt production.

Human immunoglobulin is made with human blood plasma and is used to treat a variety of conditions.

The Shanghai Medical Products Administration said in a statement on Wednesday that the batch, identified by China's National Health Commission as number 20180610Z, was made by China Meheco Xinxing Pharma Co, a unit of state-controlled China Meheco Group Co Ltd.

The manufacturer could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday. Chinese offices are largely shut for the week-long Lunar New Year holiday.

The investigation began after a baby in Jiangxi province had initially tested "weak" positive for HIV during a health check, the exposure that was traced to the batch under investigation, domestic media the China Economic Observer reported. The baby subsequently tested negative for HIV, the report said.

It is not clear how many people may have been injected with the batch under investigation. The media report said the batch contained 12,226 doses due to expire in 2021.

The Chinese government has repeatedly vowed to tighten safety oversight and to crack down on companies and officials following a string of food and drug scandals in recent years, including one last year involving the maker of a rabies vaccine.

Chinese authorities said tests of a batch of human immunoglobulin for intravenous injection, reportedly contaminated with the HIV antibody, showed the negative presence of the virus.

Chinese authorities said tests of a batch of human immunoglobulin for intravenous injection, reportedly contaminated with the HIV antibody, showed the negative presence of the virus. "Shanghai authorities have run virus tests for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C on the reported batch and they all show negative," the National Medical Products Administration said in a statement on late Wednesday. China's National Health Commission had earlier said there was a "very low" risk of HIV infection from the batch after a baby was reported to have tested "weak" HIV positive. It asked medical institutions to halt the use of the batch and seal remaining supplies for further investigation. Shanghai's Medical Products Administration said it had ordered the manufacturer to halt production. Human immunoglobulin is made with human blood plasma and is used to treat a variety of conditions. The Shanghai Medical Products Administration said in a statement on Wednesday that the batch, identified by China's National Health Commission as number 20180610Z, was made by China Meheco Xinxing Pharma Co, a unit of state-controlled China Meheco Group Co Ltd. The manufacturer could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday. Chinese offices are largely shut for the week-long Lunar New Year holiday. The investigation began after a baby in Jiangxi province had initially tested "weak" positive for HIV during a health check, the exposure that was traced to the batch under investigation, domestic media the China Economic Observer reported. The baby subsequently tested negative for HIV, the report said. It is not clear how many people may have been injected with the batch under investigation. The media report said the batch contained 12,226 doses due to expire in 2021. The Chinese government has repeatedly vowed to tighten safety oversight and to crack down on companies and officials following a string of food and drug scandals in recent years, including one last year involving the maker of a rabies vaccine.

Tests of human immunoglobulin are HIV negative: China

The skull of Luzia, the oldest known human fossil in the Americas, was found by researchers combing through debris at Brazil's National Museum, which burned down in September, the Museum said on Friday.

The skull, though damaged, was protected by a cabinet that fell over the glass box it was encased in, the museum's deputy director Cristiana Serejo said. "Good news, a miracle, after this tragedy," she said.

Luzia was the star of a collection of 20 million items in the 200-year-old building that also contained Egyptian artifacts, archeological finds and historical memorabilia.

A fire last month destroyed the vast majority of the collection and triggered an outcry about how Brazil's cultural institutions have deteriorated during an era of a weak economy and deep austerity measures.

Discovered in 1975, in the central Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Luzia was probably 25 when she died, according to the museum's website.

The Museum, which was originally the residence of Portugal's royal family in Brazil, will be closed for repairs that should last three years and cost 350 million reais, Museum director Alexander Kellner said.

The museum fire fed the anger many Brazilians feel about the government's austerity measures. The museum's directors have accused the federal government of years of insufficient funding for one of Latin America's most important historical repositories.

Brazil's federal government has accused Rio's federal university of failing to pass on money to the museum.

In a press conference, Dyogo Oliveira, the president of the state-run development bank BNDES, announced a 25 million reais ($6.03 million) plan to fund fire prevention mechanisms at national monuments across the country.

The skull of Luzia, the oldest known human fossil in the Americas, was found by researchers combing through debris at Brazil's National Museum, which burned down in September, the Museum said on Friday.

The skull of Luzia, the oldest known human fossil in the Americas, was found by researchers combing through debris at Brazil's National Museum, which burned down in September, the Museum said on Friday. The skull, though damaged, was protected by a cabinet that fell over the glass box it was encased in, the museum's deputy director Cristiana Serejo said. "Good news, a miracle, after this tragedy," she said. Luzia was the star of a collection of 20 million items in the 200-year-old building that also contained Egyptian artifacts, archeological finds and historical memorabilia. A fire last month destroyed the vast majority of the collection and triggered an outcry about how Brazil's cultural institutions have deteriorated during an era of a weak economy and deep austerity measures. Discovered in 1975, in the central Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, Luzia was probably 25 when she died, according to the museum's website. The Museum, which was originally the residence of Portugal's royal family in Brazil, will be closed for repairs that should last three years and cost 350 million reais, Museum director Alexander Kellner said. The museum fire fed the anger many Brazilians feel about the government's austerity measures. The museum's directors have accused the federal government of years of insufficient funding for one of Latin America's most important historical repositories. Brazil's federal government has accused Rio's federal university of failing to pass on money to the museum. In a press conference, Dyogo Oliveira, the president of the state-run development bank BNDES, announced a 25 million reais ($6.03 million) plan to fund fire prevention mechanisms at national monuments across the country.

Skull of ancient human found in burned Brazilian museum

Thousands of jobless Indians, Filipinos and Pakistanis are stranded and destitute in Saudi Arabia after the plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs, activists and officials said on Tuesday. 
 
Some Filipinos are forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months, said Garry Martinez, chairman of the Migrante group which works for the millions of Filipino overseas workers worldwide. 
 
&quot;Some of them have nothing to eat and have to go through the garbage for food,&quot; said Martinez. 
 
India said on Monday it was negotiating with Saudi authorities to repatriate thousands of its own nationals after they lost their jobs, leaving them with no money to return home. 
 
Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament in New Delhi she was sending a junior minister to Riyadh after reports that around 10,000 Indian workers had been left to starve. Indians are among millions of poor Asians working in the Gulf states, where human rights groups say many suffer exploitation and abuses including non-payment of wages. 
 
In Manila, Migrante coordinator Gilbert Saludo, who returned from Saudi Arabia last month after two years working there said as many as 20,000 Filipinos could be affected. Saludo said that while Manila had extended financial aid to them so far, it was not clear how long this could last. The labour problem appeared likely to worsen, he added. &quot;It will get much worse because so much of the income of Saudi Arabia comes from oil... so their budget for infrastructure and other projects will not be met and more people will be affected,&quot; Saludo told AFP. 
 
The Philippine Labour Department said Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello had visited Saudi Arabia last month to address the problem but would not elaborate. 
 
Pakistan said 8,520 of its nationals in Saudi Arabia had not been receiving their salaries for several months. A foreign ministry statement said that &quot;most of the workers want to leave these companies but only after settling their dues&quot;. The Pakistan embassy had set up special centres and a fund to provide aid, food, medicine and shelter. &quot;The (Pakistani) embassy has further informed that Saudi King has issued a decree for urgent payment of dues to workers by the concerned,&quot; the office of the prime minister said. 
 
&quot;We stand by our hardworking workers who are away from their homeland to earn a living for their families. They are our strength and pride. We will help them out in all possible ways,&quot; Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement. 
 
The Indian consulate in Jeddah has been providing free food for its nationals since their plight came to light last week but repatriation has been complicated by restrictive labour regulations. Swaraj cited a Saudi requirement that workers provide a no-objection certificate from their employers before they can leave the country. 
 
In Manila, the Migrante officials also said Filipinos could not leave because they lacked proper permits or were still awaiting months of back pay. 
 
(AFP)

Indians are among millions of poor Asians working in the Gulf states, where human rights groups say many suffer exploitation and abuse

Thousands of jobless Indians, Filipinos and Pakistanis are stranded and destitute in Saudi Arabia after the plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs, activists and officials said on Tuesday. Some Filipinos are forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months, said Garry Martinez, chairman of the Migrante group which works for the millions of Filipino overseas workers worldwide. "Some of them have nothing to eat and have to go through the garbage for food," said Martinez. India said on Monday it was negotiating with Saudi authorities to repatriate thousands of its own nationals after they lost their jobs, leaving them with no money to return home. Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament in New Delhi she was sending a junior minister to Riyadh after reports that around 10,000 Indian workers had been left to starve. Indians are among millions of poor Asians working in the Gulf states, where human rights groups say many suffer exploitation and abuses including non-payment of wages. In Manila, Migrante coordinator Gilbert Saludo, who returned from Saudi Arabia last month after two years working there said as many as 20,000 Filipinos could be affected. Saludo said that while Manila had extended financial aid to them so far, it was not clear how long this could last. The labour problem appeared likely to worsen, he added. "It will get much worse because so much of the income of Saudi Arabia comes from oil... so their budget for infrastructure and other projects will not be met and more people will be affected," Saludo told AFP. The Philippine Labour Department said Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello had visited Saudi Arabia last month to address the problem but would not elaborate. Pakistan said 8,520 of its nationals in Saudi Arabia had not been receiving their salaries for several months. A foreign ministry statement said that "most of the workers want to leave these companies but only after settling their dues". The Pakistan embassy had set up special centres and a fund to provide aid, food, medicine and shelter. "The (Pakistani) embassy has further informed that Saudi King has issued a decree for urgent payment of dues to workers by the concerned," the office of the prime minister said. "We stand by our hardworking workers who are away from their homeland to earn a living for their families. They are our strength and pride. We will help them out in all possible ways," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement. The Indian consulate in Jeddah has been providing free food for its nationals since their plight came to light last week but repatriation has been complicated by restrictive labour regulations. Swaraj cited a Saudi requirement that workers provide a no-objection certificate from their employers before they can leave the country. In Manila, the Migrante officials also said Filipinos could not leave because they lacked proper permits or were still awaiting months of back pay. (AFP)

Thousands of jobless Asians including Indians stranded in Saudi

Authorities in Malaysia have uncovered an immigration racket involving the sabotage of a computerised passport-screening system at its main international airport, police said today, raising worries about human-trafficking and security.

The immigration department fired&nbsp;15 officials on Tuesday, took disciplinary action against 22 and said it was investigating more in connection with the security breach at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which could have been going on for years.

Police said arrests were imminent.

&quot;We have identified the suspects.&nbsp;We are still investigating but we will make arrests soon,&quot;&nbsp;deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim told reporters today.

International and domestic syndicates were involved, Noor Rashid said, and he suggested the motive was human trafficking.

&quot;The syndicates overseas collaborate with the syndicates here. These overseas syndicates &ndash; their responsibility is to bring the man over and collect payments, while the syndicates here, their job is to accept. These are the ones that tried to penetrate the system,&quot; he said.

Authorities said last week the airport&#39;s passport-verification system was deliberately disrupted at certain times of the day, possibly since 2010, raising suspicion people were being smuggled through immigration when it was down.

The revelations come after the auditor-general said in a report tabled in parliament two weeks ago that&nbsp;the immigration system was not functioning satisfactorily.

Human rights groups have questioned Malaysia&#39;s efforts to combat human trafficking after the discovery of mass graves of suspected migrants near the border with Thailand last year.

Malaysia has an estimated two million illegal migrant laborers, many of whom work in the electronics, palm oil and construction sectors.

The immigration system breach has also raised concern about security.

Authorities in the Muslim-majority country have arrested about 170 people since the beginning of last year for suspected militant activity.

Last month, Malaysia deported three foreign suspected militants and arrested 14 Malaysians on suspicion of links to Islamic State, including an aircraft technician.

In March, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said police had foiled an Islamic State plot to kidnap Prime Minister Najib Razak and other senior ministers last year.

Opposition lawmaker R. Sivarasa said the sabotage warranted a major criminal investigation and called for the police and the anti-corruption commission to look into it.

Scam involved the sabotage of a computerised passport-screening system at country's main international airport, could have been going on for years

Authorities in Malaysia have uncovered an immigration racket involving the sabotage of a computerised passport-screening system at its main international airport, police said today, raising worries about human-trafficking and security. The immigration department fired 15 officials on Tuesday, took disciplinary action against 22 and said it was investigating more in connection with the security breach at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which could have been going on for years. Police said arrests were imminent. "We have identified the suspects. We are still investigating but we will make arrests soon," deputy police chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim told reporters today. International and domestic syndicates were involved, Noor Rashid said, and he suggested the motive was human trafficking. "The syndicates overseas collaborate with the syndicates here. These overseas syndicates – their responsibility is to bring the man over and collect payments, while the syndicates here, their job is to accept. These are the ones that tried to penetrate the system," he said. Authorities said last week the airport's passport-verification system was deliberately disrupted at certain times of the day, possibly since 2010, raising suspicion people were being smuggled through immigration when it was down. The revelations come after the auditor-general said in a report tabled in parliament two weeks ago that the immigration system was not functioning satisfactorily. Human rights groups have questioned Malaysia's efforts to combat human trafficking after the discovery of mass graves of suspected migrants near the border with Thailand last year. Malaysia has an estimated two million illegal migrant laborers, many of whom work in the electronics, palm oil and construction sectors. The immigration system breach has also raised concern about security. Authorities in the Muslim-majority country have arrested about 170 people since the beginning of last year for suspected militant activity. Last month, Malaysia deported three foreign suspected militants and arrested 14 Malaysians on suspicion of links to Islamic State, including an aircraft technician. In March, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said police had foiled an Islamic State plot to kidnap Prime Minister Najib Razak and other senior ministers last year. Opposition lawmaker R. Sivarasa said the sabotage warranted a major criminal investigation and called for the police and the anti-corruption commission to look into it.

Malaysia uncovers immigration racket raising trafficking, security fears

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