Fossil analysis reveals how Denisovans thrived on ‘roof of the world’

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The grasslands, glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the Tibetan Plateau are stunning scenery, but the vast expanse of Central Asia is also one of the harshest environments on Earth.

When I traveled to the plateau three decades ago, my head was pounding, and I was feeling lethargic from altitude sickness.

Archaeologists have long believed that the Tibetan Plateau—more than 13,000 feet (about 4,000 meters) above sea level—was one of the last inhabited places on the planet.

But new research suggests that a mysterious species of ancient human was able to thrive on the so-called roof of the world long before our species, Homo sapiens, arrived on the scene.

Denisovan man was first identified in 2010 using DNA sequencing extracted from a small, rare fragment of finger bone found in Siberia.

Now, the karst Baixia Cave, on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, is helping to answer many questions about the identity of Denisovans.

Archaeologists examined the jawbone and rib bone found at the cave site, along with thousands of animal bone fragments recovered during excavations in 2018 and 2019.

The analysis highlights How Extinct Humans Thrived in an Ice Age Environment For more than 100 thousand years.

With the return of the Chang’e 6 lunar mission on June 25, the Chinese government has something no other human has ever encountered — rocks and soil from the far side of the moon.

The China National Space Administration said it will once again share its lunar samples with scientists around the world — following the precedent set by NASA after the Apollo missions.

But a U.S. law known as the Wolf Amendment, which prohibits NASA from using government funds for bilateral cooperation with China or its agencies without permission from Congress or the FBI, could hinder U.S. access to the samples.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told CNN this week that the federal agency is working to ensure that Access to lunar soil samples would not violate the law.The results of the sample analysis could help scientists go back to the early days of the Moon, Earth and the solar system.

Take a moment to ponder what researchers say is the oldest known story in the world. Painted on a cave wall in what is now Indonesia, it depicts three humans interacting with a pig.

The research team used a new technique to date the calcium carbonate crust that formed over the artworks to more than 50,000 years old.

The discovery is the latest rock art to be found in the region’s interesting limestone caves, and is at least 33,000 years older than famous Paleolithic sites in Europe such as Lascaux.

Some experts believe that the paintings may have been A visual supplement to oral histories lost over time..

Rivers often change course as they flow. But a research team studying the Ganges, which runs from the Himalayas through India and Bangladesh, has found evidence of something even more dramatic in its ancient past.

Through evidence hidden in the mud and sand grains, scientists have concluded that a powerful earthquake changed the course of the river 2,500 years ago – the first time this natural phenomenon has been detected.

The team found Sand volcanoes – a distinctive sign of an earthquake-affected riverbed – A large river channel filled with mud at about the same time.

If a similar earthquake occurred in the Ganges Delta today, more than 140 million people in the region could be affected.

Entomologist Dr. Gerard Talavera found 10 colorful butterflies on a beach in French Guiana about a decade ago. The insects looked tired with torn wings full of holes.

While the painted lady is a strong long-distance traveler, with migration patterns spanning thousands of miles, she usually travels over land so she can stop and rest.

Talavera, a senior researcher at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona in Spain, believes the butterflies crossed the Atlantic without stopping. In a new study, he and an international team studied these butterflies. I have gathered everything needed to make this epic journey..

In other insect news, researchers have discovered that Ants amputate the injured limbs of their wounded comrades..

Delve into these thought-provoking reads.

– the The rotation of the Earth’s core has slowed down. Over the past few decades, a new study has confirmed this. Here’s what it might mean.

Paleontologists have discovered giant fossils. Swamp creature with a skull shaped like a toilet seat This was likely the largest predator 40 million years before dinosaurs appeared on Earth.

– The discovery of fossilized grape seeds revealed the reason for the existence of Is the extinction of the dinosaurs the reason behind that glass of red wine you’ll be drinking?.

— Massachusetts woman who lost a limb in a 2018 accident walks and moves like everyone else She now has a prosthetic leg that is fully connected to her brain..

– a New NASA radar image shows tiny moon Around an asteroid as it passes close to Earth.

Did you like what you read? Oh, but there’s more. Register here To receive in your inbox the next edition of Wonder Theory, brought to you by CNN Space and Science writers. Ashley Strickland And Katie HuntThey find wonders in planets outside our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.