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Tightly-curled hair appears to maximise the shielding effect from the sun while minimising an unwanted insulating effect

Humans

Curly hair may have evolved to protect early humans from the sun

In the first study to look at the evolution of hair types, researchers found tightly coiled hair provides a trade-off of shielding the head from the sun while minimising unwanted insulating

News

Paranthropus, early human relative

Humans

Early hominin Paranthropus may have used sophisticated stone tools

News

The coronavirus is continuing to mutate as it spreads

Health

Millions of coronavirus mutations offer a new insight into evolution

News

Light micrograph of a section through the spleen of a patient with Gaucher's disease. Small lymphocytes and large macrophage cells (Gaucher?s cells, pink, a type of white blood cell) are present. Gaucher's disease is an inherited metabolic disorder in which a fatty substance called glucocerebroside accumulates in the spleen (in macrophages), lungs, liver and bone marrow, and sometimes the brain. This is due to an absence of the enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GC). The disease appears in childhood, and some forms are fatal in the first few years. Other forms cause enlargement of the affected organs, weak and painful bones and anaemia. Some forms also cause severe nervous system damage. There is no cure, but enzyme replacement therapy using GC can relieve the symptoms. Haematoxylin-eosin saffron (HES) stain. Magnification: x400 at 24x36 mm size.

Health

Genes for Gaucher disease may have protected Jewish people against TB

News

close up of woman's eyes

Mind

The evolutionary origin of paranoia and why it is becoming more common

Features

Straight-tusked elephant bones hint at routine hunting and butchering by Neanderthals

Humans

Neanderthals hunted enormous elephants that fed 100 people for a month

News

We need to accept that deepfakes are here to stay in film and TV

Technology

We need to accept that deepfakes are here to stay in film and TV

Comment

Burying beetle

Life

Animals that care for young may have more mutations and evolve faster

News

Banded mongoose group approaching with curiosity (Mungos mungo). Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. March 2018.

Life

Inside the complex and extremely violent world of warring mongooses

Features

Self-assembled colony formed by wild S. muelleri suspended in solution (see Movie 1) https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.01.10.523506

Life

Multicellular life may have begun with brief alliances between cells

Single-celled organisms called Stentor can feed more efficiently by pairing up, illustrating a possible stage in the evolution of complex life forms

News

Health

A better understanding of PCOS offers fresh hope for new treatments

Features

Life

Early relatives of primates lived in the Arctic 52 million years ago

News

Humans

Why it is important to explore the outer limits of knowledge

Leader

Life

Male and female gibbons sing duets in time with each other

News