Posts tagged bones

September 2, 2012

Genome of ancient Denisovans may help clarify human evolution

Our ancestors didn’t walk alone: Neanderthals and other ancient peoples shared Earth with them tens of thousands of years ago.

Now, using new technology, scientists have sequenced with high precision the genome of one of those close but little-known relatives: an extinct people known as the Denisovans, who lived in and around modern-day Siberia.

The Denisovan genome, reported online Thursday in the journal Science, was derived from tiny quantities of shredded DNA extracted from a finger bone found in a Russian cave in 2008, as well as a tooth found later.

What is striking, scientists said, is that it is every bit as detailed as a sequence generated with a fresh blood or saliva sample from someone alive today.

Analysis of the genome and comparisons with ours and the Neanderthals’ will offer insights into the history of Homo sapiens — who we mated with, where and when — as well as the unique genetic changes that make modern humans who they are, scientists said.

Study leader Svante Paabo, a pioneer in decoding ancient genomes, said it would take biologists decades to understand the meaning of all these tiny differences.

“Many of them may have no function — but among them will undoubtedly hide some crucial changes that are essential for what made modern human history possible,” said Paabo, director of the department of evolutionary genetics at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

Already, he and his coauthorshavehighlighted several intriguing genetic differences between modern humans and our primitive relatives that could be significant, including genes involved in wiring the brain and ones that are known to be linked to autism.

Their analysis also suggests that the Denisovans had dark skin, brown hair and brown eyes, but scientists can’t yet say much more than that about their appearance.

The advance hinged on new techniques designed to investigate scant and highly degraded genetic material found in fossils. Their application to these and other specimens promises to draw back the curtain on our species’ complicated and much-debated history, said John Hawks, a paleoanthropologist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, who wasn’t involved in the study.

Very likely, modern humans have other undiscovered ancient relatives whose fossilized bones are waiting to give up their secrets.

“It’s got to be just the beginning,” Hawks said.

The part of the world where the Denisovan fossils were discovered could contain a particularly rich trove of archaic humans, said Michelle Glantz, a biological anthropologist at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, who was not involved in the study.

Among the other intriguing finds from Central Asia is a fossil from Uzbekistan with a Neanderthal-like inner ear and a cranium resembling a modern human’s. But it will take a lot more than DNA data to piece together the picture there, she said.

(Source: futurenow321)

Filed under science evolution bones archaeologists human genetics genome

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June 23, 2012

Mongolian dinosaur seized from US warehouse

A gigantic tyrannosaurus skeleton tucked away in a New York warehouse was seized by US authorities, who hope to return the prehistoric remains to their native Mongolia, officials said.

The skeleton, about eight feet (2.43 meters) tall and a whopping 24 feet (7.31m) wide, was locked up at Cadogan Tate Fine Art storage facility after being sold last month at Heritage Auctions for $1.05 million.

A spokesperson for the auction house on Friday confirmed the seizure to AFP.

The tyrannosaurus a tarbosaurus bataar walked Central Asia’s Gobi Desert on two feet at the end of the Cretaceous period, some 70 million years ago.

In May 2010, the skeleton was shipped to Florida from Britain. It was sold at a New York auction on May 20 for $1.05 million by Heritage Auctions.

But according to documents filed Monday in US District Court in New York, it is alleged to have been illegally imported from Britain through false claims about what it was and its value.

A Manhattan prosecutor filed to seize the reconstituted skeleton Monday and return it to Mongolian authorities, who had tried in vain to prevent the sale, and the request was approved by judge Kevin Casten.

In 1924, Mongolia determined that fossils are national property, and their export is strictly forbidden.

Mongolian President Tsakhia Elbegdorj rejoiced Monday at the legal proceedings, saying the tyrannosaurus represents an important part of the Mongolian people’s cultural heritage.

“We are one step closer to bringing this rare tyrannosaurus bataar skeleton back home to the people of Mongolia,”

Heritage Auctions’ co-chair Jim Halperin, meanwhile, said there should be a “fair and just” solution for Florida-based seller Eric Prokopi.

He “spent a year of his life and considerable expense identifying, restoring, mounting and preparing what had previously been a much less valuable matrix of disassembled, underlying bones and bone fragments.”

Prokopi has denied being an international trafficker of historical artifacts.

(Source: futurenow321)

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June 7, 2012

Scientists excited about Iowa mammoth discovery

An unusual discovery of mammoth bones on a rural Oskaloosa farm has experts studying prehistoric life excited about scientific discoveries that may lie with the massive beast.

The find is rare because it appears to include much of the animal’s skeleton undisturbed. That allows scientists to gather pollen and other plant evidence at the dig site that could reveal details about Iowa’s environment more than 12,000 years ago.

Scientists from the University of Iowa plan to scan the area with ground penetrating radar on Friday to see if they can determine how much of the mammoth remains underground. Excavation will continue throughout the summer.

Bones were first found two years ago by the landowner. He wants his name and location of the farm to remain confidential to protect the site.

(Source: futurenow321)

Filed under science mammoths bones discovery scientists Iowa state backyard radar dinosaurs technology

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May 23, 2012

Tyrannosaurus Sold Despite Mongolian President’s Plea

Despite a lawsuit from the president of Mongolia, a Dallas based auction house sold a largely intact fossil skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus bataar on Sunday for $1.1 million but transfer of the bones will be put on hold during litigation. Mongolian President Elbegdorj Tsakhia of Mongolia sued Heritage Auctions in Dallas County Court on Saturday. Tsakhia said the fossil came from the Gobi Desert and that exporting dinosaur bones or fossils from his country is illegal. He sought to enjoin the sale and transfer of the skeleton until legal ownership and proper provenance is established in court. Tyrannosaurus bataar means “alarming lizard.” It resembles the North American Tyrannosaurus beloved by children.

(Source: futurenow321)

Filed under science sold president mongolian plea Tyrannosaurus bones dinosaurs fossils