Meaning-making behavior in a small-brained hominin, , from the late Pleistocene: contexts and evolutionary implications.

Explorations in the Dinaledi Subsystem of the Rising Star cave system have yielded some of the earliest evidence of a mortuary practice in hominins. Because the evidence is attributable to the small-brained , these analyses call into question several assumptions about behavioral and cognitive evolution in Pleistocene hominins. The evidence from the Dinaledi Subsystem, and at other locations across the Rising Star cave system may widen the phylogenetic breadth of mortuary, and possibly funerary, behaviors.

Evidence for deliberate burial of the dead by .

In this study, we describe new results of excavations in the Dinaledi Subsystem of the Rising Star cave system, South Africa. In two areas within the Hill Antechamber and the Dinaledi Chamber, this work uncovered concentrations of abundant fossils including articulated, matrix-supported skeletal regions consistent with rapid covering by sediment prior to the decomposition of soft tissue. We additionally re-examine the spatial positioning of skeletal material and associated sediments within the Puzzle Box area, from which abundant remains representing a minimum of six individuals were recovered in 2013 and 2014.

An initial report of circa 241,000- to 335,000-year-old rock engravings and their relation to in the Rising Star cave system, South Africa.

The production of painted, etched, or engraved designs on cave walls or other surfaces is recognized as a major cognitive step in human evolution. Such intentional designs, which are widely interpreted as signifying, recording, and transmitting information in a durable manner, were once considered exclusive to Late Pleistocene . Here we present observations of what appear to be engraved abstract patterns and shapes within the Dinaledi Subsystem of the Rising Star cave system in South Africa, incised into the dolomitic limestone walls of the cave.

This is not the time to step back from diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Recently, I exchanged views with a prominent Ivy League scientist who was complaining about the minority students and junior faculty applying to his program. He claimed that the university, through diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, was forcing his department to consider applicants it wouldn't otherwise and, in the process, ruining science. He also insisted that there is no racial or gender bias in science.

Threatened synanthropes depend on intact forests: a critical evaluation of Moore et al. (2023).

Synanthropes are known for their remarkable adaptability to coexist with humans, yet increased visibility exposes them to significant threats, such as hunting or conflict over resources. Moore et al.'s review 'The rise of hyperabundant native generalists threatens both humans and nature' (https://doi.

Scientists as political advocates.

Science, both teaching and doing, is under attack. The recent US presidential election of a person and platform with anti-science bias exemplifies this. The study of climate processes and patterns and the role of human activities in these phenomena are at the heart of multiple global crises, and yet the scientific results, and the scientists presenting them, are attacked constantly.

We need better and more PopSci by scientists.

Any scientist knows that to be a good scientist, they must conduct thoughtful research; generate high-quality, verifiable results and analyses; and get them into circulation in the scientific community. However, what often goes underappreciated is that this good science will likely remain ignored by most of the world if one doesn't find a way to get it out beyond the scientific community. Unfortunately, when it comes to making our science accessible, we scientists all too often fall short.

Statements by scientific organizations can, and should, shape society.

Statements based on the best current scientific data and analyses that bear directly on societal issues, especially ones that are critical to societal justice, equity, and health, are practical responsibilities of professional scientific organizations. And they often have impact.

Follow the citations: Tracing pathways of "race as biology" assumptions in medical algorithms in eGFR and spirometry.

Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the concept of 'race' as a biological unit continues to persist in various scientific disciplines, notably in the field of medicine. This paper explores the persistence of 'race as biology' in medical research via examining select citational practices that have perpetuated this problematic concept. Citations serve as a cornerstone in scientific literature, signifying reliability and expert affirmation.

Capacities for peace, and war, are old and related to construction of worlds and communities.

The capacities required for both peace and war predate 100,000 years ago in the genus are deeply entangled in the modes by which humans physically and perceptually construct their worlds and communities, and may not be sufficiently captured by economic models.

Healing Hanuman's Army: Veterinary Care as a Core Component of One Health Principles in a Southeast Asian Monkey Forest.

Wildlife that inhabit urban landscapes face the dual challenge of negotiating their positions in their group while navigating obstacles of anthropogenically modified landscapes. The dynamics of urban environments can result in novel injuries and mortalities for these animals. However, these negative impacts can be mitigated through planning, and onsite veterinary care like that provided by the Ubud Monkey Forest in Bali, Indonesia.

Humans are biocultural, science should be too.

COVID-19 is restructuring societies. Loneliness is a global health threat. Large language models are outputting biased health care information, and human-artificial intelligence (AI) interfaces are reshaping how we live.

Environmental violence: a tool for planetary health research.

From climate change to toxic pollution and the interactive effects of multiple pollution streams, human health is under siege. Human-produced environmental risks to health and wellbeing are high and contributing to patterns of global morbidity, mortality, economic inequality, displacement, and insecurity. The implications of human-produced environmental harms to global health are complex just as are their causes.

An Ethical Framework for Research Using Genetic Ancestry.

A wide range of research uses patterns of genetic variation to infer genetic similarity between individuals, typically referred to as genetic ancestry. This research includes inference of human demographic history, understanding the genetic architecture of traits, and predicting disease risk. Researchers are not just structuring an intellectual inquiry when using genetic ancestry, they are also creating analytical frameworks with broader societal ramifications.

Removal from the wild endangers the once widespread long-tailed macaque.

In 2022, long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis), a once ubiquitous primate species, was elevated to Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. In 2023, recognizing that the long-tailed macaque is threatened by multiple factors: (1) declining native habitats across Southeast Asia; (2) overutilization for scientific, commercial, and recreational purposes; (3) inadequate regulatory mechanisms; and (4) culling due to human-macaque conflicts, a petition for rulemaking was submitted to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to add the species to the US Endangered Species Act, the nation's most effective law to protect at risk species. The long-tailed macaque remains unprotected across much of its geographical range despite the documented continual decline of the species and related sub-species and the recent IUCN reassessment.

Systemic racism in science: Reactions matter.

Massive amounts of data and countless analyses collected across decades of scholarly research demonstrate unequivocally that bias and inequity based on race (in other words, ) have occurred and still occur throughout society in the United States (the same can be said for many other nations). American higher education is one of the places where racism has been, and still is, well documented again and again and again. Not unexpectedly, six of the nine justices on the US Supreme Court recently chose to disregard these facts and argue for a "race neutral" approach in college admissions.

Ancestry: How researchers use it and what they mean by it.

Ancestry is often viewed as a more objective and less objectionable population descriptor than race or ethnicity. Perhaps reflecting this, usage of the term "ancestry" is rapidly growing in genetics research, with ancestry groups referenced in many situations. The appropriate usage of population descriptors in genetics research is an ongoing source of debate.

Heritability is a poor, if not unhelpful, measure of complex human behavioral processes.

Heritability is not a measure of the relative contribution of nature nurture, nor is it the phenotypic variance explained by or because of genetic variance. Heritability is a correlative value. The evolutionary and developmental processes associated with human culture challenge the use of "heritability" for understanding human behavior.

Global importance of Indigenous Peoples, their lands, and knowledge systems for saving the world's primates from extinction.

Primates, represented by 521 species, are distributed across 91 countries primarily in the Neotropic, Afrotropic, and Indo-Malayan realms. Primates inhabit a wide range of habitats and play critical roles in sustaining healthy ecosystems that benefit human and nonhuman communities. Approximately 68% of primate species are threatened with extinction because of global pressures to convert their habitats for agricultural production and the extraction of natural resources.