Treasure trove of ancient human remains hint at undiscovered species

A haul of more than 100 ancient human bones found in a cave in South Africa may belong to a previously undiscovered human species Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2263973-treasure-trove-of-ancient-human-remains-hint-at-undiscovered-species/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Treasure trove of ancient human remains hints at undiscovered species

A haul of more than 100 ancient human bones found in a cave in South Africa may belong to a previously undiscovered human species Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2263973-treasure-trove-of-ancient-human-remains-hints-at-undiscovered-species/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home…

Looted skulls and human remains are being sold in black markets on Facebook

A Live Science investigation unlocked a world inside private Facebook groups in which human remains are often sold with little information about their origins — raising questions about how they were acquired. Source: https://www.livescience.com/human-bone-trade-facebook.html

Facebook Uses 1.5 Billion Reddit Posts To Create Chatbot

Facebook trained a new chatbat with 1.5 billion examples of human exchanges from reddit, claiming it’s able to demonstrate empathy, knowledge and personality. The BBC reports: The social media giant said 49% of people preferred interactions with the chatbot [named “Blender”], compared with another human. But experts say training the artificial intelligence (AI) using a platform such as Reddit has its…

Skeleton sheds new light on first Americans

Human remains dating back 10,000 years have helped to rewrite the history book on America’s earliest settlers. Discovered in an underwater cave known … Source: https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/334358/skeleton-sheds-new-light-on-first-americans…

Lost World Revealed By Human, Neanderthal Relics Washed Up On North Sea Beaches

sciencehabit writes: Most days, Willy van Wingerden spends a few free hours walking by the sea not far from the Dutch town of Monster. Here, the cheerful nurse has plucked more than 500 ancient artifacts from the broad, windswept beach known as the Zandmotor, or “sand engine.” She has found Neanderthal tools made of river cobbles, bone fishhooks, and human remains…

DNA From ‘Chewing Gum’ Provides Clues To Life 5,700 Years Ago

New submitter RG-man writes: DNA obtained from birch pitch used as a type of ancient chewing gum has revealed significant insights into the life of a young girl who lived 5,700 years ago. CNN reports: “…[Lola] chewed on birch pitch, a material that functioned a bit like an ancient chewing gum. A study of that birch pitch has uncovered the girl’s…

New Federal Rules Limit Police Searches of Family Tree DNA Databases

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Science Magazine: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released new rules yesterday governing when police can use genetic genealogy to track down suspects in serious crimes — the first-ever policy covering how these databases, popular among amateur genealogists, should be used in law enforcement attempts to balance public safety and privacy concerns. The DOJ…