February 2025

The areas where the fossils object of the study on the inner ear were found with the one called Almud 1 enlarged and a reconstruction of the inner ear's semicircular canals

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An article published in the journal “Nature Communications” reports the results of the study of the inner ear of Neanderthals that suggests that at a certain point in their history there was a genetic bottleneck that may have contributed to their extinction. A team of researchers examined the semicircular canals, structures whose development is strongly determined by genes, to assess the history of Neanderthals. According to the conclusions, the morphological diversity of these anatomical structures shows a decline about 110,000 years ago.

This is not the only recent research that suggests a genetic stagnation of Neanderthals because a few weeks ago, an article was published in the journal “Scientific Reports” that focuses on the blood groups of Homo sapiens, Denisovans, and Neanderthals. Genetic analysis shows that Neanderthals had a blood type that’s very rare in Homo sapiens with very limited variability over about 80,000 years. This may have made them vulnerable to various health problems.

Afterburn by R.K. Higgins

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The novel “Afterburn” by R.K. Higgins was published for the first time in 2018. It’s the first book in the Afterburn series.

Reme Reagan is not cut out for the farming life and dreams of participating in anti-gravity racing even though his father would like him to continue the family job. While trying to enter the competitions, he runs into Vick Dozz, who has just repossessed a racing pod and is looking for a pilot to earn some extra money before returning it to its owner.

For Reme, this is a unique opportunity to compete in a circuit that is not professional but is still very popular. He has to compete with other human pilots, Ternions, and cyborgs of both species but the greatest dangers could come from ruthless people outside the race tracks.

The Crawling Terror by Mike Tucker

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The novel “The Crawling Terror” by Mike Tucker was published for the first time in 2014.

The life of what used to be a quiet British village is turned upside down when some of its inhabitants come face to face with giant insects. Poor Alan Travers has it even worse on his way home because he ends up in a giant spider web and the spider that built it is nearby.

The Tardis has detected an anomalous signal resulting in the 12th Doctor and Clara Oswald arriving in what seems to be a normal British village. Very soon, the situation turns out to be very different with the discovery of a corpse trapped in a spider web of truly extraordinary size and strength. The Doctor must quickly investigate to understand what’s happening, and old tales dating back to World War II may offer a clue.

Contact by Carl Sagan

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The novel “Contact” by Carl Sagan was published for the first time in 1985. It won the Locus Award for Best First Novel.

Since she was a child, Eleanor “Ellie” Arroway showed an excellent aptitude for scientific subjects. Her father encouraged her but he died when she was still a child. Her mother remarried and her stepfather had much more conservative ideas about the role of a woman, resulting in a tense relationship between the two of them.

Despite the obstacles, Ellie earned a doctorate and started working in the field of radio astronomy. She ended up becoming the director of the Argus Project for the search for signals sent by extraterrestrial intelligences. A signal from the star Vega is detected showing clear indications of an artificial origin. The consequences are significant and include the problems brought by Christian preachers who try to make their vision prevail.

A predatory protist (Photo courtesy Camille Poirier and David Needham, Worden Lab)

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An article published in the journal “Cell Host & Microbe” reports the results of a study on the widespread symbiosis between predatory protists and bacteria related to species that are pathogenic to various animal species and sometimes to humans. A team of researchers led by scientists from the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) conducted a series of analyses on water samples collected at the surface of the Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the North Atlantic and identified protists that have predatory habits that eat some species of bacteria but are in symbiosis with other species. The results suggest a long and complex history of relationships that sometimes are symbiosis and sometimes are parasitism by bacteria with animals and choanoflagellates, the closest relatives of animals among eukaryotes.