2020

Phylogenetic relationships of the archaic fragments sequenced in Icelanders

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An article published in the journal “Nature” reports a genetic study carried out using data obtained from 27,566 Icelanders to understand which parts of modern humans’ genome contain genes inherited from Neanderthals following interbreedings, and what role it plays in modern humans. A team of researchers performed a comparative analysis with hominin genomes sequenced at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA) in Leipzig, Germany, finding many different genes scattered in the Icelandic genomes. By putting them together, they reconstructed at least 38% of the Neanderthal genome using 14 million fragments. A surprise came from the discovery of Denisovans genes, usually present in Asian populations, but it’s possible that they too were inherited from Neanderthals who descended from interbreedings with Denisova.

Ethanoperedens thermophilum in red and its symbiote Desulfofervidus auxilii in green

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An article published in the journal “mBio” reports the discovery of an archaeon that feeds on ethane in hydrothermal vents at the bottom of the Guaymas Basin, in the central area of ​​the Gulf of California. A team of researchers led by Gunter Wegener of the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology proposed the name Ethanoperedens thermophilum for this archaeon that lives in symbiosis with a bacterium already known for which Wegener and his collaborators proposed the name Desulfofervidus auxilii. The interest in these microorganisms goes beyond biological curiosity because the metabolic process that degrade ethane is reversible, and this means that other similar archaea could transform carbon dioxide into ethane. This would lead to their use for the production of ethane, the second most common component of natural gas after methane with 15%.

Creatures of the Abyss by Murray Leinster (Italian edition)

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The novel “Creatures of the Abyss” by Murray Leinster was published for the first time in 1961.

Terry Holt has been running a shop in Manila for a long time and his electronics skills allowed him to do good business until his partner caused a lot of trouble for the business. He’s about to leave the Philippines when he receives a very important offer that leads him to join a scientific expedition led by Dr. Morton.

His ability to create high-level radar systems takes Terry Holt into the ocean for a research on the mystery related to strange marine phenomena. What fishermen call las orejas de ello are considered only a legend, but certain events convinced someone that it’s the type of legend that has a basis in fact.

Magmatic rock samples containing air bubbles

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An article published in the journal “Nature Communications” reports evidence of an abundance of carbon dioxide in basaltic rocks dating back to the end of the Triassic period, just over 200 million years ago, of what is called the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP). A team of researchers discovered carbon dioxide bubbles still imprisoned in those ancient volcanic rocks, evidence that supports the theory that volcanic activity contributed to the climate changes that caused the mass extinction. That type of emissions has similarities with what we’re seeing today, so the study of very ancient events can give us an idea of ​​what could happen in the near future.

The Forgotten Army by Brian Minchin

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The novel “The Forgotten Army” by Brian Minchin was published for the first time in 2010.

The Eleventh Doctor takes Amy Pond to New York just when a Polar Woolly Mammoth found perfectly preserved is about to be presented in a museum. In front of a crowd, what’s supposed to be an animal that’s been dead for several millennia suddenly comes to life and begins to cause panic inside the Natural History Museum.

The Doctor manages to jump on the mammoth and control its movements as if it were a horse, temporarily taking it to a zoo. It seems that some American authorities are the biggest problem for the Doctor, but the situation changes when the mammoth’s true nature is revealed and together with it the real danger.