Researchers have reconstructed the face of a man who lived in Roman-era Scotland roughly 1,900 years ago, using a skeleton recovered from an unusual burial site. Analysis of the remains showed a broken nose and damage to an arm, pointing to a history of physical trauma before death. The skeleton was reportedly found in a grave described as gruesome, though details of the burial context were not fully specified.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-10-30
A Nature paper by Yan et al. used genomics tools to catalog genetic variants, genes and pathways that distinguish the human skeleton from those of chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas. The work builds on the long-standing idea that human-ape differences arise more from regulatory changes in gene expression than from changes in protein-coding sequences themselves.
nature.com
· 2026-09-23
Researchers compared genomes from over 100 non-human great apes—including bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans—against thousands of human genomes to identify DNA substitutions unique and fixed in humans. They applied strict filtering criteria involving sequencing depth, genotype quality and allelic balance, then cross-checked results against archaic human genomes from Neanderthals and Denisovans, producing a curated set of human-specific variants for further functional testing via a massively parallel reporter assay (MPRA).
nature.com
· 2026-09-23
Archaeologists studying an ancient skeleton found evidence consistent with a woman who had her nose surgically removed, likely as a judicial punishment. Researchers noted she survived long enough to receive medical treatment for the wound but was ultimately buried in a manner suggesting social stigma or shame.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-21
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