Denisovan facial features identified from fossil fragments

A low, sloping forehead, pronounced eyebrow ridges, rectangular eye sockets, flat cheeks and a moderately high nasal bridge may have been characteristic features of the Denisovans, a mysterious ancient human species.

Researchers used fossilized skull fragments, teeth and jaws to identify visual characteristics that distinguished Denisovans from other early human species, including a flat, elongated skull shape. These features could help scientists classify fossils that have not previously been identified as Denisovan.

Nature | 5-minute read

Reference: Nature paper

Brain development may help predict adolescent mental-health risks

The emergence of mental-health conditions in teenagers may be linked to the rate at which certain areas of the brain develop. A study of nearly 12,000 young people in the United States suggests that vulnerability to conditions such as depression during adolescence may involve disruptions in the brain’s developmental timeline.

The researchers also found that genes active before birth may contribute to these patterns. Systems neuroscientist Abram Holmes said the findings reveal small patterns at the population level, but cannot be used to track individual children’s trajectories.

Nature | 5-minute read

Reference: bioRxiv preprint (not peer reviewed)

Evidence suggests Meletnes may have been Egypt’s first female ruler

New analysis of ancient artifacts suggests that a woman named Meletnes was buried in a luxurious tomb about 5,000 years ago. She may have been Egypt’s first female ruler.

Egyptologists Sue Kelly and Crystal Miller analyzed digitally altered photographs of serekhs—hieroglyphs indicating the person ruling at the time of death—that carried the names of the kings of Ger and possibly Meletnes. The serekhs were found on objects in other tombs.

The symbol depicts the goddess Neith, which Kelly described as a “symbol not previously used by male rulers.” This suggests that Meletnes may have held true kingship rather than the authority of a consort or regent.

Scientific American | 3-minute read

Reference: Egyptology Studies in Prague paper

Scientists map a mysterious island in the human brain

Scientists have mapped a mysterious island in the brain in unprecedented detail. Their results describe how this region is organized to process bodily sensations.

One area is responsible for sensations of pain in a part of the body. A second generates sensations from internal organs, such as nausea. A third communicates with brain regions involved in emotion and cognition.

In this third region, the insular cortex works with the cortex—the seat of higher-order cognition—to influence how the brain interprets different sensations.

Nature | 5-minute read

Reference: Nature paper

Ebola vaccine trial begins amid outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo

In phase II/III trials of an Ebola vaccine, the first vaccinations in the Democratic Republic of Congo could be administered as early as this week. The DRC has reported more than 9,500 known cases and more than 4,600 deaths.

The trial, named Tumaini—meaning “hope” in Swahili—will initially use Elvebo, a vaccine that targets the Zaire Ebola virus strain. The Bundibugyo strain has been linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

After phase I clinical trials are completed, the goal is to add vaccine candidates developed specifically to target Bundibugyo, including ChAdOx1, developed by an Oxford University group in the United Kingdom.

Science | 8-minute read and Nature | 7-minute read (from July)

Features and impressions

Remembering geneticist Robert “Bob” Williamson

Robert (Bob) Williamson dedicated his career to identifying disease-associated genes and diagnosing and treating single-gene conditions such as cystic fibrosis and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

“He had almost boundless energy and was an inspiring and generous leader,” wrote geneticist Kay Davis, who worked with Williamson to narrow down the location of the gene responsible for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Williamson later applied this approach to identify the gene responsible for cystic fibrosis and became an early proponent of gene therapy. He died at the age of 88.

Nature | 7-minute read

Reference: Nature paper (since 1982)

Why climate visualizations should show more than accurate data

“Visualizing climate change is just the first step to good graphics,” argues digital-communication researcher Monika Fronchak. Alongside asking whether graphs and charts are accurate, she says we should also ask who is represented, who is missing and whose experiences the data reveals.

By leveraging people’s connections to their land and communities, visualizations can stimulate deeper engagement and evoke emotional responses that lead to real action.

The Conversation | 4-minute read

And finally: white dwarfs can glow in unexpected colors

Today we learned that, despite their name, not all white dwarfs are white. Physicists have discovered that some of these ultra-dense objects can glow in shades of pink, cyan and even green. This is a color never before discovered in a star.

Help us keep this newsletter in color by sending your feedback to [email protected].