Around 43,000 years ago, the first frontmen of Homo sapiens colonised Europe. They replaced the Neanderthals in the region approximately 3,000 years later — violently, per French palaeontologist Marcellin Boule (the first person to analyse a Neanderthal). One hypothesis about the replacement posits that the diet of the anatomically modern humans was more diverse and flexible and often included fish.
Dr Hervé Bocherens and Dr Dorothée Drucker, who reconstructed our ancestors’ menu, identified a very high proportion of the nitrogen isotope 15N in early modern humans. However, these did not originate from the consumption of fish products, but primarily from mammoths. The measure of plants in the diet of our ancestors was significantly higher than in comparable Neanderthal finds.
Mammoths, on the other hand, have been one of the primary sources of meat in both species. Neanderthals and the early modern humans were in direct competition in regard to their diet. Drucker said, “it appears that the Neanderthals drew the short straw in this contest”.
SNEAK PEEK
1. Fire against fire
Hydrogen peroxide, a well-known bleaching agent, is often used for disinfecting wounds. Our body itself produces it as a defence against bacteria. Turns out, bacteria use hydrogen peroxide to defeat our immune system. Who said that “bacteria are fighting fire with fire”?
1. Molecular Biologist Nelson Gekara (Umea University)
2. Speed of textures
We “sense” speed as a surface moves across our skin, because some textures trick us into thinking that an object is moving faster than it is. Neuroscientist Sliman Bensmaia identified the special type of nerve fibres responsible for the speed perception. Name the type.
2. Pacinian corpuscle-associated (PC) nerve fibers
3. Visual clues in ads
Ads often use visual cues suggesting that the product featured is environmentally friendly or “green”. Interestingly, when mainstream brands use the same cues, consumers may deem the product less effective and switch to a niche green brand. Who noticed this quirk?
3. Morgan Poor (San Diego State University)
4. Big body or brain?
There are a great many species that do quite well with small brains. A global study involving 2,000 plus birds shows that many of them tend to have large bodies, eat readily available food and make lots of babies instead of relying on big brains to survive. Who found it?
4. Trevor Fristoe (now at the University of Konstanz)
5. Dogs and wolves
We are wrong about dogs and wolves. Wolves are more tolerant towards conspecifics than dogs. Low-ranked wolves can challenge their higher-ranked partners and the dominant ones allow it. Who noted that “aggression is a privilege of the higher-ranked” among dogs?
5. Friederike Range (University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna)
6. Studying all forces
Ten-moth old babies understand the basics of Newtonian mechanics in their own way. They can put together an understanding of forces like gravity. And “they also have some understanding of the usefulness of a goal to another person.” Who demonstrated it in a test?
6. Cognitive Scientist Josh Tenenbaum (MIT)
7. Master builders
The burrows of scorpions have a long platform, a sunny place to warm up before they hunt. Then the structure inside turns sharply downwards, descending further below ground to form a dead-ended chamber, a cool refuge during the heat of the day. Who did study it?
7. Amanda Adams (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)
8. Round numbers
Many people would be more excited about getting $2,000 in Canadian currency than the US equivalent of $1,521. To many, a weight loss of 10 kg is more pleasing than the same expressed as 22 pounds. Who noticed that round numbers amplify people’s sense of gain?
8. Kunter Gunasti (WSU’s Carson College of Business)
9. More colour words
Languages tend to use more colour words (such as orange, yellow and red) to spread the warm regions of the spectrum. “Cooler” regions are confined to less words (such as blue and green). Who recognised this unmistakable tendency across more than 100 languages?
9. Cognitive scientist Edward Gibson (MIT)
QUIZ No. 919
1. Who argued that self-control isn’t just the ability to inhibit a behaviour in a moment?
– Christos Constantinidis
– Stephen Michael Kosslyn
– Wilder Penfield
1. Christos Constantinidis
2. Who discovered in the spinal cord a specialised pathway for the sensation of itch?
– Dr Martyn Goulding
– Robert Morris Sapolsky
– Terrence J. Sejnowski
2. Dr Martyn Goulding
3. Many man-made noises hit water and affect cohesion in fish schools. Who noted it?
– Dr Christos Ioannou
– Michael Morris Rosbash
– Richard H. Scheller
3. Dr Christos Ioannou
4. Who found signs related to heart conditions in the hands? (Clue: Sherlock Holmes)
– Laura Schlessinger
– George Edward Billman
– Mark Edwin Silverman
4. Mark Edwin Silverman
5. Which voice actress famously voiced a robotic vacuum cleaner named Cocorobo?
– Ibuki Kido
– Liliana Barba Meinecke
– Sarah Edmondson
5. Ibuki Kido