From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
In 2010, Swedish geneticist Svante Pääbo developed a method to sequence and analyze ancient DNA from Neanderthal bones. Through mapping the entire Neanderthal genome, and comparing it to genetic records of living humans, he arrived at conclusive evidence that confirmed wide-spread anthropological speculations: most humans carry small traces of Neanderthal DNA in our genetics.
Evidence of prehistoric sexual encounters between Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals initiated an anthropological and biological deep dive into far-reaching questions about genetic dispositions towards various health problems.
Most recently, these findings led one group of scientists to re-evaluate risk factors for behaviour disorders, addiction and human brain disabilities, such as neurological or psychiatric diseases.
One study found that Neanderthal DNA likely contributes to human behavioural patterns around smoking, alcohol consumption and sleeping.
An international team of scientists, led by researchers from the Estonian University of Tartu, analyzed Neanderthal DNA associations, tracing a wide range of human habits and psychological patterns. They also examined more than a hundred variants of brain disorders from the U.K. Biobank, a repository of biological samples used for research. The aim was to narrow down the specific contribution of Neanderthal DNA to human behavioural features.
“Our results suggest that Neanderthals carried multiple variants that substantially increase the smoking risk in people today,” Michael Dannerman, associate professor of evolutionary genomics at the University of Tartu and the lead author of the study, said in a news release.
Stefan Gold, a professor of neuropsychiatry, who co-led the study, added that significant associations of Neanderthal DNA with alcohol and smoking habits might “help us to unravel the evolutionary origin of addictive and reward-seeking behaviour.”
“It is important to note that sleep problems, alcohol and nicotine use have consistently been identified as common risk factors for a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders,” Gold said in the news release. “On the other hand, there are some intriguing findings from anthropology that have suggested some social benefits of higher tolerance to these substances in hunter-gatherers.”
Although definitive causation will require further analysis of ancient DNA sequencing and its association with modern humans, researchers like Dannerman believe certain genetic trends can be attributed to environmental factors that caused evolutionary adjustments. He explained that varying sleeping patterns, for instance, might be attributed to Neanderthals who migrated outside of Africa – an environment that is defined by different levels of seasonality and UV light exposures, which differs from the environments modern day humans later evolved in. This is just one example of how anthropological factors might be echoed in the behaviours of modern people.
This echo may have reverberated with the emergence of COVID-19.
Back in 2020, researchers in Germany identified a strand of DNA that has been associated with more severe instances of certain COVID-19 variants. They compared it to sequences linked to Neanderthal ancestors, and determined that genes inherited from this ancestry may have led to a more serious reaction while contracting the disease.
Through deeper examination, scientists expect new findings about how Neanderthal DNA may be affect human immunology and genetic dispositions to arise.
As Dannerman said in the news release, “these results provide interesting candidates for further functional testing and will potentially help us in the future to better understand Neanderthal-specific biology.”
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.