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Michele W. Berger
Science News Officer
mwberger@upenn.edu
Anthropology
The curious case of ancient bear bones at a Mississippi dig site
The curious case of ancient bear bones at a Mississippi dig site
Penn and UNC Chapel Hill researchers theorize that the considerable black bear remains indicate an animal that was a food source and considered close kin to the people who lived there 1,300 years ago.
Nourishing the brain with conversations about food
Nourishing the brain with conversations about food
A yearlong colloquium from Penn Anthropology offers a steady diet of research perspectives, delving into how this facet of culture affects modern health and practices, and broadens our historical outlook.
Battling longer, more intense fire seasons
Battling longer, more intense fire seasons
In a Q&A, doctoral student Clare Super describes her research into wildland firefighting, the impact on firefighters, U.S. policy around wildfires, and parallels to what’s happening in Australia.
An Inca ceremonial center, recreated in a digital landscape
An Inca ceremonial center, recreated in a digital landscape
Students use computer graphic technologies to bring historic sites to life as part of a summer research program and fall semester course that unites anthropology and computer science.
Side gigs for good
Side gigs for good
After putting in a full, impactful day at work at Penn, some faculty and staff fill their spare hours with endeavors that make a difference.
Penn Museum’s transformation revealed
Penn Museum’s transformation revealed
The main level reopens after a historic renovation featuring the relocated sphinx and completely reimagined Africa and Mexico/Central America galleries.
A quest to restore cultural heritage in Iraq, one site at a time
A quest to restore cultural heritage in Iraq, one site at a time
Penn archaeologists, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Mosul and Iraq’s State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, seek to undo the terrible destruction ISIS wrought, particularly on targeted minority groups.
Crowdsourcing 10,000 years of land use
Crowdsourcing 10,000 years of land use
More than 250 archaeologists from around the world contributed their knowledge to ArchaeoGLOBE, an effort to better understand the prevalence of agriculture, pastoralism, and hunting and gathering at different points in human history.
Through gemstones, a glimpse into ancient Egyptian civilization
Through gemstones, a glimpse into ancient Egyptian civilization
Doctoral student Shelby Justl’s research expands what we know about who controlled semiprecious stones like red jasper and carnelian, plus their cultural and economic significance.
Indigenous ethnologist
Indigenous ethnologist
Gladys Tantaquidgeon, the first Native American student in Penn’s anthropology department, published a series of academic articles, authored a book on ethnobotany and accompanied the department chair as his assistant, interviewing tribes and collecting folklore.
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In the News
Science
Experts question study claiming to pinpoint birthplace of all humans
PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff said mitochondrial DNA is a poor tool for tracking ancient population history in Africa, as it only traces genes passed from mothers to children over time.
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The Atlantic
The mystery of ‘Skeleton Lake’ gets deeper
Kathleen Morrison of the School of Arts and Sciences weighed in on the origins of human remains found in India’s Skeleton Lake. “I suspect that they’re aggregated there, that local people put them in the lake,” she says. “When you see a lot of human skeletons, usually it’s a graveyard.”
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PBS NewsHour
Genetic research has a white bias, and it may be hurting everyone’s health
PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff and Giorgio Sirugo of the Perelman School of Medicine collaborated on a paper that concluded that predominately European genetic databases may lead to difficulties treating people from other racial backgrounds. “If we don’t include ethnically diverse populations, we are potentially going to be exacerbating health inequalities,” said Tishkoff.
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Science
The surprising reason why some Latin Americans have light skin
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Sarah Tishkoff offered commentary on a recent study on skin pigmentation in Latin American people. Previous research on pigmentation “has been done on Europeans, where ironically we don’t see a lot of variation,” she said. “One of the last frontiers has been, ‘What about East Asians and Native Americans?’”
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National Geographic
Digging for the life stories of long-forgotten slaves
Penn researchers, including visiting student Adeyemi Oduwole, are analyzing mitochondrial DNA from bodies discovered in Charleston, S.C. All of the people found were of African ancestry, making the site the oldest known graveyard of enslaved Africans in the city. “Both of my parents grew up in Nigeria,” said Oduwole. “Those could be my ancestors down there.”
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Smithsonian Magazine
Why did humans lose their fur?
The Perelman School of Medicine’s Sarah Millar discussed human hair growth patterns. Millar said, of a recently discovered inhibitor protein, “Dkk2 is enough to prevent hair from growing but not to get rid of all control mechanisms. There’s a lot more to look at.”
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