Hobbit saga continues

The controversy involving the 18,000-year-old set of bones of a diminutive hominid tentatively named Homo floriensis, found on an Indonesian island last October, continues. Skeptics maintained the skeleton was that of a severely stunted human, such as a pygmy. But researchers have now found the hominid skull bears little resemblance to human skulls, or to skulls that suffered stunting. Their findings support the theory that Homo floriensis is a separate species-a far-flung branch on the human family tree.

At least the bones themselves are now back under lock and key. In December, Teuku Jacob, a researcher who was not involved in the initial dig, made off with the bones by stuffing them in a leather case. The Economist now reports that Jacob returned the bones last month. But the skeleton’s saga may still continue.
-Mike Ghenu
Source: Science

Autistic children find faces threatening

One of the symptoms of autism is an inability to make eye contact. And now, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison may have found the cause: autistic children shy away from eye contact because they tend to mistake even a familiar face for a threatening one. They determined this by showing that autistic children have trouble distinguishing whether a face is showing a neutral or an emotional expression. In another experiment they found that autistic children struggle to tell familiar and unfamiliar faces apart. But in both experiments they noticed increased stimulation in a part of the child’s brain called the amygdala, which is associated with negative feelings.
-M G.
Source: Nature Neuroscience

One lump or two?

There are three major groups of beetle species that sport a single testicle instead of two-a feature called monorchy-insect biologists report. It is unusual because most animals’ bodies exhibit bilateral symmetry-the left side mirrors the right. One explanation for the lack of symmetry is that beetle abdomens, where the testes are found, are rather tight for space. The researchers suggest that the abdomen could be used for other purposes that might bring greater reproductive advantages than an additional testicle. But it seems the existence of monorchy in beetles may not be a one-off fluke: three distant species of beetles each show it, meaning that the trait likely evolved independently at least three times.
-M G.
Source: Journal of Morphology