RED FLAG A new genetic technology called gene drives may be easily thwarted, experiments with fruit flies suggest. The red flies shown here inherited a gene drive carrying a red fluorescent protein.
Jackson Champer
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Magazine
In the July 8 SN: DNA traces many roads to domestication, seeking quantum supremacy, the 25th anniversary of the qubit, bones’ secret messages, how monkeys see faces, redating Homo sapiens, a record-breaking gas giant, strange dragonfly wings and more.
Humans & Society
Topic Image Rail
HOME SWEET HOME Artifacts found at the ancient rock-shelter known as Madjedbebe (shown) in northern Australia provide new insights into the lives of the first Australians.
Dominic O'Brien/Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation 2015
HEAR HEAR DNA extracted from an inner ear bone of this dog skull is helping researchers decipher dogs’ origin story. The skull is about 4,700 years old and was found at Cherry Tree Cave in Germany.
Amelie Scheu
Humans & Society
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Ancestry
News
Pacific islanders got a double whammy of Stone Age DNA
Neandertal and Denisovan genes influence the health of present-day Melanesians.News
Human DNA found in a Neandertal woman
Interbreeding between humans and Neandertals happened earlier than thought, leaving traces in the Neandertal genome. -
Anthropology
News in Brief
Fossil tooth pushes back record of mysterious Neandertal relative
A Denisovan child’s fossil tooth dates to at least 100,000 years ago, researchers say.Feature
How humans (maybe) domesticated themselves
Prior to taming other species, humans selected for more docile traits among fellow Homo sapiens, a slew of recent studies suggest. -
Archaeology
News
Humans first settled in Australia as early as 65,000 years ago
Australia may have said “G’day” to humankind thousands of years earlier than previously believed.News in Brief
Copper in Ötzi the Iceman’s ax came from surprisingly far away
Copper for the ancient Iceman’s blade traveled about 500 kilometers to his northern Italian home region. -
Psychology
News
African farmers’ kids conquer the marshmallow test
Nso farmers in Cameroon groom kids for self-control that Western peers often lack.ScicuriousRunning is contagious among those with the competitive bug
Can behaviors really be contagious? Runners log more miles when their friends do — especially if they want to stay leader of the pack, a new study finds. -
Science & Society
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Networks
Letters to the EditorReaders respond to terrorism's roots
Readers respond to the July 9, 2016, issue of Science News with questions on terrorism, dog evolution and more.News
Monitoring online groups offers insight into ISIS attacks
Targeting online groups may be key to limiting the digital reach of ISIS. -
Language
News
Oldest alphabet identified as Hebrew
Contested study indicates ancient Israelites developed first alphabet from Egyptian hieroglyphics.ContextTom Wolfe’s denial of language evolution stumbles over his own words
Tom Wolfe’s book denies that language evolved and attacks Darwin and Chomsky with smugness lacking substance. -
History of Science
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Human Evolution
News
Homo naledi’s brain shows humanlike features
South African Homo species had small but humanlike brain, scientists say.Feature
Animal hybrids may hold clues to Neandertal-human interbreeding
The physical effects of interbreeding among animals may offer clues to Neandertals’ genetic mark on humans. -
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