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The Neher Ramla mandible and skull

A mandible and skull found at Nesher Ramla. Researchers suggest these specimens belonged to a previously unknown group of ancient hominins.Credit: Avi Levin and Ilan Theiler, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University

Mysterious fossils expand human family

Fossils found in Israel hint that a previously unknown group of hominins — the Nesher Ramla people — were the direct ancestors of Neanderthals. And researchers have suggested that an ancient human skull found in China in the 1930s could belong to a new species, Homo longi (Dragon Man), which might be an even closer relative of modern humans than are Neanderthals. But both findings have sparked debate among scientists. The studies are based on analyses of the size, shape and structure of fossilized bones — methods that are subject to individual judgement and interpretation. As is often the case for fossil finds, there is no DNA evidence.

Nature | 6 min read

Reference: Science paper 1, Science paper 2, The Innovation paper 1 & The Innovation paper 2

First video and sounds from Zhurong rover

Nail-biting footage of the Zhurong rover’s descent to the surface of Mars has been released by the China National Space Administration. The video shows a parachute being deployed and released, followed by a view of the ground as the lander hovers while identifying a safe spot to set down. Another video includes an audio recording of the moment Zhurong rolled off its landing platform. The soundtrack might offer scientists the chance to compare audio data with that collected by NASA’s Perseverance rover.

Nature | 5 min read

Utrecht ditches impact factor judging

Utrecht University in the Netherlands is formally abandoning the impact factor — a standard measure of scientific success — in all hiring and promotion decisions. By early 2022, the university will judge its scholars by other standards, including their commitment to teamwork and their efforts to promote open science. “Impact factors don’t really reflect the quality of an individual researcher or academic,” says Paul Boselie, a governance researcher and the project leader for the new scheme. “We have a strong belief that something has to change, and abandoning the impact factor is one of those changes.”

Nature | 5 min read

DNA records ancient coronavirus epidemic

Researchers examining living people’s genomes have found evidence of a coronavirus epidemic that plagued east Asia some 20,000 to 25,000 years ago. Scientists detected 42 genes in east Asian populations that had rapidly evolved antiviral mutations, suggesting these people had adapted to the emergence of an ancient coronavirus that swept the region and probably lasted for generations.

The New York Times | 6 min read

Reference: Current Biology paper

COVID-19 coronavirus update

One dose might protect the previously infected

Evidence is building that many people who’ve been infected with the coronavirus might be able to safely skip the second jab of any two-dose vaccine regimen. These results could help to stretch scarce vaccine supplies and are already influencing vaccination policies in some countries. But questions remain about whether it’s the case for all individuals and all vaccines — and therefore how policymakers should respond.

Nature | 7 min read

Reference: Nature paper & 9 more — find the full list in the article.

How Uruguay lost its grip on COVID

Once looked to as a global model for how to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, Uruguay is now one of several countries in South America struggling to control a wave of infections. Scientists in Uruguay say a mix of complacency and the challenges posed by a particularly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variant are to blame. In the past week, new infections and deaths have dropped, thanks to the country’s swift vaccine roll-out — giving hope that the country can rein in the virus once more.

Nature | 6 min read

Notable quotable

“It’s not that it was boring, but it was a regular lab that worked in the same way as any other high-containment lab… what people are saying is just not how it is.”

Australian virologist Danielle Anderson, who was the sole foreign researcher at the Wuhan Institute of Virology until November 2019, shares her perspective on its work. (The Sydney Morning Herald | 9 min read)

Read more: The COVID lab-leak hypothesis: what scientists do and don’t know (Nature | 11 min read)

Features & opinion

Six digital tools for lab management

When it comes to streamlining communications, organizing inventory and general project and laboratory management, group leaders often seek digital tools that go beyond the usual suspects of Google Docs, Zoom, Slack and GitHub. Such tools are especially useful for groups that do not have a full-time lab manager, admin support or a big software budget. Discover six tools group leaders love — many of which have a free option for academic researchers and those at non-profit organizations.

Nature | 8 min read

Quote of the day

“Do not name your phage after Nicolas Cage.”

A bacteriophage-hunting student’s dream is shattered by the number-one rule of the Actinobacteriophage Database’s phage naming guidelines. (Phage Hunt NZ blog | 5 min read)