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Sambaquis are archaeological shellmounds found in Brazil. Here, the authors use archaeological and molecular methods to show southern right whale, humpback whale, and dolphin were exploited 5000 years ago by Sambaqui groups to manufacture whale-bone harpoons and other artefacts.

Arya et al. report that migrating neutrophils resolve acute inflammation by releasing exosomes associated with nuclear DNA. This process is distinct from the release of neutrophil extracellular traps, and relies on the lamin B receptor.

In a case of obligate cross-species cloning, female ants of Messor ibericus need to clone males of Messor structor to obtain sperm for producing the worker caste, resulting in males from the same mother having distinct genomes and morphologies.

Genetic variation in Mycobacterium tuberculosiscomplex (MTBC) bacteria is responsible for differences in factors such as virulence and transmissibility. Here, the authors analyse the genomes of 1,601 MTBC isolates from diverse geographic locations and identify 62 SNPs that may be used to resolve lineages and sublineages of these strains.

Mendes and colleagues present SReD, an unsupervised tool that detects repetitive biological structures in microscopy images. It works across imaging modalities and reveals patterns in viral assembly and cytoskeletal dynamics, thus enabling unbiased structural analysis.

A global dataset of the satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and fishing fleets show that sharks—and, in particular, commercially important species—have limited spatial refuge from fishing effort.

The melting of the last remnants of the North American ice sheets in the early Holocene led to 14 m of global sea-level rise, higher than prior estimates, according to proxy constraints from the Mississippi Delta and other localities.

Genetic diversity and speciation rate support adaptability and species richness patterns, respectively. Here, the authors find a negative association between mitochondrial genetic diversity and speciation rate in 1897 mammals that is not explained by ecological attributes.

An investigation using various methods reports an association between adeno-associated virus 2 and paediatric hepatitis of unknown aetiology.

Mapping brain connections is critical for decoding brain functions. Here, the authors present an integrated resource of awake resting-state fMRI and neuronal tracing data of marmosets to understand structural-functional relationships of brain connections.

Leclercq et al report the structure of a glycosylated lipooctapeptide (GL8P) produced by Mycobacterium abscessus. GL8P is shown to induce a strong humoral response in infected patients and to contribute to intramacrophage survival and virulence in mice.

Using 25 years of satellite data, this study presents evidence that phytoplankton biomass and bloom phenology in the West Antarctic Peninsula are significantly changing as a response to anthropogenic climate change. These findings raise important questions regarding the effect of these ecological changes on global carbon sequestration and Antarctic food webs in the future.

Enver and colleagues report that epigenetic cell state, rather than genetic diversity, drives bottleneck selection of subclonal genotypes during induction chemotherapy in childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Analysis of 297 whole-genome sequences of six introduced European rabbit populations, domestic rabbits and wild rabbits from the native range shows wild and domestic ancestry in introduced rabbit populations and purging of alleles for domesticated traits when rabbits colonized novel natural environments.

HTLV-1 predominantly spreads through direct cell-cell contacts, but mechanisms of target cell recruitment are unclear. Here, the authors show that HTLV-1 infected T-cells secrete leukotriene B4, which recruits T-cells, facilitates HTLV-1 transmissionin vitro, and increases the number of infected clones in mice.

The transcriptomes of seven major organs across developmental stages from several mammalian species are used for comparative analyses of gene expression and evolution across organ development.

The biological understanding of poor prognosis associated with lymph node metastasis in head and neck cancer (HNC) remains crucial. Here, a proteomic characterisation of 140 multisite samples from a 59-HNC patient cohort and machine learning reveals potential biomarkers and metastasis related signatures.

Analysis of whole genomes of four fox species shows that introgression facilitated adaptation to the hot arid environment of the Sahara Desert and suggests renal water homeostasis as a mechanism of adaptation in the extreme desert specialist species.

Arya et al. identify a pathway for exosome generation in immune cells that originates at the nuclear envelope and is facilitated by nSMase1-mediated generation of ceramide.

It is useful to be able to equip marine animals with sensors, but it can be challenging to attach these to soft marine organisms. Here, the authors use an adhesive hydrogel to achieve rapid attachment of sensors to marine life including jellyfish, squid and lobster.

Interleukin-7 receptor alpha (IL7Ra) is important for lymphoid cell development but its role in leukaemogenesis is not clear. Here, the authors generate a knock-in murine model to show that activating mutations in IL7Ra can initiate precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Assessing the conservation status of 1,020 European marine fishes reveals half of large (>1.5 m) fishes are threatened with extinction and stock status diverges geographically: almost all Mediterranean stock is overfished, most northern European stock is not.

Maintenance of cholesterol homeostasis is essential to human health. Here, the authors identify and characterize a primate-specific long noncoding RNA, called CHROME, that controls cholesterol homeostasis through fine-tuning of miRNAs and whose levels are elevated in human atherosclerosis.

The small GTPase RhoA has oncogenic effects in several cancer types. Here the authors show that loss of RhoA accelerates colon cancer progression by promoting accumulation of nuclear ß-catenin, resulting in enhanced proliferation and invasion mediated by the Wnt signalling pathway in human and murine colon cancer cells.

Tectonic plate and lower-mantle motions are often considered independent. Plate tectonic reconstructions reveal long-lived interactions between mantle plumes and mid-ocean ridges that imply feedback between plate boundaries and the deep mantle.

A survey of T cell repertoire evolution in the tumors, healthy tissue and blood of patients with early-stage untreated lung cancer offers an opportunity to monitor and identify neoantigen-specific T cells for personalized immunotherapy.

Emerging variants of SARS-CoV-2 raise concerns about vaccine efficiency. Here, the authors present a post-hoc analysis for the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (AZD1222) vaccine trial in Brazil and provide efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 caused by the Zeta (P.2) and other variants.

Large positive sulphur isotope excursions, recorded in the wake of the Marinoan glaciation have previously been interpreted assuming stable ocean sulphate concentrations. Here, using multiple sulphur isotopes, the authors instead suggest significant ocean sulphate drawdown, driven by increased pyrite burial.

Autonomous sampling enables increased data collection in the ocean to understand circulation and water property changes. This study uses data from underwater gliders and profiling floats to show a shoreward lateral shift in Gulf Stream waters, which have warmed and become lighter since 2001.