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Getting to the roots of our ancient cousins’ diet

Since the discovery of the fossil remains of Australopithecus africanus from Taung nearly a century ago, and subsequent discoveries of Paranthropus robustus, there have been disagreements about the diets of these two South African hominin species. By analyzing the splay and orientation of fossil hominin tooth roots, researchers now suggest that Paranthropus robustus had a unique way of chewing food not seen in other hominins.

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Genes that regulate how much we dream

Sleep is known to allow animals to re-energize themselves and consolidate memories. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is known to play an important role in maintaining a healthy mental and physical life, but the molecular mechanisms behind this state are barely understood. Now, scientists have identified a pair of genes that regulate how much REM and non-REM sleep an animal experiences.

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