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05 September 2005 Nature press release for 1 September issue - chimp genome part 1 

 

[1] - [4] Genetics:

Chimpanzee genome reveals striking differences

(pp 69-87, 88-93, 94-100 & 101-104; N&V)

 

Geneticists have pieced together the genome sequence of our closest living relative, the chimpanzee - a milestone on the quest to discover what sets us apart from other animals. The sequence was determined by an international group, called the Chimpanzee Sequencing and Analysis Consortium, using the same ‘whole-genome shotgun’ method currently being used to decode the sequence of many species’ genomes, and is published as one of a number of genomic studies in this week’s Nature.

 

By comparing the human and chimpanzee sequences, the consortium has identified several regions in the human genome that bear the hallmarks of strong natural selection, whereas the corresponding chimpanzee sequences do not. These sequences may hold the most promise for determining human-specific traits such as language.

 

However, our two species may be more different than we thought. Although the two sequences differ by only 1.2% in terms of single-letter changes to the genetic code, duplications and rearrangements of larger stretches of DNA add a further difference of 2.7%, report Evan Eichler and his colleagues in an accompanying study. In another paper, Barbara Trask and her research team show that such ‘segmental duplications’ in the human genome frequently occur in regions near the ends of chromosomes, called subtelomeres, and indicates that these sites may be ‘hot spots’ for genetic diversity between the two species.

 

Elsewhere in the issue, David Page and colleagues report that chimpanzees’ sexual habits may be bad for their Y chromosomes. The Y contains important genes for sperm production but does not get shuffled as much as other chromosomes and therefore is subject to more mutations over time. Sperm production is important to male chimpanzees as they need to produce a lot of sperm in the frenzied competition to fertilize promiscuous females. Therefore, many deleterious genetic mutations may hitch a ride with these vital genes and are not weeded out by natural selection.

 

 

[5] - [8] Chimpanzee genome: Exploring the story of chimp research (pp 52-55, 56-59, 60-63 & 64-67)

 

The publication of the chimpanzee’s genome sequence is the latest achievement in scientists’ efforts to get to know the chimpanzee - a story that has lasted for around a century. To accompany the genetic sequence, four Progress articles in this week’s Nature chart the history of this research, as well as some of researchers’ most recent findings and their ambitions for the future.

 

Frans de Waal gives an overview of the past century of chimpanzee studies, which have transformed our view of the chimpanzee from that of an unthinking ape to a complex social creature. He argues that “humans do occupy a special place among the primates, but this place increasingly has to be defined against a backdrop of substantial similarity”.

 

Marc Hauser gives an insight into the chimpanzee intellect by describing their systems of ‘folk mathematics’ and ‘folk psychology’, showing that chimpanzees do indeed possess modest mathematical capacities and the ability to deduce what another chimpanzee might be thinking. Andrew Whiten describes chimpanzee ‘culture’ - the ability to inherit social skills by copying the actions of others, such as using tools to get food. Meanwhile, Robert Sean Hill and Christopher Walsh explore the insights that comparisons with the chimpanzee genome might give us when trying to explore the evolutionary forces that have shaped our own powerful brains.

 

Fossils of early humans are rare, but those of chimpanzees have been absent from the fossil record altogether, until now. In this week's Nature, Sally McBrearty and Nina Jablonski describe the first report of fossils of a chimp. The fossils are modest - just three teeth - but they have the potential to change received wisdom about human evolution. Modern chimpanzee populations are found in tropical West and central Africa, whereas fossils of early humans are most commonly found to the east, in the semi-arid Rift Valley. This has prompted speculation that humans and chimps have been ecologically distinct ever since they went their separate evolutionary ways 5-8 million years ago.

 

The new fossils change that view. They were isolated from sediments in Kenya that were laid down half a million years ago, and that had already yielded fossils of early humans. The new finds clearly demonstrate that habitats suitable for humans and chimps were present in the Rift Valley at that relatively recent date, showing that the Rift Valley was not an impenetrable barrier to chimpanzee colonization, as previously thought.

 

CONTACT

Sally McBrearty (University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA)

Tel: +1 860 486 2857; E-mail: mcbrearty@uconn.edu

 

[10] & [11] Chimpanzee genome: What does genetic breakthrough mean for chimps in the lab? (pp; pp)

 

The new-found wealth of knowledge of chimpanzee genetics will undoubtedly influence research on captive chimpanzees. But how far should such research go, and what ethical considerations should be put in place? Two Commentaries in this week’s Nature propose contrasting approaches to future biomedical research on great apes.

 

Pascal Gagneux, James Moore and Ajit Varki call for the establishment of broad guidelines for the ethical and humane treatment of captive chimpanzees in research institutions. This is necessary, they argue, because biomedical researchers have special ethical responsibilities towards captive great apes. They also propose that researchers should never be allowed to attempt to breed transgenic chimps - as is often done in the case of mice.

 

The idea that the publication of the chimp genome is a watershed event for chimp research is shared by the authors of an accompanying Commentary. But Stuart Zola and his colleagues highlight very different concerns. They fear that the population of chimps in US research facilities will decline rapidly over the next 5 years, owing to the current NIH moratorium on chimpanzee breeding in captivity.

 

Reference URL

http://www.nature.com/nature 

  © AlphaGalileo Foundation 2003

 

 

Neolithic fishing boat unearthed in Korea

 

An excavation was made in the southern part of the Korean peninsula, where archaeologists unearthed a fishing boat believed to be the

world's oldest, dating back to 6,000 BCE. A fishing boat, presumed to be 8000 years old, has been dug out of the ground at Changnyeong

County in South Gyeongsang Province. Archaeologists believe the boat, made of pine trees, is the oldest of its kind ever discovered in the

world. The Gimhae National Museum has been digging in this area since November last year.

     Archaeologists were pleasantly surprised this June to discover a large quantity of earthenware decorated with animal drawings at the

excavation site. Three more months into the digging and they unearthed the Neolithic fishing boat from layers of sediment two meters below the current sea-level. What remains of the boat is 3 meters long and 60 centimeters wide, whereas the original ship is thought to have been at least 4 meters long.

     Officials at the state museum said it was a miracle for a boat to be so carefully built during the Neolithic, an era in which ironware did not exist.

 

Source: Digital Chosunilbo (6 September 2005)

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200509/200509060002.html

 

http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200509/200509060002.html

World Oldest Fishing Boat Unearthed

An unprecedented excavation was made in the southern part of the peninsula, where archaeologists unearthed a fishing boat believed to be the world's oldest, dating back to 6,000 B.C.

A fishing boat, presumed to be 8000 years old, has been dug out of the ground at Changnyeong County in South Gyeongsang Province. Archaeologists believe the boat, made of pine trees, is the oldest of its kind ever discovered in the world. The Gimhae National Museum has been digging in this area since November last year.

 

Archaeologists were pleasantly surprised this June to discover a large quantity of earthenware decorated with animal drawings at the excavation site. Three more months into the digging and they unearthed the New Stone Age fishing boat from layers of sediment two meters below the current sea-level.

 

What remains of the boat is 3 meters long and 60 centimeters wide, whereas the original ship is thought to have been at least 4 meters long.

 

Until now, only boats built during the united Shilla or Koryo era have been found, meaning they were less than 1000 years old. The boat found today is likely to be more than 8000 years old.

 

Officials at the state museum said it was a miracle for a boat to be so carefully built during the New Stone Age, an era in which ironware did not exist.

Arirang News

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050909/ap_on_sc/bronze_age_boat

Sources: Associated Press, Yahoo! News (9 September 2005)

Bronze Age boat replica capsized

 

International researchers attempting to sail 600 miles in a Bronze Age-style reed boat had to be rescued from the Arabian Sea after the vessel started to capsize. The eight-member crew, including two Americans, left Sur (Oman) aboard the 40-foot boat made from reeds,

date-palm fibers and tar, with a wool sail and two teak oars. Their goal: to follow what archaeologists believe was a Bronze Age trade route, ending in the historic Indian port of Mandvi.

     About seven miles into the trip, the reed boat met with 'an accident' and started to take on water, said Cmdr. B.K. Garg, an Indian navy spokesman. The sultanate's boat rescued the crew and returned them unharmed to Oman, Garg said. He had no further details about what caused the accident or the condition of the vessel. "The sail has been terminated for the time being," Garg said.

     The project was funded by Oman and some private organizations. Participants included archaeologist Gregory L. Possehl, a curator at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in Philadelphia; Maurizio Tosi of the University of Bologna; and

Serge Cleuziou of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris.

     Plans for the trip started after excavations in eastern Saudi Arabia turned up fragments of bitumen, or tar, bearing impressions of bound reeds, rope lashings and barnacles. Researchers hailed the find as direct evidence of boat construction in the Arabian Sea during the Bronze Age and built their vessel based on that evidence, along with ancient texts and images.

     Two days before the sail, Tom Vosmer, the vessel's director of design and construction, acknowledged that the boat - dubbed the Magan after an ancient name for Oman - provided little protection.

"The boat seems good, but it's completely untried," Vosmer said. "We don't know what it's going to do when we get into the big seas in the Indian Ocean." Just in case, the vessel was equipped with an emergency life raft and life jackets, an emergency beacon, the navigation equipment and lights, a radar reflector and a bilge pump.

     The eight-member crew consisted of Vosmer and the navigator, both Americans; a sailing master from Australia; two Omani seamen; two Italian graduate students; and an Indian archaeologist.

Researchers had hoped the voyage would help them learn about Bronze age boat construction techniques, as well as how well such boats worked, how to sail them, and what life aboard such a vessel might have been like.

 

http://www.sligoweekender.ie/news/story.asp?j=24648

Source: Sligo Weekender (6 September 2005)

6000 year-old sites found in Connacht

 

Between 2000 and 2003 the route of the new Inner Relief Road, from Carraroe to Summerhill College, was subject to the biggest

archaeological dig ever performed in Connacht (Ireland). The route was studied for all archaeological interest which was then documented

and, as much as possible, preserved.

     The findings of the archaeological survey was very interesting and centred around two major sites, the Tonafortes Henge and the

Caltragh Prehistoric Settlement. Overseeing the excavation project was Michael MacDonagh, an archaeologist with the National Roads

Authority. The results of his team's findings will be released next year and promise to make for interesting reading.

     The Caltragh settlement is located in a small valley in the townland of Caltragh, midway along the new section of road. A number

of archaeological features were discovered here, which experts reckon span a period of circa 4000 BCE to 500 BCE.

     Mr MacDonagh described it thus: "A stone wall over 100 metres in length formed an arcing open enclosure facing onto an area of

bogland, which would most likely have been open water at the time the wall was built. The discovery of a number of small, polished stone

axes and some decorated animal bone within the fabric of the wall all suggest a Neolithic date between 4000 BCE and 2500 BCE. A number of

human cremation burials were discovered in the valley dating to around 1600 BCE. Two pits contained the cremated remains of an adult

individual and analysis of the burnt one from one has determined them to be probably those of a woman who died aged probably between 40 and 50 years old, buried with the remains of her stone bead necklace. Another large pit on the northern edge of the valley contained the

cremated remains of a youth, probably aged between 13 and 16 years old at the time of his or her death." The archaeologists also

discovered the remnants of three Bronze Age houses dating to the same period as the cremated bodies.

     The Tonafortes Henge, a large circular enclosure on flat ground, dates back to between 2500 BCE and 2000 BCE. The southern end of the

site was most affected by the new route, although the impact was kept to a minimum by the planners. In the end only 10 percent of the henge

was actually excavated. These type of monuments are commonly found associated with passage tombs and are thought to have been ritual

centres dating to the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age periods.

The survey also found evidence of early Neolithic, Iron Age and early Medieval settlements in Magheraboy.

 

Source: Meath Chronicle (6 September 2005)

http://www.unison.ie/meath_chronicle/stories.php3?ca=38&si=1463375&issue_id=1296

Ancient rock art discovered at Teltown site

 

An exciting archaeological discovery has recently revealed rock art from about 2000 BCE. At one of Meath's most prominent sites, Teltown or Tailteann (Ireland), the discovery by archaeologist Professor George Eogan demonstrates that Tailteann has a much more ancient origin than had previously been considered.     

 

Teltown House and its environs was recently purchased by Bartle and Renee Clarke, who were very conscious of the historical importance of the area and wished to ensure its long-term preservation. They discussed the issue with Professor Eogan and invited him to carry out a research program. Eogan has initiated the research and already some very exciting information has come to light, the most significant of these being discoveries in the combination mediaeval-modern day grave yard. This site was recently cleared of vegetation and the remains of a natural rock outcrop with carved art in a circular form were uncovered.     

 

Professor Eogan explained: "This type of rock art post dates the passage tomb phase at Knowth (where warriors of high rank who fell at the Battle of Unna were buried in the Boyne Valley) or Newgrange and dates from about 2000 BCE. What is important about this discovery is the fact that it demonstrates that ritual activity was a feature of Tailteann about 2000 years before the period when it became a great Celtic center with its games and other contemporary activity".     

 

"This new discovery demonstrates that Tailteann has a much more ancient origin than has hitherto been considered." He said that this type of art is known as 'rock art' as it occurs on the surface of natural stone outcrops. "In Ireland, it is mainly found in the south, in the peninsula of Cork and Kerry, but, with the exception of Ballinvally, an area in the low-lying land a short distance to the north of Loughcrew, it's rare in Meath," he added. "This stone is, therefore, a welcome addition to the small but significant examples of rock art in the east of Ireland". Professor Eogan said that Teltown was one of the more important sites of early historic Ireland where significant assemblies took place, possibly starting as far back as the Iron Age.      Teltown is about four miles from Kells and has a large ring fort with views over the river. It was of great importance for the ancient Celts as it presented a prehistoric burial mound, and games in honor of the dead were held there in August and were presided over by the King of Tara, Eochaidh Mac Duach. 

 

http://www.waterford-news.ie/news/story.asp?j=19196

Woodstown Viking site gives up more of its secrets

 

THE release of new information on the Woodstown Viking site, which was made at the Viking Congress recently, has been welcomed by the Save Viking Waterford Action Group.

 

The 15th Viking Congress, made up of scholars from Denmark, England, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Sweden and Wales, spent a day in Waterford recently, visiting the site of Woodstown and hearing a presentation by the senior NRA archaeologist, Ms Dáire O’Rourke.

 

As a result some new information has emerged into the public eye, including the first information on the geophysical survey of the site. This has shown extensive activity within the large fort. This has been interpreted as an indication of structures and domestic settlement at the northern end of the site. Industrial activity, in contrast, seemed to be concentrated to the south, overlooking the boggy area, which produced hemp and cereal pollen.

 

Dr Catherine Swift, spokesperson for S.V.W.A.G., “Some very interesting information emerged from this presentation and especially from the discussion afterwards.

 

The belief that the fort was originally built by local Déise chieftains in the time of St Patrick, for example, seems now to be based entirely on radiocarbon dates from the 2004 excavations. Unfortunately, despite promises from the ACS, the company hired by the NRA to do the dig, there is still no sign of any report from those excavations, a full year after they were completed, and despite several promises from that company that publication as imminent. Specialists who had seen the material pointed out that, contradicting the radiocarbon evidence, there was a silver ingot of Viking style and a comb at the base of the ditch, which produced the early radiocarbon dates.

 

So the fort may have been first built by the Vikings but, of course, we won’t know until we excavate.” “It also emerged that there is extensive evidence for trading taking place at Woodstown.

 

Silver processing was taking place on the site and the bulk of the silver objects are ingots, rather than chopped up brooch-pins or arm rings. Many of these ingots are chopped into small pieces, indicating that they have been exchanged for objects of relatively small value”.

 

“That’s also the evidence of the weights which the merchants used to weigh out the silver. There’s almost as many weights from the 5% of the site examined at Woodstown as from the forty years of excavations at Dublin. Fascinatingly, however, the Woodstown weights are much lighter than those in Dublin and are much closer to the type used at Kaupang, the trading centre from the south coast of Norway, which had extensive trading links with the Carolingian empire and the Baltic countries. Again, though, until we can excavate the site, we won’t be able to figure out what this indicates about the origins of the people who lived and worked at Woodstown”.

 

“We also think that ship building was taking place at Woodstown. Not only is there large number of ships nails but wood-working tools have now been identified amongst the 5000 artefacts which have come from the settlement.

 

Unfortunately, these were almost entirely discovered from sieving and metaldetecting the soil which had been dislodged in the initial JCB trenching of the fort so we don’t know which part of the site they come from. All this information is very exciting but raise more questions than answers. ACS must publish all its findings immediately and the plans for the full excavation of the site must be drawn up now”.

 

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2005/09/12/newsstory7531426t0.asp

Ancient drowned forest discovery

UNDERWATER archaeologists in Perthshire have made the incredible discovery of a drowned forest, thought to date from the neolithic period some 5000 years ago.

 

Stunned divers spotted the ancient wooded area as they worked in Loch Tay.

 

The eerie find is sure to excite scientists of all disciplines as it could represent the earliest surviving remains of Scotland’s native woodland.

 

Preliminary surveys in the 14 mile long loch—carried out by the Scottish Trust for Underwater Archaeology (STUA) over the weekend—have identified well preserved fallen oak and elm trees as well as a series of oak upright trunks embedded in layers of gravel and silt.

 

Many of the fallen trees have survived in odd shapes, creating a spooky landscape protruding from the loch bed.

 

Timber samples taken by the STUA dive team yesterday produced radiocarbon dates of 3200BC and 2500BC.

 

The forest may be under two feet of water, but that has not dampened the archaeologists’ enthusiasm.

 

“Other neolithic forest remains have been located in Scotland eroding out of peat bogs, but there is no sign of peat having been present at the site in Loch Tay,” said a spokesman.

 

“The inundated woodland is believed to represent the old natural shoreline, now some 10 to 15 metres from the current waterfront.”

 

Preliminary investigation has uncovered hazelnuts, twigs and moss mixed with other organic material.

 

Samples of the timbers themselves can help tree-ring studies which, together with analysis of the sediments, plant remains, and pollen, can assist with climate change studies.

 

The STUA is best known for its crannog research throughout Scotland and the creation of the award-winning Scottish Crannog Centre at Kenmore.

 

STUA chairman and research fellow at Edinburgh University Dr Nicholas Dixon was delighted to learn of the new discovery.

 

“Now we hope this discovery will allow us to get the research funding required to launch a multi-disciplinary study into loch level and environmental changes over the last 5000 years,” he said last night.

 

 

http://heritage.scotsman.com/news.cfm?id=1907512005

Source: Scotsman.com (8 September 2005)

Rare Iron Age find on Skye

Archaeologists believe they have uncovered the first Iron Age burial on the Isle of Skye (Scotland). The skeleton from about the 1st

millennium BCE is thought to be that of a young female. It was found recently in an open stone-lined grave as the archaeologists worked to

re-open the blocked entrance to the High Pasture Cave.

     The discovery is extremely rare. Iron Age burial sites have been found in several locations on the east coast of Scotland, but this is

among the few occurrences along the country's Atlantic seacoast and the first on Skye. "The discovery of the human remains at the High

Pasture's site is a very important find and will provide a unique opportunity to study a wide range of aspects of Iron Age life and

death in the region," said George Kozikowski, a member of the High Pasture Cave Project.

     Experts say that bodies on the west coast in the Iron Age were disposed of in ways that left no tangible trace. This would have

included leaving corpses outside to the elements and scavengers, dropping bodies into rivers or the sea, or cremation followed by the

scattering of ashes. Trial excavations in the cave, in 2004, uncovered a wide range of artefacts and many well-preserved animal

bones, mostly from domestic pigs. One of the pig bones has been radiocarbon-dated to between 390 BCE and 160 BCE, a time when small

stone forts, lake dwellings and roundhouses were found throughout the area.

     "We now know that as some stage during the Iron Age this former entrance was deliberately sealed to the outside world and the hollow

above the entrance filled with an intricate sequence of archaeological deposits in excess of four metres in depth," said archaeologist Martin Wildgoose, one of the co-directors of the project.

 

Ancient structure rises again at Durrington Walls

 

A film company is recreating one of the two timber structures found inside Durrington Walls (Wiltshire, England) some distance from the

original site. The replica is to the original scale and comprises enormous 65 ft plus pine logs. The project is part of a TV programme

to be shown towards the end of the year.   

     The replica gives some sense of the assumed massive scale of the original. Once filming is complete the construction will be dismantled.

 

Source: Heritage Action Journal (8 September 2005)

http://www.heritageaction.org/?page=theheritagejournal&switch=singlepage&entry=entry050908-121825

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4219956.stm

Source: BBC News (6 September 2005)

Stone age settlement discovered in Cornwall

 

Archaeologists face a race against time after the discovery of what are believed to be the remains of a stone age settlement on the A30

in Cornwall (England). The Highways Agency allowed the archaeologists access to the site ahead of the dualling next to Goss Moor. Heavy

machinery has already began stripping part of the route, leaving little time for the dig. They are trying to record all signs of human

activity and so far have come across a lot of evidence of mining.

Meanwhile, circular stone structures have been uncovered at Belowda, near Roche. These ruins include old stream workings, some leats and

culverts which may be tied in to more intensive tin workings, and the settlement.

 

 

 

http://www.agi.it/english/news.pl?doc=200509101618-1098-RT1-CRO-0-NF51&page=0&id=agionline-eng.arab

ARCHAEOLOGY: FIRST COCKTAIL 5,000 YEARS OLD

(AGI) - Scansano (Grosseto), Italy, Sep 10 - The first cocktail ever was made in Mesopotamia 5,000 years ago, using wine, beer, apple juice and honey. Patrick McGovern defined the mix as "grog", an archaic drink in the United States is sold as the "Midas Touch". McGovern, a University Professor at Pennsylvania, one of the most important authorities in chemistry applied in archaeology, presented the results of a research on the banks of the Tigris between Iran and Iraq. This was said at the first day of the international convention on the archaeological study of wine organised in Scansano (Grosseto), land of the Morellino, by the City of Wine National Association and the University of Siena. In his report, McGovern spoke of the history of the evolution of wine-making in the east and west, giving analyses that prove how in some terracotta containers found on the banks of the Tigris river there were traces of tartaric acid (obtained during grape fermentation), honey, apples and fermented barley (used in beer). 'Grog' was also used by Etruscans, as can be proved through some containers found in southern Tuscany. The convention highlighted that the sylvan grapes were present in Etruria 6,000 years ago, much before the Greeks' wine culture. Basically the Etruscans knew wine, so its use could have been already known before the Greeks in the Mediterranean. (AGI) .

101618 SET 05

COPYRIGHTS 2002-2005 AGI S.p.A. 

 

 

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Nature Publishing Group Reference 

 

 

05 September 2005 Nature press release for 1 September issue - chimp genome part 1 

 

[1] - [4] Genetics: Chimpanzee genome reveals striking differences (pp 69-87, 88-93, 94-100 & 101-104; N&V)

 

Geneticists have pieced together the genome sequence of our closest living relative, the chimpanzee - a milestone on the quest to discover what sets us apart from other animals. The sequence was determined by an international group, called the Chimpanzee Sequencing and Analysis Consortium, using the same ‘whole-genome shotgun’ method currently being used to decode the sequence of many species’ genomes, and is published as one of a number of genomic studies in this week’s Nature.

 

By comparing the human and chimpanzee sequences, the consortium has identified several regions in the human genome that bear the hallmarks of strong natural selection, whereas the corresponding chimpanzee sequences do not. These sequences may hold the most promise for determining human-specific traits such as language.

 

However, our two species may be more different than we thought. Although the two sequences differ by only 1.2% in terms of single-letter changes to the genetic code, duplications and rearrangements of larger stretches of DNA add a further difference of 2.7%, report Evan Eichler and his colleagues in an accompanying study. In another paper, Barbara Trask and her research team show that such ‘segmental duplications’ in the human genome frequently occur in regions near the ends of chromosomes, called subtelomeres, and indicates that these sites may be ‘hot spots’ for genetic diversity between the two species.

 

Elsewhere in the issue, David Page and colleagues report that chimpanzees’ sexual habits may be bad for their Y chromosomes. The Y contains important genes for sperm production but does not get shuffled as much as other chromosomes and therefore is subject to more mutations over time. Sperm production is important to male chimpanzees as they need to produce a lot of sperm in the frenzied competition to fertilize promiscuous females. Therefore, many deleterious genetic mutations may hitch a ride with these vital genes and are not weeded out by natural selection.

 

CONTACT

Robert H. Waterston (University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA)

Tel: +1 206 221 7377; E-mail: waterston@gs.washington.edu Paper [1]

 

Evan E. Eichler (Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA)

Tel: +1 206 543 9526; E-mail: eee@gs.washington.edu Paper [2]

 

Barbara J. Trask (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA)

Tel: +1 206 667 1470; E-mail: btrask@fhcrc.org Paper [3]

 

David Page (Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA)

Tel: +1 617 258 5203; E-mail: page_admin@wi.mit.edu Paper [4]

 

Wen-Hsiung Li (University of Chicago, IL USA)

Tel: +1 773 702 3104; E-mail: wli@midway.uchicago.edu News and Views author

 

Chris Gunter (Senior Editor, Nature)

Tel: +1 202 737 4855; E-mail: c.gunter@naturedc.com

 

Please note a press conference will take place under strict embargo at 0900 on 31 August at the National Press Club, in the Murrow Room.

Reporters who wish to call in should dial: +1 800 205 6214.

 

[5] - [8] Chimpanzee genome: Exploring the story of chimp research (pp 52-55, 56-59, 60-63 & 64-67)

 

The publication of the chimpanzee’s genome sequence is the latest achievement in scientists’ efforts to get to know the chimpanzee - a story that has lasted for around a century. To accompany the genetic sequence, four Progress articles in this week’s Nature chart the history of this research, as well as some of researchers’ most recent findings and their ambitions for the future.

 

Frans de Waal gives an overview of the past century of chimpanzee studies, which have transformed our view of the chimpanzee from that of an unthinking ape to a complex social creature. He argues that “humans do occupy a special place among the primates, but this place increasingly has to be defined against a backdrop of substantial similarity”.

 

Marc Hauser gives an insight into the chimpanzee intellect by describing their systems of ‘folk mathematics’ and ‘folk psychology’, showing that chimpanzees do indeed possess modest mathematical capacities and the ability to deduce what another chimpanzee might be thinking. Andrew Whiten describes chimpanzee ‘culture’ - the ability to inherit social skills by copying the actions of others, such as using tools to get food. Meanwhile, Robert Sean Hill and Christopher Walsh explore the insights that comparisons with the chimpanzee genome might give us when trying to explore the evolutionary forces that have shaped our own powerful brains.

 

CONTACT

Andrew Whiten (University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK)

Tel: +44 1334 462073; E-mail: a.whiten@st-and.ac.uk Paper [5]

 

Frans B. M. de Waal (Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA)

Tel: +1 404 727 7898; E-mail: dewaal@emory.edu Paper [6]

 

Marc Hauser (Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA)

Tel: +1 617 496 7077; E-mail: mdh@wjh.harvard.edu Paper [7]

 

Christopher A. Walsh (Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA)

Tel: +1 617 667 0813; E-mail: cwalsh@bidmc.harvard.edu Paper [8]

 

[9] Evolution: First chimp fossil (pp 105-108)

 

Fossils of early humans are rare, but those of chimpanzees have been absent from the fossil record altogether, until now. In this week's Nature, Sally McBrearty and Nina Jablonski describe the first report of fossils of a chimp. The fossils are modest - just three teeth - but they have the potential to change received wisdom about human evolution. Modern chimpanzee populations are found in tropical West and central Africa, whereas fossils of early humans are most commonly found to the east, in the semi-arid Rift Valley. This has prompted speculation that humans and chimps have been ecologically distinct ever since they went their separate evolutionary ways 5-8 million years ago.

 

The new fossils change that view. They were isolated from sediments in Kenya that were laid down half a million years ago, and that had already yielded fossils of early humans. The new finds clearly demonstrate that habitats suitable for humans and chimps were present in the Rift Valley at that relatively recent date, showing that the Rift Valley was not an impenetrable barrier to chimpanzee colonization, as previously thought.

 

CONTACT

Sally McBrearty (University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA)

Tel: +1 860 486 2857; E-mail: mcbrearty@uconn.edu

 

[10] & [11] Chimpanzee genome: What does genetic breakthrough mean for chimps in the lab? (pp; pp)

 

The new-found wealth of knowledge of chimpanzee genetics will undoubtedly influence research on captive chimpanzees. But how far should such research go, and what ethical considerations should be put in place? Two Commentaries in this week’s Nature propose contrasting approaches to future biomedical research on great apes.

 

Pascal Gagneux, James Moore and Ajit Varki call for the establishment of broad guidelines for the ethical and humane treatment of captive chimpanzees in research institutions. This is necessary, they argue, because biomedical researchers have special ethical responsibilities towards captive great apes. They also propose that researchers should never be allowed to attempt to breed transgenic chimps - as is often done in the case of mice.

 

The idea that the publication of the chimp genome is a watershed event for chimp research is shared by the authors of an accompanying Commentary. But Stuart Zola and his colleagues highlight very different concerns. They fear that the population of chimps in US research facilities will decline rapidly over the next 5 years, owing to the current NIH moratorium on chimpanzee breeding in captivity.

 

CONTACT

Ajit Varki (University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA)

Tel: +1 858 534 3296; E-mail: avarki@uc

 

Notes for editor

PRESS CONTACTS…

For North America and Canada

Katie McGoldrick, Nature Washington

Tel: +1 202 737 2355; E-mail: k.mcgoldrick@naturedc.com

 

For Japan, Korea, China, Singapore and Taiwan

Rinoko Asami, Nature Tokyo

Tel: +81 3 3267 8751; E-mail: r.asami@naturejpn.com

 

For the UK/Europe/other countries not listed above

Ruth Francis, Nature London

Tel: +44 20 7843 4562; E-mail r.francis@nature.com

 

 

News@nature.com

 

News@nature.com will host a variety of news stories, features and interactive graphics to support Nature's chimp genome special issue. Come to www.nature.com/news to find out how human chimps really are when it comes to their genetics, relationships, muscles, intellect and behaviour. Take a quiz to see if you can tell what chimps mean by their gestures and vocalisations. Watch video footage of chimps being studied in the lab and in the wild. See a timeline of chimp research, and a roll call of famous chimps through research history. And, in our background features, read about the language skills of chimps, and the current state of chimp conservation in the wild.

 

Reference URL

http://www.nature.com/nature

© AlphaGalileo Foundation 2003