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history repeats itself.Adolf Hitler likely had genetic condition limiting sexual development: research
Popular Second World War songs often mocked leader's anatomy but lacked any scientific basis
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
Published Nov 13, 2025 • 2 minute read
Adolf Hitler is pictured with his dog in an exhibition in Berlin in 2016.
Adolf Hitler is pictured with his dog in an exhibition in Berlin in 2016.
LONDON — Adolf Hitler most likely suffered from the genetic condition Kallmann Syndrome that can manifest itself in undescended testicles and a micropenis, researchers and documentary makers said Thursday, following DNA testing of the Nazi dictator’s blood.
The new research also quashes the suggestion that Hitler had Jewish ancestry.
Popular Second World War songs often mocked Hitler’s anatomy but lacked any scientific basis.
The findings by an international team of scientists and historians now appear to confirm longstanding suspicions around his sexual development.
“No one has ever really been able to explain why Hitler was so uncomfortable around women throughout his life, or why he probably never entered into intimate relations with women,” said Alex Kay of the University of Potsdam.
“But now we know that he had Kallmann Syndrome, this could be the answer we’ve been looking for,” he said.
The research findings are featured in a new documentary, “Hitler’s DNA: Blueprint of a Dictator”, due to be broadcast on Saturday.
The testing found a “high likelihood” that Hitler had Kallmann Syndrome and “very high” scores — in the top one percent — for a predisposition to autism, schizophrenia and biopolar disorder, programme makers Blink Films said.
The research team stressed that such conditions, however, could not explain or excuse Hitler’s warmongering or racist policies.
Over 50 million people are estimated to have died in the Second World War, including six million Jews who were systematically murdered.
No Jewish grandfather
The testing was made possible after researchers obtained a sample of Hitler’s blood from a piece of material taken from the sofa on which he shot himself.
Kallmann Syndrome often results in “low testosterone levels, undescended testicles and can result in a micropenis,” Blink Films said.
The DNA results additionally rule out the possibility that Hitler had a Jewish grandfather via his grandmother, who was rumoured to have got pregnant by an employer in whose house she worked.
“Analysis of the DNA debunks this myth by showing that the Y chromosome data matches the DNA of Hitler’s male line relative. If he had Jewish ancestry (through an outside relationship), that match wouldn’t be there,” the production company added.
Geneticist Turi King, known for identifying the remains of medieval king Richard III and who also worked on the project, said Hitler’s genes put him in a category of people who were often sent to the gas chambers by the Nazis.
“Hitler’s policies are completely around eugenics,” said the expert in ancient and forensic DNA at the University of Bath in western England.
“If he had been able to look at his own DNA… he almost certainly would have sent himself,” she said.
The two-part documentary is scheduled to begin on the U.K.’s Channel 4 on Saturday.
Adolf Hitler likely had genetic condition limiting sexual development: research
Adolf Hitler most likely suffered from Kallmann Syndrome that can manifest itself in undescended testicles and a micropenis.torontosun.com
Small penis linked ‘Golden State Killer’ to sex assaults
According to a new book written by Sacramento, Calif., district attorney Thien Ho, it was the small penis of Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. that helped cops link him to many crimes
Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Nov 17, 2025 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 1 minute read
Joseph James DeAngelo, the suspected "Golden State Killer", appears in court for his arraignment on April 27, 2018 in Sacramento, California.
It appears the Golden State Killer was caught because of a very tiny physical feature.
According to a new book written by Sacramento, Calif., district attorney Thien Ho, it was the small penis of Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. that helped cops link him to many crimes.
The book, The People vs. the Golden State Killer, outlines how cops believed DeAngelo, who was arrested on suspicion of crimes around California, might have also been a suspect they named the “East Side Rapist.”
DeAngelo was believed to have killed at least 12, sexually assaulted more than 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes in California in the 1970s and 1980s. For his crimes, DeAngelo was nicknamed the Golden State Killer.
Ho wrote that victims of the sexual assaults all described the suspect as having a small manhood.
“I need circumstantial evidence corroborating his identity as the EAR (East Side Rapist). I need to confirm the extreme smallness of his penis,” Ho wrote, per Page Six.
Ho noted there was no DNA linking DeAngelo to the cases.
A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo is displayed during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California.
After DeAngelo was arrested, police and a photographer had the task of taking pictures of his genitalia. In the book, Ho wrote that the cameraman kneeled down to do the task, but “grew frustrated after several failed attempts.”
“(One of the cops) threw up his hands in the air in exasperation and barked … ‘There’s nothing there,'” Ho wrote.
Cops described De Angelo’s penis as being “smaller than the circumference of a dime,” and its length is “equal to the tip of your pinky.”
“We had the circumstantial evidence we needed in order to corroborate the testimonies of DeAngelo’s victims,” Ho wrote.
DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 26 crimes in 2020, which include the sexual assaults in the East Area. He was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole.
pagesix.com
torontosun.com
According to a new book written by Sacramento, Calif., district attorney Thien Ho, it was the small penis of Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. that helped cops link him to many crimes
Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Nov 17, 2025 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 1 minute read
Joseph James DeAngelo, the suspected "Golden State Killer", appears in court for his arraignment on April 27, 2018 in Sacramento, California.
It appears the Golden State Killer was caught because of a very tiny physical feature.
According to a new book written by Sacramento, Calif., district attorney Thien Ho, it was the small penis of Joseph James DeAngelo Jr. that helped cops link him to many crimes.
The book, The People vs. the Golden State Killer, outlines how cops believed DeAngelo, who was arrested on suspicion of crimes around California, might have also been a suspect they named the “East Side Rapist.”
DeAngelo was believed to have killed at least 12, sexually assaulted more than 45 people and burglarized hundreds of homes in California in the 1970s and 1980s. For his crimes, DeAngelo was nicknamed the Golden State Killer.
Ho wrote that victims of the sexual assaults all described the suspect as having a small manhood.
“I need circumstantial evidence corroborating his identity as the EAR (East Side Rapist). I need to confirm the extreme smallness of his penis,” Ho wrote, per Page Six.
Ho noted there was no DNA linking DeAngelo to the cases.
A photo of accused rapist and killer Joseph James DeAngelo is displayed during a news conference on April 25, 2018 in Sacramento, California.
After DeAngelo was arrested, police and a photographer had the task of taking pictures of his genitalia. In the book, Ho wrote that the cameraman kneeled down to do the task, but “grew frustrated after several failed attempts.”
“(One of the cops) threw up his hands in the air in exasperation and barked … ‘There’s nothing there,'” Ho wrote.
Cops described De Angelo’s penis as being “smaller than the circumference of a dime,” and its length is “equal to the tip of your pinky.”
“We had the circumstantial evidence we needed in order to corroborate the testimonies of DeAngelo’s victims,” Ho wrote.
DeAngelo pleaded guilty to 26 crimes in 2020, which include the sexual assaults in the East Area. He was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole.
‘Golden State Killer’ may have only been caught because of his micropenis: ‘There’s nothing there!’
IT’S been a huge week for micro-penises — especially those belonging to psychopaths.
Small penis linked ‘Golden State Killer’ to sex assaults
It appears the Golden State Killer was caught because of a very tiny physical feature.
Giant spider web found in Greek-Albanian border cave: study
The spiders share the cave with numerous other insects, including centipedes, scorpions and beetles.
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
Published Nov 20, 2025 • 1 minute read
The web was discovered in a cave on the border of Greece and Albania.
The web was discovered in a cave on the border of Greece and Albania.
Athens (AFP) — Scientists have discovered a giant spider web spanning about half the size of a tennis court and with some 111,000 spiders in a cave on the border between Greece and Albania.
The web in the “Sulfur Cave” in the Vromoner Gorge covers some 106 square metres (1,140 square feet), according to the study in the publication Subterranean Biology.
In it are some 69,000 domestic house spiders (Tegenaria domestica), in addition to over 42,000 of Prinerigone vagans dwarf weavers (Linyphiidae), the study said.
The researchers from universities and natural history museums in Albania, Romania, Belgium, Germany and Italy called the discovery “the first documented case of colonial web formation” of two species that are normally solitary.
Based on its spatial distribution and dimensions, species composition and population density, in addition to the food resources, the spider colony is unique and remarkable, they said.
This is “the first documented case of colonial web formation in these species”, the experts said, adding that the structure is formed “of numerous individual funnel-shaped webs”.
The cave, so called because of its abundance of the chemical, completely straddles the border — its entrance is in Greece, while the deepest sections are under Albanian soil.
Springs located in the deep recesses of the cave feed a sulfidic stream which flows through the entire length of the main cave passage, the study said.
The spiders share the cave with numerous other insects, including centipedes, scorpions and beetles.
The discovery was first reported by members of the Czech Speleological Society, the study said.
torontosun.com
The spiders share the cave with numerous other insects, including centipedes, scorpions and beetles.
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
Published Nov 20, 2025 • 1 minute read
The web was discovered in a cave on the border of Greece and Albania.
The web was discovered in a cave on the border of Greece and Albania.
Athens (AFP) — Scientists have discovered a giant spider web spanning about half the size of a tennis court and with some 111,000 spiders in a cave on the border between Greece and Albania.
The web in the “Sulfur Cave” in the Vromoner Gorge covers some 106 square metres (1,140 square feet), according to the study in the publication Subterranean Biology.
In it are some 69,000 domestic house spiders (Tegenaria domestica), in addition to over 42,000 of Prinerigone vagans dwarf weavers (Linyphiidae), the study said.
The researchers from universities and natural history museums in Albania, Romania, Belgium, Germany and Italy called the discovery “the first documented case of colonial web formation” of two species that are normally solitary.
Based on its spatial distribution and dimensions, species composition and population density, in addition to the food resources, the spider colony is unique and remarkable, they said.
This is “the first documented case of colonial web formation in these species”, the experts said, adding that the structure is formed “of numerous individual funnel-shaped webs”.
The cave, so called because of its abundance of the chemical, completely straddles the border — its entrance is in Greece, while the deepest sections are under Albanian soil.
Springs located in the deep recesses of the cave feed a sulfidic stream which flows through the entire length of the main cave passage, the study said.
The spiders share the cave with numerous other insects, including centipedes, scorpions and beetles.
The discovery was first reported by members of the Czech Speleological Society, the study said.
Giant spider web found in Greek-Albanian border cave: study
The discovery was first reported by members of the Czech Speleological Society, the study said.
JFK's granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg reveals terminal cancer diagnosis
One of her doctors said she might live for about another year
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Nov 22, 2025 • 2 minute read
Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, addresses an audience during the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award ceremony, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Oct. 29, 2023.
Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, addresses an audience during the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award ceremony, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Oct. 29, 2023.
John F. Kennedy’s granddaughter disclosed Saturday that she has terminal cancer, writing in an essay in The New Yorker that one of her doctors said she might live for about another year.
Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, wrote that she was diagnosed in May 2024 at 34. After the birth of her second child, her doctor noticed her white blood cell count was high. It turned out to be acute myeloid leukemia with a rare mutation, mostly seen in older people, she wrote.
Her essay was published on the 62nd anniversary of her grandfather’s assassination.
Schlossberg, an environmental journalist, wrote she has undergone rounds of chemotherapy and two stem cell transplants, the first using cells from her sister and the next from an unrelated donor, and participated in clinical trials. During the latest trial, she wrote that her doctor told her “he could keep me alive for a year, maybe.”
Schlossberg said the policies pushed by her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, could hurt cancer patients like her. Caroline Kennedy urged senators to reject RFK Jr.’s confirmation.
“As I spent more and more of my life under the care of doctors, nurses, and researchers striving to improve the lives of others, I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers,” she wrote in the essay.
Schlossberg wrote about her fears that her daughter and son won’t remember her. She feels cheated and sad that she won’t get to keep living “the wonderful life” she had with her husband, George Moran. While her parents and siblings try to hide their pain from her, she said she feels it every day.
“For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good student and a good sister and a good daughter, and to protect my mother and never make her upset or angry,” she wrote. “Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our family’s life, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
torontosun.com
One of her doctors said she might live for about another year
Author of the article:Associated Press
Associated Press
Published Nov 22, 2025 • 2 minute read
Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, addresses an audience during the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award ceremony, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Oct. 29, 2023.
Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Caroline Kennedy and Edwin Schlossberg, addresses an audience during the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award ceremony, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Oct. 29, 2023.
John F. Kennedy’s granddaughter disclosed Saturday that she has terminal cancer, writing in an essay in The New Yorker that one of her doctors said she might live for about another year.
Tatiana Schlossberg, the daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, wrote that she was diagnosed in May 2024 at 34. After the birth of her second child, her doctor noticed her white blood cell count was high. It turned out to be acute myeloid leukemia with a rare mutation, mostly seen in older people, she wrote.
Her essay was published on the 62nd anniversary of her grandfather’s assassination.
Schlossberg, an environmental journalist, wrote she has undergone rounds of chemotherapy and two stem cell transplants, the first using cells from her sister and the next from an unrelated donor, and participated in clinical trials. During the latest trial, she wrote that her doctor told her “he could keep me alive for a year, maybe.”
Schlossberg said the policies pushed by her cousin Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. Health and Human Services secretary, could hurt cancer patients like her. Caroline Kennedy urged senators to reject RFK Jr.’s confirmation.
“As I spent more and more of my life under the care of doctors, nurses, and researchers striving to improve the lives of others, I watched as Bobby cut nearly a half billion dollars for research into mRNA vaccines, technology that could be used against certain cancers,” she wrote in the essay.
Schlossberg wrote about her fears that her daughter and son won’t remember her. She feels cheated and sad that she won’t get to keep living “the wonderful life” she had with her husband, George Moran. While her parents and siblings try to hide their pain from her, she said she feels it every day.
“For my whole life, I have tried to be good, to be a good student and a good sister and a good daughter, and to protect my mother and never make her upset or angry,” she wrote. “Now I have added a new tragedy to her life, to our family’s life, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”
JFK's granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg reveals terminal cancer diagnosis
John F. Kennedy's granddaughter Tatiana Schlossberg disclosed Saturday that she has terminal cancer.
Polar vortex to put the chill on much of Canada this winter
Weather event is one of the earliest on record, set to bring Arctic air mass south beginning in December
Author of the article:Spiro Papuckoski
Published Nov 25, 2025 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 2 minute read
Many Canadians should prepare to bundle up with extra layers in the coming weeks as a polar vortex plunges us into the cold. Read more.
Pedestrians walk through the falling snow as Calgary was hit with the first serious snowfall of the season, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025.
Many Canadians should prepare to bundle up with extra layers in the coming weeks.
That’s because a polar vortex will send colder Arctic air masses farther south this winter.
According to the Weather Network, an extreme warming event happening in the upper stratosphere has the potential to disturb the polar vortex and send temperatures plunging well below freezing, starting sometime in December.
The weather event is also one of the earliest on record.
What is a polar vortex?
The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air which hovers thousands of metres over the Earth’s north and south poles.
The counter-clockwise flow of air, which doesn’t exist at ground level, is stronger during the winter months but weakens during the summer.
When the polar vortex is disrupted in the northern hemisphere, it collapses and sends freezing temperatures with the jet stream farther south over a larger area.
This phenomenon, called a sudden stratospheric warming, is not only experienced in North America but in Europe and Asia, as well.
Why is it happening now?
The Weather Network says the polar vortex has been disrupted only three times in November since it was first documented 70 years ago.
During those weather events in Canada, temperatures in December dropped to insanely frigid levels.
Despite that, areas in the Arctic could see higher-than-normal temperatures during these weather patterns as the colder air is displaced and no extra cooling is created.
More snow?
With colder temperatures, comes with a higher chance of snow.
According to Severe Weather Europe, the latest forecast data shows the potential for higher snowfall accumulation, beginning in December.
That’s because a weak or disrupted polar vortex leads to a snowy start to winter.
Long-range forecast?
At the beginning of December, southern Canada is expected to be colder than usual.
But by the end of the month, that cold air mass will continue to flow into the northern, central, and eastern United States, ensuring a white Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
The weather pattern could continue well into January as a high-pressure area over Greenland and the North Pacific will keep temperatures below normal by mid-winter.
Keeping up to date
While there is no cause for concern, people can stay informed by following the latest local forecast and any special weather statements from Environment Canada.
weather.gc.ca
theweathernetwork.com
torontosun.com
Weather event is one of the earliest on record, set to bring Arctic air mass south beginning in December
Author of the article:Spiro Papuckoski
Published Nov 25, 2025 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 2 minute read
Many Canadians should prepare to bundle up with extra layers in the coming weeks as a polar vortex plunges us into the cold. Read more.
Pedestrians walk through the falling snow as Calgary was hit with the first serious snowfall of the season, Monday, Nov. 24, 2025.
Many Canadians should prepare to bundle up with extra layers in the coming weeks.
That’s because a polar vortex will send colder Arctic air masses farther south this winter.
According to the Weather Network, an extreme warming event happening in the upper stratosphere has the potential to disturb the polar vortex and send temperatures plunging well below freezing, starting sometime in December.
The weather event is also one of the earliest on record.
What is a polar vortex?
The polar vortex is a large area of low pressure and cold air which hovers thousands of metres over the Earth’s north and south poles.
The counter-clockwise flow of air, which doesn’t exist at ground level, is stronger during the winter months but weakens during the summer.
When the polar vortex is disrupted in the northern hemisphere, it collapses and sends freezing temperatures with the jet stream farther south over a larger area.
This phenomenon, called a sudden stratospheric warming, is not only experienced in North America but in Europe and Asia, as well.
Why is it happening now?
The Weather Network says the polar vortex has been disrupted only three times in November since it was first documented 70 years ago.
During those weather events in Canada, temperatures in December dropped to insanely frigid levels.
Despite that, areas in the Arctic could see higher-than-normal temperatures during these weather patterns as the colder air is displaced and no extra cooling is created.
More snow?
With colder temperatures, comes with a higher chance of snow.
According to Severe Weather Europe, the latest forecast data shows the potential for higher snowfall accumulation, beginning in December.
That’s because a weak or disrupted polar vortex leads to a snowy start to winter.
Long-range forecast?
At the beginning of December, southern Canada is expected to be colder than usual.
But by the end of the month, that cold air mass will continue to flow into the northern, central, and eastern United States, ensuring a white Christmas and New Year’s holidays.
The weather pattern could continue well into January as a high-pressure area over Greenland and the North Pacific will keep temperatures below normal by mid-winter.
Keeping up to date
While there is no cause for concern, people can stay informed by following the latest local forecast and any special weather statements from Environment Canada.
Weather Information - Environment Canada
Environment Canada's weather web site provides official weather warnings, current conditions, forecasts, and weather models, for public and marine areas in Canada. Canadian weather RADAR, tropical storm tracking, lightning activity, UV index, and AQHI index values also available.
Canada, welcome back the polar vortex! - The Weather Network
An extreme warming event high in the atmosphere is threatening to disrupt the polar vortex. We break down what that could mean for Canadians
theweathernetwork.com
BRRRRR: Polar vortex to put the chill on much of Canada this winter
Many Canadians should prepare to bundle up with extra layers in the coming weeks as a polar vortex plunges us into the cold. Read more.
Deadly deer disease may have spread in B.C.
Six cases of chronic wasting disease have been found in the province, all in the Kootenay region
Author of the articleavid Carrigg
Published Nov 24, 2025 • Last updated 14 hours ago • 1 minute read
Another case of chronic wasting disease may have appeared in B.C.
Another case of chronic wasting disease may have appeared in B.C.
A possible case of chronic wasting disease has been detected in a deer that was killed by a hunter in the Okanagan, the province said Monday.
The B.C. Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Ministry said initial testing by a provincial lab on a sample taken from the male white-tailed deer, that was killed east of Enderby, indicated it could have contracted the infectious and deadly disease.
Conclusive testing must be done by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with results expected in early December.
There have been six confirmed cases of the disease in B.C. since 2024, all in the Kootenay region. The disease doesn’t spread to humans, but people shouldn’t eat meat from an infected animal.
“This is the first potential detection in the Okanagan and the first identified outside B.C.’s existing CWD (chronic wasting disease) management zone in the Kootenay region,” the ministry said.
B.C. hunters are encouraged to provide samples for testing from harvested deer, elk and moose as part of the province’s chronic wasting disease mitigation program.
Recent actions to help manage the disease include the removal and testing of urban deer in Cranbrook and Kimberley; mandatory testing for harvested deer, moose and elk in the Kootenay region; carcass transport restrictions; and continuing monitoring with First Nations and local governments, the ministry said.
The provincial wildlife veterinarian has assembled an incident management team made up of provincial and First Nation partners to prepare for potential next steps before the CFIA’s test result.
dcarrigg@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
Six cases of chronic wasting disease have been found in the province, all in the Kootenay region
Author of the article
avid CarriggPublished Nov 24, 2025 • Last updated 14 hours ago • 1 minute read
Another case of chronic wasting disease may have appeared in B.C.
Another case of chronic wasting disease may have appeared in B.C.
A possible case of chronic wasting disease has been detected in a deer that was killed by a hunter in the Okanagan, the province said Monday.
The B.C. Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Ministry said initial testing by a provincial lab on a sample taken from the male white-tailed deer, that was killed east of Enderby, indicated it could have contracted the infectious and deadly disease.
Conclusive testing must be done by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with results expected in early December.
There have been six confirmed cases of the disease in B.C. since 2024, all in the Kootenay region. The disease doesn’t spread to humans, but people shouldn’t eat meat from an infected animal.
“This is the first potential detection in the Okanagan and the first identified outside B.C.’s existing CWD (chronic wasting disease) management zone in the Kootenay region,” the ministry said.
B.C. hunters are encouraged to provide samples for testing from harvested deer, elk and moose as part of the province’s chronic wasting disease mitigation program.
Recent actions to help manage the disease include the removal and testing of urban deer in Cranbrook and Kimberley; mandatory testing for harvested deer, moose and elk in the Kootenay region; carcass transport restrictions; and continuing monitoring with First Nations and local governments, the ministry said.
The provincial wildlife veterinarian has assembled an incident management team made up of provincial and First Nation partners to prepare for potential next steps before the CFIA’s test result.
dcarrigg@postmedia.com
Surveillance and testing for Chronic Wasting Disease
Outline of how to submiting a cervid head for chronic wasting disease testing in British Columbia
gov.bc.ca
Deadly deer disease may have spread in B.C.
Six cases of chronic wasting disease have been found in the province, all in the Kootenay region
Mystery foot belongs to ancient human relative: scientists
New fossils including a jawbone with 12 teeth found at the site show that the foot was that of A. deyiremeda.
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
by Daniel Lawler
Published Nov 26, 2025 • 3 minute read
The new research could raise about the status of the famous Australopithecus afarensis skeleton 'Lucy'.
The new research could raise about the status of the famous Australopithecus afarensis skeleton 'Lucy'. Photo by Michal Cizek /AFP/File
PARIS — Newly discovered fossils prove that a mysterious foot found in Ethiopia belongs to a little-known, recently named ancient human relative who lived alongside the species of the famous Lucy, scientists said Wednesday.
The discovery is the latest twist in the tale of human evolution and could even cast some doubt on the status of Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis, as the direct ancestor of Homo sapiens.
Until the foot was discovered in Burtele in northeastern Ethiopia in 2009, Lucy’s species was thought to be the only human relative living in the area more than three million years ago.
But the appendage clearly does not belong to Lucy’s species because it has an opposable toe — similar to a thumb — allowing its owner to grab onto tree branches like apes.
The team of scientists who found the mystery foot went on to name a new species, Australopithecus deyiremeda, in 2015 based on some roughly 3.4-million-year-old jaw bones found in Burtele.
Announcement met with scepticism
The announcement was met with some scepticism in scientific circles. Due to the scarcity of fossils, attempts to add a new branch to the human family tree usually provoke fierce debate.
The team was also unable to say that the foot bones — dubbed the Burtele foot — belonged to their new species.
Now, in a study published in the journal Nature, the scientists announced that new fossils including a jawbone with 12 teeth found at the site show that the foot was that of A. deyiremeda.
“We have no doubt about the Burtele foot belonging to the same species as these teeth and the jaw,” lead study author, Yohannes Haile-Selassie of Arizona State University, told AFP.
The research also revealed more details about this species, offering further clues about who could have been the true ancestor of us Homo sapiens.
‘Co-existence deep in our ancestry’
A CT scan of the teeth suggested that A. deyiremeda was more primitive than its cousin Lucy, the study said.
Isotope analysis of the teeth meanwhile showed that its diet consisted mainly of leaves, fruit and nuts of trees.
The grasping big toe also suggested this human relative spent more time in the trees. Big toes played an important role in human evolution, allowing our ancestors to leave the trees behind and walk on two legs.
The newly discovered appendage clearly does not belong to Lucy’s species because it has an opposable toe. (Yohannes HAILE-SELASSIE/Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University/AFP)
The newly discovered appendage clearly does not belong to Lucy’s species because it has an opposable toe. (Yohannes HAILE-SELASSIE/Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University/AFP) Photo by Yohannes HAILE-SELASSIE /Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University/AFP
A lingering question about A. deyiremeda was how it could have co-existed with Lucy’s species at the same place and time, Haile-Selassie said.
The new research suggests that the former spent its time in the forest, more likely eating from trees, while the latter spent more time on the ground, a difference that allowed them to live together.
It also demonstrates that “co-existence is deep in our ancestry”, Haile-Selassie emphasised.
Finding our roots
John McNabb, a palaeolithic archaeologist at the U.K.’s University of Southampton not involved in the study, praised the new research.
“There will always be sceptics, but I think these new finds, and their validation of older ones, will help many researchers to be more accepting of A. deyiremeda,” he told AFP.
It also “adds a new player into the mix” in the search for the identity of our true ancestor, McNabb added.
Because A. deyiremeda was more primitive and had a less human-like foot than Lucy, it is unlikely to dethrone her as the prime suspect in this search, both scientists agreed.
But the discovery “opens this possibility that we might still find more species within that time period because it looks like the Australopiths were experimenting with bipedality”, or walking on two legs, Haile-Selassie said.
“Could there be another species which could be a better candidate to be the ancestor of the genus Homo?” he asked.
“We don’t know — it depends on what we find.”
torontosun.com
New fossils including a jawbone with 12 teeth found at the site show that the foot was that of A. deyiremeda.
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
by Daniel Lawler
Published Nov 26, 2025 • 3 minute read
The new research could raise about the status of the famous Australopithecus afarensis skeleton 'Lucy'.
The new research could raise about the status of the famous Australopithecus afarensis skeleton 'Lucy'. Photo by Michal Cizek /AFP/File
PARIS — Newly discovered fossils prove that a mysterious foot found in Ethiopia belongs to a little-known, recently named ancient human relative who lived alongside the species of the famous Lucy, scientists said Wednesday.
The discovery is the latest twist in the tale of human evolution and could even cast some doubt on the status of Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis, as the direct ancestor of Homo sapiens.
Until the foot was discovered in Burtele in northeastern Ethiopia in 2009, Lucy’s species was thought to be the only human relative living in the area more than three million years ago.
But the appendage clearly does not belong to Lucy’s species because it has an opposable toe — similar to a thumb — allowing its owner to grab onto tree branches like apes.
The team of scientists who found the mystery foot went on to name a new species, Australopithecus deyiremeda, in 2015 based on some roughly 3.4-million-year-old jaw bones found in Burtele.
Announcement met with scepticism
The announcement was met with some scepticism in scientific circles. Due to the scarcity of fossils, attempts to add a new branch to the human family tree usually provoke fierce debate.
The team was also unable to say that the foot bones — dubbed the Burtele foot — belonged to their new species.
Now, in a study published in the journal Nature, the scientists announced that new fossils including a jawbone with 12 teeth found at the site show that the foot was that of A. deyiremeda.
“We have no doubt about the Burtele foot belonging to the same species as these teeth and the jaw,” lead study author, Yohannes Haile-Selassie of Arizona State University, told AFP.
The research also revealed more details about this species, offering further clues about who could have been the true ancestor of us Homo sapiens.
‘Co-existence deep in our ancestry’
A CT scan of the teeth suggested that A. deyiremeda was more primitive than its cousin Lucy, the study said.
Isotope analysis of the teeth meanwhile showed that its diet consisted mainly of leaves, fruit and nuts of trees.
The grasping big toe also suggested this human relative spent more time in the trees. Big toes played an important role in human evolution, allowing our ancestors to leave the trees behind and walk on two legs.
The newly discovered appendage clearly does not belong to Lucy’s species because it has an opposable toe. (Yohannes HAILE-SELASSIE/Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University/AFP)
The newly discovered appendage clearly does not belong to Lucy’s species because it has an opposable toe. (Yohannes HAILE-SELASSIE/Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University/AFP) Photo by Yohannes HAILE-SELASSIE /Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University/AFP
A lingering question about A. deyiremeda was how it could have co-existed with Lucy’s species at the same place and time, Haile-Selassie said.
The new research suggests that the former spent its time in the forest, more likely eating from trees, while the latter spent more time on the ground, a difference that allowed them to live together.
It also demonstrates that “co-existence is deep in our ancestry”, Haile-Selassie emphasised.
Finding our roots
John McNabb, a palaeolithic archaeologist at the U.K.’s University of Southampton not involved in the study, praised the new research.
“There will always be sceptics, but I think these new finds, and their validation of older ones, will help many researchers to be more accepting of A. deyiremeda,” he told AFP.
It also “adds a new player into the mix” in the search for the identity of our true ancestor, McNabb added.
Because A. deyiremeda was more primitive and had a less human-like foot than Lucy, it is unlikely to dethrone her as the prime suspect in this search, both scientists agreed.
But the discovery “opens this possibility that we might still find more species within that time period because it looks like the Australopiths were experimenting with bipedality”, or walking on two legs, Haile-Selassie said.
“Could there be another species which could be a better candidate to be the ancestor of the genus Homo?” he asked.
“We don’t know — it depends on what we find.”
Mystery foot belongs to ancient human relative: scientists
Newly discovered fossils prove that a mysterious foot found in Ethiopia belongs to a recently named ancient human relative. Read more.
Its just aliens. Neanderthals weren't fat, they were just "big boned". Why big boned?Mystery foot belongs to ancient human relative: scientists
New fossils including a jawbone with 12 teeth found at the site show that the foot was that of A. deyiremeda.
Author of the article:AFP
AFP
by Daniel Lawler
Published Nov 26, 2025 • 3 minute read
The new research could raise about the status of the famous Australopithecus afarensis skeleton 'Lucy'.
The new research could raise about the status of the famous Australopithecus afarensis skeleton 'Lucy'. Photo by Michal Cizek /AFP/File
PARIS — Newly discovered fossils prove that a mysterious foot found in Ethiopia belongs to a little-known, recently named ancient human relative who lived alongside the species of the famous Lucy, scientists said Wednesday.
The discovery is the latest twist in the tale of human evolution and could even cast some doubt on the status of Lucy’s species, Australopithecus afarensis, as the direct ancestor of Homo sapiens.
Until the foot was discovered in Burtele in northeastern Ethiopia in 2009, Lucy’s species was thought to be the only human relative living in the area more than three million years ago.
But the appendage clearly does not belong to Lucy’s species because it has an opposable toe — similar to a thumb — allowing its owner to grab onto tree branches like apes.
The team of scientists who found the mystery foot went on to name a new species, Australopithecus deyiremeda, in 2015 based on some roughly 3.4-million-year-old jaw bones found in Burtele.
Announcement met with scepticism
The announcement was met with some scepticism in scientific circles. Due to the scarcity of fossils, attempts to add a new branch to the human family tree usually provoke fierce debate.
The team was also unable to say that the foot bones — dubbed the Burtele foot — belonged to their new species.
Now, in a study published in the journal Nature, the scientists announced that new fossils including a jawbone with 12 teeth found at the site show that the foot was that of A. deyiremeda.
“We have no doubt about the Burtele foot belonging to the same species as these teeth and the jaw,” lead study author, Yohannes Haile-Selassie of Arizona State University, told AFP.
The research also revealed more details about this species, offering further clues about who could have been the true ancestor of us Homo sapiens.
‘Co-existence deep in our ancestry’
A CT scan of the teeth suggested that A. deyiremeda was more primitive than its cousin Lucy, the study said.
Isotope analysis of the teeth meanwhile showed that its diet consisted mainly of leaves, fruit and nuts of trees.
The grasping big toe also suggested this human relative spent more time in the trees. Big toes played an important role in human evolution, allowing our ancestors to leave the trees behind and walk on two legs.
The newly discovered appendage clearly does not belong to Lucy’s species because it has an opposable toe. (Yohannes HAILE-SELASSIE/Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University/AFP)
The newly discovered appendage clearly does not belong to Lucy’s species because it has an opposable toe. (Yohannes HAILE-SELASSIE/Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University/AFP) Photo by Yohannes HAILE-SELASSIE /Institute of Human Origins at Arizona State University/AFP
A lingering question about A. deyiremeda was how it could have co-existed with Lucy’s species at the same place and time, Haile-Selassie said.
The new research suggests that the former spent its time in the forest, more likely eating from trees, while the latter spent more time on the ground, a difference that allowed them to live together.
It also demonstrates that “co-existence is deep in our ancestry”, Haile-Selassie emphasised.
Finding our roots
John McNabb, a palaeolithic archaeologist at the U.K.’s University of Southampton not involved in the study, praised the new research.
“There will always be sceptics, but I think these new finds, and their validation of older ones, will help many researchers to be more accepting of A. deyiremeda,” he told AFP.
It also “adds a new player into the mix” in the search for the identity of our true ancestor, McNabb added.
Because A. deyiremeda was more primitive and had a less human-like foot than Lucy, it is unlikely to dethrone her as the prime suspect in this search, both scientists agreed.
But the discovery “opens this possibility that we might still find more species within that time period because it looks like the Australopiths were experimenting with bipedality”, or walking on two legs, Haile-Selassie said.
“Could there be another species which could be a better candidate to be the ancestor of the genus Homo?” he asked.
“We don’t know — it depends on what we find.”
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Mystery foot belongs to ancient human relative: scientists
Newly discovered fossils prove that a mysterious foot found in Ethiopia belongs to a recently named ancient human relative. Read more.
From a planet with more gravity than Earth.
Obstructive sleep apnea linked to Parkinson’s disease: Study
Those with sleep apnea were nearly twice as likely to have developed Parkinson's six years after those diagnoses
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Kelly Kasulis Cho
Published Nov 27, 2025 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 3 minute read
Obstructive sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea
Researchers have found a potential link between obstructive sleep apnea and the development of Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study.
Obstructive sleep apnea – a disorder in which a person experiences a fully or partially collapsed airway during sleep, causing a lack of oxygen and non-restorative rest – affects millions of people and often goes undiagnosed, according to the American Medical Association. Parkinson’s disease, an incurable progressive movement disorder, is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder in the United States and is thought to affect about 1.1 million people.
In the study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology on Monday, researchers combed through the health records of more than 11 million U.S. veterans from 1999 to 2022. Nearly 14 per cent of them had sleep apnea, and those with sleep apnea were nearly twice as likely to have developed Parkinson’s six years after those diagnoses than those who did not have the sleep disorder.
Among those who treated their sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure therapy – also known as CPAP – early in their diagnoses, Parkinson’s case numbers were “significantly reduced,” the study stated.
Gregory Scott, one of the study’s co-authors and an assistant professor of pathology in Oregon Health and Science University’s School of Medicine, said in a release that obstructive sleep apnea is “not at all a guarantee” that someone will develop Parkinson’s, “but it significantly increases the chances.”
Symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, gasping for air, fatigue even after a perceived full night of sleep, and frequent waking during the night. Parkinson’s disease is associated with a long list of potential symptoms, including tremors, difficulty moving or walking, problems with balance, drooling, sleep disorders, and issues speaking or swallowing.
Danny Eckert, an expert in obstructive sleep apnea and a professor at Flinders University’s College of Medicine and Public Health in Australia, called it an “interesting and novel finding” that adds to a growing body of research suggesting that repeated sleep disruption – no matter the cause – “has a range of adverse outcomes.”
Another sleep condition, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, was also linked to Parkinson’s disease, he said.
“One of the cautionary notes is that it was not a randomized trial,” Eckert added, “so the people who seem to be doing better that were on CPAP therapy may just be the ones that are more likely to adapt a healthy lifestyle.”
Though the study does not prove obstructive sleep apnea causes Parkinson’s disease, experts believe it may offer a clue to where researchers could dig further.
Kin Yuen, a sleep medicine physician and assistant clinical professor at the University of California at San Francisco, said the findings are not surprising given that poor sleep tends to be associated with worse neurological outcomes. It also remains unclear how strong the links between obstructive sleep apnea and Parkinson’s truly are.
However, one theory is that the “repeated lack of oxygen” caused by obstructive sleep apnea may “impair the brain’s ‘repair’ during sleep,” she said in an email.
“Clinically, patients with Parkinson’s syndrome or disease are often seen in sleep clinics because of comorbid obstructive sleep apnea,” Yuen added.
Lee Neilson, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of neurology at Oregon Health and Science University, offered a similar theory.
“If you stop breathing and oxygen is not at a normal level, your neurons are probably not functioning at a normal level either,” he said. “Add that up night after night, year after year, and it may explain why fixing the problem by using CPAP may build in some resilience against neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s.”
torontosun.com
Those with sleep apnea were nearly twice as likely to have developed Parkinson's six years after those diagnoses
Author of the article:Washington Post
Washington Post
Kelly Kasulis Cho
Published Nov 27, 2025 • Last updated 15 hours ago • 3 minute read
Obstructive sleep apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea
Researchers have found a potential link between obstructive sleep apnea and the development of Parkinson’s disease, according to a new study.
Obstructive sleep apnea – a disorder in which a person experiences a fully or partially collapsed airway during sleep, causing a lack of oxygen and non-restorative rest – affects millions of people and often goes undiagnosed, according to the American Medical Association. Parkinson’s disease, an incurable progressive movement disorder, is the second-most common neurodegenerative disorder in the United States and is thought to affect about 1.1 million people.
In the study, published in the journal JAMA Neurology on Monday, researchers combed through the health records of more than 11 million U.S. veterans from 1999 to 2022. Nearly 14 per cent of them had sleep apnea, and those with sleep apnea were nearly twice as likely to have developed Parkinson’s six years after those diagnoses than those who did not have the sleep disorder.
Among those who treated their sleep apnea with continuous positive airway pressure therapy – also known as CPAP – early in their diagnoses, Parkinson’s case numbers were “significantly reduced,” the study stated.
Gregory Scott, one of the study’s co-authors and an assistant professor of pathology in Oregon Health and Science University’s School of Medicine, said in a release that obstructive sleep apnea is “not at all a guarantee” that someone will develop Parkinson’s, “but it significantly increases the chances.”
Symptoms of sleep apnea include snoring, gasping for air, fatigue even after a perceived full night of sleep, and frequent waking during the night. Parkinson’s disease is associated with a long list of potential symptoms, including tremors, difficulty moving or walking, problems with balance, drooling, sleep disorders, and issues speaking or swallowing.
Danny Eckert, an expert in obstructive sleep apnea and a professor at Flinders University’s College of Medicine and Public Health in Australia, called it an “interesting and novel finding” that adds to a growing body of research suggesting that repeated sleep disruption – no matter the cause – “has a range of adverse outcomes.”
Another sleep condition, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, was also linked to Parkinson’s disease, he said.
“One of the cautionary notes is that it was not a randomized trial,” Eckert added, “so the people who seem to be doing better that were on CPAP therapy may just be the ones that are more likely to adapt a healthy lifestyle.”
Though the study does not prove obstructive sleep apnea causes Parkinson’s disease, experts believe it may offer a clue to where researchers could dig further.
Kin Yuen, a sleep medicine physician and assistant clinical professor at the University of California at San Francisco, said the findings are not surprising given that poor sleep tends to be associated with worse neurological outcomes. It also remains unclear how strong the links between obstructive sleep apnea and Parkinson’s truly are.
However, one theory is that the “repeated lack of oxygen” caused by obstructive sleep apnea may “impair the brain’s ‘repair’ during sleep,” she said in an email.
“Clinically, patients with Parkinson’s syndrome or disease are often seen in sleep clinics because of comorbid obstructive sleep apnea,” Yuen added.
Lee Neilson, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of neurology at Oregon Health and Science University, offered a similar theory.
“If you stop breathing and oxygen is not at a normal level, your neurons are probably not functioning at a normal level either,” he said. “Add that up night after night, year after year, and it may explain why fixing the problem by using CPAP may build in some resilience against neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s.”
Obstructive sleep apnea linked to Parkinson’s disease: Study
Researchers have found a potential link between obstructive sleep apnea and the development of Parkinson's disease, according to a new study