Canada is Larger than China

well said plommer.
 
The Philippine ethnic group Ayta Magbukon has the highest proportion of genes from our extinct relatives, the Denisovans, a new study led by Uppsala University shows. Their Denisovan share far exceeds that of ethnic groups in Papua New Guinea, who previously held the record. The study is published in the scientific journal Current Biology.


The Denisovans became known to science in 2010 with the sequencing of DNA from finger bones and teeth found in the Denisova Cave in Siberia. Despite good genetic information, who these people were remains a mystery, since only small bone fragments and teeth from them have been found. Scientists therefore use DNA technology in their quest to find out where the Denisovans lived, what they looked like and what happened to them. Today, thanks to these analyses, we know that they interbred both with our ancestors and with Neanderthals and, accordingly, that Denisovan genes, just like Neanderthal ones, are found in present-day humans. Among the inhabitants of parts of Oceania, in particular, the Denisovan genetic inheritance makes up a higher proportion of the genome than the genetic traces left by the Neanderthals do in modern humans.

The first inhabitants​


The new study is part of a project aimed at finding out how the Philippines became populated. Previous interim results from the study have shown that Negritos, the ethnic group to which the Ayta Magbukon belong, were the first modern hominins to settle on the islands. The new findings indicate that the Negritos came into contact with the Denisovans already living there, and that there was interbreeding between the two groups. As a result, the Ayta Magbukon have a high level of Denisovan ancestry in their genome.

“Although, much later, Negritos admixed with the East Asian group that had a small proportion of Denisova DNA, we found that the Negritos had a proportion markedly higher than those of other ethnic groups. Compared with Australians and Papuans, the Negritos’ Denisovan ancestry was up to 46 per cent higher,” says Maximilian Larena of Uppsala University, the study's first author.

The researchers collaborated with cultural institutions in the Philippines, several local universities and indigenous peoples’ organisations in the country. They analysed some 2.3 million genotypes from 118 ethnic groups in the Philippines, including various groups that self-identify as Negritos. Comprehensive genomes from AustraloPapuan and Ayta Magbukon Negritos were also included.

Combined with the discovery in 2019 of a small human relative called Homo luzonensis, the new results indicate that several archaic ethnic groups inhabited the Philippines before the arrival of Homo sapiens, and that the various groups may have been genetically related.


A clue to a mystery​


The study also provides another clue to the mystery of the Denisovans, how they interacted with the modern humans and what happened to them subsequently.


In the scientists’ view, the combined findings reveal a complex, intertwined history of present-day and archaic hominins in Oceania, where distinct island populations of Denisovans interbred with modern humans in several different places and at various times.

“This admixture resulted in varied levels of Denisovan genes in the genomes of Filipino Negritos and other groups. On Southeast Asian islands, Negritos later admixed with people who arrived from East Asia and had some Denisovan genes, which caused dilution in the share of Denisovan DNA. But some groups, such as Ayta Magbukon, interbred only a little with the people who later migrated to the islands. That’s the reason why the Ayta Magbukon retained most of their Denisovan genes and therefore have the highest levels of those genes in the world,” Mattias Jakobsson says.


“When we sequence more genomes in the future, we’ll get a better insight into several different issues, including how the archaic inheritance has affected our biology and how it’s contributed to our adaptation as a species,” Maximilian Larena says.
 
the Al Naslaa Rock Formation in Saudi Arabia

The formation features a huge piece of sandstone (with unique shaping on both sides) balanced on a naturally-formed pedestal. What makes the formation so unique? It’s split!

While it may look like a simple crack in the foundation of the sandstone, the break is so exact and straight that it looks as if though someone took a laser to the rock to split it apart. In addition, the two remarkably heavy sides of the formation seem to balance on nothing more than thin pieces of rock, appearing to nearly gravitate in thin air.

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I joke a lot about canada because I secretly love canada


I paid the highest respect to my canadian brethren last night



 
That’s a very Billie Eilish type outfit Alanis is wearing.

I’m trying to picture Blitty singing along to “You Oughta Know”. Haha

Blitty, how was the show? Looks like a packed venue. First concert in a long time for you? Proof of vax needed?

It feels like 2 years for me (Beck and Cage The Elephant).
 
It was an anniversary gift for the wife.

They were supposed to check for vax but never did. First concert in years. Got wasted. That venue has a ridiculous amount of bar stations.




#superspreader
 
Assyrian soldier diving under the river breathing from an inflatable goatskin bag (ca. 865–860 BC)

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or the soldier is helping himself to float by blowing into the goatskin, which is therefore a sort of floating device

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I like the 1st explanation better. It didn't occur to me that you could that, but I guess I couldn't stay underwater with an air bag, I have a hard time sinking as it is :hmm:
 
It was an anniversary gift for the wife.

They were supposed to check for vax but never did. First concert in years. Got wasted. That venue has a ridiculous amount of bar stations.




#superspreader
kato and WOK had to show vaccination card for concert here

was strange
 
I worked the Canadian federal election on Monday as an "information officer". 15 hour day from 8:15AM - 11:15PM.
13 of those hours on my feet. I was so sore my toenails hurt.

I'm glad I did it as it was an informative day, quite fascinating.

My duties included setting up signage prior to the poll opening and then greeting and directing voters to where they needed to go and getting them assistance should they need any.

At the end of the day I assisted with the counting of the ballots. No I was not allowed to touch the ballots. Only ONE person was authorized to touch the ballots and that was the "Deputy Returning Officer" at the polling station they were assigned to. He/she would open the sealed ballot box in front of the scrutineers that were sent from each political party and then the count would begin. My job was to double check the ballot/vote was correct after it was called out loud. After each vote I would add a check to a running tally sheet so we could double and triple check for accuracy.
There are many "DRO's" at each polling station so there were many ballot boxes, I only helped with one. TWO people are required by law.

After witnessing the entire process it gave me tremendous confidence in the system. ZERO chance of any US like shenanigans as all ballots/votes are counted by hand and Elections Canada oversees the entire nation, ie its the same process in every town/city/county/province, unlike in the US.

We had three people refuse to wear masks and they were most certianly allowed to vote. We just made sure the room was empty before they entered.

Also, normally this would have taken place at a local school but with covid it was held at the local Holiday Inn. The hotel manager told me I couldn't let anyone in that was not wearing a mask but I take direction from Elections Canada and not the Holiday Inn so I reminded him that if HE was denying entry it would be on behalf of his company and NOT by a Canadian government agency. I wasn't a doorman for the Holiday fucking Inn.

At my training session it was drilled into our heads that every eligible voter has the right to vote and would not be turned away.

I also got a couple of thank you's from voters for volunteering. Lol, no, no volunteering, I get paid for working and I did.
 
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democracy was in the hands plommer

this could lead to a possible poster of the year nomination right @kato