First modern Britons had 'dark to black' skin, Cheddar Man DNA analysis reveals The genome of Cheddar Man, who lived 10,000 years ago, suggests that he had blue eyes, dark skin and dark curly hair   The first modern Britons, who lived about 10,000 years ago, had “dark to black” skin, a groundbreaking DNA analysis of Britain’s oldest complete skeleton has revealed. The fossil, known as Cheddar Man, was unearthed more than a century ago in Gough’s Cave in Somerset. Intense speculation has built up around Cheddar Man’s origins and appearance because he lived shortly after the first settlers crossed from continental Europe to Britain at the end of the last ice age. People of white British ancestry alive today are descendants of this population. Combing human genome reveals roots of hair diversity It was initially assumed that Cheddar Man had pale skin and fair hair, but his DNA paints a different picture, strongly suggesting he had blue eyes, a very dark brown to black complexion and dark curly hair. The discovery shows that the genes for lighter skin became widespread in European populations far later than originally thought – and that skin colour was not always a proxy for geographic origin in the way it is often seen to be today.  Tom Booth, an archaeologist at the Natural History Museum who worked on the project, said: “It really shows up that these imaginary racial categories that we have are really very modern constructions, or very recent constructions, that really are not applicable to the past at all.” Yoan Diekmann, a computational biologist at University College London and another member of the project’s team, agreed, saying the connection often drawn between Britishness and whiteness was “not an immutable truth. It has always changed and will change”. The findings were revealed ahead of a Channel 4 documentary, which tracked the ancient DNA project at the Natural History Museum in London as well as creating a new forensic reconstruction of Cheddar Man’s head. 850,000-year-old human footprints found in Norfolk To perform the DNA analysis, museum scientists drilled a 2mm-diameter hole into the ancient skull to obtain a few milligrams of bone powder. From this, they were able to extract a full genome, which held clues about this ancient relative’s appearance and lifestyle. The results pointed to a Middle Eastern origin for Cheddar Man, suggesting that his ancestors would have left Africa, moved into the Middle East and later headed west into Europe, before eventually crossing the ancient land bridge called Doggerland which connected Britain to continental Europe. Today, about 10% of white British ancestry can be linked to this ancient population. The analysis also ruled out an ancestral link with individuals inhabiting Gough’s Cave 5,000 years earlier, who appear to have performed grisly cannibalistic rituals, including gnawing on human toes and fingers – possibly after boiling them – and drinking from polished skull cups. Britain was periodically settled and then cleared during ice ages until the end of the last glacial period about 11,700 years ago, since when it has been continuously inhabited. Until now, though, it hasn’t been clear whether each wave of migrants was seeded from the same population in mainland Europe; the latest results suggest this was not the case. The team homed in on genes known to be linked to skin colour, hair colour and texture, and eye colour. For skin tone, there are a handful of genetic variants linked to reduced pigmentation, including some that are very widespread in European populations today. However, Cheddar Man had “ancestral” versions of all these genes, strongly suggesting he would have had “dark to black” skin tone, but combined with blue eyes. Scientists believe that populations living in Europe became lighter-skinned over time because pale skin absorbs more sunlight, which is required to produce enough vitamin D. The latest findings suggest pale skin may have emerged later, possibly when the advent of farming meant people were obtaining less vitamin D though dietary sources like oily fish. Cheddar Man would have lived a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, making sharp blades from flints for butchering animals, using antlers to whittle harpoons for spear fishing and carving bows and arrows. First Brit: Secrets of the 10,000 Year Old Man will air on Channel 4 on 18 February Topics Genetics Evolution Archaeology Anthropology Fossils Biology news.
Taken from guardian news report.
Wednesday, 7 February 2018
CHEDDAR MAN
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
100 years right for women to vote in Britain
A century after women first won the right to vote in the UK, politicians, activists and social media users have paid tribute to the women who helped to force a change in the law. The hashtag #100Years is trending worldwide, used more than 40,000 times on Twitter. Some social media users celebrated the contribution of women who campaigned for the right to vote. Others marked the occasion by highlighting work still to be done. Who are people talking about? The names of several prominent suffrage campaigners have been trending. BBC Radio 4 listeners voted Suffragist Dame Millicent Fawcett as the 'most influential' woman of the past 100 years , but Suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst has been mentioned almost 3,000 times on Twitter in the past 24 hours. Suffragettes and Suffragists both campaigned for a change in the law which would grant women the right to vote, but favoured different methods.   Tributes to other campaigners, including Sylvia and Christabel Pankhurst, and Emily Davison, a Suffragette who died when she ran in front of the King's horse during the 1913 Epsom Derby, have also been made by thousands. What are women in politics saying?   Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley Jess Phillips was among scores of politicians from all parties to mark the centenary online. The Prime Minister shared a picture of female MPs gathered in Parliament. "I'm proud that there are over 200 female MPS," she wrote. "Our democracy is stronger as a result." Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP First Minister of Scotland, also paid tribute to Suffragist and Suffragette campaigners. Reality Check: What if women hadn't been allowed to vote? Video: How the Suffragettes woke us up The female protesters against giving women the vote Prominent individuals outside of politics have also marked the anniversary. Sir Paul McCartney referenced his Wings song Jet in congratulating "all of us on the 100th anniversary of the Suffragette movement". More to be done? Many people marked the centenary by highlighting progress they say has yet be made. Channel 4 News presenter, Cathy Newman, pointed out "fewer than one third of MPs are female" and "all chancellors to date have been men," adding, "history still needs to be made". Referencing the exclusion of some women from enfranchisement in 1918, novelist and broadcaster Bonnie Greer said political life for a woman is still "different, harder, less rewarding, more dangerous than it is for a man" . The Jo Cox Foundation, a charity set up after Ms Cox's murder in 2016, shared pictures of the former MP as a 14-year-old visiting Downing Street on a school trip. By UGC and Social News team More on this story Votes for women: Pardoning suffragettes 'complicated' 06 February 2018 100 Women: The female protesters against giving women the vote 06 February 2018 Suffrage:
Monday, 5 February 2018
Holsworthy mark show man claiming to be visited by aliens and fathered children with them
Possible Ghostly encounter.
On Sunday 4th February 2018 on our bungalow in rural Holsworthy Devon my wife ENID believes she may had a experience of a supernatural .Whilst in her chair she heard adult footsteps coming towards her in the front room she shouted out to ask if anyone thier but no reply. As she was starting to get her adjustable chair ready to get her up she heard the footsteps going back to the front door. Myself and Shane. .Ends son ..my step son..we're out at time walking our jack Russell called Mitz. So it could be the following 1 Ghostly encounter. 2 Trick of the mind.3 possible intruder .So that's good over the possibilities I don't think it was 3 as why would anyone wish to intrude an less up too no good .2 possible as when tired or half asleep your mind can trick you.1 possible Ghostly encounter I think yes bit no proof so up to you what you believe .
Sunday, 4 February 2018
Cryptzoology in Devon and Cornwall
For a bit of fun cat jokes
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- Did you hear about the cat who drank 5 bowls of water? He set a new lap record.
- Did you hear about the cat who swallowed a ball of wool? She had mittens.
- What is the difference between a cat and a comma? One has the paws before the claws and the other has the clause before the pause.
- What do you get when you cross a chick with an alley cat? A peeping tom.
- Why don't cats play poker in the jungle? Too many cheetahs.
- What is a cat's favourite song? Three Blind Mice.
- What did the freshman computer science major say when he was told that the work stations had mice? Don't you have a cat?
- What is a cat's way of keeping law & order? Claw Enforcement.
- How did a cat take first prize at the bird show? He just jumped up to the cage, reached in, and took it.
- Why did a person with an unspayed female cat have to go to court? For kitty littering.
- Why did the litter of communist kittens become capitalists? Because they finally opened their eyes.
- Why are cats better than babies? Because you only have to change a litter box once a day.
- What is the name of the unauthorized autobiography of the cat? Hiss and Tell.
- What do you get when you cross an elephant with a cat? A big furry creature that purrs while it sits on your lap and squashes you.
- What does a cat do when it gets mad? It has a hissy fit.
- What do you call the cat that was caught by the police? The purrpatrator.
- What happened when the cat went to the flea circus? He stole the whole show!
- What is a cat's favourite colour? Purrrrrrrple!
- Where does a cat go when it loses its tail? The retail store.
- What does a cat like to eat on a hot day? A mice cream cone.
- What do cats use to make coffee? A purrcolator.
- What do you call a cat that has swallowed a duck? A duck filled fatty puss.
- If lights run on electricity and cars run on gas, what do cats run on? Their paws.
- Why is the cat so grouchy? Because he's in a bad mewd.
- If there are ten cats on a boat and one jumps off, how many cats are left on the boat? None! They were copy cats.
- Is it bad luck if a black cat follows you? That depends on whether you're a man or a mouse.
- How does the cat get its own way? With friendly purrsuasion.
- What do you call a cat that lives in an igloo? An eskimew.
- What has more lives than a cat? A frog because it croaks every night.
- What is a cat's favourite subject in school? HISStory.
- What do cats like to eat for breakfast? Mice Krispies.
- How do cats end a fight? They hiss and make up.
- What's happening when you hear "woof... splat... meow... splat?" It's raining cats and dogs.
- Why are cats such good singers? Because they're very mewsical.
- What do you call newborn kittens who keep getting passed from owner to owner? Chain litter.
- What is the cat's favourite magazine? Good Mousekeeping.
- How many cats can you put into an empty box? Only one. After that, the box isn't empty.
- Why do you always find the cat in the last place you look? Because you stop looking after you find it.
- If a cat can jump five feet high, then why can't it jump through a three foot window? Because the window is closed.
- What is a cat's favourite movie? "The Sound of Mewsic."
- What does a cat that lives near the beach have in common with Christmas? Sandy Claws.
- Where is one place that your cat can sit, but you can't? Your lap.
- Why did the cat put oil on the mouse? Because it squeaked.
- What side of the cat has the most fur? The OUT-side.
- What is a cat's favourite car? The Catillac.
- What kind of cat will keep your grass short? A Lawn Meower.
- Why did the judge dismiss the entire jury made up of cats? Because each of them was guilty of purrjury.
- What do you use to comb a cat? A catacomb.
- Why did the cat run from the tree? Because it was afraid of the bark!
- Why is it so hard for a leopard to hide? Because he's always spotted.
Holsworthy mark show how to be a Cryptozoologist
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