The eruption of the Toba supervolcano is thought to have been the largest in our species’ existence. Inevitably‚ it changed the climate of the planet for a period. Findings from Ethiopia have now led some anthropologists to think Toba could also be key to one of the great mysteries of human evolution: what caused our final expansion out of Africa. It might even overturn a central assumption of how migrations from Africa occurred.The genus Homo is thought to have left Africa close to a million years ago in the form of H. erectus‚ if not well before. Yet modern humans seem to have found it much more difficult. Whether this was because conditions had changed‚ or because of competition from our already established near relatives‚ we don’t know. However‚ it seems that H. sapiens expanded into western Asia and Europe on several occasions‚ without being able to stay.Why then did a subsequent migration quickly lead to us reaching all parts of Eurasia and even Australia‚ followed much later by the Americas and Pacific islands? According to a large team of scientists‚ it might have been the result of an eruption thousands of kilometers from the closest population of Homo sapiens‚ in what is now Indonesia.There is no doubt that the Toba eruption was enormous‚ releasing at least 2‚000 cubic kilometers of material. Given the much smaller Tambora eruption produced a “year without a summer” from all the dust and ash blocking the Sun‚ it’s almost certain Toba caused cooling‚ possibly for several years. Quite how much is debated‚ but one estimate suggests a drop of 5°C (9°F)‚ briefly returning the planet to ice age conditions.Even though the climate would have returned to normal within a few years‚ our ancestors' stores of food would have been almost non-existent at the time. This has inspired the Toba catastrophe theory‚ which proposes that post-eruption conditions reduced the human population to less than 10‚000‚ creating a genetic bottleneck. The idea is much debated‚ with many arguing the climatic effects were smaller and the bottleneck’s timing is wrong.Professor Curtis Marean of Arizona State University thinks the two mysteries might be connected‚ based on diggings in the horn of Africa‚ particularly Shinfa-Metema 1 in northwestern Ethiopia. Marean and colleagues found tiny volcanic glass shards known as cryptotephra at sites where humans lived‚ and that occupation of those sites continued after the layer in which the particles are found was deposited.A tiny glass shard from the Toba supereruption‚ shows humans occupied the site before‚ during and after the volcanic winter.Image credit: Racheal Johnsen"This study confirms the results from Pinnacle Point in South Africa—the eruption of Toba may have changed the environment in Africa‚ but people adapted and survived that eruption-caused environmental change‚" Marean said in a statement. The Shinfa-Metema 1 site could have even deeper implications‚ Marean and colleagues think. The standard explanation of expansion out of Africa‚ by modern humans‚ other Homo species‚ and even other large mammals‚ is that they followed “green corridors” during wet periods that turned normally forbidding regions like the Sinai Desert to grass.However‚ Shinfa-Metema 1‚ which is by the banks of a tributary of the Nile‚ tells a different story. Almost 16‚000 pieces of chipped stone‚ mostly very small in size‚ have been found on one small patch‚ indicating a long-term human presence. Dating suggests it was occupied when conditions in the region were dry. Even when the river didn’t flow‚ the riverbed became a series of waterholes‚ the authors propose‚ and humans survived by hunting the animals that came to drink‚ unsporting as it may have been. Fish intake rose in these times‚ presumably because they were easier to catch as the water levels fell.Toba may have produced a particularly extreme dry season in northeastern Africa. Triangular stone tools found at Shinfa-Metema 1 from around the Toba era are thought to be the oldest evidence of archery in the world.Stone points found at Shinfa-Metema 1 are more consistent with arrowheads than the tips of spears‚ making this the oldest evidence of archery in the world‚ coinciding with the Toba eruption.Image credit: Blue Nile Survey Project"As people depleted food in and around a given dry season waterhole‚ they were likely forced to move to new waterholes‚" said Professor John Kappelman. "Seasonal rivers thus functioned as 'pumps' that siphoned populations out along the channels from one waterhole to another‚ potentially driving the most recent out-of-Africa dispersal."Instead of a “green corridor”‚ humans may have migrated to the edge of Africa along “blue highways”‚ and eventually found points to cross.“This scenario makes it probable that the dispersing population would be reduced in size and is perhaps linked to the low genetic diversity of the modern humans that departed Africa‚” the authors note.The team doubt those who left their mark at Shinfa-Metema 1 were the ones to make the great migration‚ or even their ancestors. Nevertheless‚ they think the skills this population developed would have been common among survivors elsewhere in Africa‚ including close to potential crossing points into Asia.The study is published in Nature.

If you’re looking for something wholesomely bonkers to learn about today‚ look no further than the fish doorbell. Now back for the fourth year in a row‚ this internet sensation might end up with you accidentally wasting your lunch break‚ but hopefully‚ you’ll feel less bad about that when you discover how you’ll be helping out nature along the way.Every spring‚ randy fish begin to swim through the canals in Utrecht looking for a place to spawn and reproduce. However‚ there’s an obstacle – a lock. Found on the west side of the inner city‚ the Weerdsluis lock rarely opens in spring‚ meaning fish can end up waiting quite a while before they can continue on their baby-making journey.Having to wait around isn’t just a matter of fishy blue balls though; they’re also more likely to become snacks for hungry grebes and cormorants. Given that a plentiful fish population is vital to keeping their habitat healthy‚ local authorities set to finding a solution.That came in the form of an underwater camera installed at the lock‚ which provides a 24/7 livestream of the fishy goings-on beneath the surface. This is linked up to a website with a digital doorbell. If users spot a fish waiting‚ they’re encouraged to press the doorbell‚ which sends a notification to the lock operator. If there’s enough fish waiting‚ then the lock is opened up by hand and the fish can swim on through.The doorbell was first introduced back in 2021 and has become something of a hit every year since‚ spawning (heh) fans far and wide‚ and of course‚ TikToks and tweets aplenty. IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.“I thought I’d reach out to the public and see how many people would be willing to do this for a few minutes per day. Initially we even went door-to-door‚ asking households near the lock if they were interested in helping out‚” ecologist and fish doorbell inventor Mark van Heukelum told the Guardian.  “Little did we know that it would go viral in just a matter of days.” But it’s not just a popular (and oddly soothing) boredom buster.“We also want to show Utrecht’s residents and visitors how much life there is underwater in the canals‚” reads the doorbell’s website. “The doorbell also provides information on the species and numbers of fish travelling through Utrecht’s waterways. We can use that information to improve the quality of underwater life in Utrecht.”The fish doorbell even has its own weekly video journal‚ in which van Heukelum covers the most interesting footage captured in the last week‚ gives a “fish forecast” for the next week‚ and answers audience questions.If you’re hoping to pour your heart and sole into helping out some fishy friends‚ the best time for catching a glimpse is at dawn and dusk in Utrecht when there are fewer predators about. This year’s stream started on March 1‚ and it usually ends around late June‚ so you’ve got plenty of time for viewing oppor-tuna-ties. Check out the livestream here and let us know in the comments if you spot anything!

On Monday April 8‚ the Great American Eclipse will grace a large strip of North America‚ providing sky-gawking observers with the last total solar eclipse in the contiguous US and Canada until 2044. If you’re gearing up to enjoy this spectacle‚ be wary that there is still one uncontrollable hurdle to overcome: cloudy weather. Oddly enough‚ common cumulus clouds tend to disappear almost instantly during solar eclipses. Nevertheless‚ heavy cloud cover can still obstruct or diminish the view of the solar eclipse. For ideal viewing conditions‚ you want a pleasant day without a cloud in the sky.Only a thin strand of North America will be in the solar eclipse’s path of totality‚ the geographical track where people viewing the eclipse will be able to see the Moon's shadow completely covering the Sun. This narrow path of totality will travel diagonally up from Mexico before passing through Texas‚ then Oklahoma‚ Arkansas‚ Missouri‚ Illinois‚ Kentucky‚ Indiana‚ Ohio‚ Pennsylvania‚ New York‚ Vermont‚ New Hampshire‚ and Maine. It will then pass into Canada in Southern Ontario‚ and continue through Quebec‚ New Brunswick‚ Prince Edward Island‚ and Nova Scotia.Of course‚ weather will vary from region to region. Weather forecasts are more accurate the closer they are to the day in question – and it’s still too early to tell with certainty whether April 8 will be a cloudy one. However‚ you can see whether history is on your side. It’s possible to gain a decent insight into what the weather may hold on April 8 by studying long-term historical average cloud cover. Using tons of historical data‚ this has been beautifully illustrated in an interactive map developed by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information and the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies.A screenshot on March 21 of the interactive map‚ showing potential weather conditions during the April 2024 Total Solar Eclipse based on historical trends. The darker the dot‚ the higher the chance of cloud cover.Image credit: NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information/the North Carolina Institute for Climate StudiesAs you can see‚ historical data suggests that early April days are not too cloudy for much of the US‚ especially parts in the south where the eclipse’s path of totality will run through. The skies are generally not too cloudy for the southern US at this time of year‚ although things can be much cloudier around northeastern states near the Great Lakes‚ like Ohio and New York state. This year is also seeing the end of El Niño‚ a god-like climatic force in the Pacific Ocean that influences the weather across much of the world. Although they are starting to fade‚ El Niño conditions will still be present on April 8 and may have a slight influence on cloud coverage. According to Eclipsophile‚ a blog run by an eclipse-loving meteorologist Jay Anderson‚ previous April months that have followed an El Niño winter generally have been slightly less cloudy than non-El Niño years in Texas and Oklahoma. Beyond these two states‚ the impact of El Niño on cloud cover in April is hard to tell.Truth be told‚ we'll have to see what April 8 will have in store. Weather conditions can change hour-by-hour and cloud cover can shift within a minute's notice. If you want to prepare for the Great American Eclipse‚ the best thing you can do is get a decent pair of eclipse glasses. Beyond that‚ a lot will be down to luck.“It’s going to be what it’s going to be‚” Anderson‚ who has traveled to see every total solar eclipse since 1979‚ told the New York Times.

A man fitted with a Neuralink brain implant participated in a livestream on X (formerly known as Twitter) yesterday‚ using the device to play a game of chess online.In May 2023‚ the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) controversially gave permission for Neuralink to trial the company's device in humans‚ following trials in monkeys‚ and a pig named Gertrude. In January 2024‚ the company announced that they had fitted a chip into a human subject for the first time.Towards the end of February 2024‚ Neuralink founder Elon Musk gave an update on Neuralink's human trial of their brain implant device‚ in which he claimed that the recipient could now use the device to control a cursor on a screen using his mind.“Progress is good‚ and the patient seems to have made a full recovery‚ with neural effects that we are aware of‚" Elon Musk said in the update‚ per Reuters. "Patient is able to move a mouse around the screen by just thinking‚”In a live demonstration of the technology on Wednesday‚ the recipient – now known to be 29-year-old Noland Arbaugh – showed that he was able to move the cursor with apparent ease‚ using it to play a game of chess.              IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites."I love playing chess‚ so this is one of the things that you all have enabled me to do. I wasn't able to really do much the last few years‚ especially not like this‚" Arbaugh explained during the livestream. "I had to use my mouth [device]‚ but now it's all being done with my brain."Arbaugh‚ who was paralyzed below the shoulders in a car accident‚ explained that the surgery was successful‚ and following a little training with the device‚ he was able to use it to control a cursor on the screen‚ even using it to play the video game Civilization VI."We started out trying a few different things. We basically went from [...] differentiating imagined movement vs attempted movement. So a lot of what we started out with was attempting to move. I would attempt to move‚ say‚ my right hand left right forward back‚" he said in the presentation. "And from there it just became intuitive for me to start imagining the cursor moving. It was basically like using the Force on a cursor. I could get it to move wherever I wanted‚ stare somewhere on the screen and it would move where I wanted it to‚ which was such a wild experience."He had been unable to play games on his own‚ relying on friends and family members to control whatever device he wanted to use. Now he is able‚ when the Neuralink device is charged‚ to play games to his heart's content. "And I'm kicking ass‚" he added.The device and other brain-computer interfaces are exciting‚ with the potential to improve the lives of people with paralysis. However‚ this is only the first human trial of Neuralink's device‚ and there is a long road ahead."It's not perfect. I would say that we have run into some issues‚" said Arbaugh. "I don't want people to think that this is the end of the journey‚ there's still a lot of work to be done. But it has already changed my life."

Stepping in poop‚ eating rotten food‚ standing downwind from a garbage truck: we’ve all been there‚ and it seems the disgusting memories stay with us with good reason. Research has shown how disgusting experiences are remembered with more details about smells‚ tastes‚ and touches compared to scary or morally questionable ones. While unpleasant on the mind‚ it could be an adaptation that helps us survive.Why do we find things disgusting?Human beings try to avoid disgusting situations‚ and with good reason. If we were totally chill sitting in piles of other people’s filth‚ there’s a good chance we’d eventually meet with the consequences of our actions in getting sick.Disgust could be a benefit in helping us to avoid threats we detect with our "close up" (aka‚ proximal) senses‚ like touch‚ taste‚ and smell‚ while things we detect with our "further away" (aka distal) senses might be better remembered through sight and sound.What they didTo test the theory‚ scientists asked participants in a study to recount disgusting stories‚ from the most ever to the most recent. They also asked them about experiences that were morally repulsive‚ and ones that were scary. They then asked the participants to rate how heavily the senses contributed to their memory of the event. What they foundThe results showed that disgusting experiences are more closely tied to the proximal senses: smell‚ taste‚ and touch. By comparison‚ morally repulsive and scary experiences are more often remembered by the distal senses‚ which are sight and sound.This supports the disease hypothesis as those proximal senses are crucial in avoiding things that could make us ill. For example‚ we look to the smell‚ taste‚ and texture of milk as an indicator of freshness over its sight and sound. However‚ if you were once hit by a car‚ you might more vividly remember the sound of its approach over whatever you could smell at the time.What we learned about ourselvesWhen discussing the story‚ Managing Editor Katy Evans shared that she’d had a harrowing run-in with a surprise and overpowering dose of truffle while cooking. Not quite disease avoidance‚ but you can imagine how the conversation went after that. So‚ here’s some IFLS flavor in the form of disgusting taste‚ smell‚ and touch stories. Enjoy!Content Creator‚ Eleanor Higgs: Third-year zoology students like to believe that we're made of strong stuff when it comes to dissections‚ but put 50 students in a room on a hot summer's day with 25 rotting mackerel and you'll find even the strongest of stomachs turning at the smell coming off those. Senior Journalist‚ Tom Hale: When my sister was around 12‚ she made coconut ice and made a pretty little box to present it in. The box ended up sitting on the window sill for weeks or months‚ and my dumb six-year-old ass decided to eat it. I was sick for like three days and now hate desiccated coconut.Science Writer‚ Dr Russell Moul: I remember when I was doing my A Levels in psychology‚ I had to visit a primary school to observe some reception children playing and taking part in an experiment. Despite my best efforts‚ the kids wouldn't leave me alone and kept jumping on me as I tried to conduct the experiment. At the time‚ I had long-ish hair. I still remember leaving the place and later running my hand through my hair only to find a large patch that was stuck together with something that was "tacky". As I removed it from my hair‚ it turned out to be a massive clod of partially dried snot from one of the little gits. It has been 19 years‚ and I still vividly remember how it felt‚ both in my hair and then in my hand.Sci-comm Legend‚ Rachael Funnell: The year is 2023 and I am clearing the mess of communal bins outside of my poorly managed shared housing property. Dog walkers have taken the disarray as a sign that it’s a free-for-all for dumping poo bags‚ and oh boy‚ have their numbers grown. I eventually caved and decided to clean the mess myself‚ and I’ll never forget the smell. One of the bins had filled with rainwater and turned a poo bag into a sort of cursed tea bag‚ swollen with water that had somehow got in and wouldn’t come out. Senior Staff Writer‚ James Felton: Don't get how you all can remember the taste of stuff‚ I'd just sit there remembering eating sausages.Good to have you on the team‚ James.The study is published in Royal Society Open Science.

An early amphibian has been named after the greatest living (sort of) frog: Kermit. The species‚ given the scientific title Kermitops gratus‚ preceded true frogs and is considered by the scientists who described it as a proto-amphibian important to the development of this important animal order.K. gratus was described from a fossil skull held in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History since 1984. It was found in 270-million-year-old rocks from north-central Texas. George Washington University Doctoral Student Calvin So got to lead the writing of the description‚ and having confirmed it was a previously unknown species‚ to provide the name. While many choose names of scientific mentors or relating to the place where a fossil is found‚ So and co-authors went for something with broader appeal.Nine years after scientists discovered a living frog that looks just like the famous Muppet and inexplicably called it Hyalinobatrachium dianae‚ So took the chance to make things right. Kermit has been honored with a species name previously‚ Hensonbatrachus kermiti‚ but this is his first genus.“Using the name Kermit has significant implications for how we can bridge the science that is done by paleontologists in museums to the general public‚” So said in a statement. “Because this animal is a distant relative of today’s amphibians‚ and Kermit is a modern-day amphibian icon‚ it was the perfect name for it.”The “ops” in the name comes from the Greek for face‚ as it was the unusually wide-eyed shape of the skull that made So think of Kermit.K. gratus had a skull just 3 centimeters (1.3 inches) long and 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) wide; the dimensions of the rest of its body are unknown. Then‚ as today‚ life would have been dangerous for a creature of this size. The same Red Beds in which Smithsonian curator Nicholas Hotton found the fossil also revealed larger reptiles and synapsids‚ the ancestors of mammals‚ many of which would have been frogivorous. The fossil Kermitops compared to a modern frog skull. Kermit's ear is at the bottom. Like modern frogs it is covered by an external tympanum or eardrum. Boney shingles within the eyelid that would have protected the eye can be seen at mid-right.Image Credit: Brittany M. Hance‚ Smithsonian.There is an immense backlog of fossil discoveries waiting to be described‚ into which Kermit the ancestral amphibian fell – until rescued by So‚ at the suggestion of Dr Arjan Mann.Many of K. gratus’s features are common to other amphibamiforms of the era‚ but a few are unique‚ particularly an apparent fontanelle in the upper jaw.Calvin So holding Kermitop's skull in the palm of his hand‚ as opposed to the traditional interaction.Image Credit: Phillip R LeeBased on the shape of its skull‚ K. gratus is thought to have fed on grub-like insects‚ a reasonable precursor to Kermit’s stated diet of flies. The authors suspect it more closely resembled a modern salamander than a frog‚ but could be ancestral to both.Unsurprisingly‚ amphibians do not fossilize as well as species with more solid bones‚ so little is known of their ancestry‚ making Kermitops an important development.“Paleontology is always more than just dinosaurs‚ and there are lots of cool evolutionary stories and mysteries still waiting to be answered. We just need to keep looking‚” Mann said.Perhaps being honored in this way will make Kermit feel it’s a little easier being green. It also leaves open the possibility that if a slightly younger and smaller species is found‚ it could be called Robin. If only Jim Henson had lived to see it – but at least he got a sea slug.The scientific description‚ including the name‚ is published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 

In a heartwarming tale of unexpected friendship and kindness‚ a man’s epic response to a starving deer that appeared at his doorstep captures our imagination and tugs at our heartstrings. This narrative unfolds in Quebec‚ where Jeff‚ the protagonist of our story‚ encounters a tiny‚ abandoned fawn in his backyard. Surprised to see the little... The post Starving baby deer stumbles up to man’s door and begs him for help appeared first on Animal Channel.

It might be a slapstick prop or something one would use for a prank. But for this donkey‚ the screaming rubber chicken might be one of the best things he received in his life. For us‚ this silly toy is just for gags. Looking at its wide eyes‚ “O” shaped mouth‚ and the long droning... The post Mom brings donkey an oversized “screaming chicken” and it makes his entire day appeared first on Animal Channel.

Planet Fitness has recently come under fire after word broke that an Alaska location of the gym chain allowed a man to shave in the women's bathroom. Now the gym’s stock has plummeted after it canceled the membership of the woman who complained. The incident took place earlier this week when a former gym member‚ Patricia Silvia‚ encountered a man in the women’s locker room. The man was reportedly shaving his face. Silvia also claimed that there was “a little girl sitting in the corner” who was likely around 12-years-old‚ “in a towel‚ kind of freaked out‚” in a written post online‚ Daily Mail reported. The man reportedly told Silvia that he was queer.  When Silvia went to Planet Fitness management to complain‚ instead of issuing an apology that Silvia had to be exposed to a man in a place that's supposed to be safe for women‚ they revoked her membership because she took a photo of the man in the women’s locker room. Apparently Silvia breaking a gym rule about photography was grounds for dismissal‚ but a man entering the ladies locker room wasn’t?! Cray cray. Since the event‚ public support for Silvia has poured out. Earlier this week the gym giant trended on X while many users wrote “#BoycottPlanetFitness” after finding out how the gym stood by the queer freak.  Additionally‚ as the New York Post reported‚ Planet Fitness’ stock price was traded at a monthly high of $66.92 on March 7. As of Tuesday of this week‚ that price was down to $56.46 and is projected to keep plummeting. Even so‚ Planet Fitness has remained firm in its stance to punish Silvia rather than the queer man. “Our gender identity non-discrimination policy states that members and guests may use the facilities that best align with the sincere‚ self-reported gender identity‚” the gym said in a statement. “If it is confirmed that a member is acting in bad faith and improperly asserts a gender identity‚ they may be asked to leave and their membership may be terminated.” What’s odd about this whole thing is that the queer man didn’t even look like he was trying to be a lady. No makeup‚ no wig‚ no dress like many of the trans women often deck themselves out in. Honestly‚ it looked like the man just entered the locker room willy nilly‚ and when he got caught‚ insisted that he identified as a woman.  In a separate video‚ Silvia insisted that she felt like she "was in an unsafe space" after noticing a "man with a penis" in the women's locker room. She noted that Planet Fitness prioritized said "man with a penis" over a young child who had witnessed the incident. As the New York Post also noted‚ this type of thing isn’t new for Planet Fitness. In 2015‚ a Michigan woman‚ Yvette Cormier‚ sued the gym after complaining about a transgender woman (a man). A judge ruled against Cormier. While it’s sad that Silvia had to be part of such a violating incident‚ at least it seems like nobody is on Planet Fitness' side in this!

An arts and entertainment publication in Seattle has called upon locals to inundate the city's Office of Police Accountability with complaints against cops in hopes of effecting change at the Seattle Police Department.Earlier this week‚ a blog post in the Stranger encouraged Seattleites to report instances of officers driving "badly" or appearing to ignore posted traffic signs. It also gives readers detailed instructions about filing reports."If we report enough cops for driving badly‚" the subheadline reads‚ "maybe they’ll stop killing us and costing us money."The post admits that minor alleged traffic violations likely are not enough to have a cop "fired‚" but author Ashley Nerbovig indicates that having cops fired is not necessarily the ultimate goal of the project. Rather‚ Nerbovig hopes that so many complaints are issued at the OPA that "SPD’s top brass" will come to view more and more officers as "a lawsuit liability" and then "start cracking down" on them for their driving.Conservative talk show host Jason Rantz claimed that OPA director Gino Betts tacitly invited such a complaint campaign by stating that his office would investigate many seemingly frivolous reports‚ including those about "driving in bus lanes" and "not using turn signals."Betts‚ an activist former prosecutor‚ has gone on record to complain about unfair treatment as "a young black boy growing up on the south side of Chicago." According to a video promoting his office's work‚ Betts employees a few officers and a handful of civilians — including a young woman whose desk area is arrayed with Hello Kitty posters — to investigate complaints against police. Rantz argued that for many cops‚ even those who are ultimately exonerated‚ the process is the punishment. "They’re put in a position to explain why they faced complaints to begin with‚ and in this case‚ traffic violations on the job could lead to dozens of complaints‚" Rantz said.Rantz also noted that officers sometimes have to bypass established traffic rules to perform their sworn duties properly. As examples‚ Rantz claimed that officers ought to exceed the speed limit when driving to the location of a mass shooting‚ park in bus lanes to apprehend thieves‚ and even blow red lights at deserted intersections when a person's life may be at stake.When good cops constantly fear social or departmental reprisal for real or perceived missteps‚ victims are the ones who suffer most‚ Rantz said. "If an officer doesn’t speed on his way to a shooting because he or she would face a 20th politically motivated complaint‚ that will be more blood on activists’ hands‚" he wrote.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!