Startling discovery calls into question human dominance

Who used the first stone tools? Plus, is there a tie between tinnitus and COVID vaccines?  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌    ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  

 

GIANT, RARE JELLYFISH ON CAMERA VIEW ONLINE

GIANT, RARE JELLYFISH ON CAMERA

MAYBE HUMANS WEREN’T THE SMARTEST AFTER ALL Friday, February 10, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we learn who first used stone tools (hint: it wasn't us), discover a giant phantom jellyfish, listen in on the first voicemails, see nearly endangered animals being sold online ... and nap with a peaceful polar bear.

PHOTOGRAPH BY T.W. PLUMMER, J.S. OLIVER, AND E. M. FINESTONE, HOMA PENINSULA PALEOANTHROPOLOGY PROJECT It was a startling surprise. Researchers announced Thursday that the oldest known stone tools have been found, but—get this—they may not have been made by a human ancestor. They were found alongside fossils from the hominin Paranthropus, reinforcing a theory that human ancestors were not the first to use such tools. Previous researchers thought hominins in the genus Homo—who definitely used stone tools—were smarter, but perhaps other factors put human ancestors ahead in the evolutionary lottery. It’s a humbling moment—and questions many suppositions about human dominance. Read the full story here. Please consider getting our digital report and magazine by subscribing here.

PHOTOGRAPH BY T.W. PLUMMER, HOMA PENINSULA PALEOANTHROPOLOGY PROJECT Unsettling discovery: More than 300 stone tools have been unearthed at this site (pictured above) in southwestern Kenya. They date back some 3 million years and are raising questions about human origins and dominance. Read more

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

PHOTOGRAPH BY SULZER, RDB/ULLSTEIN BILD VIA GETTY IMAGES

Beep! It’s the world’s first voicemail—and it came sooner than you think (Above, a Voice-o-Graph booth in 1958) COVID can trigger tinnitus. Could the vaccines do the same? What you don’t know about menopause, hot flashes, and depression Discovered: A rare giant jellyfish, deep in the Antarctic

For decades, secretive China hid the discovery of an 800-year-old shipwreck The pleasure palace that coddled and enabled ‘the world’s greatest lover’ Code-maker extraordinaire: Mary, Queen of Scots Hike the first backpacking trail in the U.S.’s only tropical rainforest What your lips reveal about your health

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH BY BECKY HALE Etsy sells just about everything: Including dead, near threatened species, apparently. During last October alone, researchers monitoring international wildlife trade found more than 500 ads on Etsy and 71 on eBay for products made from bats, including hats and barrettes decorated with the flying mammals. (Etsy declined to comment.) Now the challenge is to discover the scale and impact of the trade, Nat Geo's Wildlife Watch reports. (Online shoppers bought painted woolly bats, like the one above.) Related: Bats are being killed so people can suck their blood THE LATEST ACCESSORY?

PHOTO OF THE DAY

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARTIN GREGUS The people have spoken: Out of nearly 39,000 images from 93 countries, 25 images have been shortlisted for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 58 People’s Choice Awards. Among the honorees is Nat Geo photographer Martin Gregus for an image of a polar bear among fireweed in the Canadian Arctic. It is similar to the one above, featured in our story on the softer side of polar bears. Related: How snow leopards are finally coming into view—the 'ghost' featured in this year's winning image BEAR DAYS OF SUMMER

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

PHOTOGRAPH BY PETER WOITSCHIKOWSKI What is this? A peacock’s feather? Blades of wheat? Expert micro-photographer Peter Woitschikowski can find the exotic in every day objects, even one (above) that you may swallow every morning. What is it? Click here to find out. MICROSCOPIC WONDERS

Today’s soundtrack: The Magic Number, De La Soul (h/t Vernon Reid) This newsletter has been curated and edited by Jen Tse, Sydney Combs, and David Beard. Have feedback? Email david.beard@natgeo.com. Note: Our Wildlife Watch investigative unit is supported by the National Geographic Society. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

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