Paleoanthropologists analyzed fragments of a femur found on the island of Java back in the late 19th century. Based on this analysis, they were able to reconstruct the bone and conclude that it likely belonged to a man who was quite tall for his time, reaching a height of about 170.5 centimeters.
According to an article published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology, this individual existed at least 33.3 thousand years ago. Remains of early sapiens are rare in Southeast Asia, but the first significant finds were made by researchers in the late 19th century. In 1888, a mining engineer discovered an ancient human skull in a marble quarry on the island of Java, after which he handed it over to the Dutch doctor and anthropologist Eugène Dubois. This scientist subsequently discovered pithecanthropes on the Indonesian island.
In 1890, Dubois continued his investigations in the same location and found another skull. These two skulls became known as Wadjak-1 and Wadjak-2. Both skulls, which were transported to the Netherlands, corresponded to the Homo sapiens type. In addition to the skulls, postcranial skeleton bones were found at the Wadjak site, although they are less studied. For a long time, the age of these remains remained unclear until researchers published a study in 2013 on the results of dating the samples using uranium series, establishing a minimum age for the monument bones in the range of 28.5 to 37.4 thousand years.
As part of a new study, Christopher Raff from Johns Hopkins University and his team, working in Germany, Indonesia, the Netherlands, and the USA, focused on analyzing femur fragments extracted from the Wadjak site and located in Leiden. It is planned that these fragments will be moved to the National Museum in Jakarta in August 2026. Previous studies of one of the fragments indicated that it belonged to a person who died no earlier than 36.5 ± 3.2 thousand years ago, corresponding to an age of at least 33.3 thousand years.
Paleoanthropologists used computer tomography to study these fragments and confirmed that the fragments are most likely parts of a single bone, which was later reconstructed in digital format. According to expert calculations, the original length of this femur was about 468 millimeters. Although there is little data on the lengths of femurs of late Pleistocene humans from Asia, researchers noted that the find from Java is the longest. It exceeds the femur of a man from the Tianyuan cave in China, who lived about 40 thousand years ago near modern Beijing, by approximately five millimeters. Ultimately, paleoanthropologists concluded that the femur from Wadjak also belonged to a man whose height is estimated at approximately 170.5 centimeters, which is considered a high indicator for people of that era.
The restaurant Baio Cozinha Sulista, located on the twenty-third floor of W São Paulo, has presented a new menu created by chef Tuca Mezzomo, along with a new drink list conceived by Rachel Louise, the hotel's bar manager.
The innovations maintain the establishment's focus on exploring the ingredients and culinary traditions of Southern Brazil, integrating modern methods with products supplied by small producers. Tuca, originally from Passo Fundo (RS), structured the menu based on identity elements of Gaúcho cuisine, such as indigenous, countryside, and European immigrant influences, using a Josper oven in dish preparation. Chef Felipe Bezerra collaborated on the kitchen operation at Baio during the creation of this menu.
Among the highlights of the new menu are the sea bass crudo accompanied by guava and jalapeño aguachile; the toasted corn cream with macadamia; the agnolotti made with tubers, served in a Catarina mushroom consommé; the grilled octopus, which comes with smoked paprika emulsion, roasted cassava, and green apple; and the grilled sea bass, served with fregola cooked in baked fish broth, blackberry pickles, and roses. Additionally, established dishes, such as pumpkin torte with shrimp, have been kept on the menu.
The desserts, under the responsibility of pastry chef Gilmar Ferreira, celebrate the typical flavors of the Southern region. Among them are the chimarrão popsicle with raspberry and pistachio, and a dessert made with bracatinga molasses, spices, and cream emulsion. The renewal also includes a new selection of cocktails created by Rachel Louise. These drinks incorporate Brazilian ingredients and allude to Gaúcho culture, exemplified by the Mate Martini (with yerba mate, bacuri, and fine sherry), the Guaco (which contains bourbon, guava, and medicinal herb), and the Pumpkin Old Fashioned. The list also offers non-alcoholic alternatives, such as the Brisa (with cambuci and pumpkin compote) and the Tanino, which combines jabuticaba and papaya seed.
A study recently published in the journal Science indicates that humanity experienced a period of great linguistic diversity, referred to as the 'golden age,' about three thousand years ago.
Researchers used statistical models and population data to reconstruct the trajectory of languages since the beginning of agriculture. The findings point out that the planet already hosted tens of thousands of languages simultaneously.
The results suggest that language variety reached its peak approximately two thousand years ago, with estimates reaching 75 thousand languages spoken globally. This moment of great cultural richness was fostered by the population increase resulting from the domestication of plants and animals, which allowed for the emergence of isolated communities.
Before the introduction of agriculture, the world population was modest, ranging between four and seven million individuals. Based on the behavior of contemporary hunter-gatherer groups, scientists calculated that there were between 4.5 thousand and 6 thousand languages in the period prior to agriculture. As populations settled and grew, new forms of communication were created and disseminated.
However, this period of abundance was succeeded by an accelerated process of extinction, which occurred long before modern colonization. The emergence and expansion of the first multinational empires resulted in the spread of a few dominant languages across the globe. Together with the advance of these vast states, the dissemination of diseases and cultural imposition led to the gradual disappearance of thousands of local dialects.
Currently, the number of active languages on the planet is around 7.5 thousand, a figure significantly lower than what was recorded in the past. The research highlights that more than four languages cease to exist annually worldwide, and this rate of disappearance tends to increase over time. This discovery alters the scientific understanding of human cultural evolution, demonstrating that language loss is an ancestral phenomenon. Furthermore, statistical modeling confirms that linguistic extinction played a much more relevant role in shaping contemporary society than previously believed.
According to a study published in the journal Science Advances this month, the causes of death for three Inca children sacrificed about five hundred years ago differ from what archaeology had previously suggested.
Researchers conducted medical examinations of mummies preserved in Chile and determined that physical injuries and post-mortem traces cast doubt on existing theories regarding these rituals. Analyses of the bodies, which were well-preserved due to the cold and dryness of the Andes, refute old assumptions of death by frostbite or asphyxiation.
Modern technology has allowed secrets of Inca ceremonies to be revealed. In the case of an eight-year-old boy found in Cerro El Plomo, the hypothesis of death from hypothermia was ruled out. Computed tomography revealed skull fractures caused by impact from a heavy object, confirming direct violent action before burial in the mountains.
Regarding the two young girls discovered in Cerro Esmeralda, analysis showed they were not strangled, contrary to previous records. Neck bone studies did not reveal fractures or dislocations. Instead, marks on the neck were attributed to prolonged contact with clothing after death, leaving the exact cause of death undetermined.
A complex of advanced forensic methods, including dermatoscopy and histological skin analysis, was used to re-evaluate the remains. The application of these tools allowed for the study of the internal structure of the mummified bodies without damaging the preserved tissues.
Isotope chemical analysis in samples of hair, teeth, and bones helped map the diet and travel routes of the victims. The boy traveled a distance of 2.6 to 2.8 thousand kilometers from Cusco over nine months, while the girls covered up to 1.2 thousand kilometers in three months, participating in rituals with local populations along the way.
These pilgrimages were part of Capacocha—a ceremony of political and religious expansion through which the Inca Empire sacrificed human lives to sacred peaks. The investigation concluded that this practice transformed the selected individuals into sacred entities for mediation between communities, gods, and the state.
