Parasites and the Microbiome
A study funded in part by The Leakey Foundation investigated the links between parasite infection and the gut microbiome. Researchers discovered that the presence of parasites was strongly associated with the overall composition of the microbiome.
Naturally perforated shells one of the earliest adornments in the Middle Paleolithic
Ancient humans deliberately collected perforated shells in order to string them together as beads, according to a study supported in part by The Leakey Foundation and published July 8, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.
Two New Fossil Primate Species Discovered at Gona in Ethiopia
Leakey Foundation grantee Sileshi Semaw from the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), is coauthor of a paper published in the Journal of Human Evolution that describes two newly discovered primate species.
Fossil footprints reveal snapshot of group behavior in prehistoric humans
The largest collection of footprints from the human fossil record in Africa is described in Scientific Reports this week. The findings, which further our understanding of human life during the Late Pleistocene period, suggest a division of labor in ancient human communities.
Punishing Selfish Behavior May Be a Universal Human Response
New research by Leakey Foundation Scientific Executive Committee Member Joan Silk suggests that humans willingly incur costs to punish selfishness in others, and our societies are likely more cooperative as a result.