No Known Hominin Is Ancestor of Neanderthals and Modern Humans

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**Photos of the researcher will be available Monday, Oct. 21 at 12 p.m. Eastern.**
**Full research paper and figures, including visuals of the teeth studied, available now under embargo, upon request.**

Newswise — WASHINGTON—The search for a common ancestor linking modern humans with the Neanderthals who lived in Europe thousands of years ago has been a compelling subject for research. But a new study suggests the quest isn’t nearly complete.

Researchers, using quantitative methods focused on the shape of dental fossils, find that none of the usual suspects fits the expected profile of an ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans. They also present evidence that the lines that led to Neanderthals and modern humans diverged nearly 1 million years ago, much earlier than studies based on molecular evidence have suggested.

The study, which will be published on Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. Eastern by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was carried out by an international team of scholars from the George Washington University (GW), Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research in Austria, Indiana University (IU) and Atapuerca Research Team in Spain.

“Our results call attention to the strong discrepancies between molecular and paleontological estimates of the divergence time between Neanderthals and modern humans," said Aida Gómez-Robles, lead author of the paper and a postdoctoral scientist at the Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology in the GW Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. “These discrepancies cannot be simply ignored, but they have to be somehow reconciled.”

P. David Polly, professor in the Department of Geological Sciences in the IU Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences, is a co-author of the study. Other co-authors are Spanish researchers José María Bermúdez de Castro, Juan-Luis Arsuaga and Eudald Carbonell, co-directors of the excavations at Atapuerca sites. The study resulted from a collaboration that developed when Dr. Gómez-Robles spent a semester at IU studying with Dr. Polly while she was a graduate student at the National Research Centre for Human Evolution and at the University of Granada, both in Spain. It also makes use of statistical methods developed by IU Bloomington biologist Emilia Martins.

The article, "No known hominin species matches the expected dental morphology of the last common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans," relies on fossils of approximately 1,200 molars and premolars from 13 species or types of hominins—humans and human relatives and ancestors. Fossils from the well-known Atapuerca sites have a crucial role in this research, accounting for more than 15 percent of the complete studied fossil collection.

The researchers use techniques of morphometric analysis and phylogenetic statistics to reconstruct the dental morphology of the last common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans. They conclude with high statistical confidence that none of the hominins usually proposed as a common ancestor, such as Homo heidelbergensis, H. erectus and H. antecessor, is a satisfactory match.

“None of the species that have been previously suggested as the last common ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans has a dental morphology that is fully compatible with the expected morphology of this ancestor,” Dr. Gómez-Robles said.

The study also finds that the potential human ancestors discovered in Europe are morphologically closer to Neanderthals than to modern humans. This suggests the line leading to Neanderthals arose around 1 million years ago and the divergence of humans took place much earlier than previously thought. Other studies have placed the divergence around 350,000 years ago.

The researchers argue that quantitative and statistical methods provide a better way to settle debates about human origins than the descriptive analyses that have been used in the past. "Our primary aim," they wrote, "is to put questions about human evolution into a testable, quantitative framework and to offer an objective means to sort out apparently unsolvable debates about hominin phylogeny." They also suggest applying their methodology to study other body parts represented in the hominin fossil record.

What comes next? Answers to the ancestry question could come from studying hominin fossils from Africa, the researchers say. But the African fossil record from the era of interest is sparse.

“The study tells us that there are still new hominin finds waiting to be made,” Dr. Polly said. “Fossil finds from about 1 million years ago in Africa deserve close scrutiny as the possible ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans.”

The Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology
The Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology is a research center at the George Washington University. CASHP’s mission is to undertake strategic research that addresses fundamental problems in human evolution that cross disciplinary boundaries, to act as a catalyst for interdisciplinary research programs involving scientists from other centers around the world and to promote interdisciplinary research through training and education.

The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
Established in 1821 in the heart of the nation’s capital, the George Washington University Columbian College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of GW’s academic units. It encompasses the School of Media and Public Affairs, the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration and more than 40 departments and programs for undergraduate, graduate and professional studies. The Columbian College provides the foundation for GW’s commitment to the liberal arts and a broad education for all students. An internationally recognized faculty and active partnerships with prestigious research institutions place Columbian College at the forefront in advancing policy, enhancing culture and transforming lives through research and discovery.

The George Washington University
In the heart of the nation’s capital with additional programs in Virginia, the George Washington University was created by an Act of Congress in 1821. Today, GW is the largest institution of higher education in the District of Columbia. The university offers comprehensive programs of undergraduate and graduate liberal arts study, as well as degree programs in medicine, public health, law, engineering, education, business and international affairs. Each year, GW enrolls a diverse population of undergraduate, graduate and professional students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 130 countries.

Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is the flagship residential, research-intensive campus of Indiana University. Its academic excellence is grounded in the humanities, arts and sciences and a range of highly ranked professional programs. Founded in 1820, the campus serves more than 42,000 undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in more than 300 disciplines. Widely recognized for its global and international programs, outstanding technology and historic limestone campus, IU Bloomington serves as a global gateway for students and faculty members pursuing issues of worldwide significance.

- GW -

Shorter Sleep Duration and Poorer Sleep Quality Linked to Alzheimer's Disease Biomarker

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Newswise — Poor sleep quality may impact Alzheimer’s disease onset and progression. This is according to a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who examined the association between sleep variables and a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease in older adults. The researchers found that reports of shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality were associated with a greater ß-Amyloid burden, a hallmark of the disease. The results are featured online in the October issue of JAMA Neurology.

“Our study found that among older adults, reports of shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality were associated with higher levels of ß-Amyloid measured by PET scans of the brain,” said Adam Spira, PhD, lead author of the study and an assistant professor with the Bloomberg School’s Department of Mental Health. “These results could have significant public health implications as Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia, and approximately half of older adults have insomnia symptoms.”

Alzheimer’s disease is an irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 5.1 million Americans may have the disease, with first symptoms appearing after age 60. Previous studies have linked disturbed sleep to cognitive impairment in older people.

In a cross-sectional study of adults from the neuro-imagining sub-study of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging with an average age of 76, the researchers examined the association between self-reported sleep variables and ß-Amyloid deposition. Study participants reported sleep that ranged from more than seven hours to no more than five hours. ß-Amyloid deposition was measured by the Pittsburgh compound B tracer and PET (positron emission tomography) scans of the brain. Reports of shorter sleep duration and lower sleep quality were both associated with greater ?ß buildup.

“These findings are important in part because sleep disturbances can be treated in older people. To the degree that poor sleep promotes the development of Alzheimer’s disease, treatments for poor sleep or efforts to maintain healthy sleep patterns may help prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer disease,” said Spira. He added that the findings cannot demonstrate a causal link between poor sleep and Alzheimer’s disease, and that longitudinal studies with objective sleep measures are needed to further examine whether poor sleep contributes to or accelerates Alzheimer’s disease.

“Self-reported Sleep and ß-Amyloid Deposition in Community-Dwelling Older Adults,” was written by Adam P. Spira, Alyssa A. Gamaldo, Yang An, Mark N. Wu, Eleanor M. Simonsick, Murat Bilgel, Yun Zhou, Dean F. Wong, Luigi Ferrucci and Susan M. Resnick.

The research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health and the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Brain Science Institute. Dr. Spira is supported by Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (K01AG033195) from the National Institute on Aging.

Presidential Medal of freedom recipient Dr. William Foege talks about the "practical lessons to plan for your life"

Newswise - Alumni Dr. William H. Foege, winner of the Presidential Medal of freedom to lead the fight for the eradication of smallpox, successfully returns to PLU on November 21 for a free public lecture and book-signing.

Dr. Foege, an epidemiologist, worked on the successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s. Introducing Dr. Foege with highest civilian honor of the nation at the ceremony in the White House Medal of freedom the year passed, President Barack Obama called it a leader in "one of the greatest successes of the medicine".

After his talk PLU November 21, Foege signed copies of his book, the burning house, which explains how the smallpox, a disease that killed, blinded and healed by millions of people, was completely eradicated in a spectacular triumph of medicine and public health. Part autobiography, part of mystery, the book describes the experiences of Dr. Foege in public health, and details the extraordinary program that people from countries around the world participating in pursuit of a single goal: eliminate smallpox forever.

About Dr. Foege
Dr. Foege served as head of the Centers for Disease Control and prevention smallpox eradication program and was named Director of CDC in 1977. He graduated from PLU in 1957 and later received his medical degree from the University of Washington and a master's degree in public health from Harvard University. It also has honorary degrees from numerous institutions and he was appointed a member of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine in London and the hygiene in 1997. He has written more than 125 professional publications and is the author of the House on fire.

Details of the event
Date and time: 19:30 Thursday, November 21, 2013.
Location: Karen Hille Phillips Center for the performing arts, campus of PLU, 12180 Park Avenue S., Tacoma.
Admission: Free; reservations preferred.
Read more about the presentation of Dr. Foege 2012 Medal of freedom: http://www.plu.edu/news/2012/04/foege/home.php

Media Advisory: James C. Tyree Diabetes Education Library dedication

What: dedication of the James C. Tyree Diabetes Education Library
Who: The University of Chicago medicine Kovler Diabetes Center
When: 18:30 Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Where: Duchossois Center for advanced medicine, 5758 S. Maryland Ave., Chicago
How: RSVP by 9 Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Diabetes at the University of Chicago medicine Kovler Center will dedicate a new diabetes education library to honor the legacy of the late James C. Tyree, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Mesirow Financial Holdings, President of Sun-Times Media Group and member of the Board at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

The library which patients and their families have access to educational materials and provide space for classes and support groups. It is the last component of the program for Diabetes Care and innovation to promote clinical programs for diabetes, collaboration in research and education and outreach to patients and professional doctors James C. Tyree.

Tyree, who suffered from diabetes for about 25 years, was an advocate for patient counseling and wellness and behavioral health services. He died in March at age 53 from complications of cancer of the stomach while being treated at the medical center of the University of Chicago.

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About the medicine of the University of Chicago

Medicine of the University of Chicago, and their eating of the children's Hospital of rank among the best in the country, in particular for the treatment of cancer, according to survey by US News & World Report of the hospitals in the country. Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chicago Pritzker has been named one of the medical schools in the Top 10 in the nation, in the poll of "Best graduate schools" U.S. News. Scientists from the University of Chicago conducted the first organ transplant and the first transplant of bone marrow in animal models, donors living successful first transplant liver, first hormone therapy for cancer and the first successful application of cancer chemotherapy. The researchers discovered REM sleep and were the first to describe several of the stages of sleep. Twelve Nobel Prize winners have been affiliated with the medicine of the University of Chicago.

Visit our research blog at sciencelife.uchospitals.edu and our uchospitals.edu/news press room.

Twitter @UChicagoMed
Facebook.com/UChicagoMed

UIC Chancellor Receives $1.4 Million to Recruit Transfer Students in Sciences

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Newswise — Backed by a $1.4 million federal grant, the University of Illinois at Chicago will launch a new program to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue degrees and research careers in the behavioral and biomedical sciences.

The five-year grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, one of the National Institutes of Health, partners UIC with the City Colleges of Chicago in an effort to bolster recruitment, training, mentorship, and degree completion in health-related fields for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Beginning in 2014, UIC’s Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences Bridges to the Baccalaureate Program will recruit 58 students, 18 in the first year and 10 in each of the remaining four years, who qualify to transfer to UIC from the City Colleges. Participants will pursue their UIC degree in one of three areas aligned with their research and career interests: nursing; public health; or liberal arts and sciences, in subject areas such as biology, chemistry, psychology or physics.

“Researchers from underrepresented populations are in high demand, given persistent societal health disparities,” said UIC Chancellor Paula Allen-Meares, the grant’s principal investigator.

“As one of the most diverse universities in the nation, UIC is well-positioned, and eager, to offer this program that will give transfer students from underrepresented backgrounds the skills to be successful not only in their academic career, but as professional health scientists,” Allen-Meares said.

The program will offer students an intensive summer research skills workshop, an assigned research mentor, access to peer-tutors, and support for science and academic skill development through group activities. A health science conference is also being planned.

Students selected for the program will begin preparation for baccalaureate studies at the conclusion of their freshman year.

The program’s public health track seeks to advance knowledge and skills not only in basic sciences, but in two disciplines — epidemiology and biostatistics — that are considered critical to understanding public health problems.

Students who bridge to the undergraduate nursing program will be trained in research methods and statistical analysis along with skills in managing the health-care needs of individuals and communities.

Students in any of the liberal arts and sciences subject areas will prepare for professional and graduate study in diverse specialties such as cancer biology, tissue engineering and neuroscience.

“This program will enhance the students’ basic research skills, such as quantitative and qualitative analysis, critical thinking and innovation,” Allen-Meares said. ”These skills, and the capacity for leadership and collaboration, will be gained by working alongside faculty members in their respective programs.”

Retention and graduation rates will be tracked during and after the funding period to gauge the success of the program’s student support system.

The participants’ educational and career paths after graduation will be followed to gauge the program’s success in elevating the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds that enter graduate programs, receive doctoral degrees and pursue research careers.
The program also aims to foster collaborations and professional development opportunities between UIC and City Colleges of Chicago faculty that will enhance the educational experience for participating students, Allen-Meares said.

Current partnerships between UIC and the City Colleges include the Guaranteed Admission Transfer program, which offers City Colleges students guaranteed undergraduate admission to UIC after successful completion of their first two years of college, and a NIH-sponsored Bridges to the Doctorate for Minority Nursing Students program in the UIC College of Nursing.

The new program is also tied to UIC’s role directing the Illinois State Board of Education’s Health Science Learning Exchange, which began in 2012 as part of a $10.3 million public-private partnership to better prepare Illinois students for careers in science, technology, engineering and math fields. Allen-Meares and Bruce C. Neimeyer, associate vice chancellor for special programs, are co-investigators for a five-year $833,090 grant from the Department of Education to coordinate the exchange’s statewide network of businesses, employer associations, education partners, and other stakeholders.

Co-investigators on the new National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant include Neimeyer, Karin Opacich, Brian Kay, and Julie Zerwic of UIC and Michael Davis of the City Colleges of Chicago.

The City Colleges of Chicago is the largest community college system in Illinois and one of the largest in the nation, with 5,800 faculty and staff serving 120,000 students annually at seven colleges city-wide.

UIC ranks among the nation’s leading research universities and is Chicago’s largest university with 27,500 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, 15 colleges and the state’s major public medical center. A hallmark of the campus is the Great Cities Commitment, through which UIC faculty, students and staff engage with community, corporate, foundation and government partners to improve the quality of life in metropolitan areas around the world.

More about UIC.

Contact Lens Discomfort: What Is It, Why Does It Occur and How Can It Be Treated?

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Newswise — BOSTON, MA, October 21, 2013 – Contact lens discomfort (CLD) may be the leading cause of patient dissatisfaction with, and discontinuation of, contact lens wear throughout the world — but there is little agreement among vision researchers and eye care professionals about how to define and manage its causes.

“Up to half of all contact lens wearers experience CLD,” explained Jason J. Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, Professor at the University of Houston College of Optometry. “However, there is no global consensus concerning the definition, classification, epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, management and the proper design of clinical studies for CLD.”

To lay the groundwork for defining and treating this widespread issue, the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS; www.tearfilm.org) organized the TFOS International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort (CLD), which was chaired by Nichols. The findings were reported Friday in the current issue of journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (www.iovs.org).

The CLD Workshop took 18 months to complete and involved 79 experts from around the world. “Workshop participants used an evidence-based approach and a process of open communication, dialogue, and transparency in order to achieve a global consensus concerning multiple aspects of CLD,” noted Mark Willcox, PhD, FBCLA, FAAO, MASM, Professor, School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of New South Wales, and Vice-Chair of the Workshop.

“This TFOS report will significantly increase awareness of factors that may, and may not, contribute to the generation of CLD. Ideally, this TFOS report will stimulate innovative research in this very important field,” commented David A. Sullivan, MS, PhD, FARVO,

Founder and recent past TFOS President, Senior Scientist, Schepens Eye Research Institute/Harvard Medical School and Organizer of the TFOS CLD Workshop.

The TFOS International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort Report is freely available to scientists and clinicians worldwide. Complete or partial translations of the report will be offered in numerous languages.

Interviews can be scheduled by emailing Amy Gallant Sullivan: Amy@TearFilm.org

About the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society

Founded in 2000, The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) is a world leader in eye health education headquartered in Boston that's dedicated to advancing the research, literacy and educational aspects of the scientific field of the eye’s surface. The TFOS network includes basic scientists, academic clinicians and industry representatives originating from more than 80 countries. The society has published The TFOS International Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS 2007), The TFOS International Report on Meibomian Gland Dysfunction (MGD 2011) and the TFOS International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort (CLD 2013). More information about TFOS and these reports are available at www.TearFilm.org.

Please note: TFOS received support for this Workshop from Alcon, Allergan, Bausch & Lomb, Santen, Menicon, Vistakon, Laboratoies Théa, Optima Pharmazeutische, OCULUS, CooperVision and Contact Lens Spectrum.

About IOVS
The peer-reviewed journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) publishes results from original hypothesis-based clinical and laboratory research studies, as well as Reviews, Perspectives, and Special Issues. IOVS 2012 Impact Factor ranks No. 5 out of 58 among ophthalmology journals. The journal is online-only and articles are published daily. IOVS is published by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), the largest eye and vision research organization in the world. Members include more than 12,000 eye and vision researchers from over 80 countries. ARVO advances research worldwide into understanding the visual system and preventing, treating and curing its disorders.

Hitchhiking Virus Confirms Saga of Ancient Human Migration

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Newswise — MADISON, Wis. — A study of the full genetic code of a common human virus offers a dramatic confirmation of the “out-of-Africa” pattern of human migration, which had previously been documented by anthropologists and studies of the human genome.

The virus under study, herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), usually causes nothing more severe than cold sores around the mouth, says Curtis Brandt, a professor of medical microbiology and ophthalmology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Brandt is senior author of the study, now online in the journal PLOS ONE.

When Brandt and co-authors Aaron Kolb and Cécile Ané compared 31 strains of HSV-1 collected in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia, “the result was fairly stunning,” says Brandt.

“The viral strains sort exactly as you would predict based on sequencing of human genomes. We found that all of the African isolates cluster together, all the virus from the Far East, Korea, Japan, China clustered together, all the viruses in Europe and America, with one exception, clustered together,” he says.

“What we found follows exactly what the anthropologists have told us, and the molecular geneticists who have analyzed the human genome have told us, about where humans originated and how they spread across the planet.”

Geneticists explore how organisms are related by studying changes in the sequence of bases, or “letters” on their genes. From knowledge of how quickly a particular genome changes, they can construct a “family tree” that shows when particular variants had their last common ancestor.

Studies of human genomes have shown that our ancestors emerged from Africa roughly 150,000 to 200,000 years ago, and then spread eastward toward Asia, and westward toward Europe.

Scientists have previously studied herpes simplex virus type 1 by looking at a single gene, or a small cluster of genes, but Brandt notes that this approach can be misleading. “Scientists have come to realize that the relationships you get back from a single gene, or a small set of genes, are not very accurate.”

The PLOS ONE study used high-capacity genetic sequencing and advanced bioinformatics to analyze the massive amount of data from the 31 genomes.

The technology of simultaneously comparing the entire genomes of related viruses could also be useful in exploring why certain strains of a virus are so much more lethal than others. In a tiny percentage of cases, for example, HSV-1 can cause a deadly brain infection, Brandt notes.

“We’d like to understand why these few viruses are so dangerous, when the predominant course of herpes is so mild. We believe that a difference in the gene sequence is determining the outcome, and we are interested in sorting this out,” he says.

For studies of influenza virus in particular, Brandt says, “people are trying to come up with virulence markers that will enable us to predict what a particular strain of virus will do.”

The researchers broke the HSV-1 genome into 26 pieces, made family trees for each piece and then combined each of the trees into one network tree of the whole genome, Brandt says. “Cécile Ané did a great job in coming up with a new way to look at these trees, and identifying the most probable grouping.” It was this grouping that paralleled existing analyses of human migration.

The new analysis could even detect some intricacies of migration. Every HSV-1 sample from the United States except one matched the European strains, but one strain that was isolated in Texas looked Asian. “How did we get an Asian-related virus in Texas?” Kolb asks. Either the sample had come from someone who had travelled from the Far East, or it came from a native American whose ancestors had crossed the “land bridge” across the Bering Strait roughly 15,000 years ago.

“We found support for the land bridge hypothesis because the date of divergence from its most recent Asian ancestor was about 15,000 years ago. Brandt says. “The dates match, so we postulate that this was an Amerindian virus.”

Herpes simplex virus type 1 was an ideal virus for the study because it is easy to collect, usually not lethal, and able to form lifelong latent infections. Because HSV-1 is spread by close contact, kissing or saliva, it tends to run in families. “You can think of this as a kind of external genome,” Brandt says.

Furthermore, HSV-1 is much simpler than the human genome, which cuts the cost of sequencing, yet its genome is much larger than another virus that also has been used for this type of study. Genetics often comes down to a numbers game; larger numbers produce stronger evidence, so a larger genome produces much more detail.

But what really jumped out of the study, Brandt says, “was clear support for the out-of-Africa hypothesis. Our results clearly support the anthropological data, and other genetic data, that explain how humans came from Africa into the Middle East and started to spread from there.”

The correspondence with anthropology even extends, as before, to the details. In the virus, as in human genomes, a small human population entered the Middle East from Africa. “There is a population bottleneck between Africa and the rest of the world; very few people were involved in the initial migration from Africa,” Brandt says. “When you look at the phylogenetic tree from the virus, it’s exactly the same as what the anthropologists have told us.”

The PLOS ONE paper is available at http://www.plosone.org/article/
info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0076267. These studies were supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health: R01EY07336 and R01EY018597.

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