Researchers led by WUSTL anthropology professor Crickette Sanz in the Republic of Congo's Nouabale-Ndoki National Park said they have discovered chimpanzees that have developed specialized "tool sets" to forage for army ants.

References:

1. Sept. 9, 2009 — Chimps use 'tool kits' to gather army ants in the United Press International

and 3 others.

In France, a parliamentary commission will soon meet to investigate whether to ban any cloak that covers most of the face. WUSTL anthropology professor John Bowen, who wrote "Why the French Don't Like Headscarves: Islam, the State and Public Space," has been asked to testify by the parliamentary commission.

References:

1. Sept. 1, 2009 — Burqa Furor Scrambles French Politics in the The New York Times

and 2 others.

Sharon Begley reports on new data in the debate on neurobiology and whether we are wired to believe in God.
In a paper last month in the online journal Evolutionary Psychology, Gregory Paul posits that, rather than being wired into the brain, religion is a way to cope with stress in a dysfunctional society -- the opium-of-the-people argument.
She mentions research by WUSTL anthropology professor Pascal Boyer.

References:

1. Aug. 13, 2009 — (Un)wired For God in the Newsweek

U.S. and Canadian scientists say data from human fossils suggest a shift in animal resource exploitation as humans spread into Europe 40,000 years ago.
There is little evidence for the regular eating of fish by the Neanderthals, but early humans consistently consumed fish, supplementing their diet.
This study by WUSTL anthropology professor Erik Trinkaus a Canadian colleague was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

References:

1. Aug. 11, 2009 — Early human European diets studied in the United Press International

and 4 others.

A video clip from the TV show Britain's Got Talent of Scot Susan Boyle winning over skeptical judges and a cynical crowd has been viewed more than 40 million times, making it one of the most popular YouTube videos ever posted. WUSTL anthropology professor Robert Canfield comments on a deeper meaning in the singer's YouTube popularity.

References:

1. April 21, 2009 — The Susan Boyle phenomenon: redefining beauty, grace, and success? in the The Christian Science Monitor

Even today, scientists say that human beings are continuing to evolve as our genes respond to rapid changes in the world around us. WUSTL anthropology professor Robert Sussman comments.

References:

1. April 13, 2009 — Modern life's pressures may be hastening human evolution in the Miami Herald online

and 23 others.

New research, published Dec. 8 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is now shedding some light on what were probably the last Neanderthals. The research is based on a study of human fossils found during the past decade in Spain by Michael Walker, professor at Universidad de Murcia, and colleagues, and published by Walker, WUSTL anthropology professor Erik Trinkaus, and colleagues.

References:

1. Dec. 8, 2008 — Late Neandertals and Modern Human Contact in Southeastern Iberia in the ScienceDaily.com

and 2 others.

New research suggests human aerial bombardments might have pushed Neanderthals to extinction. However, WUSTL paleoanthropologist Erik Trinkaus doubts that projectile weapons played a major role in human culture before about 25,000 years ago and the extinction of Neanderthals.

References:

1. Nov. 20, 2008 — Were Neanderthals stoned to death by modern humans? in the New Scientist (UK)

Discussion on the fossilized remains of a group of Neanderthals who lived approximately 43,000 years ago. Many mutually contradictory interpretations have been made about these bones. WUSTL's Eric Trinkaus is one of the experts commenting and debating.

References:

1. Oct. 1, 2008 — Last of the Neanderthals in the National Geographic

Olympic athletes may benefit from today's sports drinks and high-tech training, but their gymnastics or wrestling performance probably pales in comparison to what early human ancestors could have pulled off. WUSTL physical anthropologist Erik Trinkaus comments.

References:

1. Aug. 6, 2008 — Cavemen vs. Us: Who'd Win the Evolution Olympics? in the FoxNews.com

and 2 others.

Most paleoanthropologists believe that the 18,000 year old Flores, Indonesia hobbit belongs to a new species of human, But now comes word that the specimen used to define the species appears to have had some dental work. If so, it would mean that the hobbit was just a modern human with a growth disorder, which is what critics have argued all along.
Paleoanthropologist and WUSTL radiology professor Charles Hildebolt examined the CT scans and said that it is unlikely that any type of filling material is in the tooth.

References:

1. April 18, 2008 — Dental work claim challenges antiquity of hobbit skeleton in the Scientific American online

No one is really sure what Neanderthals sounded like, or even if they could speak. But one Florida researcher thinks he can guess, by using ancient skeletons to reconstruct an approximation of the Neanderthal vocal tract -- and then having a computer recreate the sounds it would make.
Neanderthals' inability to produce these vowels would have severely limited their ability to form and understand a complex language, McCarthy argues, though WUSTL anthropologist Erik Trinkaus, one of the world's leading experts on Neanderthals, disagrees.
"Ultimately what is important is not the anatomy of the mouth, but the neuronal control of it," Trinkaus.

References:

1. April 17, 2008 — Computer 'Recreates' Neanderthal Speech in the FoxNews.com

An anthropologist has used new reconstructions of Neanderthal vocal tracts to simulate the voice. He says the ancient human's speech lacked the "quantal vowel" sounds that underlie modern speech.
WUSTL anthropologist Erik Trinkaus comments.

References:

1. April 15, 2008 — Neanderthals speak out after 30,000 years in the New Scientist (UK)
2. April 17, 2008 — Computer 'Recreates' Neanderthal Speech in the FoxNews.com

WUSTL's Erik Trinkaus comments on a study that tries to refute the idea that natural selection caused skull differences between Neanderthals and modern humans.

References:

1. March 25, 2008 — Study: Neanderthals Not Doomed by Skull Shape in the FoxNews.com

and 1 others.

One of the earliest Egyptian kings carried his "beasts of burden" into the afterlife.
Paleoscientists discovered the skeletons of 10 donkeys nestled in three mud graves dating back 5,000 years ago when Egypt was just forming a state.
WUSTL anthropologist Fiona Marshall comments.
The new findings are reported online in the March 10 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

References:

1. March 10, 2008 — Wild ass tamed, buried with Egyptian king in the MSNBC.com

and 14 others.

The first shoes were designed at least 40,000 years ago. Scientists made the toe-curling discovery while examining bones from the feet of a 40,000-year-old skeleton found in a cave near Beijing in China. The study by WUSTL's Erik Trinkaus professor of anthropology and research scientist Hong Shang was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

References:

1. Jan. 23, 2008 — First shoes are 40,000 years old in the The Sun (UK)

and 13 others.

An International team of researchers has suggested that Pleistocene cave bears from the Carpathian region in Europe, were as omnivorous as modern bears. For the past 30 years, studies of their bones and teeth, and especially the nitrogen isotopes in their bone protein, had led to the conclusion that these ancient bears were largely vegetarian. Erik Trinkaus, WUSTL professor of anthropology, was part of this study.

References:

1. Jan. 8, 2008 — Ancient cave bears were as omnivorous as modern bears in the DailyIndia.com (FL)

and 6 others.

In a discovery that could help boost understanding of a rare type of dwarfism, researchers announced today that they have found a genetic culprit for the condition. WUSTL genetics professor Anne Bowcock and WUSTL radiology professor Charles Hildebolt comment.

References:

1. Jan. 3, 2008 — Dwarf Gene Discovery: Explanation for Hobbit Species? in the ABC News

A new study of Neanderthal DNA, suggests Neanderthals had the ability to create language.
The finding hinges upon a single, yet critical, gene called FOXP2, which prior studies have linked to language and speech.
WUSTL anthropology professor Erik Trinkaus wrote a commentary on the new research.
In it, Trinkaus says there is no "silver bullet" like language, "which identifies us as 'human' and which can be used to identify past human forms as more or less 'human'."

References:

1. Oct. 19, 2007 — Neanderthals hard-wired to talk in the ABC Science Online (Australia)

Researchers say the genetic sequence of an adolescent Neanderthal found in southern Siberia closely matches that of Neanderthals found in western Europe, suggesting that this close relative of modern humans migrated very long distances.
The study may not settle the debate over Neanderthal's range definitively, though. WUSTL anthropology professor Eric Trinkaus questions whether it definitively proves the Okladnikov bones to be those of Neanderthals.

References:

1. Sept. 30, 2007 — Neanderthals roamed as far as Siberia in the NewScientist.com (UK)