DNA analysis of a finger bone discovered in southern Siberia suggests that another ancient human relative lived in Asia some 30,000 years ago. This group has been dubbed the Denisovans. Geneticist David Reich of Harvard Medical School talks about the Denisovans on NPR. 

In the wake of museum curator Marion True’s trial in Italy on charges of buying looted antiquities, Bernard Frischer of the University of Virginia thinks that museums and private investors should sponsor archaeological digs. He has written about his plan in The New York Times.  

Some Cypriots are concerned that the image of the nude Greek goddess Aphrodite on their new passports is too racy. “They are worried that civilians and diplomats could get into trouble, particularly traveling to very conservative Islamic countries,” reported the newspaper Phileleftheros.  

Here’s a short history of New Year’s Resolutions.  

Happy Holidays! The news will return on Tuesday, December 28.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Thursday, December 23, 2010. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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