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Category Archives: Wellness Live
How did sabre-toothed tigers acquire their long upper canine teeth?
In a groundbreaking study, an international team led by scientists from the University of Liège has investigated the evolutionary patterns behind the development of sabre teeth, with some unexpected results along the way. A study that enriches our understanding of the Earth’s past, but also documents the mechanisms leading to evolutionary convergence.
Sabre teeth, those iconic elongated upper canine teeth, have long fascinated both scientists and the general public, notably because they have appeared several times in the fossil record, including two particularly well-known lineages of sabre-toothed tigers: the felids (the family of our domestic cats, lions, tigers, etc.) and the nimravids (a completely extinct family). However, the process by which these lineages acquired their elongated upper canines remains rather unclear.
Narimane Chatar, lead author of the study, who completed her doctorate at the EDDy Lab at the University of Liège and is now a post-doctoral fellow at UC Berkeley in the United States, has led an ambitious study to uncover the secrets of sabre tooth evolution. Using state-of-the-art 3D scanners and analytical methods, the team meticulously collected and analysed data from a diverse set of current and extinct species. “We quantified the shape of 99 mandibles and 91 skulls, from different eras and continents, giving us a better understanding of the evolution of these animals,” explains Dr Chatar. “Unlocking the secrets of sabre tooth evolution not only enriches our understanding of the Earth’s past, but also documents the mechanisms leading to evolutionary convergence,” says Professor Valentin Fischer, Director of the EDDyLab at ULiège.
The study revealed some surprising results. The first is that rather than contrasting two distinct cranial morphologies in species with elongated upper canines and those with short teeth, there is instead a continuum of form linking the smallest present-day cats and their extinct sabre-toothed counterparts. “From a morphological point of view, the skull of a present-day small cat is just as strange and modified as that of a large sabre-toothed felid,” says Dr Margot Michaud, a researcher at the University of French Guyana in Cayenne. These are therefore the two extremes of a continuum of forms that feline predators have seen evolve over geological time. “Our study suggests that what we often think of as examples of evolutionary patterns in textbooks are actually simplified for educational purposes. However, when we immerse ourselves in statistical analyses, we discover much more complex scenarios in these cases, as suggested by the results of our convergence tests,” explains Davide Tamagnini, post-doctoral researcher at the University of Rome La Sapienza.
The second surprise concerns the path taken by evolution to produce sabre-toothed species. In fact, the team’s work has revealed that sabre-toothed species show faster rates of morphological evolution at the start of their evolutionary history than species with shorter canines. “Among other fascinating discoveries, we have shown that craniomandibular integration in sabre-toothed species is reduced, facilitating greater adaptability and diversification in the jaw and cranial morphology,” points out Margot Michaud. Thus, rapid morphological diversification and a fairly plastic skull have been identified as two key components that facilitated the emergence of elongated upper canines in both felids and nimravids. “As a result, there appears to be a common recipe for evolving into sabre-toothed feline-like predators,” says Dr Chatar.
Finally, the team’s research highlighted the decline of sabre-toothed forms as well as the broader trends of feline-like predators over the course of their evolutionary history. Despite the relatively recent extinction of sabre-toothed forms ‘only’ a few thousand years ago, feline predators have in fact been in decline since the Miocene epoch (between -23 and -5 million years ago). “Some of these feline predators, particularly the sabre-toothed species, rapidly occupied fairly specialised niches, which made them more susceptible to extinction,” explains Dr Tamagnini. This phenomenon, known as ‘ratchet’ or macroevolutionary ratchet, has been proposed as a potential driver for the decline of certain groups, where evolution favours the loss of early generalised forms, leading to the emergence of more specialised, but also more vulnerable, forms later in the history of the lineage.
“Predators have their own evolutionary pathways and risks of extinction. Studying how ancient predators prospered and declined provides us with information about the possible futures of our ecosystems,” concludes Professor Fischer.
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Watch The Moment Maya Jama Asks King Charles About His Love Island Knowledge
If there are two things we never imagined uttering in the same breath, they’re probably King Charles and Love Island.
The monarch and his wife Queen Camilla hosted a garden party at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday (15 May) to celebrate the creative industries, where they took some time to meet their celebrity guests.
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One particularly notable meeting took place when the King introduced himself to Love Island host Maya Jama, who jumped at the opportunity to tell the royal about the popular reality dating show.
As the presenter introduced herself, she said: “I host Love Island. I don’t know if you’ve watched that, though? It’s a reality dating show.”
The King, looking amused, replied: “There’s one born every minute.”
Maya then revealed that she was “just about to go to Spain to film some young people snog”.
During her short interaction with Charles, Maya even admitted to once previously breaking protocol by touching the royal when she wasn’t supposed to, which got a laugh out of the King.
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Other guests at the afternoon garden party included model Kate Moss, documentarian Louis Theroux, director Sir Ridley Scott and artist Tracey Emin.
As for Love Island’s return this summer, there’s still some speculation about the exact date it will be back on screen, but previous years suggest it might be the first week of June.
The new series will welcome a whole new crop of islanders to the villa in Mallorca this summer, where young singletons will search (and graft) for love.
Earlier this year marked the first time a host of former contestants returned to the villa for Love Island All Stars.
It was series six’s Molly Smith and season nine’s Tom Clare who were crowned the public’s favourite pairing at the final, though it turned out the voting figures were actually pretty close.
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‘Seriously Steamy’ Or ‘Stale’? Critics Can’t Agree On Bridgerton Season 3
After the first two seasons became record-breaking TV smashes, hopes have certainly been high for the long-awaited next chapter in the high-society world of Bridgerton.
Part one of season three is now streaming on Netflix, with viewers finally able to swoon over the much-hyped romance between Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton).
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This next instalment certainly marks the biggest romantic build-up the regency drama has teased so far – but was the wait worth it?
While some critics have praised the Netflix show’s reliable format and sweet chemistry between its stars, others fear the show might be losing its spark.
Here’s the consensus on the first half of season three so far…
“Nicola Coughlan is sensational as Penelope Featherington, whose long-simmering romance with Colin Bridgerton reaches boiling point – and the bonking is scarce but seriously steamy… As we dive into season three, the show’s delights are still blindingly obvious, its flaws possible to overlook. Just like the besotted couples it follows, Bridgerton’s honeymoon phase is far from over.”
“There is something about seeing the bond between Colin and Penelope transform from comfortably platonic to yearning and passionate that elevates this journey. Coughlan and Newton have always had a beautiful rapport, but watching Colin realise he desires Penelope sexually […], creates a sparkling tension throughout Part 1 that threatens to burst off the screen.”
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“Still sweet and seductive but the taste is growing stale…If you don’t have much of a sweet tooth, this still won’t be the show for you. But if you’re craving an early-summer pick-me-up, you’ll devour these warm and watchable episodes in one scrummy sitting.”
LIAM DANIEL/NETFLIX
“In Season 3 of Netflix favourite, the spell starts to wear off…despite the friends-to-lovers premise, we are given little sense of what Colin and Penelope are like as buddies before they’re thrust into the awkwardness of attraction. Combined with the fact that Colin is written to have little of the rich inner life that Penelope enjoys […] the relationship that should be this volume’s breathless centrepiece feels uneven.”
IGN (6/10)
“Bridgerton Season 3 Part 1 has the bones of something great. Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton excel as the couple at centre stage, beautifully portraying the knife’s edge balance on which Penelope and Colin’s relationship sits…Time will tell if the rest of Bridgerton’s third season can balance its overabundance of plot threads, but Nicola Coughlan and Luke Newton’s chemistry as Penelope and Colin is shaping up to be worth the wait for Part 2.”
“One of the best things about Bridgerton is its ability to tell a different kind of love story each season. Yes, there is a rotating cast of characters who each get their own storylines, but the central romance – and its dynamics and tropes – stand apart, giving us an opportunity to enjoy and experience something fresh each time.”
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“Even though this is very much Penelope and Colin’s time in the spotlight, the third season (of which the first six episodes were provided for review) also begins to sow the seeds of other love stories that, quite frankly, need plenty of time to grow. These teased threads don’t just prove that the future of Bridgerton is already being taken into consideration, but that the series itself is still as good as ever.”
“Nicola Coughlan is superb – but the Netflix show is losing its bite… The writing in this third chapter is particularly flimsy, while the production design looks increasingly like the hyper-saturated, uncanny results produced by an AI tool.”
“Regency romp has gone stale – even the sex scenes are dull…What was once fresh and fun now seems stuck in a rut, as the hit period drama begins to show signs of wear.”
The first half of Bridgerton season three is available to watch now on Netflix, with the next four episodes set to drop on Thursday 13 June.
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Putin And Xi Have Denied The Obvious With A Strange Take On Russia’s Relationship With China
Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping have revealed that they apparently share a rather unusual view on Russia and China’s place in the world.
The Russian president is currently on a rare two-day state visit to Beijing to visit one of his few remaining allies after his illegal invasion of Ukraine, Xi.
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According to the Russian state news agency, TASS, Putin began his trip by claiming relations between Moscow and Beijing “are not opportunistic and are not directed against anyone”.
While this year marks the 75th anniversary of positive relations between the two countries, there’s no doubt that this “bond” deepened after Putin invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Beijing supplies Moscow with essential equipment used to build weapons, while also buying enough Russian fossil fuels to keep the economy afloat amid Western sanctions.
China stops short of offering actual weapons or ammunition though, so as to dodge the West’s ire.
However, Putin did not mention any of this transactional relationship – in public, at least.
Instead, he said: “Our cooperation in world affairs today serves as one of the main stabilising factors in the international arena.”
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Putin continued: “Together, we uphold the principles of justice and a democratic world order that reflects multipolar realities and is based on international law.”
Similarly, Chinese outlet Xinhua reported that the Xi said their close cooperation helped maintain positive global stability and promote greater democracy.
“China and Russia defend a world order based on international law,” Xi said.
An international arrest warrant is actually out against Putin right now over for the illegal deportation and transfer of children during the Ukraine war.
This move prompted the leader of a group seeking independence for the Uyghur people from China to request a similar warrant for Xi.
The Chinese leader has also faced international condemnation for the suppression of protests in Hong Kong.
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Putin was just re-elected for his fifth term in office in a sham election, after he eliminated all feasible opposition – and China is known as a one-party state.
However, both leaders claim to be figures of harmony.
Referring to Xi as “my dear friend”, Putin said: “We are determined to further harmonise integration processes in the Eurasian space.”
The Russian president also thanked his Chinese counterpart for his efforts to “regulate the situation” in Ukraine, referring to Beijing’s 12-point plan to end the Ukraine war.
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Infertility treatment doubles the risk of postpartum heart disease
A study by Rutgers Health experts of more than 31 million hospital records shows that infertility treatment patients were twice as likely as those who conceived naturally to be hospitalized with heart disease in the year after delivery.
Patients who underwent infertility were particularly likely — 2.16 times as likely as those who conceived naturally — to undergo hospitalization for dangerously high blood pressure or hypertension.
“Postpartum checkups are necessary for all patients, but this study indicates they are particularly important for patients who undergo infertility treatment to achieve a conception,” said Rei Yamada, an obstetrics and gynecology resident at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and lead author of the study.
The study authors say their results support standards of care that now call for an initial postpartum checkup three weeks after delivery, standards that some health systems have yet to adopt. Much of the elevated risk came in the first month after delivery, particularly for patients who developed dangerously high blood pressure.
“And these results aren’t the only ones to indicate that follow-up should occur early,” said Cande Ananth, chief of the Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and senior author of the study. “We have been involved in a series of studies over the past few years that have found serious risks of heart disease and stroke to various high-risk patient populations within those initial 30 days after delivery — risks that could be mitigated with earlier follow-up care.”
The study analyzed the Nationwide Readmissions Database, which contains nationally representative data on about 31 million hospital discharges and readmissions per year. The database contains diagnosis codes, which let researchers find specific populations and identify reasons for readmission.
The researchers used data from more than 31 million patients who were discharged following delivery from 2010 to 2018, including 287,813 patients who had undergone any infertility treatment.
Although infertility treatment predicted a sharply elevated risk of heart disease, the study authors said the relative youth of infertility treatment patients kept their overall risk fairly low. Just 550 of every 100,000 women who received infertility treatment and 355 of every 100,000 who conceived naturally were hospitalized with cardiovascular disease in the year after delivery.
The cause of the elevated risk of heart disease associated with infertility treatment remains unclear. The increase in heart disease could stem from the infertility treatments themselves, the underlying medical issues that made patients infertile or some other cause.
“Looking forward, I’d like to see if different types of infertility treatment and, importantly, medications are associated with different risk levels,” said Yamada. “Our data gave no information about which patients had undergone which treatment. More detailed information might also provide insight into how infertility treatment impacts cardiovascular outcomes.”
