Genealogy Press

Early Dads Helped With Child Care, Researcher Suggests

Active fathers may have been a key factor in why our early ancestors were able to have many children, a study suggests.

Who was a hero?

If you are researching merchant seamen who served in the Second World War then you might be interested to know that an index to Merchant Navy Gallantry awards in series T 335 is now available through The National Archives online catalogue. You can search for awards by the individual seaman or by their ship.

The records show the date the award was gazetted, the medal awarded and the rating of the person at the time as well as the ship he was serving on. However, probably of most use are the citations which give the reasons why the medal was awarded in the first place.

Molecular study could push back angiosperm origins

(National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent)) Flowering plants may be considerably older than previously thought, says a new analysis of the plant family tree. Previous studies suggest that flowering plants, or angiosperms, first arose 140 to 190 million years ago. Now, a paper to be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences pushes back the age of angiosperms to 215 million years ago, some 25 to 75 million years earlier than either the fossil record or previous molecular studies suggest.

Brain plaques may explain higher risk of Alzheimer’s based on mom’s history

(NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine) A family history of Alzheimer's is one of the biggest risk factors for developing the memory-robbing disease, which affects more than 5 million Americans and is the most common form of senile dementia. Now an international collaboration led by NYU Langone Medical Center researchers has found the likely basis for this heightened familial risk -- especially from the maternal side.

Family history is strong predictor of obstructive coronary artery disease using CCTA

(Henry Ford Health System) In the largest study of its kind to date using cardiac computed tomography angiography, people with a family history of early signs of coronary artery disease are at higher risk of developing obstructive coronary artery disease and plaque in their arteries, Henry Ford Hospital researchers say.

LSUHSC researcher finds first inherited prostate cancer genetic mutation in African-American men

(Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center) Shahriar Koochekpour, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and genetics at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, led research that has discovered, for the first time, a genetic mutation in African-American men with a family history of prostate cancer who are at increased risk for the disease. Dr. Koochekpour identified an inheritable genetic defect in the receptor for the male hormone, androgen (testosterone), that may contribute to the development of prostate cancer and its progression.

DNA testing on 2,000-year-old bones in Italy reveal East Asian ancestry

(McMaster University) Researchers excavating an ancient Roman cemetery were surprised when DNA testing on a set of bones revealed East Asian ancestry.

Novel studies of decomposition shed new light on our earliest fossil ancestry

(University of Leicester) Decaying corpses are usually the domain of forensic scientists, but palaeontologists have discovered that studying rotting fish sheds new light on our earliest ancestry.

Did rice wine lead to flushed faces in Asia?

A mutation that causes some people to flush red when they down a beer may have evolved to help their ancestors cope with rice wine

Bishopsgate Library

There's an article about the Bishopsgate Institute and its archival holdings in the new issue of Ancestors. It talks about the Library which at the time of writing was closed for rebuilding. We have just heard that it will re-open on Tuesday 6 April at 10am. Opening hours are to be Monday - Friday, 10am to 5.30pm, with a late night on Wednesdays till 8pm. They will continue to close at 2pm on the first Friday of every month. More at http://www.bishopsgate.org.uk.