SCIENCE AND NATURE BRIEFS

TINY HUMAN SPECIES

In the 1990s, archaeologists in South Africa found tiny bones that they thought belonged to a monkey. Now, more than 20 years later, research shows they are from a human skeleton, nicknamed “Little Foot” and thought to be a new species of early human ancestor. Analysis reveals that the species evolved into bipedal movement, indicating when human ancestors came to walk on two legs. Little Foot is also a type of Australopithecus, to which the iconic “Lucy” belongs. The Little Foot finding will allow scientists to uncover more information about humans’ ancestral primates.

TIME IN THE SUN

The length of time you’ve spent exposed to the sun can now be measured, thanks to a tiny wearable device created by scientists at Northwestern University, Illinois. The damaging effects of UV rays are well known, and the miniature device converts the UV light into an electric current, which then sends the exposure information to your smartphone via an app. The app then configures your skin type, sunscreen use and exposure time and gives you a reading.

FIGHTING THE PLASTIC WAR

As humans continue to pollute the planet and fill the seas with plastic, scientists have noticed jellyfish continue to thrive more than other marine life. Jellyfish have a defence mechanism that secretes a mucus that filters microplastics, which scientists in the GoJelly project hope to exploit for environmental benefits. With funding of six million euro from the EU, the 15 research teams from eight countries are studying the biochemical properties of the mucus, and aim to test a prototype of man-made mucus in wastewater treatment plants this year.