#Kelp Highway Migration

[gwydpolls]

Time Travel Question 23: Ancient History XI and Earlier

These Questions are the result of suggestions from the previous iteration.

This category may include suggestions made too late to fall into the correct grouping.

Please add new suggestions below if you have them for future consideration. All cultures and time periods welcome.

Sorry about the extra potato.

[archaeojones-archive]

Have you ever worked on the L'Anse aux Meadows site, or done any research/reading on Vinland?

I'm especially wondering your thoughts as it implies that European settlement (in Canada at least) predates the British and French colonies.

That, and Finland wanted you to call him Papa.

"Finland? ... Mr. Timo never had overseas colonies. You could try n' argue that Mr. Jan and Mr. Björn had hands in my raising with Nieuw-Nederland and Nya Sverige. But those were founded after Arthur's denizens founded Jamestown, with those two colonies being chartered in 1614 and founded in 1638, respectively. An' there's so much more I could say about 'em, but then we'd be ignorin' the fact that even Mr. Antonio's people were consistently here in what would become me way, way before Lord Father and Francis. St. Augustine, Florida, was founded in 1565, and that was after several failed Spanish attempts in Florida and the East Coast. That earliest attempt was San Miguel de Guadalupe in 1526, in what'd become South Carolina in the modern day.

"An' I can't speak for Mattie - and I shouldn't, but he's busy - but apart from the Norse settlement of L'Anse aux Meadows, I think the Spanish and Portuguese Empires were the first to claim Canadian land as theirs. Fighting over mainly Newfoundland? In 1497 and 1501-1502. To set up fishing outposts and other such things. I think, I think. Oh, where's Matt when I need 'im? And then the French came in a lil' later and had a few failed attempts at permanent settlement in 1541, 1598, and 1600, before finding success a couple years down the road.

"But I digress! Y'all both asked about pre-Columbian settlement by the Vikings. Gonna be upfront and hella personal with y'all...I've never worked on it. I'd love to, but at the same time, it ain't my main focus. So I usually gotta keep my eyes averted from the whole Viking settlement mystery. I'm more concerned with sites that fall in the several thousand years old ranges, or more. But gosh dang, if I wouldn't love to read more about Vinland. It's just little far north for me, and I'd need to worry about travelin' and all that. But yeah, my knowledge of pre-Columbian human activity in the Americas is concerned with the migrations over the Kelp Highway, the Pacific, and the hypothesized route over Beringia. You could tack on the Solutrean hypothesis too but...hmmm.

"One crucial thing to remember about L'Anse is that it's the only undisputed site of pre-Columbian European contact in all of the Americas. Otherwise, the slew of theories that surround it are all debated and should be taken with a grain of salt. There's a whole lot of murky, unclear evidence, or simply none at all. But L'Anse has produced over 800 artifacts that can be traced to Norse origins, so it's hard to deny that! And the sod-and-wood frame structures? That's damn cool! Now I really wanna know more, sitting here reading some basics. Maybe...well, I'm not sure, but maybe I could do some more research for us and make a future post with more about L'Anse aux Meadows and the Vinland mythos!"

((Don't mind the fact that I forgot to color his glasses. I was literally so excited to give a history lesson that it slipped my mind. Edit: Fixed!!))

[tajtrisha]

"Frozen Trails: Discovering the First North American Settlers Along the Glacial Sea Ice Highway"

New research suggests some early Americans may have traveled on winter sea ice down the coast from Beringia as long as 24,000 years ago.

One of the hottest debates in archeology is how and when humans first arrived in North America. Archaeologists have traditionally argued that people walked through an ice-free corridor that briefly opened between ice sheets an estimated 13,000 years ago.

New Evidence Challenges Traditional Theories

But a growing number of archeological and genetic finds — including human footprints in New Mexico dated to around 23,000 years old — suggests that people made their way onto the continent much earlier. These early Americans likely traveled along the Pacific coastline from Beringia, the land bridge between Asia and North America that emerged during the last glacial maximum when ice sheets bound up large amounts of water, causing sea levels to fall.

Now, in research that was presented Friday, December 15, at the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting (AGU23) in San Franciso, paleoclimate reconstructions of the Pacific Northwest hint that sea ice may have been one way for people to move farther south.

Coastal Migration Theories

The idea that early Americans may have traveled along the Pacific Coast isn’t new. People were likely south of the massive ice sheets that once covered much of the continent by at least 16,000 years ago. Given that the ice-free corridor wouldn’t be open for thousands of years before these early arrivals, scientists instead proposed that people may have moved along a “kelp highway,” where early Americans slowly traveled down into North America in boats, following the bountiful goods found in coastal waters.

Archeologists have found evidence of coastal settlements in western Canada dating from as early as 14,000 years ago. But in 2020, researchers noted that freshwater from melting glaciers at the time may have created a strong current that would make it difficult for people to travel along the coast.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553096676310&mibextid=ZbWKwL

https://instagram.com/o.h.i_01?igshid=NzZlODBkYWE4Ng==

[aelia-likes-monsters]

Virion & the #3 Sandwich (Part One)

Characters: Female Reader/Male Moth Monster, Male Bat, Genderless Forest Spirit Content: NSFW, Financial Stress, Pining, Masturbation, Illness, Sandwiches Wordcount: ~6600 Notes: Patrons got this about two weeks early, so take this as a reminder that “early stories” are one of my Patreon perks (they also got to see it while it was in WIP form). I haven’t finished the entire story, so tags are subject to change, but I’ve made a dent in Part Two. Many thanks to @monster-bait​ for encouraging me to keep going and being so enthusiastic about getting to read the moth story. Without her I probably wouldn't have a story to share.

This was inspired by a @monsterkinkmeme​ prompt. Specifically this one.

It’s pushing midnight, and you’re sitting in the gas station parking lot crying softly to yourself. You’re counting your tips and then counting them again, as though the number is going to change and you’re magically going to have even another dollar. You know that’s not how any of this works, but you keep doing it with a silent urgency as you struggle to decide what to do.

There’s a soft tap at your window. A hulking form fills the space outside, and you’d be scared, except you know who this is. It’s the attendant at the local-grocery-slash-gas-station you’re parked at. He’s a large, fluffy, humanoid moth, and you think he’s adorable.

You’re mortified that he’s seen you like this.

“I’m so sorry for loitering--” you begin as you roll down the window. You rub your hands quickly over your face, determined to look more composed than you are.

It’s been a rough month. Rent had put your account in the negative, and you’ve only got enough cash to either eat or put a gallon of gas in your car to get home, but not both. Your stomach is growling, and you’re not sure whether you’d rather go home to empty cupboards or get something from the convenience store here and sleep in your car.

“That’s not why I’m here,” He says, his voice gentle, warm, and soft as always.

“It’s not?” You ask, glancing around the empty parking lot. You’re pretty conspicuous; your car is the only one here, and you’ve been sitting here for an hour. He has every right to ask  you to move along.

“I wanted to check on you.” He tells you. “Make sure you’re okay.”

With that, a fresh torrent of tears spills down your cheeks despite yourself. You sag forward against the steering wheel, and feel the leather press into your forehead. You were prepared for a scolding, but not kindness. It’s always that moment of kindness that does you in when you’re holding it together by a thread.

You hear a trill of distress from him.

“Look,” His voice penetrates your sobs. “You don’t need to tell me everything, but how about you come inside, sit down, have a snack and a cup of coffee, or cocoa or whatever you like from the hot drinks. It’ll help.”

“I… I can’t afford it.” You admit. You hate that you have to say those words, especially to him. You like him a lot, had wanted to make a good impression on him. Be friends, maybe more. Now he’s seen what a disaster you are, and that fragile hope is crumbling.

“It’s on me. I insist.”

“But…”

“You can come in and get it, or I’m bringing you cocoa and a cookie.” He says, and it’s the first time you’ve heard a stern edge to his voice. “It’s clear you need it, and it’s the least I can do for you.”

“Oh.” You wipe at your eyes again. You think about arguing, but you’re hungry, and you’re exhausted. You’ll find a way to repay him later. “Okay.”

He steps back to give you room to get out of the car, and though there’s nothing of value in there, you click the button to lock it anyway.

Once inside, he quietly ushers you to the coffee counter, and looks at you expectantly. You glance from him to the machine, and press the button for cocoa. It’s too late, and you’re too wrung out to want caffeine right now. The machine dispenses cocoa into a paper cup. The moth grabs a container, and tops it off with mini marshmallows. Despite yourself, you crack a smile.

You realize you don’t even know his name.

You’ve been coming here for a few months, since you first stumbled across this place. You’d been driving up the coast, looking for a new place to settle. You’d burned some bridges, ended a long-term relationship, and needed a fresh start, so you’d thrown everything you owned into the back of your old car and started driving. Out in the middle of the redwoods along the Pacific coast, you’d found this place.

Waitressing isn’t the sort of work you’d envisioned for yourself, but it pays the bills most of the time. Tourist season’s slowed down recently though, and the tips aren’t coming in like they had been at the height of summer. Melinda--the manager--reassured you that next month the whales migrate past and things will pick up again, but a month feels like an eternity right now.

“Do you want a sandwich?” He asks, gesturing at the deli counter behind you.

“I can’t.” You say. “I can’t pay for any of this.”

“That’s not what I asked,” He chides gently. Your eyes focus on the soft ruff of his chest, where fluffy brown fur spills over the top of his apron. His nametag says Virion. It suits him, you think. He changes tack. “What do you want on your sandwich?”

“Which one is your favorite?” You ask.

“The number three,” He says, gesturing to the board.

“I’ll take that then.” You say, not even bothering to read the ingredients.

He pauses at the sink behind the deli counter, and you hear him scrubbing his hands. You take a sip of the cocoa and watch him. He’s big, but he moves delicately. His wings are folded tightly against his body, and you can see hints of the pattern on his wings.

“Why are you being so nice?” You ask, as he starts working on your sandwich.

He shrugs, the gesture making his wings flutter, and his antennae bob a bit.

“It’s the right thing to do,” he says. “And… don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve seemed a little lost since you showed up. You’re on your own. Most other folks here have family, have friends, have someone to take care of them. But you’re alone.

“Not sure how someone as sweet as you got that way, but…” he hesitates, glances at you, then back at the food. He’s still preparing the sandwich, his hands moving steadily as he speaks.  “I didn’t want you to feel alone anymore.”

There aren’t words.

You grip the warm paper cup in your hands, and study the worn linoleum beneath your feet. You can’t look at him, or you’ll start crying again. He’s sweet. There has to be a catch, right? This is a trick? This is just pity. Well, yeah, it is pity. He’s feeding you because he’s kind, and he pities you. But still. You’re too exhausted to be embarrassed, so instead you let yourself enjoy the fact that someone cares about you for the first time in a long time. You drag your finger along the cup, feeling your nail catch at the seam. You flick at it a few times.

The silence stretches, and you want to break it, but you don’t know how. So you drink your cocoa and look at things around the store. There are chips in front of the deli counter in flavors that you’re certain you couldn’t find anywhere else. Kelp flavored kettle chips aren’t a thing, but here they are in front of you. Sometimes you wonder if this grocery is in some kind of liminal space, and you’ve managed to find a path you shouldn’t have.

“Sorry,” he says, as he passes you a wrapped deli sandwich in a paper bag. “I didn’t mean to make things awkward.”

“No… it’s…” You still don’t know what to say. “I appreciate you explaining.”

His mandibles flicker in what you recognize as one of his smiles.

“You don’t owe me anything for this, okay?” He holds your gaze, and though his eyes aren’t human, there’s a depth of what you can only call humanity there. “We take care of our own here, and I wanted to make sure you were going to be alright.”

You nod.

“Now let’s put some gas in your tank and get you home safe,” He says. “If you want chips or another drink, go ahead and grab them, and meet me out front at the pump.”

You fight back tears for the hundredth time that night, grab a bag of your favorite chips--not the Kelp flavor, you’re not brave enough for that--and try to squash the guilt. As you go to stuff it in the bag you see not one, but two sandwiches. Your eyes burn. You don’t know how you’ll repay him, but you know you have to.

He fills your gas tank.

“I’m going to find a way to return the favor,” you inform him. “Somehow.”

“You don’t need to,” He says with a shrug. He tucks his hands into his pockets, and looks away from you, almost bashful.

“I know,” You offer him a shaky smile. “But I want to. Thank you for everything.”

“Alright,” He says. “You can start by getting home safe.” Virion passes you a slip of paper with his phone number on it. “Send me a message when you get home, if you don’t mind. It’s late for humans to be out, and it’d give me peace of mind.”

“Okay.” You tuck the paper into your pocket. Before you get caught up in a hundred goodbyes and a thousand thank-yous, you get into your car and drive away. In the rearview mirror you catch him watching you leave.

You are tired as you drive home, so you roll down the windows and turn up the radio. The cool night air and the sounds of classic rock fill your car as you cruise along the curvy coastal highway. You turn off the highway onto a smaller side road, and then again onto a gravel road, and finally a dirt driveway before you reach the small cabin you’re renting.

It’s a cozy little place, set back in the woods on three sides, but with a view down the side of the “ridge” and into the river valley below. You can’t see or hear your neighbors, but you’ve learned that you like it that way. It’s peaceful here. Quiet in a way your life never used to be.

You turn on your cellphone and give it a minute for it to connect to the wifi--there’s no cell signal most places out here--and once it’s online you send a text to Virion letting him know you’re home safe.

Virion replies quickly with a “Thanks for letting me know. Sleep well.”

You smile despite everything.

Your dining table is small, with just three seats. It’s wedged under one of the large windows, but it lets you look out over the cliffs and down to the river. You love the view from here, and even now, in the full dark, you can see the nighttime fog rolling in.

You eat your sandwich and some of the chips, saving the rest for breakfast tomorrow. It’s late, and you work the evening shift again the next day.

You fiddle with your phone for a few minutes as you debate sending another text. Is it too needy? Maybe.

You text anyway.

You>> The sandwich was good. Thank you. Virion>> Glad to hear it. You’re welcome.

You smile at the text; he’d responded almost immediately, and it makes you feel important. It feels like it’s been forever since anyone cared about you, and you’ve truly missed this feeling. That little bubble of happiness carries you through as you climb into bed.

The morning sunlight pouring through your windows wakes you from unusually vivid dreams about a certain moth. You groan and drag yourself through your morning rituals. You tend the back garden, checking the vegetables that are nearly ready for harvest, throw some feed and scraps from the restaurant to the chickens, and then settle into your favorite patio chair with the leftover sandwich and a cup of tea.

After a moment’s debate, you snap a picture of the sandwich with the view visible and send it to Virion.

You>> [Picture] Thank you for breakfast, too.

He doesn’t immediately respond, but you refuse to let yourself fixate on that. Instead, you enjoy your food and the sunshine. He did you a favor, and though you want to express your gratitude, you also don’t want to get super clingy or overwhelm him, so you force yourself to leave your phone alone and not check it while you putter around the house before work.

You clean a bit, do some laundry and hang it out to dry--avoiding the dryer cuts down on your power bill--and you bring in some wood for the potbellied stove in the corner of the living room. Then you let yourself paint, working with watercolors you try to capture the beauty of the area around you.

Before you know it, it’s time to get ready for work.

You let yourself check your phone finally.

Virion>> Looks like a great place to enjoy a meal. :) Virion>> How did the sandwich hold up overnight?

The fact that he’s asking you a question means he wants to keep talking, right? You smile to yourself, and type out a response. It was a good sandwich, definitely better last night. You tease a bit about the fact that you have no basis of comparison. (You worry a bit about sounding like you’re fishing for more freebies, but you go with it anyway.) He tells you you’ll have to come try the rest, and the back-and-forth carries you through the rest of the day.

You get through another rather lackluster shift at the restaurant, pulling in pretty good tips, all things considered.

Melinda waves you over at the end of the night, her face grim.

“I’m sorry to do this, but based on seniority…” She sighs. “I’m gonna have to cut back your shifts for a couple weeks.”

You pinch your thigh to keep back the rising panic, and instead force a smile onto your face.

“I understand,” You say instead. You can break down once you get to your car. “What shifts am I still working?”

Melinda goes through your modified schedule, and your panic only gets worse. You’ve lost all of your dinnertime work, which means you’ll lose out on all the good tips. You’ve kept a few lunches, and she threw you a brunch, but that’s… it.

You grab your things, and take the free meal to-go. You don’t even know what you’ve got, and you know you’re breaking rules when you dump the plate into a takeout container, but you just need to bail. Melinda, for her part, sees, but doesn’t call you out on it. You think she understands; she’s not a bad boss, and things are tough for the restaurant right now.

But this sucks.

There isn’t a lot of work to be had, with tourist season slowing down. The college students are still in town for the summer, so all those low-skill jobs you could pick up are filled right now.

You stop at the grocery without thinking about it, and head inside.

Virion, as always, is behind the counter. He takes one look at your face and steps forward.

“What happened?” He asks.

“My hours got cut at work, and I don’t know what to do.” You say.

“Oh.” He glances around, then leads you behind the counter to where he’s got a stool, and he has you take a seat. He kneels in front of you, so your heads are on a level with each other. “Okay, so you need another job?”

“Yeah, for a while at least.” You stare at your hands. “I’m sorry for showing up and just… dumping this on you. But like you said yesterday. I’m alone. I just… needed a friendly ear.”

One of his large hands comes out and covers yours where they fidget in your lap. You glance up at him, and your gaze is caught.

“I’m glad you came here,” He says. “I’m glad you came to me.”

You feel like a deer caught in headlights as he stares at you. He doesn’t move, and doesn’t say anything for a moment, and all you can think about is the way your heart is pounding in your chest, and how it would be so easy to close the space between you. But you don’t

“I need help here one night this week and next for deliveries,” Virion tells you, “And I know a few folks need odd jobs like that, too. Not humans, though. Are you okay working for other people… who are sort of like me?”

“Yeah,” you say. “I am.”

“I’ll make some phone calls tomorrow then.” He rises. “For tonight let me show you around so you know what to expect.”

You’re not there long, but you leave with more hope than you’d arrived with. Virion had made it clear that he was only offering a couple shifts, not permanent work--his normal help was out on a brief family leave--but it was still a paying job. You felt some of the weight lift off your shoulders. It would be okay.

The next week is a whirlwind. You pick up mail for a vampire who can’t get to the post office during the day--this promises to be a permanent position if you want it--and help a slime monster mother who has a half-dozen children underfoot with some light housekeeping that had gotten out of hand. There’s a Naga who needs help peeling his molting skin off, and a minotaur who is, ironically enough, trying to build a labyrinth and wanted someone to sweep up their jobsite in the evenings. The hardest though is the werewolf who had blown their winter coat and needed help not just with brushing out their fur, but also with sweeping it all up. All of them pay you in cash at the end of the day.

When Friday rolls around and you’re scheduled to work for Virion, you sit in the parking lot counting your cash, realization dawning on you slowly. You’ve got enough to be okay. It’s thanks to Virion, because of the favor he did you finding the jobs. But it’s also due to your own hard work, and you know you need to recognize that, too.

You tuck the money away in your bag and look thoughtfully at the store. You want to do something for him as a thanks, and now you can spare a bit of cash to do that. You doubt he’d let you repay him for the sandwiches that first night, but maybe you could bake him something? You’re a pretty good baker when you can afford the supplies. Perhaps a cake, or some cookies? You’ll sound him out tonight and see if he likes sweets.

You smile to yourself, grab your things, and head inside.

“You’re here!” Virion says, pleasure evident in his voice when you walk in. “And just in time! The truck should be here any minute. Have you eaten?”

“I am here! And yeah, I ate.” You smile at him. “Thanks for helping me with all the work, it made a huge difference.”

“Glad to hear it.” He passes you an apron, a box cutter, and some work gloves. “Head on back, I’ve got a few boxes left over from last week’s delivery you can stock while we wait. You’re on the clock starting… now.”

“Thanks, boss.” You say, giving him a mock salute.

He laughs, and you saunter away.

The night passes quickly. Virion pulls out a radio and lets you pick the station—there aren’t many to choose between up here, but the fact that he lets you make the choice between country and classic rock is nice—and the two of you chat a bit as you work. He grew up here, bought the store from his parents, and has been running it nearly alone for years now. He’s got some help for the daylight hours (not that you’re ever here then) and the occasional night off.

You tell him a bit about why you’re here in the middle of nowhere. About the ex that broke your heart, and the career you’d ruined in the aftermath. He lets you talk, and when it becomes too much, he seems to sense it, easily turning the conversation to something lighter.

You ask about the off-brand toaster pastry--with flavors like spring meadow and summer breeze— and Virion shrugs.

“They’re popular with our customers.” He says. “Not really a human thing.”

“I haven’t met any other non-humans in the shop,” you muse. “Do you get many?”

“Oh, yes. You’re actually the only human I’ve had come to the store in quite some time.”

“What?” you stop what you’re doing.

“I thought you’d noticed by now but… none of the humans around here really know about this place.” Virion rubs the back of his neck. “We’re not quite in another dimension, but we’re not quite in the human world, either. It’s a sort of liminal space here. You found your way in the first time, I think, because you needed to be here, and since then you’ve just… kept following the same path.”

You sit back on your heels, more surprised by how un-surprising that is. If you hadn’t been so stressed for the last few months, you think you’d have caught on already. But life has been a lot recently, and you’d been stuck in survival mode.

“No shit?” You manage.

He chuckles.

“You’re welcome here, obviously.” He says. “As long as you want to be here.”

You feel a blush burning your cheeks, and you don’t know what to say, so you get back to work. After a moment of hesitation, Virion does the same.

The rest of the night is quieter. You’ve got a lot to think about.

You don’t see Virion again for a week, though he’s on your mind frequently. You find yourself picking up your phone, about to text or call him far too often. You stop yourself most of the time because you don’t want to seem overly attached, but the urge is there. There’s so many things you want to ask him about, or tell him about, and you wonder if he thinks about you even half as much as you think of him. But you’re also busy; you’ve got a few shifts at the restaurant, and a lot of errands for the inhumans that Virion initially put you in touch with, as well as some more that have come as word spread about the helpful human.

Friday morning you head to the store for cookie ingredients (and the rest of your groceries) and as soon as you’re home you get busy baking. You make shortbread, a fairly safe bet for most folks, as well as gingersnaps, just in case. You pull up to the parking lot just before your shift, gather your things, and head in.

Only, Virion’s not there. Instead, there’s a rather large humanoid bat. You freeze.

Bats eat moths.

Did this bat eat Virion? Is Virion in trouble? He didn’t say anything about a bat. But he is a moth, and moths are food for bats… at least… regular sized ones. But this bat is giant, and so is Virion, at least relative to the ones you’re used to in the human world. Does that mean he’s safe? The two of them are basically the same size as each other, after all.

As you stand there panicking, the bat registers your presence.

“Hey,” they say, looking up from their cellphone. “You must be the girl doing the truck tonight. V said you’d be in.”

“Y- yeah, that’s me.” You say, forcing a smile onto your face. “Where is Virion?”

“Oh, he wasn’t feeling too good, so he asked me to cover his shift.” The bat holds out a hand, which is attached to a delicate, leathery wing. “I’m Zeke.”

“Nice to meet you, Zeke.” You shake his hand. His grip is strong and warm, and it’s weirdly the fact that he shakes your hand that makes you feel less freaked out. “Did he leave any extra instructions, or is it same as last week?”

“Nah, same as last week.” Zeke shrugs, settling back onto the stool behind the counter. He’s big, his fur a deep red-brown, his face almost fox-like, and you suspect his wingspan is huge. If you hadn’t met Virion first, you might even find Zeke attractive, a small part of your mind points out. You squash that thought quickly.

“Alright. I’m just gonna head to the back and get ready,” You say. “I’ll come grab you if I need a hand, okay?”

“Yep. Sounds good.” He smiles. His eyes crinkle when he smiles, and you like that a lot, but he’s not Virion.

Damn it.

You flee to the back of the store, mentally berating yourself for the fact that you’ve developed a huge crush on Virion. You need to get over it; he’s being kind to you because he's kind, not because he feels the same way, you tell yourself. And even if he does, right now the two of you are on such uneven footing, you’re sure he wouldn’t feel able to act on anything, he’s just that kind of person. You’ve got to get yourself into a better spot. One where you’re not relying on him.

When the truck arrives, you fish your phone and earbuds out of your bag and turn on something loud and fast-paced that will keep you going, and keep you from dwelling on your emotions. You don’t have time to process this all right now.

You speed through what you can solo, then flag down Zeke for the rest. He helps you move some of the heavier boxes, and lets you stock on your own. You’ve got a rhythm going and he seems to pick up on your mood and recognize that you want to be left alone.

When you’re finally done, you grab your bag and head back to the front of the store.

“This is for you,” Zeke says, passing you an envelope with your name on it. You glance inside. Cash.

“Thanks, Zeke.” You say. You pass over the tupperware full of cookies. “I made these to thank Virion for all the help he’s given me the past month. Could you please make sure he gets them? Feel free to grab a couple for yourself too. There’s a ton in there.”

“Sweet, thanks.” Zeke grins. “You kicked ass tonight. Never seen anyone stock that fast.”

“Hah. I was motivated is all.” You don’t mention that it was frustration with yourself driving you, or that you appreciated being able to turn off most of your brain and just focus on the objects in front of you. Before you can get caught up in conversation, you heft your bag onto your shoulder. “It was nice to meet you.”

You head home, stubbornly tamping down the disappointment you feel at not seeing the handsome moth tonight.

It takes all of an hour after you get home for you to give in to the urge to text the moth.

You>> Hey V. Zeke said you were sick. Hope you’re feeling better soon. Virion>> Sorry to worry you. Virion>> I’ll be okay You>> I made cookies for you. Zeke has them. You>> Make sure you collect them. Virion>> He’s gonna eat them all. You>> If he does, let me know and I’ll make you more. Virion>> I’ll hold you to that. You>> :) Get some rest. Let me know if I can help, please. Virion>> Will do.

After weeks of go-go-go you’re not sure what to do with yourself when there’s not work to be done or a crisis to handle. You’ve actually got enough money to be okay. You don’t have anything to do first thing in the morning, and you finished at Virion’s earlier than expected.

It wasn’t so long ago that you had a lot of idle evenings. You’d get home from your regular 9-to-5 job and you’d be able to just relax. There wasn’t any stress over how your bills were getting paid. You didn’t have to worry about what your next side-hustle was. You could just unwind for the evening. You’ve been so busy since you got here that you haven’t really had time to miss that.

But now you’re alone, and it’s dark and quiet and you have time. Time for yourself. You think about the bottle of fancy bubble bath you’d picked up earlier as a treat. It hadn’t occurred to you that you’d have an opportunity to use it so soon, but here you are.

You put on some mellow music, run a hot bath for yourself, and dance your way around the house, grabbing a few scented candles and a glass of wine. You sink into the tub with a sigh. The water feels good, and the wine is nice, and you let yourself drift.

Your hands, almost of their own accord, begin stroking along your body. Softly at first, as you tease yourself. You think about Virion, and how he might touch you. Would he be gentle? Or could he turn out to be a demanding lover, someone who knows what he wants and pushes you to your limits?

A soft sigh escapes you as your fingers tease your breasts. You imagine Virion’s long tongue instead, the way it might stroke you. While you keep the fingers of one hand at your nipples, the other trails down along your belly, brushing your skin gently. You wonder how his fluff would feel against you, and imagine being held tight against him.

By the time you touch your clit, you’re already nearly to the edge of a climax, just with thoughts of Virion. You plunge your fingers into yourself, and circle your clit with your thumb, and that’s all it takes to push you over the edge. It’s not a world-changing climax, but it’s good, and you ride it out for a few blissful moments.

By the time the wine is gone and the water is getting cold, you’re more relaxed than you’ve been in months. You towel off carefully, and pad across the house wrapped in your towel to grab your favorite pajamas from the drawer.

The phone rings.

You glance at the clock. Nobody ever calls for a good reason at 1am.

A glance at the caller ID shows that it’s Virion, and that makes you even more worried.

“Hey V,” you answer, trying to keep the panic out of your voice. “What’s wrong?”

“I need help,” he says. “I know it’s asking a lot, but can you come to me?”

“Just text me your address, I’ll get there as quick as I can.”

“Okay.” He sounds awful, it’s more of croak.

You skip the pajamas in favor of some leggings and a big sweater. Your phone pings with an address.

It’s the work of a moment to look up directions before you leave. With no cell signal between your place and his, it’s imperative that you know where you’re going. Thankfully he’s not far, and you’re familiar with the area.

Before you head out, you think for a moment and pack yourself an overnight bag, as well as a few things around the house that you think might help Virion. You’re not sure exactly what you’re walking into, but you’d like to be as prepared as you can.

And then you’re on your way. It isn’t a long drive, but it still feels like an eternity before you’re driving carefully up his driveway and parking in front of a small house. There’s a few lights on, and it’s that more than anything else that makes you sure you’re at the right place. (You’d passed a mailbox with his address a half-mile back up the driveway, and you hadn’t seen any other homes on this property, but it was hard to tell sometimes.)

You grab your things, gather your courage, and march up to the front porch. Before you can knock, the door swings open.

“You’re here,” Virion says in evident relief. He wraps his arms around you, and then you feel him go limp.

“Virion?” You ask. He doesn’t respond. “Virion?!” Your panic rises.

He seems to have lost consciousness. You try to breathe through your panic, and think about what you should do. You can’t take him to a regular hospital. Who can help? Zeke might know.

So you very carefully lower Virion to the ground, and check for his phone. It’s in the pocket of his loose flannel pajama pants, thankfully. You press his thumb against the scanner, and it unlocks. You scan through his contacts and find Zeke’s number.

“V? What’s up man?” Zeke answers.

“It’s me,” you say. “Virion called me and asked for help, and when I got here he passed out on me.”

“Shit,” Zeke says. “Shit. Okay. Stay calm. I’m gonna fly over. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

“Okay.” You try to keep breathing.

“He’s a stubborn fool,” Zeke says. “He’ll be okay.”

You nod, then remember you’re on the phone, and Zeke can’t see that.

“Is there anyone else I should call?” You ask.

“Once we’re off the phone, look and see if he has Juniper in his contacts. If he does, call them. They run the clinic.” Zeke instructs. “They’ll get things prepped for us.”

“Okay.” You say.

“I’ll be there soon.” Zeke assures you.

You hang up, and look through his phone. Juniper is there.

“Virion?” The voice that answers is ageless, and you wonder if they’re some sort of forest spirit.

“No, I’m... a friend of his,” you say. “He called me and asked me to come over, and then he collapsed.”

“Oh dear,” Juniper says, somehow radiating both concern and calm through the phone. “Where are you? Is anyone else there?”

“I’m at Virion’s. I called Zeke, he’s coming here, and then I guess we’re coming to the clinic?” You run your fingers over one of Virion’s soft cheeks, and look down on his face. The panic threatens to bubble up.

“Yes. Yes. That is good. Zeke will get you here. Is he breathing?” Juniper asks.

His chest is still moving slowly.

“Yes, very slowly.”

“Good.” Juniper says. They continue to walk you through things like finding his pulse point--which is in his wing, not his wrist--and checking to ensure he is stable until Zeke arrives. You’re more grateful than you can express to be kept busy.

“Hey,” Zeke says, landing with a thud nearby. “Are you still talking to Juniper?”

“Yes,” You answer. “Juniper, Zeke just arrived.”

“That is good. I do not believe that Virion is in imminent danger, but do make haste.” Juniper says.

You relay that information to Zeke. The bat nods.

It doesn’t take long to get Virion loaded into your car, and then Zeke gives you directions to get you to the Clinic. The drive isn’t far--no more than a few miles--but it feels like it takes an eternity. You know it’s just because you’re so worried about Virion, but you’re so anxious you could scream.

The clinic is in the town behind the gas station, and you know you shouldn’t be surprised, but you are. You’ve been into town before; your clients had mostly lived up the mountain, in the woods, but some of their errands had brought you down here. You’d been in the grocery store, which unlike Virion’s had limited hours. You’d seen the bar, and the bookshop. But now that you’re driving through it with Virion and Zeke, it’s like there are buildings you can see that you couldn’t before. You wonder if being with them lifted some magical barrier. Because you are certain that you’d never seen the clinic, or the florist, or either of the two restaurants in town before.

You park in front of the clinic, deciding to ask later if there’s some anti-human magic at play. Right now getting care for Virion is more important. As you climb out of the car and open the back door on your side, a tall tree-spirit crosses the parking lot. They look down at you in puzzlement for a moment, then seem to nod.

“You are Virion’s friend,” they say.

“Yes. Are you Juniper?” You ask.

“I am.” They confirm. With supernatural strength that shouldn’t surprise you but does, they scoop Virion out of the back of your car and carry him into the clinic. You look over to Zeke.

“Should I come in, or make myself scarce?” You ask.

“V called you.” He says with a shrug. “You don’t have to stick around if you’re not comfortable, but I think he wanted you here.”

“Okay.” I think he wanted you here is the best you’re going to get for now, so you try to carry yourself as though you belong, and follow the tree spirit and the bat man into the clinic.

What follows is hours of waiting. Juniper doesn’t update you about what they’re doing, but you know they’re taking care of Virion. Zeke hangs out nearby for a while before he tells you that he has to head home. He’s got responsibilities. You thank him for his help, and promise to update him if you have news.

At some point, Juniper tells you that you can sit with Virion in his patient room. You follow them down a short hallway to a rather homey room. There’s an armchair near the bed that you settle into. Virion’s got some monitors near his head, though you don’t see wires connected to him. It must be some kind of magic.

“He is doing better,” Juniper tells you. “He just needs to rest. You will need to supervise him for a few days after he goes home. I know Virion, he is stubborn and will try to go back to work far too soon.”

“I’m not sure we’re that close...” You say, feeling somewhat nervous as you look up at the tree spirit.

They shrug. “He called you.”

“Zeke said something similar. I don’t understand.” You drag your hands over your face.

“Virion has many friends, many people who care for him, many people to call. He chose you.” Juniper speaks slowly, as if speaking to someone who is failing to understand something incredibly simple.

And then it hits you.

He called you.

“Oh.” You say. The magnitude of what both Zeke and Juniper have been trying to tell you really hits you. You’ve been so wrapped up in your feelings for Virion that you haven’t allowed you to consider how he felt about you. But there’s evidence here that you’d have to be an idiot to ignore.

“Yes.” Juniper nods. They don’t quite smile, but their countenance brightens somewhat. “I will check back soon.”

You’re left alone with the sleeping moth man. The monitors near his head display data you don’t understand. He’s still and quiet, and it would scare you more if you weren’t too exhausted to be afraid, you think.

He called you.

There’s an enormity to that which you can’t really focus on right now, in the middle of the night. You’re worn out from being up for hours, and from the crash of adrenaline now that he’s okay, and you can relax. You watch his too-still form in the bed, and you’re grateful for the fact that he reached out.

In another world, one where you were more certain of what him calling you meant, you’d be bold enough to crawl into the hospital bed with him. Instead, you keep a vigil over his rest, though you’re exhausted.

You know there’s something between you now, and you’re not sure he would mind waking up with you in his bed. After all, he called you.

You can find all my writing on my Masterlist. Love what I do? Tip me with a Ko-Fi, and/or back me on Patreon. I also truly appreciate reblogs, likes, and comments. They keep me going. ♥ 

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

Pygoscelis

Gentoo Penguins walking along a Penguin Highway, by Arturo de Frias Marques, CC BY-SA 4.0

Etymology: Rump Leg

First Described By: Wagler, 1832

Classification: Dinosauromorpha, Dinosauriformes, Dracohors, Dinosauria, Saurischia, Eusaurischia, Theropoda, Neotheropoda, Averostra, Tetanurae, Orionides, Avetheropoda, Coelurosauria, Tyrannoraptora, Maniraptoromorpha, Maniraptoriformes, Maniraptora, Pennaraptora, Paraves, Eumaniraptora, Averaptora, Avialae, Euavialae, Avebrevicauda, Pygostaylia, Ornithothoraces, Euornithes, Ornithuromorpha, Ornithurae, Neornithes, Neognathae, Neoaves, Aequorlitornithes, Ardeae, Aequornithes, Austrodyptornithes, Sphenisciformes, Spheniscidae

Referred Species: P. adeliae (Adélie Penguin), P. antarctica (Chinstrap Penguin), P. papua (Gentoo Penguin), P. tyreei, P. grandis, P. calderensis

Status: Extinct - Extant, Least Concern

Time and Place: From 16 million years ago until today; from the Burdigalian of the Miocene 

In the Miocene and Pliocene, Pygoscelis was restricted to northern Chile. By the Pleistocene, it was found on the Southern Island of New Zealand. Today, it ranges throughout the southernmost portion of the southern hemisphere, mainly on Antarctica and parts of Antarctica, depending on the species. 

Physical Description: Pygoscelis is a genus of medium-sized penguins consisting of the Adélie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap Penguins, as well as a few extinct species that are actually known from more northern (so, warmer) locations than the living species, which extend its temporal range through the Miocene. These birds weigh between 3.2 and 8.5 kilograms, with Gentoos being the largest species (and the third-largest penguin overall) and Chinstraps being the smallest. They all have black backs, wings, and tails and white bellies. Unlike some other species of penguin, they don’t have extensive other colors or display structures; instead, the Chinstrap Penguin has a noticeable strap under its chin, the Adélie Penguin has a completely black head, and the Gentoo Penguin has orange feet and a white stripe over its eye. They all have flippers for wings and webbed, orange-pink feet. Like other penguins, they have a unique feather structure that traps air to help keep the penguins warm, and to help them not get too waterlogged as they swim in their ocean habitats. They also have thick blubber to aid in preserving heat. The sexes of these penguins are alike. As babies, they are grey, puffy, and ridiculously muppet-like, before transitioning to more adult plumage. Most of them have short tails, except the Gentoo Penguin, which has a longer tail than usual for penguins. 

Chinstap Penguin by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in the Public Domain

Diet: These dinosaurs primarily eat krill, especially Antarctic krill, though they do also eat fish, cephalopods, and other crustaceans. They often dive extensively, even up to 175 meters to reach their favorite krill.

Behavior: These are highly social, active, and fascinating birds - obviously, as they are penguins. They form large colonies that together hunt for food and take care of their young. Pursuit predators, they get all of their food from the sea, diving and chasing after food very rapidly in the ocean. On land they are a bit less graceful, like other penguins - they waddle about their rocky shoreline habitat, and walk back and forth across Antarctica and South America to reach their food and nesting sites. In fact, the paths they make as they walk across Antarctic snow are called Penguin Highways. 

Adélie Penguins by Jason Auch, CC BY 2.0

These birds arrive at their nesting colonies between September and October, and start laying eggs in November (though Gentoo Penguins can arrive as early as June and start laying then, too). They lay their nests out of small stones protecting a depression in the ground, though Gentoo Penguins use grass and moss as well, and very jealously guard their nest stones. They lay two eggs; in Chinstrap and Adélie Penguins, both are raised, but Gentoo penguins typically only have one survive to hatching. The parents tend to take turns to help incubate the eggs, while the other penguin goes off to eat on their off-hours. Chinstrap and Adélie Penguins rarely lay replacement clutches, but Gentoo Penguins will if needed. Success of breeding varies based on nesting site, with some having up to 50% of the young surviving, and others having as low as 7.5% success rates. Unfortunately, due to reductions in sea ice, many colonies have seen sharp drops in breeding success rates. Chinstrap Penguins reach sexual maturity at 3 years of age; Adélie at 8 years; and Gentoo at 2 years. These are primarily monogamous birds, and in Gentoo Penguins infidelity is punished by banishment from the colony. 

Gentoo Penguins by Liam Quinn, CC BY-SA 2.0

These are also birds which showcase documented homosexual behavior - in 2004, a pair of Chinstrap Penguins named Roy and Silo in the Central Park Zoo of New York City formed a pair bond and, together, adopted a fertile egg which they raised together. Homosexual behavior is also known in wild individuals - Adélie penguins, especially young ones, often mate with other males. This can be as ascribed to inexperience as to choice, however, as they often also try to mate with young chicks and dead females due to not know what the heck they are supposed to do.

Conviviality varies wildly in this genus. Adélie Penguins were described by Apsley Cherry-Garrard as “extraordinarily like children, these little people of the Antarctic world, either like children or like old men, full of their own importance.” They are friendly birds and often approach human scientists as they conduct research on the continent. Chinstrap Penguins, on the other hand, are the most aggressive species of penguin, and are straight-up assholes to humans who approach them. 

Adélie Penguins by Lescroël et al., CC BY 4.0

These are very loud birds, like most penguins; they make trumpting calls, cawing calls, almost bark-like calls, cacklings, and grunts, as well as hissings and hummings. They live entirely in huge colonies and migrate together back and forth between breeding sites and feeding sites; sometimes they’ll migrate large distances based on food availability.

Ecosystem: All these birds live in cold, tundra or straight up ice-filled environments, though where exactly depends on species. As chicks, they are preyed upon by other birds such as Skuas, Sheathbills, Kelp Gulls, and Giant Petrels; as adults, they are targeted by Leopard Seals, Sea Lions, and Orca Whales.

These penguins spend most of their time on rocky shores, though based on species they will often spend time in snow and ice as well. They hunt and spend a good amount of time in cold marine water, like other penguins - probably the most aquatically adapted group of dinosaurs besides Hesperornithines. 

Chinstrap Penguins by Lewnwdc77, CC BY-SA 3.0

Other: Though none of these species are currently threatened with extinction, they are all vulnerable to the current dramatic climate change occurring that is leading to dramatic dips in ice and other suitable habitat for them. While this has also lead to things such as krill booms, which allows for the populations to grow, their nests are not as successful and breeding is going down somewhat. Conservation efforts are necessary to keep these birds alive, as their habitat is rapidly and dramatically disappearing.

Species Differences: Besides differences in appearance and behavior, each of these three species live in different habitats. Gentoos live mostly in South America rather than Antarctica; though they are associated heavily with snow, they prefer to breed in more rocky regions. Adélie penguins live and molt on ice flows and actively seek out ice, and migrate between the Antarctic mainland and the sea for food and nesting. Chinstrap Penguins will seek out areas with light pack ice, but it is an ice-intolerant species and avoids it during the nesting season.

~ By Meig Dickson

Sources under the cut 

Acosta Hospitaleche, C., M. Chavez, and O. Fritis. 2006. Pingüinos fósiles (Pygoscelis calderensis sp. nov.) en la Formación Bahía Inglesa (Mioceno Medio-Plioceno), Chile. Revista geológica de Chile 33(2):327-338

Bianucci, G., S. Sorbi, M. E. Suarez and W. Landini. 2006. The southernmost sirenian record in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from the Late Miocene of Chile. Systematic Palaeontology 5:945-952

Cherry-Garrard, A. 2000. The Worst Journey in the World. Picador.

Chinstrap Penguin. The Animal Files.

Clements, J.F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017

February 2014 observation and photo report by Robert Runyard, translator for INACH (Chilean Antarctic Institute).

Jobling, J. A. 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publishing, A&C Black Publishers Ltd, London.

Marples, B. J. 1960. A fossil penguin from the late Tertiary of North Canterbury. Records of the Canterbury Museum 7(3):185-195

Martínez, I., Christie, D.A., Jutglar, F., Garcia, E.F.J. & Sharpe, C.J. 2019. Adelie Penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Martínez, I., Christie, D.A., Jutglar, F. & Garcia, E.F.J. 2019. Chinstrap Penguin (Pygoscelis antarcticus). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

Martínez, I., Christie, D.A., Jutglar, F., Garcia, E.F.J. & Sharpe, C.J. 2019. Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.

McKie, R. 2012. Sexual depravity of penguins that Antarctic Scientist dared not reveal. The Guardian.

Trather, P. N., J. Forcada, R. Atkinson, R. H. Downie, J. R. Shears. 2008. Population assessments of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) breeding at an important Antarctic tourist site, Goudier Island, Port Lockroy, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica. Biological Conservation 141 (21): 3019 - 3028.

[archaeologicalnews]

Anthropologist group suggests first humans to the Americas arrived via the kelp highway

A team of anthropologists from several institutions in the U.S. has offered a Perspective piece in the journal Science outlining current theories regarding the first humans to populate the Americas. In their paper, they scrap the conventional view that Clovis people making their way across a Bering land bridge were the first to arrive in the Americas—more recent evidence suggests others arrived far earlier, likely using boats to travel just offshore.

As the authors note, for most of the last century, the accepted theory of humans' first arrival was via the land bridge in what is now the Bering Strait—at the time, sea levels would have been much lower. Those early settlers, named the Clovis people, were theorized to have traveled down a central ice-free corridor into what is now the U.S. approximately 13,500 years ago. But, as the authors also note, evidence since the late 1980s has shown that there were people living in parts of the Americas long before the time of the Clovis migration. Read more.

[tlatollotl]

A team of anthropologists from several institutions in the U.S. has offered a Perspective piece in the journal Science outlining current theories regarding the first humans to populate the Americas. In their paper, they scrap the conventional view that Clovis people making their way across a Bering land bridge were the first to arrive in the Americas—more recent evidence suggests others arrived far earlier, likely using boats to travel just offshore.

As the authors note, for most of the last century, the accepted theory of humans' first arrival was via the land bridge in what is now the Bering Strait—at the time, sea levels would have been much lower. Those early settlers, named the Clovis people, were theorized to have traveled down a central ice-free corridor into what is now the U.S. approximately 13,500 years ago. But, as the authors also note, evidence since the late 1980s has shown that there were people living in parts of the Americas long before the time of the Clovis migration. Archaeological evidence of people living on islands off of Asia and on the North and South American coasts (some as far south as Chile) has been found going as far back as 14,000 to 18,000 years ago. Evidence has also been found of people living in the North American interior as far back as 16,000 years ago.

All this new evidence, the authors report, has caused most experts in the field to abandon the idea of the Clovis people as the first to arrive. Most now believe that the first people to arrive did so by boat rather than walking, and they did it by following the coasts, not through the interior. This would have been possible, the authors note, because of what has come to be known as the kelp highway—kelp forests growing just offshore. All that kelp, it has been noted, would have provided a rich habitat for sea creatures upon which hearty travelers could feast.

The authors conclude by noting that too little research has been done offshore—the early travelers would have been residing mostly on land that is now covered by the sea due to higher worldwide ocean levels. If the scientific community truly wants to learn more about human migration to the Americas, they suggest, more work needs to be done offshore.

Explore further: New evidence -- Clovis people not first to populate North America

More information: Todd J. Braje et al. Finding the first Americans, Science (2017). DOI: 10.1126/science.aao5473

Summary For much of the 20th century, most archaeologists believed humans first colonized the Americas ∼13,500 years ago via an overland route that crossed Beringia and followed a long and narrow, mostly ice-free corridor to the vast plains of central North America. There, Clovis people and their descendants hunted large game and spread rapidly through the New World. Twentieth-century discoveries of distinctive Clovis artifacts throughout North America, some associated with mammoth or mastodon kill sites, supported this "Clovis-first" model. North America's coastlines and their rich marine, estuarine, riverine, and terrestrial ecosystems were peripheral to the story of how and when the Americas were first settled by humans. Recent work along the Pacific coastlines of North and South America has revealed that these environments were settled early and continuously provided a rich diversity of subsistence options and technological resources for New World hunter-gatherers.

[lisettecharlotte]

I get by with a little kelp from my friends 🌱🍙🌊 Some seaweed drawn from a past @mattersjournal event with @lichenkelp who discussed the incredible “kelp highway" from Norway to Japan to Chile, where recent seaweed discoveries have anthropologists rethinking the history of human migration. ... This is now available as a print via my website, check it out via the link in my bio! ... ... ... ... @seaweed_appreciation_society #seaweed #seaweedappreciationsociety #kelp #botanicalart #botanicalillustration #botanical #botany #botanic #art #artistsoninstagram #artwork #artist #digitalillustration #digitalart #digitaldrawing #mattersjournal https://www.instagram.com/p/CA2PmGSntfj/?igshid=lxpsyjf9yiv4

[messoamerica]

The Oldest Known Human Remains in the Americas Have Been Found in a Mexican Cave

An ice-free corridor between the Americas and Asia opened up about 12,500 years ago, allowing humans to cross over the Bering land bridge to settle what is now the United States and places beyond to the south. History books have conveyed that information for years to explain how the Americas were supposedly first settled by people, such as those from the Clovis culture.

At least one part of the Americas was already occupied by humans before that time, however, says new research on the skeleton of a male youth found in Chan Hol cave near Tulúm, Mexico. Dubbed the Young Man of Chan Hol, the remains date to 13,000 years ago, according to a paper published in the journal PLOS ONE. How he arrived at the location remains a great mystery given the timing and the fact that Mexico is well over 4,000 miles away from the Bering land crossing.

“Scenarios of travel by boat along the Pacific shoreline, the ‘Kelp Highway,’ must be taken seriously, but alternative migration routes by boat from Europe along the Greenland ice margin or via Antarctica are also possible, though highly speculative,” lead author Wolfgang Stinnesbeck of the Institute of Geosciences at Heidelberg University said.

“If travel by boat is correct,” he added, “then likely camp sites are now set underwater due to the early Holocene rise of sea level.”

Scientists grew interested in the caves as well, with exploratory dives beginning around 2006. That same year, co-author Arturo González of the Desert Museum in Saltillo, Mexico and his team discovered the remains of Young Man of Chan Hol. Additional human remains have been found in underwater caves near Tulúm, which is 80 miles south of the beach resort city of Cancún.

For the new study, González, Stinnesbeck, and their colleagues dated the Young Man of Chan Hol’s remains by analyzing the bones’ uranium, carbon, and oxygen isotopes, which were also found in stalagmite that had grown through the pelvic bone.

The scientists believe that the resulting age of 13,000 years could apply to at least two other skeletons found in caves around Tulúm: a teenage female named Naia and a 25–30-year-old female named Eve of Naharon.

[sciencespies]

Unique gut bug study untangles early human migration from Siberia into the Americas

https://sciencespies.com/humans/unique-gut-bug-study-untangles-early-human-migration-from-siberia-into-the-americas/

Unique gut bug study untangles early human migration from Siberia into the Americas

New insights into the peopling of Siberia and human migration into the Americas have been found in what might seem like an unlikely place: gut bugs.

Helicobacter pylori is a type of bacterium that lives in people’s digestive tracts and can cause stomach ulcers. It has evolved alongside (and inside) humans for at least the past 100,000 years, accompanying people out of Africa, on cross-continental migrations and beyond.

Now an international team has added more detail to the patchy fossil record of how and when people migrated from Siberia into the Americas, by reconstructing H. pylori‘s own evolutionary journey as it moved about in the stomachs of early humans.

But more than that, the study opens a window into the complex history of people living in Siberia, some of whom it seems weathered the worst of the last ice age.

“The peopling of Siberia and the Americas is intriguing for archaeologists, linguists, and human geneticists, but despite significant recent developments, many details remain controversial,” the research team, led by zoologist Yoshan Moodley, writes.

Everything from the timing of human migration from Eurasia into the Americas, to the routes the first migrants used, has been called into question in recent years, challenged by newfound evidence.

Did people move across land bridges or traverse coastal kelp highways? Did they venture into the Americas as trans-Siberian glaciers melted away, or did they arrive much earlier than that?

“Recently, genomic studies of ancient human DNA have offered further insights, confirming that Siberia was the gateway for human migrations into northern America as well as into western Eurasia,” Moodley and his colleagues explain.

But questions linger, mostly because ancient human remains are rarely preserved and hard to find, and genetic studies which follow slow steps in human evolution can only tell us so much.

As it turns out, there are more historical clues to be found in the DNA sequences of bacteria that have been living inside us this whole time.

The team behind this new study sampled over 550 distinct strains of H. pylori from 16 ethnic and multiple traditional language groups currently living in modern-day Siberia and Mongolia, looking to understand past human movements.

More than half the world’s population is today infected with H. pylori, but little is known about the gut bug’s presence or diversity in these remote regions.

“The diversity of language families spoken in the region,” the team writes, “hints at a complex history of migration and isolation.”

“The patterns of human diversity between these ethnic groups are also largely understudied,” they add.

Being a bacterium, H. pylori replicates real fast in the human gut, evolving ever so slightly as it goes. This makes it a useful marker of human migrations, as comparisons of divergent strains can reveal how diverse groups of people across the world are actually related.

Moodley and the team reconstructed the evolutionary histories of H. pylori sampled across Siberia and in the Americas, then modelled how people and H. pylori strains might have migrated across the continental divide.

Because people across “the entire extent” of Siberia shared H. pylori strains with people in North America, it suggests that there was likely a single migration event as recent as 12,000 years ago, the researchers concluded.

But, as the team acknowledges in their paper, mounting archaeological evidence, along with ancient remains and genetic studies, suggest that human migration into the Americas occurred much earlier than that, anywhere between 13,000 and 23,000 years ago.

Another contentious point is whether or not people who first appeared in Siberia around 45,000 years ago stuck it out in Siberia through the coldest part of the last ice age (roughly 20,000 years ago) or retreated further south.

During the last glacial maximum, ice sheets covered a quarter of Earth’s land area and a third of Alaska. Sea levels also retreated, exposing land bridges such as the one that once spanned the Bering Sea between Russia and Alaska.

The same ancient H. pylori strains were found across Siberia, leading the researchers to conclude that some people must have persisted in northern Siberia through the height of the last ice age.

However, the team also identified a few more recently admixed H. pylori variants across the region. This suggests that isolated populations living in central or southern Siberia likely re-joined the hardy groups in the north once the weather warmed during the Holocene, which began roughly 12,000 years ago. 

The study was published in PNAS.

#Humans

[csrgood]

Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks Bring the Giant Sequoia Forests of California into Classrooms Worldwide

Save the Redwoods League and California State Parks have launched a new digital field trip that explores the challenges, including wildfires, facing our giant sequoia forests. Giant sequoia, the largest living trees on Earth, are found only in California’s Sierra Nevada. Their massive size, singular beauty, and rarity have made them living icons of the natural world and subjects of global fascination. The new giant sequoia program will air live through the Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students program (PORTS).  

PORTS is an interactive and comprehensive digital education package that has taught over half a million kids in California and 20 countries around the world about the ecosystems, wildlife, and the history of California’s state parks. The new giant sequoia unit was designed for K-12 classrooms, and it will be available through the 2018-19 school year.

“Bringing the beauty and magic of our state parks through the PORTS program allows students to be transported to a different part of their world, one they may not have even known existed,” said Director Lisa Mangat, California State Parks. “Partnering with the League to bring this digital access to more children will help expand their knowledge and interest not only in giant sequoia, but also to the diverse natural and cultural treasures found in California’s state parks.”

Through PORTS, teachers connect to media platforms provided by Microsoft Education Skype in the Classroom, Nearpod and Smithsonian Digital Learning Lab. For 15 years, students have interacted with State Park interpreters and League scientists in real time, viewing the parks related to the curriculum, fielding questions and responding to queries. PORTS meets Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, and it has proven invaluable in both teaching course material and preparing students for field trips to California State Parks.  Currently, there are 14 units of study offered by PORTS: redwood ecology, Hearst Castle, kelp forests, elephant seals, the Gold Rush, monarch butterfly life cycles and migration, redwood ecology, salmon life cycles, the science of habitat protection and restoration, state government, tide pools, weather and climate and mammal characteristics.

“PORTS is considered the gold standard for K-12 distance learning opportunities,” said Paul Ringgold, chief program officer of Save the Redwoods League. “The PORTS redwood ecology program has been extremely successful at generating student enthusiasm about coast redwoods. We expect a similar result from the giant sequoia study unit. Coast redwoods and giant sequoia have been with us for thousands of years and protecting them is a long-term commitment. We believe PORTS is an essential tool for developing conservation literacy among our future environmental stewards.”

Giant sequoia are the largest living trees on Earth and exist in only 73 groves scattered along the western slope of California’s Sierra Nevada — the last remnants of a vast Sequoiadendron giganteum forest that, along with coast redwood ancestors, covered much of the northern hemisphere.  Though most of these ancient and magnificent trees have been protected in parks and reserves, they remain vulnerable to development, visitation impacts, air pollution, catastrophic wildfire and climate change.

The giant sequoia study unit will focus on the two spectacular giant sequoia groves encompassed by Calaveras Big Trees State Park near the town of Arnold, California. League scientists will be on-site for the live video interactive sessions from October 8-11, during the League’s Centennial Celebration Week. The Giant Sequoia PORTS will be available until June 2019.

“Calaveras Big Trees is one of our flagship parks, a property that’s emblematic of giant sequoia ecosystems and representative of all the challenges that giant sequoia face,” said Brad Krey, the interpretation and education program manager for State Parks. “The new PORTS study unit will prepare students in classrooms who plan a field trip to the park — or, for those students around the state, nation and world who don’t have the opportunity to visit the park. It literally brings the forest into their classrooms.”

Editors please note, to sign up for the FREE giant sequoia digital field trip today go to www.ports.parks.ca.gov/register.

About Save the Redwoods League

Save the Redwoods League, one of the nation’s oldest conservation organizations, is

connecting generations of visitors with their peace and beauty. With more than 20,000 supporters, the League has protected more than 200,000 acres of irreplaceable forest and helped create 66 redwood parks and reserves. For more information, visit SaveTheRedwoods.org.

About California State Parks The California Department of Parks and Recreation protects and preserves the state’s valued natural, cultural, and historical resources while providing recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, boating and off-highway vehicle activities. The department achieves its mission through grant programs and a network of 280 parks, which includes beaches, trails, wildlife areas, open spaces, off-highway areas, and historic sites.

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source: http://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/41349-Save-the-Redwoods-League-and-California-State-Parks-Bring-the-Giant-Sequoia-Forests-of-California-into-Classrooms-Worldwide?tracking_source=rss

[paleogenetica]

Cap 156 : Antiguos Siberianos en Beringia listos para entrar a America. Imágenes Videos Textos

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Todo esto es muy controvertido. Muchos Científicos creen que había Gente en las Américas hace mas de 16,000 Años. Otros Científicos escriben en la Prestigiosa Revista Nature que eso es imposible, de acuerdo a sus Estudios Genéticos en Laboratorios genéticos de China, Europa y Estados Unidos.

Ver en mi Capítulo 152 de este Blog el Artículo de Revista Nature de muy Prestigioso Equipo de Científicos de alrededor del Mundo. A ellos les parece “genéticamente” imposible que lleguen Paleoindios a Alaska antes de 16,000 Años, excepto algunos Linajes que se extinguieron y no influyeron en lo que llamamos Paleoindios que son los de la primera Llegada y que son Ancestros de los Indígenas de Centro y sur América.

Yo no tomo Partido y aconsejo no tomar Partido. Todo esto es muy controversial y polémico. Como las Pinturas Rupestres de Colombia que dicen muchos que son de la Edad de Hielo, dizque porque los Animales pintados se les parecen mucho a los Mastodontes, Perezosos Gigantes, y muchos otros de la MegaFauna extincta. Amanecerá y veremos.

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One-Page Schoolhouse - The First Americans

The Americas covers a lot of land. There’ is evidence in Chile of a human presence on that coast at least by 14-18,000 years ago. In Florida, researchers found evidence of a mastodon butchering site that’s about 14,550 years old. But a new look at a theory from the 20th century that looks at archaeological and genetic evidence that the first humans to arrive in the Americas may have followed the north Pacific coast from Asia to North America. This path is being called the "kelp highway" and if this theory holds true those people traveled the route well before glaciers retreated and other people came over the land bridge. About 16,000 years ago, if people were traveling south on the coastline they would have had a clear route at sea level. There would have been fish, shellfish and other resources. There was no dangerous ocean crossing to make.

https://ronkowitz.blogspot.com/2017/11/the-first-americans.html

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The first people in Yukon migrated from Asia near the end of the Ice Age. Although considerable debate still occurs amongst scientists about when the first people arrived in North America, current scientific conscensus places their arrival around 15,000 years ago. Several lines of evidence have helped scientists reach this conclusion.

Some of the best sources of evidence are the similarities in DNA and blood types of aboriginal people across the Americas and people in Asia. Genetic evidence from a 24,000 year old burial at the Mal’ta archaeological site in central Siberia indicate that people from Europe spread eastward into Asia, mixing with local populations and eventually crossing the Bering Land Bridge. Ancient DNA from a 13,000 year old human burial of the Clovis culture in Montana confirms that these early peoples, and later North American First Nations peoples, are both descended from these early peoples of Siberia. Even tens of thousands of years later, there are still some similarities in the aboriginal languages of Siberia and people  living in Yukon today.

https://www.beringia.com/exhibits/first-people

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Las siguientes Imágenes son del “Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre”, un Museo con Dioramas en Alaska

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Representan a los primeros Humanos que llegan a Alaska y a América. Había que ser muy inteligente y trabajador para sobrevivir. También había que ser creativo e industrioso.

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La Vida bajo mucho frío. Principal Alimento era la Carne, obtenida en Cacerías. Había que cuidar mucho los Niños que son la Progenie que generó a los Nativos Americanos. Sus Descendientes serían Millones en el Nuevo Mundo que conquistarían.

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El Puente de Tierra (Español)

Studies Weekly

¡Aprenda más sobre la historia y la ciencia con Studies Weekly!

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Poblamiento_America.wmv Carlos Luis Grados

Video que trata acerca de los primeros pobladores que llegaron al continente americano vái el estrecho de Bering y luego descendieron más al sur llegando a los andes peruanos alrededor de 15 000 años a. C. Este video servirá como motivac`´on para la sesión de aprendizaje titulado : Las Culturas Pre Incas.

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El Parque Natural y Reserva Biológica donde llegaron los primeros Paleo Indios a Alaska. Preciosa Flora y Fauna con muchos Pantanos y Aguas Termales de Origen volcánico. Los Paleoindios seguramente se quitaron la Suciedad y Mugre en las Piscinas Termales. 

No dejan entrar Carros y hay que llegar en Avioncitos o en Barcos. Está muy protegido contra los Turistas depredadores y vándalos.

Este es el Segundo Viaje mas famoso de la Humanidad. El primero fue cuando salieron de Africa hacia Arabia. Sufrieron mucho frío y para almorzar había que matar Animales peligrosos.

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Reserva Nacional del Puente Terrestre de Bering (Español) -  Feb 4, 2016 - Studies Weekly

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AMÉRICA - Los Primeros Hombres - Episodio 1 - Documental HD

A medida que los primeros humanos se extendieron por el mundo, su desafío más difícil fue colonizar las Américas, porque una enorme capa de hielo bloqueaba la ruta que iba de Siberia a Alaska. Durante mucho tiempo se pensó que los pioneros, conocidos como gente de Clovis, llegaron hace aproximadamente 13,000 años, pero un descubrimiento submarino en México sugiere que las personas llegaron miles de años antes de lo que se pensaba, y en barco, no a pie. ¿Qué relación tienen estos primeros americanos con los nativos americanos de hoy? Es un asunto controvertido, que se podrá resolver gracias a los huesos del conocido como Kennewick Man.

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[lisettecharlotte]

@mattersjournal is back with the second iteration of Drawing Matter. This time it’s an evening of seaweed appreciation, led by Melbourne-based artist, curator and DIY marine biologist, Lichen Kelp. @lichenkelp will will discuss her bond with marine algae and will take us down the “kelp highway” from Norway to Japan to Chile, where recent seaweed discoveries have anthropologists rethinking the history of human migration. • Tickets on sale 6pm tonight (Get in quick, these sold out in a couple of hours last time!) • When: 4.30pm – 6.30pm, Sunday 4 August Where: @cams_convent • Illustrations by me! https://www.instagram.com/p/B0NfAhCHCSM/?igshid=jdag84j0wt5v