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Global Swarming

Arctic pests plague caribou.

>>> Rising temperatures have contrib- uted to the rapid growth of mosquito populations in Greenland, accord- ing to Lauren Culler, a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth’s Institute of Arctic Studies. Culler, who conducted research on larvae development at the Kangerlussuaq International Science Support facility and in the region’s freshwater ponds, also found that the upsurge of mosquitoes has disrupted the grazing and migration patterns of caribou, a major food resource for native Greenlanders.

Rent Generation Millennials put off home buying.

>>> Contrary to popular opinion, student loan debt is not the primary factor keeping millennials out of the real estate market. “Young adults are taking longer to transition to marriage and parenthood, and these transitions tend to come before home owner- ship,” says sociology professor Jason Houle. His analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth also suggests that more young people are eschewing mortgage debt in favor of the flexibility of renting.

Star Man New hominin discovered.

>>> An international team of scien- tists, including anthropology professor Jeremy DeSilva, has identified the remains of a previously unknown human ancestor among 1,500 fossils excavated from Rising Star Cave in South Africa. Homo naledi (Sotho for “star”) was a small-brained crea- ture with a remarkably human-like foot and leg. It is believed to be a predecessor to Homo erectus, which evolved into Homo sapiens around 250,000 years ago. The researchers, who published their findings in the journals eLife and Nature Communica- tions, hypothesize that Homo naledi deliberately disposed of its dead.