EUREKA!

EUREKA!

NEW FINDINGS AND RESEARCH

What Goes Up...

The latest on primate evolution.

Apes and chimps don’t just climb up trees. They also have to climb down. That’s why our primate ancestors evolved more flexible shoulders and elbows: to help slow their downward climbs as gravity pulled on their heavy bodies. “Big apes can’t afford to fall because it could kill or badly injure them,” says anthropology prof Jeremy DeSilva, coauthor of a recent study with Luke Fannin, Adv’24, Mary Joy ’21, and anthropology prof Nathaniel Dominy. “Natural selection would have favored those anatomies that allowed them to descend safely,” DeSilva adds. Rotating shoulders and extra elbow extension enabled early humans to descend more easily. The increased flexibility also made them excellent shots with a spear.

Spike Watch

Monitors prove revelatory.

Many factors can affect glucose levels in diabetes patients: age, seasonal fluctuations, time of day, and how well they manage their condition. Using data from wearable monitors, computer science prof Temiloluwa Prioleau’s recent study found that in warmer months—April to September—when activity levels tend to be higher, people with diabetes maintained glucose levels in the healthy range through a larger part of the day than average. The same was true during the workweek. By comparison, during weekends and colder months, and particularly during holidays, sugar levels strayed out of desired levels more often. The research suggests that wearable monitors could help physicians provide tailored guidance on how to keep levels within recommended targets. —Nancy Schoeffler

Nancy Schoeffler