It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Study reveals ancient needles and awls served many purposes
This bone needle from an archaeological site in Wyoming is an example of bone needles found around the world used by ancient peoples to produce clothing and survive in cold climates. They also served a variety of purposes, from medicine to ceremony, according to newly published research.
A study led by McKenna Litynski, a recent Ph.D. graduate in anthropology and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Wyoming, confirms that ancient needles and awls enabled humans to survive in cold climates and shows these tools served a variety of purposes beyond clothing production, from medicine to ceremony.
Some 100,000 years ago, humans began to expand around the globe, including into some of the world’s coldest environments. Scholars have long hypothesized that this remarkable expansion was made possible by a profoundly humble technology: the bone sewing needle.
The theory suggests that the invention of the needle allowed early humans to make tailored leather clothing which, in turn, allowed survival in frigid climates. While plausible, the theory has been difficult to verify.
However, Litynski led a quantitative study that provides strong support for the theory. Drawing on hundreds of ethnographic documents from the 18th through 20th centuries in North America, she analyzed patterns of needle and awl use.
Her article, which was co-written by UW Department of Anthropology Professors Sean Field and Randy Haas and is published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, shows that clothing production is the most common activity associated with sewing needles and awls.
Statistical modeling also revealed that mentions of these tools increase significantly in colder environments, confirming the role of sewing technology in thermoregulation and survival.
The study also uncovered a surprising pattern in the data. While manufacturing clothing accounted for 14 percent of observations, needles and awls were widely used for other purposes, including medical suturing, fishing, tattooing, basketry and ceremonial activities, meaning needles and awls are not limited to cold environments.
These findings demonstrate that the sewing needle not only helped humans survive in extreme climates, but also played a versatile role in daily life and cultural practices.
The research provides new insight into how environmental and social factors shaped human behavior and tool use, offering archaeologists a richer understanding of one of the most common artifact types in the perishable archaeological record.
“Ultimately, it is not only the tools themselves that are significant, but also the people who once used these objects in the past,” Litynski says. “It is through examining needles and awls from different lenses that archaeologists like me can reveal their capacity to unravel the broader story of human ingenuity, adaptability and cultural evolution over the last several thousands of years and throughout the world.”
Litynski is an archaeologist with research interests in zooarchaeology, environmental archaeology, hunter-gatherers and experimental archaeology. To learn more about her research, email her at mlitynsk@uwyo.edu.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville College of Social Work has launched the Center for Pet Family Well-Being (CPFW), marking a new chapter in the university’s leadership in interdisciplinary research and systems innovation.
Formerly known as the Program for Pet Health Equity (PPHE), the center reflects the evolution of an eight-year initiative that has gained national recognition for advancing research, policy, and community-based solutions that strengthen families with pets.
“Families do not experience health, housing, transportation, and social systems in isolation,” said Michael Blackwell, DVM, MPH, founder of PPHE and the new center. “The Center for Pet Family Well-Being reflects our commitment to aligning these systems in ways that recognize pets as part of the family and essential to family and community resilience.”
Since its launch in 2017, PPHE has secured more than $12 million in competitive grant funding, produced nationally cited research on access to veterinary care, developed the AlignCare model for community-based veterinary access, and led multiple cross-sector collaborations addressing social and structural barriers affecting pet-inclusive families.
“The center designation recognizes the scope, maturity, and national impact of this work,” said Lori Messinger, Dean of the College of Social Work. “The Center for Pet Family Well-Being aligns directly with the college’s commitment to health equity, community engagement, and interdisciplinary research that enhances real-world solutions.”
The center will advance a One Health Systems framework, developed through PPHE’s foundational work. The framework expands traditional One Health thinking by integrating features of societies’ health, social, economic, and structural systems that shape pet-inclusive family well-being. The framework aligns four core system domains:
Health and Well-Being
Economic and Community Support
Housing, Transportation, and Infrastructure
Education, Policy, and Research
The center seeks to use coordinated, community-driven approaches to integrate and transform these fragmented care and social systems so they work together more effectively to strengthen and support pet-inclusive families and their communities nationwide.
Housed within the UT College of Social Work, CPFW will continue expanding its research portfolio, workforce development initiatives, and national dissemination platforms. Key initiatives include expanding the already rapidly growing One Health Community Forum, and launching the Journal of One Health Systems and the annual One Health Systems Summit, which is scheduled to begin October 2026 at the American Public Health Association Annual Conference.
The center is supported through 2029 by a major grant from Maddie’s Fund®, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Duffield to revolutionize the status and well-being of companion animals. The Center for Pet Family Well-Being will continue building a diversified funding portfolio that includes federal and foundation grants, training programs, and national convenings.
With this transition, the University of Tennessee strengthens its position as the emerging national hub for One Health Systems, advancing interdisciplinary research and community-engaged innovation that promotes equity and well-being for pet-inclusive families across the country.
170 species of wild bees live on the Hubland Campus of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU). This is the result of a study carried out by the Chair of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology at the JMU Biocentre from 2012 to 2023. The results have now been published in the scientific journal Ampulex.
Of the 531 wild bee species recorded in Bavaria, almost a third can be found on the approximately 100-hectare campus site. 31 species are also on the Bavarian Red List. They are therefore categorised as at least endangered, including the dark two-toothed bee (Aglaoapis tridentata) and the sand bee (Andrena tscheki).
"The results show that the campus is a surprisingly species-rich and ecologically important habitat for pollinators," explains lead author and department member Hanno Korten. The study provides a scientific basis for harmonising biodiversity and land use planning in the further development of the campus.
What the Chair is doing for the diversity of wild bee species
What makes the university campus in the east of Würzburg so attractive for wild bees is the proximity to nature and the climate in the central Main Valley. At the same time, a number of targeted measures at JMU ensure that biodiversity is promoted.
For example, since 2014, the Chair has been maintaining a small area as a so-called hymenoptera garden, i.e. a garden specially designed for wild bees, wasps and other hymenoptera. The almost 800 square metre area to the east of the biocentre is home to bamboo and reeds, the cavities of which serve as nesting sites for wild bees. The insects also benefit from a loess steep face, dead wood and sand nesting mounds.
Right next to the garden is a meadow orchard with old fruit trees. If these die, their deadwood remains as another protective habitat.
Living Campus ensures sustainable mowing
The Initiative Living Campus also plays a role in maintaining the biodiversity of wild bees. Researchers Dr. Sarah Redlich, Dr. Johannes Spaethe and Junior Professor Nadja Simons from the Biozentrum launched the initiative.
One of their projects is their sustainable mowing concept: mowing once a year with an insect-friendly bar mower and removing the clippings creates a flourishing habitat for insects and birds over time. The initiative also creates many small biotopes that wild bees can use as nesting areas. These include piles of dead wood and open patches of ground.
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
Animals
Article Title
ie Wildbienenfauna (Hymenoptera, Anthopila) des Campus Hubland der Universität Würzburg
Raccoons solve puzzles for the fun of it, new study finds
A UBC study finds raccoons solve puzzles even without food rewards, suggesting they are driven by curiosity and information-seeking
They raid compost bins, outsmart latches and sometimes look gleeful doing it. A new UBC study in Animal Behaviour suggests raccoons may not just be opportunistic—they may be genuinely curious.
UBC researchers Hannah Griebling and Dr. Sarah Benson-Amram found raccoons continued solving puzzles long after retrieving the only food reward available. This behaviour reflects intrinsic motivation rather than hunger and is described as “information foraging,” because no additional food was given for continuing.
Nine ways in—and they kept going
Researchers used a custom multi-access puzzle box with mechanisms such as latches, sliding doors or knobs. The box had nine entry points, grouped as easy, medium and hard. In Each 20-minute trial the puzzle box contained a single marshmallow, yet raccoons often continued opening new mechanisms after eating it, a clear sign of information-seeking.
“We weren’t expecting them to open all three solutions in a single trial,” said Griebling. “They kept problem solving even when there was no marshmallow at the end.”
When risk rises, raccoons play it safe
When solutions were easy, raccoons explored broadly, trying multiple openings and varying their order. As task difficulty increased, they favoured a dependable solution—but still explored multiple solutions even at the hardest level, showing flexible problem-solving.
Griebling said the pattern reflects a classic tradeoff between curiosity and effort or potential risk. Raccoons adjusted strategy based on perceived cost and risk, mirroring decision-making frameworks in other animals and humans.
“It’s a pattern familiar to anyone ordering at a restaurant,” she said. “Do you order your favourite dish or try something new? If the risk is high—an expensive meal you might not like—you choose the safe option. Raccoons explore when the cost is low and quickly decide to play it safe when the stakes are higher.”
Built for urban life
The findings help explain why raccoons thrive in urban centres like Vancouver. Their success could be attributed to the cognitive and physical traits that suit urban life.
Their forepaws, rich with sensory nerves for foraging in streams, are well suited to manipulating latches and handles—often the same kinds used by humans. Solving problems for information, not just food, may give them an advantage in complex environments, helping them access garbage bins or other food sources. Vancouver’s greenspaces, waterways and generally tolerant public provide near-ideal habitat.
“Understanding the cognitive traits that help raccoons thrive can guide management of species that struggle, and inform strategies for other species, like bears, that use problem-solving to access human-made resources,” said Griebling.
Although the experiment involved captive animals at a research facility in Colorado, previous research suggests wild raccoons show similar problem-solving abilities, though researchers caution the behaviours may not be identical.
“Raccoon intelligence has long featured in folklore, yet scientific research on their cognition remains limited. Studies like this provide empirical evidence to support that reputation,” said Dr. Benson-Amram.
Interview languages: English (Griebling, Benson-Amram)
