Moshe Armon from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discusses unusual flash floods sweeping through the Sahara due to an extratropical cyclone. Brian Huber from the Smithsonian sheds light on a 485 million-year temperature record revealing Earth’s climate variability. Mary Lewis from Reading University explores puberty in ancient adolescents, showing striking similarities between their development and that of today’s teens. The conversation spans climate change implications and intriguing insights into our ancestors' lives.
The Sahara Desert's recent flash floods, caused by an extratropical cyclone, highlight the alarming disruptions in traditional weather patterns linked to climate change.
Research on Upper Paleolithic teenagers reveals that puberty onset occurred similarly to modern adolescents, although their growth periods were significantly longer due to harsh living conditions.
Deep dives
Rapid Changes in Climate and Their Implications
Recent studies indicate that the Earth is currently experiencing temperature increases at a pace far beyond what is observed in geological history. While periods of higher average temperatures have occurred naturally over millions of years, the current rapid changes are linked to human-induced carbon emissions. This swift escalation raises concerns about the potential impacts of climate change, particularly regarding extreme weather events and flooding. The frequency of such occurrences suggests that ongoing climate patterns may disrupt traditional weather behaviors, leading to more severe consequences.
Extreme Weather Events in the Sahara
The Sahara has recently experienced unusual flooding due to a remarkable rainfall event, attributed to a combination of tropical and extra-tropical weather systems. This led to significant rainfall in areas typically devoid of moisture, resulting in flooding that caused damage in countries like Morocco and Algeria. Reports indicate that parts of northern Chad experienced some of the highest rainfall in decades, which has severely affected local infrastructure. The persistence of disruptive weather patterns implies that this phenomenon might continue, affecting food security and water resources in the region.
Understanding Ancient Human Development
Archaeological findings suggest that the onset of puberty in Upper Paleolithic teenagers occurred at a comparable age to modern teenagers, typically between 10 and 13 years. Despite the challenging lifestyle of their time, these ancient humans demonstrated physical development that allowed them to contribute significantly to their communities. However, while they entered puberty at similar ages, the duration of their growth periods was longer than that of contemporary adolescents, potentially due to their demanding environments. This research sheds light on the continuity of human development over millennia and offers insights into how lifestyle and genetics interplay during adolescence.
The Sahara Desert has been experiencing unusually heavy rainfall due to an extratropical cyclone, causing flash floods in Morocco. We hear from Moshe Armon of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
A 485-million-year temperature record of Earth reveals Phanerozoic climate variability. Brian Huber of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC tells us more.
And Mary Lewis of Reading University discusses new research looking into what puberty was like for our ancestors towards the end of the last ice age. Teenagers from 25,000 years ago went through similar puberty stages as modern-day adolescents.
Presenter: Roland Pease
Producer: Jonathan Blackwell
Production co-ordinator: Andrew Rhys Lewis
(Photo: Moroccan municipal workers and members of Auxiliary Forces help drain a road in a flooded neighbourhood in the city of Ouarzazate. Credit: Abderahim Elbcir/AFP/Getty Images)
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