The cranium from the Ephesos Octagon in the Collection of the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna. The yellowed note coming with it says: "Skull from Ephesus. Gerhard Weber, University of ViennaShareAn archeological missing persons case has gotten a bit more complicated. Scientists have learned that a skull that long-believed to be that of Cleopatras sister Arsino IV actually belonged to a young boy. A team from the University of Vienna and Austrian Academy of Sciences analyzed the skull and found that the boy was likely between 11 and 14-years-old and suffered from an unknown developmental disorder. A genetic analysis also revealed that he was likely from Italy or Sardinia. The findings are detailed in a study published January 10 in the journal Scientific Reports. Get the Popular Science newsletter Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.Who was Arsion IV?Arsino IV was the youngest daughter of king Ptolemy XII Auletes of Egypt. She was the sister of Queen Cleopatra VII and the kings Ptolemy XIII and XIV. Arsino attempted to lead Egyptian forces against Cleopatra, who had allied herself with Julius Caesar and the Romans during the Alexandrian war. At the request of Mark Antonya Roman politician and Celopatras loverArsino was murdered in Ephesos, Turkey sometime around 41 BCE.In 1929, a skull was found in Ephesos, Turkey by Austrian archaeologist Josef Keil and his team. They found a sarcophagus that was completely filled with water in the ruins of a once elaborate building called the Octagon in Ephesos. While they didnt find any goods in the grave, there was a complete skeleton. Keil took the skull with him before the researchers closed the tomb.The initial analysis in Greifswald, Germany proposed that the grave belonged to a very distinguished person and probably a woman that was about 20-years-old Keil couldnt provide any hard data, but the skull made it to Austria when he began a new job at the University of Vienna. Weninger published an article in 1953 with photos and measurements and concluded that the skull represented a young woman who was of a refined, specialised type.In 1982, the rest of the skeleton was found in Ephesos. However, it was not found in the sarcophagus. The bones were in a niche in an antechamber of the burial chamber. A combination of archaeological records and the fact that Arsino IV was murdered in Ephesos around 41 BCE led archeologists and anthropologists to a new hypothesis in 1990. Arsino IV may have been buried in this elaborate tomb in Ephesos.View of the Octagon in Ephesos along Curetes Street. Only the marble-clad base has survived. CREDIT: Austrian Academy of Sciences/Austrian Archaeological Institute. A chromosomal surpriseIn this new study, a team of geneticists, orthodontists, dating specialists, and archeologists took a closer look at this skull. First, they used micro-computed tomography to create a very detailed digital image of the skull as an archival record. They then took tiny samples from the base of the skull and the inner ear to determine how old the person was when he or she died and obtain some DNA.They found that the skull dates to between 36 and 205 BCE, which corresponds well with the traditionally accepted date of death of Arsino IV (41 BCE). The geneticists also found a match between the skull and some samples from the femur. This means that the second skeleton that was later found in the anteroom actually belonged to the same person as the skull that Keil had removed from the sarcophagus in 1929.The Octagon cranium is scanned in the Vienna Micro-CT Lab to a resolution of 80 micrometers. CREDIT: Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna But then came the big surprise: in repeated tests, the skull and femur both clearly showed the presence of a Y chromosomein other words, a male, study co-author and University of Vienna archeologist Gerhard Weber said in a statement.The micro-CT data and closer study of the skull revealed that the boy from the Octagon was still in his puberty and was around 11 to 14-years-old. High-resolution images of the dental roots and the still developing skull base confirmed that this was a young teen. He also likely suffered from some sort of disease affecting his skull. One of his cranial sutures, which normally fuses at the age of 65, was already closed and gave the skull a very asymmetrical shape.According to the team, the most striking feature was the underdeveloped upper jaw. This is unusually angled downwards, but was more upwards and likely led to major problems with chewing. They looked at various dental joints and the two teeth remaining in the jaw to confirm this. While the first permanent molar did not show any signs of being used to chew food, the first premolar was chewed down and had clear cracks from overloading. The team believes that there was no regular tooth contact, a consequence of the jaw and face growing in an unusual way. While it is still unclear what led to these grown disorders, it may have been a vitamin-D deficiency or a genetic syndrome such as Treacher Collins syndrome.For archaeologists and anthropologists, the search for Arsino IVs remains can continue, without this rumor that her skull had already been found.

Stack CommerceShareWe may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn more What if you could turn your everyday snapshots into jaw-dropping works of art with just a few clicks? Thats exactly what Luminar Neo doesand right now, you can get lifetime access to this award-winning photo editing software for just $144.97 (regularly $752). Plus, youll get a ton of exclusive add-ons thatll elevate your photography game from amateur to absolutely on point.Luminar Neo is not your average photo editor. Its AI-powered, intuitive, and packed with state-of-the-art tools that make even the most complex edits feel effortless. Whether youre a pro photographer, content creator, or just love tinkering with your travel pics, Luminar Neos toolslike Sky for instant sky replacements and Relight to adjust lighting like a promake magic happen.And the best part? Its easy to use. You dont need a degree in graphic design to navigate Luminar Neos sleek, user-friendly interface. Its built to be accessible to everyone, so you can focus on creating instead of getting lost in complicated menus.Have you ever wished you could fix a drab sky, remove unwanted objects, or make your portraits pop? Luminar Neo makes it all possible. The AI-driven tools do the heavy liftingyou just click and watch your photos transform.With new extensions like Panorama Stitching and Magic Light, youll have even more ways to get creative. Want to make your holiday lights look like theyre sparkling? Theres a tool for that. Need to enhance an old, grainy photo? Luminar Neos Noiseless keeps all the details intact.And because it works as a standalone app or a plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom, it fits seamlessly into your workflow, whether youre editing from your laptop at home or polishing a portfolio piece for a client.Plus, theres a Creative Photo Editing Techniques course, Color Harmony LUTs, and dreamy sky overlays to take your edits to the next level.With continuous updates, youll never be stuck with outdated tools. Luminar Neo keeps evolving, meaning your editing skills will always stay ahead of the curve.Pick up this Luminar Neo Bundle today for just $144.97 (regularly $752).StackSocial prices subject to change.The Award-Winning Luminar Neo Lifetime Bundle $144.97Get It Here

Health & MedicineAI could transform health care, but will it live up to the hype?The technology has the potential to improve lives, but hurdles and questions remain Antoine DorBy Meghan Rosen and Tina Hesman Saey2 hours agoThe U.S. health care system is rife with problemsas many Americans have experienced firsthand. Access to quality care is patchy, and medical costs can leave people with lifelong debt for treatments that dont always work. Frustration and anger at the systems failures were a flash point in the presidential election and may have factored in the December murder of UnitedHealthcares CEO.True progress in transforming health care will require solutions across the political, scientific and medical sectors. But new forms of artificial intelligence have the potential to help. Innovators are racing to deploy AI technologies to make health care more effective, equitable and humane.

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Marvel Rivals Season 1 has arrived, after the shortened Season 0 kicked off the launch of the 6v6 hero shooter. Season 1 adds two new heroes to its roster of popular characters, Mr. Fantastic (Duelist) and Invisible Woman (Strategist). Those two are available at the start of the season, while the rest of the Fantastic Four, Human Torch (Duelist) and The Thing (Vanguard), will join as part of the midseason update, which should come about 45 days from the start of Season 1.The lore of Season 1 revolves around the Fantastic Four fighting to save New York from Dracula, who has started the Eternal Night and taken control of the city. The new maps take place in this version of New York and many of the cosmetics in the Season 1 battle pass are themed around this plot, giving characters Van Helsing-like makeovers.The Season 1 battle pass features 65 items, including 10 skins, MVP highlight intros, and currency. The Season 1 battle pass costs 950 Lattice, which is just under $10, but the premium version does contain 600 Lattice and 600 Units, with Units usable in the cosmetic store.A few highlights from the skins in the battle pass include the All-Butcher Loki, Bounty Hunter Rocket Raccoon, Blood Edge Armor Iron Man, and Blood Berserker Wolverine. All of these give these heroes vampire-hunting costumes, although some of the other costumes aren't part of the theme. As previously confirmed, Marvel Rivals battle passes don't expire, so you can continue to unlock the items you paid for even after the season ends. Below, you can see every item included in the Marvel Rivals Season 1 Battle Pass: Darkhold.