January 12, 2012

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Editor s Selections: Italian dialects, Skin color decoded, Mayan tobacco use, Navajo diets, and Blood-borne diseases

By Krystal D'Costa

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

Part of my online life includes editorial duties at ResearchBlogging.org, where I serve as the Social Sciences Editor. Each Thursday, I pick notable posts on research in anthropology, philosophy, social science, and research to share on the ResearchBlogging.org News site. To help highlight this writing, I also share my selections here on AiP.

This week on ResearchBlogging.org:

  • Is there a relationship between language density and habitat diversity? Tim DeChant explores this question at Per Square Mile with respect to Italian dialects.

  • A post at EvoAnth reports that four genes for skin tones have been discovered, shedding further light on this variable physical trait.

  • At Greg Laden's blog, readers are treated to a bit of botany related to tobacco and we learn that physical evidence has been found linking the Maya to tobacco use.

  • Navajos don't eat fish, according to teofilo at Gambler's House—and the taboo may apparently be traced linguistically.

  • At Body Horrors, Rebecca Kreston discusses the dangers of unsanitary shaving practices that mark an important Hajj ritual that may be leaving devotees susceptible to a blood-borne disease.

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I'll be back next week with more from anthropology, philosophy, and research.

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