All articles tagged with #andes
A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck Peru’s Andes late Saturday, killing at least five, injuring more than 20 and displacing about 300 as buildings collapsed, including a church and a convent in Chongo Bajo near Sicaya in Huancayo province. The USGS placed the epicenter 2 km west-southwest of Sicaya at a depth of 10 km, and officials said the number missing remains unknown amid ongoing rescue efforts.
A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck the Andes region of Peru, killing at least six, injuring more than 30 and displacing around 300. The epicenter was near Sicaya in Huancayo province, about 10 km deep, with several buildings damaged including a church; authorities noted that adobe construction may have amplified the impact, and the total number of missing people remains unknown.
In San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina, DNA from 124 women and their urine arsenic metabolites show variants near the AS3MT gene that appear to improve arsenic detoxification, shifting metabolism toward excretable forms. These variants are more common in this high-arsenic Andean population than in comparable groups, suggesting long-term natural selection has contributed to arsenic tolerance. The findings, published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, provide evidence of human adaptation to a toxic environmental chemical and hint that similar signals may exist in other Andean communities.
Genome analysis of 3,723 people from 85 populations shows Quechua Peruvians have a median of 10 AMY1 copies (vs. global median 7), boosting salivary amylase and starch digestion. Dating suggests the increase began about 10,000 years ago, around potato domestication in the Andes, giving a small generational advantage and illustrating rapid dietary-driven human evolution; Maya-descended groups lacking long potato farming do not show the same adaptation.
WHO investigators say the hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius most likely originated in the Andes Cordillera region of northern Argentina and Chile, tied to the long-tailed rice rat; a Ushuaia landfill theory has been ruled unlikely, and the immediate priority is containment while further clues about the origin are sought.
Scientists have identified a new Andean tree genus, Daturodendron, in Colombia and northern Peru, tying this tall cloud-forest tree to the nightshade family that includes tomatoes and potatoes. Genomic analysis of 292 genes across 45 nightshade species places Daturodendron as a distinct lineage within Datureae; its leaves contain tropane alkaloids with medical potential. The species is rare, with isolated populations at 4,400–6,900 ft, and is listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, highlighting the need for more surveys and forest protection. This international discovery reshapes understanding of nightshade evolution and biodiversity, while underscoring cautions about handling and harvesting in fragile habitats.
DNA analysis of 124 women from the high-arsenic town San Antonio de los Cobres shows variants near the AS3MT gene that help metabolize arsenic more safely, producing excretable forms and fewer toxic intermediates. The pattern suggests long-term arsenic exposure has driven genetic adaptation in Andean populations, with similar signals in other Andean groups and implications for how humans adapt to environmental toxins (published in Molecular Biology and Evolution).
Researchers studying San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina, found a cluster of genetic variants near the AS3MT gene that are more common in residents exposed to high arsenic levels in drinking water; these variants likely increase the body's ability to convert arsenic into excretable forms, reducing toxic intermediates and providing a genetic adaptation to a long-term toxic environment.
A stunning photo captures the gibbous moon over the Chilean Andes, highlighting lunar features like maria and craters, taken from Cerro Pachón in the Atacama Desert, emphasizing its significance for astronomers and moon enthusiasts.
Ecuador released a man who survived a U.S. attack on a suspected drug submarine, with authorities finding no evidence of his involvement in a crime. The incident involved a U.S. Navy strike targeting a vessel believed to be carrying drugs, specifically fentanyl, heading towards the U.S., but the survivor was cleared of any charges. The event has heightened tensions between the U.S. and Latin American countries, with regional leaders criticizing the operation.
Scientists discovered that potatoes originated from a hybridization event between ancestors of tomatoes and Etuberosum around 9 million years ago, which allowed them to adapt to high-altitude habitats in the Andes and eventually led to domesticated varieties. This hybridization provided potatoes with unique traits like tuber formation, and understanding this process could help develop disease-resistant and climate-resilient potato crops through genetic engineering.
At least 25 people were killed and 17 injured when a bus plunged 650 feet down a ravine in Peru's Andean Ayacucho region. The accident occurred on the Los Libertadores highway, and rescue operations are ongoing. Deadly bus crashes are common in Peru due to precarious mountain roads and inadequately trained drivers. An investigation has been initiated by the ground transportation superintendent SUTRAN.
A bus crash in Peru's Andes mountains has killed at least 23 people and injured more than a dozen others after the vehicle veered off a cliff in the Ayacucho region. Emergency crews are struggling to reach the site, and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.
Archaeologists have discovered a 4,700-year-old megalithic stone plaza, known as Callacpuma, in the high Andes of Peru. This significant finding features a stone circle where offerings were made to ancient gods, shedding light on a crucial transitional period in South America. The plaza, built by semi-nomadic groups, raises questions about its function and the rituals that took place there, with evidence suggesting continued use and ceremonial sealing during the Layzón period. The research team plans to use ground-penetrating radar and drone-captured infrared images to uncover more mysteries of the site.
University of Wyoming anthropologists have discovered one of the earliest circular plazas in Andean South America, built around 4,750 years ago in the Cajamarca Basin of northern Peru. This monumental stone plaza, constructed with large, vertically placed megalithic stones, represents an early example of monumental and megalithic architecture in the region. The site, known as Callacpuma, is believed to have served as a gathering place and ceremonial location for some of the earliest people in the area, shedding light on ancient Peruvian civilizations. The research, published in Science Advances, provides valuable insights into the cultural heritage of the region and the lifestyles of its early inhabitants.