Hello Nature readers,
Today we discover that researchers have sequenced the genomes of more than 10,000 ancient people, find out why parrots like to video call each other and marvel at the first close-up images of Mars’s tiny moonlet Deimos.

Ten thousand ancient genomes sequenced

More than 10,000 ancient-human genomes have now been sequenced. In 2010, the first ancient-DNA sequence was published, of a man who lived 4,000 years ago. Since 2018, thanks to technological advances, there has been an explosion in the number of ancient genomes sequenced. The vast majority come from people who lived in Europe, Russia and the Middle East. “We need to shift that focus and obsession with numbers” and look at genomes from other parts of the world, says palaeogenomicist María Ávila-Arcos.

Parrots call each other to be less lonely

Giving pet parrots the opportunity to video call other birds helps to counter isolation and boredom in the intelligent animals. Researchers trained 18 pet parrots, ranging from macaws (Ara) to cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus), to phone a friend using Facebook Messenger. “All caretakers reported perceived benefits, some arguably life-transformative, such as learning to forage or even to fly by watching others,” write the authors in their paper, which includes some well-worth-watching video of parrots chatting.

Deep ocean exploration isn’t about science

Attempts to reach the bottom of the sea have a surprisingly long history, as Jeff Maynard recounts in The Frontier Below. The book is a brisk tour of diving and submersibles, heavy on engineering and light on science. “That’s fitting, because the endeavour was hardly ever about science,” writes reviewer and Nature reporter Alexandra Witze. Instead, it was about retrieving goods from wrecked vessels, military interests or finding a ‘lifeless’ place to dump nuclear waste.

How to create liveable suburbs

The sprawling outer areas of US cities are the physical embodiment of unequal distribution of wealth and opportunity, argues urban-design researcher Dana Cuff. Rigid and often absurd planning rules prevent the construction of blocks of flats, shops, schools, health facilities and workplaces. “It will take many creative solutions to redeem suburbs,” Cuff says, such as building housing for teachers on underused school land or offering loans for constructing affordable housing.

The far-reaching impacts of melting ice

How does melting ice contribute to destructive wildfires in the western United States? And how does ice loss lead to extreme floods in Nepal? A sobering yet hopeful quiz, accompanied by stunning visuals, clarifies how the shape of coastlines, the weather and the survival of communities are all tied to ice.