Research roundup: 6 cool stories we almost missed

It is a regrettable reality that we do not have enough time to cover all the interesting scientific stories coming our way every month. In the past, we’ve featured year-end roundups of fantastic science stories that we (almost) forgot about. This year, we are experimenting with monthly collections. November’s list includes forensic details of the medieval murder of a Hungarian duke, why woodpeckers grunt when they peck, and more evidence that X’s much-maligned community notes can actually help combat the spread of misinformation.

A medieval Hungarian duke was murdered

In 1915, archaeologists discovered the skeletal remains of a young man in a Dominican monastery on Margaret Island in Budapest, Hungary. The remains are believed to belong to Duke Béla of Moscow, grandson of the medieval Hungarian king Béla IV. According to historical records, the young duke was brutally murdered by a rival faction in 1272 and his mutilated remains were recovered by the duke’s sister and niece and buried in the monastery.

The remains were identified based on contemporary osteological analysis, but they were later lost and rediscovered in 2018. A paper published in the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics has now confirmed that identification and shed more light on how Duke died. (A preprint is available on bioRxiv.)

An interdisciplinary team of researchers conducted a variety of bioarchaeological analyzes on the remains. Which includes genetic testing, proteomics, 3D modeling and radiocarbon dating. The resulting data definitively prove that the skeleton is indeed that of Duke Bela of Moscow.

The authors were also able to reconstruct the manner of Duke’s death, and concluded that it was a coordinated attack by three people. One attacked from the front while the other two attacked from the left and right, and the Duke faced his assassins and tried to defend himself. The weapons used were probably sabers and long swords, and the assassins continued to strike even after the Duke fell to the ground. The authors concluded that although the attack was clearly planned, it was also personal and motivated by anger or hatred.