Hominin evolution

Actualmente se utilizan numerosas estrategias dietéticas para la prevención de enfermedades metabólicas y la pérdida de peso. Algunas de las estrategias utilizadas no tienen base fisiológica-nutricional apropiada y no tienen en cuenta los cambios genéticos que han ocurrido de forma reciente, por lo que en ciertos casos pueden resultar perjudiciales para la salud humana. El objetivo de este trabajo es revisar las mutaciones genéticas ocurridas durante la evolución humana desde los primeros homínidos hasta el Homo sapiens y explicar cómo han influido en la forma de alimentarnos; algunas mutaciones favorecieron el desarrollo cerebral y otras están relacionadas con la digestión de algunos nutrientes como la

On May 14, 1987, newspapers all over the country carried a sensational story from Rome. The report said that chimpanzees had been crossed with humans — by artificial insem-ination of a female chimp with human sperm — and that embryos had resulted. It is not known if the report was true or a hoax. Nevertheless, the report raised both moral and scientific questions. The human genome was still being sequenced but would soon be completed. If the genomes of the other great apes could then be sequenced and compared with the human genome and armed with the same analytical techniques that allow biblical scholars to reconstruct ancestral texts by comparison of their differing descendent documents, evolutionary scientists should be able to reconstruct the genomes of the last common ancestor of chimps and humans; the common ancestor of chimps, humans, and gorillas; and so forth. The era of synthetic biology had not yet begun, but it was argued that it should eventually be possible to synthesize various ancestral genomes, implant them into primate surrogate mothers, and they in turn might give birth to their ancestors! Experimental evolution!

The cranium (Broken Hill 1 or BH1) from the site previously known as Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia (now Kabwe, Zambia) is one of the best preserved hominin fossils from the mid-Pleistocene. Its distinctive combination of anatomical features, however, makes its taxonomic attribution ambiguous. High resolution microCT, which has not previously been employed for gross morphological studies of this important specimen, allows a precise description of the internal anatomical features of BH1, including the distribution of cranial vault thickness and its 2 internal composition, paranasal pneumatisation, pneumatisation of the temporal bone and endocranial anatomy. Relative to other chronologically and taxonomically relevant specimens, BH1 shows unusually marked paranasal pneumatisation and a fairly thick cranial vault. For many of the features analysed, this fossil does not exhibit the apomorphic conditions observed in either Neandertals or Homo sapiens. Its morphology and the general shape...

The expansion of people speaking Bantu languages is the most dramatic demographic event in Late Holocene Africa and fundamentally reshaped the linguistic, cultural and biological landscape of the continent. With a comprehensive genomic dataset, including newly generated data of modern-day and ancient DNA from previously unsampled regions in Africa, we contribute insights into this expansion that started 6,000–4,000 years ago in western Africa. We genotyped 1,763 participants, including
1,526 Bantu speakers from 147 populations across 14 African countries, and generated whole-genome sequences from 12 Late Iron Age individuals. We show that genetic diversity amongst Bantu-speaking populations declines with distance from western Africa, with current-day Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo as possible crossroads of interaction. Using spatially explicit methods and correlating genetic, linguistic and geographical data, we provide cross-disciplinary support for a serial-founder migration model. We further show that Bantu speakers received significant gene flow from local groups in regions they expanded into. Our genetic dataset provides an exhaustive modern-day African comparative dataset for ancient DNA studies and will be important to a wide range of disciplines from science and humanities, as well as to the medical sector studying human genetic variation and health in African and African-descendant populations.

The cranium (Broken Hill 1 or BH1) from the site previously known as Broken Hill, Northern Rhodesia (now Kabwe, Zambia) is one of the best preserved hominin fossils from the mid-Pleistocene. Its distinctive combination of anatomical features, however, makes its taxonomic attribution ambiguous. High resolution microCT, which has not previously been employed for gross morphological studies of this important specimen, allows a precise description of the internal anatomical features of BH1, including the distribution of cranial vault thickness and its 2 internal composition, paranasal pneumatisation, pneumatisation of the temporal bone and endocranial anatomy. Relative to other chronologically and taxonomically relevant specimens, BH1 shows unusually marked paranasal pneumatisation and a fairly thick cranial vault. For many of the features analysed, this fossil does not exhibit the apomorphic conditions observed in either Neandertals or Homo sapiens. Its morphology and the general shape...

A new fossil calvaria, Sambungmacan 3 (Sm 3), described in New Fossil Hominid Calvaria From Indonesia—Sambungmacan 3 by Márquez et al., this volume, yields one of the most advanced and complete endocasts yet recovered from Java. This communication provides a thorough interpretation of the external anatomical landmarks observable on Sm 3. Using computer tomography (CT) and traditional morphological measurements, our comparative paleoneurological analyses show that while Sm 3 has a mosaic of features that are similar to both Indonesian and Chinese H. erectus, it also possesses significant characters reminiscent of later hominins. These include a greater degree of asymmetry characterized by a possible left‐occipital, right‐frontal petalial pattern, left‐right volumetric cerebral asymmetry, and marked asymmetry in Broca's cap. Moreover, the frontal lobe offers a more rounded, shortened appearance in contrast to the flat, elongated appearance of other Indonesian fossils (e.g., Sangir...

Dietary shifts and corresponding morphological changes can sometimes evolve in succession, not concurrently—an evolutionary process called behavioral drive. Detecting behavioral drive in the fossil record is challenging because it is difficult to measure behaviors independently from corresponding morphologies. To solve this problem, we focused on a puzzling behavior in the fossil record of some primates: eating graminoid plants. We report carbon and oxygen isotope ratios from fossil cercopithecid monkeys and integrate the data into a view of hominin dietary evolution, finding that changes in graminivorous behavior preceded corresponding changes in dental morphology by ~700,000 years. Decoupling diets and morphologies in time was conducive to determining when and to exploring why dietary changes helped to propel human evolution.

Understanding primate (and human) evolutionary environments is a key goal of palaeoanthropology. The most recent contribution to this debate, the 'tectonic landscape model' (TLM) is the first to explicitly invoke either the spatial structure of environments generally or the physical landscape specifically as important to hominin evolution. It adds a layer of complexity to existing models and -if correct -has broader implications for the nature and analysis of evolutionary change. This thesis evaluates the TLM and its implications for palaeoanthropology. It explores the conceptual structure that surrounds the TLM to establish how this has so far impacted palaeoanthropology, then surveys the state-ofthe-art in hominin landscape research to establish existing levels of knowledge. This suggests that little basic information is available about the structure of African landscapes themselves, their interactions with primates, or the possibility that complex cognition 'removes' humans from their influence. Three analytical designs are therefore developed which use landscape mapping techniques and a series of socioecological and anatomical case studies of Papio baboons and Homo sapiens to develop this baseline understanding. Although the landscape system is complex, it argues that it should be possible to explore the impacts of individual factors like topography and that there are interesting perspectivedependent relationships between landscapes and primate anatomy and socioecology, which persist in modern humans despite the considerable cultural 'filter' through which they view and interact with their surroundings. These insights are then used to extract three predictions from the TLM that are tested against existing knowledge of the fossil record and evolutionary pattern and process in the mammals. The key output is a new theory of human evolution, the 'complex topography hypothesis', which is shown to work at least as well as traditional explanations of the human evolutionary trajectory and the distinctive anatomies and ecologies of hominins including Homo sapiens.

ObjectiveThe development of bipedalism is a very complex activity that contributes to shaping the anatomy of the foot. The talus, which starts ossifying in utero, may account for the developing stages from the late gestational phase onwards. Here, we explore the early development of the talus in both its internal and external morphology to broaden the knowledge of the anatomical changes that occur during early development.Materials and MethodsThe sample consists of high‐resolution microCT scans of 28 modern juvenile tali (from 36 prenatal weeks to 2 years), from a broad chronological range from the Late Roman period to the 20th century. We applied geometric morphometric and whole‐bone trabecular analysis to investigate the early talar morphological changes.ResultsIn the youngest group (<6 postnatal months), the immature external shell is accompanied by an isotropic internal structure, with thin and densely packed trabeculae. After the initial attempts of locomotion, bone volume f...

Drawing on the notion of musical intervals, recent studies have demonstrated the use of precise frequency ratios within human vocalisation. Methodologically, these studies have addressed human vocalisation at an individual level. In the present study, we asked whether patterns such as musical intervals can also be found among the voices of people engaging in a conversation as an emerging interpersonal phenomenon. Fifty-six participants were randomly paired and assigned to either a control or a low-trust condition. Frequency ratios were generated by juxtaposing nonlocal fundamental frequency (f0) productions from two people engaged in each given dyadic conversation. Differences were found among conditions, both in terms of interval distribution and precision. These results support the idea that psychological dispositions modulate the musical intervals generated between participants through mutual real-time vocal accommodation. They also underscore the inter-domain use of musical intervals.

Starch granules have been found to be preserved in association with archaeological remains and their identification may provide direct botanical evidences of the plants used by ancient humans. However, subtle morphological differences between starch granules make their taxonomic identifications difficult. In order to improve the identification of these plant remains, we used an image analysis program that measures up to 123 different optical and morphological characters. With Random Forest tests we analyzed ~5000 starch granules extracted from underground storage organs (USO), seeds, and fruits of 20 different East African edible plant species. Our results show that correct identification rates are up to 74% for some species (Echinochloa colona, Cyperus rodundus), ~80% for some suprageneric taxa (Poaceae, Fabaceae), and 80% for underground storage organs. However, on average, success rates are just ~53% for species (up to 70% with a dataset reduced to herbaceous species), 60% for families, and 72% for plant parts. Yet, this automated system is not perfect, but it is still more powerful than the human eye, for which the average success rate is just of 25% for species level identifications. We evaluated the performance of our system and found that accuracy rates of identifications of starch granules are highly sensitive to the number of groups (species) to identify (r 2 = 0.83) and, to a lesser extent to the number of characters used by the identification system (r 2 = 0.87). It is therefore crucial to narrow down as much as possible the number of target species, by analyzing additional proxies. We conclude that better results can be achieved if the candidate field is narrowed. If not, the automated identification of starch granules will remain unsatisfactory to provide acceptable interpretations in archaeological contexts.

Anomalous manipulations of vegetative matter in woodlands have often been associated both temporally and geographically with sightings and trace evidence of unclassified bipedal hominids, the larger of these often identified in North America as "Sasquatch" or "Bigfoot." Many different types of "stick structures" and other vegetation disturbances have been named in the literature (Noel 2016), yet there have been few statistical approaches to analyzing this type of physical evidence. This lack of quantification has missed an opportunity to highlight how unlikely an explanation human origin is for some of these manipulations in terms of size, weight, complexity, location, or height. In the course of the summer of 2024, on an obscure northeastern United States forest trail, it was noticed that lateral twig breaks or bends (in twigs 2 to 17 mm in diameter) were appearing on the branches of saplings and small trees along the path edges (along with other more dramatic vegetative manipulations such as branch and tree breaks). In late October, November, and December of the same year, an inventory of these twig breaks was undertaken for a total count (130), while noting for each break such variables as height above grade, orientation relative to the trail grade, diameter of the twigs immediately distal to the break point, and the side of the trail (left or right). There was a slight preference for the left side of the trail (from the perspective of a person hiking up the trail). The height above grade data suggests at least two twig-break maker heights of about 1.5 meters and 2.4 meters. The highest twig breaks lend support to the hypothesis that a minority of these twig breaks (16.2 %) were likely beyond the ordinary recreational or psychological inclination of Homo sapiens individuals. If these twig breaks are deliberate trackways, this physical evidence implies the potential of cumulative culture in their makers, once believed restricted to the Homo lineage (Dunstone and Caldwell 2018, Shaw-Williams 2013)

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Frenelopsis is a frequently found genus of the Cretaceous floras adapted to dry, saline and in general to environmental conditions marked by severe water stress . Stable isotope analysis of fossil organic materials can be used to infer palaeoenvironmental variables helpful to reconstruct plant paleohabitats . In this study stable isotope analysis of organic fossil remains (FR) and humic fractions (FA, HA and humin) of Frenelopsis oligiostomata are studied in bulk (C, H, O, N IRMS) and in specific compounds released by pyrolysis (C, H, Py-CSIA). Well preserved F. oligiostomata fossils were handpicked from a limestone included in compacted marls from Upper Cretaceous (Senonian c. 72 Mya) in Guadalix de la Sierra (Madrid, Spain) . The fossils were decarbonated with 6M HCl. Humic substances were extracted from finely ground fossil remains (FR) by successive treatments with 0.1M Na4P2O7 + NaOH . The extract was acidified resulting into insoluble HA and soluble FA fractions. The HA and FA were purified as in [5] and [6] respectively. Bulk stable isotopic analysis (δ13C, δD, δ18O, δ15N IRMS) was done in an elemental micro-analyser coupled to a continuous flow Delta V Advantage isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). Pyrolysis compound specific isotopic analysis Py-CSIA (δ13C, δD): was done by coupling a double-shot pyrolyzer to a chromatograph connected to an IRMS. Structural features of specific peaks were inferred by comparing/matching mass spectra from conventional Py-GC/MS (data not shown) with Py-GC/IRMS chromatograms obtained using the same chromatographic conditions. Bulk C isotopic signature found for FR (-20.5±0.02 was in accordance with previous studies [2, 7-9]. This heavy isotopic δ13C signature indicates a depleted stomatal conductance and paleoenvironmental growth conditions of water and salt stress. This is in line with the morphological and depositional characteristics confirming that F. oligostomata was adapted to highly xeric and saline habitats being a component of salt-marsh vegetation. The values obtained for δD (-101.9±2.2 , δ15N (10.7±0.2 and δ18O (20.9±0.39 lay within those previously reported for fossil floras [10] growing in warm environment and probably with very high evaporation rates. δ13C Py-CSIA was recorded for biogenic compound; polysaccharides, lipid series, lignin and degraded lignin compounds (alkyl benzenes and alkyl phenols) and for a S containing compounds probably with a diagenetic origin. In general δ13C Py-CSIA values were more depleted that the bulk ones and can be considered a better approach to the real plant δ13C value (c. -22 . Considering that plant-air C fractionation in degraded lignin compounds for a C4 photosystem plant is c. ∆13C≈ 20.0 [11] and a an extra fractionation (∆13C≈ -3.0 due to the plant depleted stomatal conductance growing in extreme warm, saline and dry conditions, we estimate atmospheric δ13C value in the area during the Upper Cretaceous in c. δ13C = -5.3±0.2 Ṫhis indicates that our F.oligostomata probably grew on a 13C enriched atmosphere, more enriched than preindustrial one (δ13C ≈ -6.5 [12]).T hiscouldbecausedbyacombinationof reasonsi.e. emissionsof heavy13Cisotopetotheatmospherebyanincreaseino V aluesf orδD CSIA of lipid compounds such as n-alkanes with C chain lengths, C23-C31 are believed to derive exclusively from leaf waxes of higher plants. Plant δD carries isotope information of environmental water that is particularly preserved during the geological record in n-alkyl structures, whereas other structures i.e. isoprenoids, are most prone to hydrogen exchange . We were able to measure δD for long chain alkane/alkene series in the range C24-C29 (δD = -1 24.44±5.2 . This was taken as a proxy to infer the original H isotopic signal of water in the area in the Upper Cretaceous. proposed that δDpalaeowarter= δDC24-C29 n-alkanes + 100 giving a value for plaeowater δD = -24.44±5.2 Ṫhis indicates that 75 Mya our plant probably uptake deuterium enriched rain water that again points to warm growing environmental conditions.

Bone cutmark analysis is a practice that has been performed by forensic researchers and medical examiners around the world. The traditional method of gathering information for this type of analysis is to draw a detailed picture or take a photo of the bone which can be analyzed for pattern, coloration and orientation of each individual lesion and then the mark itself is measured with non-digital Vernier (hand) calipers or a ruler. In recent years, forensic anthropologists have been using DSLR cameras and digital calipers to record these findings as well as detailed field notes to determine the condition and tool which may have been used on the bone. In this study, the Dino Lite Premier microscope was used to test its precision, accuracy, and applicability in this type of analysis. The Dino Lite microscope is a handheld microscope which can be connected to one's laptop and transported into the field with the capacity to magnify 200x. This experiment takes the original method of non-digital hand calipers and photography and compares it to the use of digital calipers as well as the Dino Lite digital microscope. There are seven bone types examined including a control bone, two burnt bones, two weathered bones, and two frozen bones, four separate cutmark types made by four different implements are compared . Upon measuring, the results were input into a table and the averages and degrees of variance were calculated in order to assess precision and accuracy. This Dino Lite Premier microscope proved to be both precise and accurate and therefore applicable to the process of bone cutmark analysis in the field. A DSLR camera and observational notes should also be take in the field as well in order to construct a detailed, in-situ, recollection of the bones in the lab.

Bone cutmark analysis is a practice that has been performed by forensic researchers and medical examiners around the world. The traditional method of gathering information for this type of analysis is to draw a detailed picture or take a photo of the bone which can be analyzed for pattern, coloration and orientation of each individual lesion and then the mark itself is measured with non-digital Vernier (hand) calipers or a ruler. In recent years, forensic anthropologists have been using DSLR cameras and digital calipers to record these findings as well as detailed field notes to determine the condition and tool which may have been used on the bone. In this study, the Dino Lite Premier microscope was used to test its precision, accuracy, and applicability in this type of analysis. The Dino Lite microscope is a handheld microscope which can be connected to one’s laptop and transported into the field with the capacity to magnify 200x. This experiment takes the original method of non-di...

Bipedal trackways discovered in 1978 at Laetoli site G, Tanzania and dated to 3.66 million years ago are widely accepted as the oldest unequivocal evidence of obligate bipedalism in the human lineage1–3. Another trackway discovered two years earlier at nearby site A was partially excavated and attributed to a hominin, but curious affinities with bears (ursids) marginalized its importance to the paleoanthropological community, and the location of these footprints fell into obscurity3–5. In 2019, we located, excavated and cleaned the site A trackway, producing a digital archive using 3D photogrammetry and laser scanning. Here we compare the footprints at this site with those of American black bears, chimpanzees and humans, and we show that they resemble those of hominins more than ursids. In fact, the narrow step width corroborates the original interpretation of a small, cross-stepping bipedal hominin. However, the inferred foot proportions, gait parameters and 3D morphologies of foot...

Homo naledi is a previously-unknown species of extinct hominin discovered within the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star cave system, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. This species is characterized by body mass and stature similar to small-bodied human populations but a small endocranial volume similar to australopiths. Cranial morphology of H. naledi is unique, but most similar to early Homo species including Homo erectus, Homo habilis or Homo rudolfensis. While primitive, the dentition is generally small and simple in occlusal morphology. H. naledi has humanlike manipulatory adaptations of the hand and wrist. It also exhibits a humanlike foot and lower limb. These humanlike aspects are contrasted in the postcrania with a more primitive or australopith-like trunk, shoulder, pelvis and proximal femur. Representing at least 15 individuals with most skeletal elements repeated multiple times, this is the largest assemblage of a single species of hominins yet discovered in Africa.

Here we report the establishment of a family relation system between the species of African bipedal primates observed in deposits from 6.2 to 0.9 million years ago (mya). For this purpose, the author presents a single method of assigning diagnostic "weight" when conducting character assessment of fossilized remains and has also formulated several equations and ratios that make use of morphometric measurements and can be used to predict the crucial parameters of paleontological individuals, such as body weight, endocranial volume, and cerebral index, and identify their diet. Having simultaneously considered all the morphometric descriptions of the bone remains of bipedal primates and, by a single method of character evaluation, having established the degree of their affinity, the author reconstructed the phyletic lines, uniting almost all diagnostically significant samples and systematized paleoanthropological material of the 6.2-0.9 mya period. The evaluation of the phyletic-associated fossils, in compliance with the Biological Species Concept (E. Mayr), revealed the existence of only two species of bipedal primates in the African continent at the beginning of the period under consideration. Later, a new, third, species emerged, the formation of which correlated with the exponential increase in the cerebral index and the advent of the first stone tools.

The teaching of evolution at school level in South Africa was introduced in 2006. However, evolution remains a controversial aspect for school learners in South Africa, and many misconceptions persist among teachers and learners. The study described in this paper sought to investigate whether an interactive palaeosciences university-based museum programme (PUMP) would benefit the examination outcome of learners in human evolution in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The PUMP made use of sociocultural theory and consisted of inquiry-based activities with casts of hominid skulls and pelvic bones. The Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) framework was used as a theoretical framework. Pre-and post-tests were written, before and directly after the activities, and a provincial examination essay question was analysed to see if there was a difference in results between those who attended the PUMP and those who did not. Focus interviews were conducted with learners and teachers. The results of this study indicate that the understanding of human evolution increased following PUMP. This study advocates an inquiry-based approach to the teaching of evolution to learners, preferably at an informal science learning institution such as a museum. significance: • Workshops increased Grade-12 learners' understanding of human evolution. • The workshops improved the preliminary examination results of the Grade-12 learners. • It is recommended that the teaching of human evolution to school learners be supplemented with visits to informal learning centres such as museums.

A comparative analysis of the brain surfaces and endocasts of 35 hominid specimens including 24 operational taxonomic units was performed with the aim to search for morphological transformations of the brain surface that occurred over time throughout the hominid lineage. Our research was directed at size-independent morphological characters. We found 14 characters dealing with (1) relative proportions of the frontal lobe, (2) relative proportions of the parietal lobe, (3) relative proportions of the temporal lobe, (4) extension of the occipital lobe and position of the parieto-occipital sulcus, and (5) morphology and proportions of the frontal bec. We described and mapped these characters onto a reference phylogeny of Hominidae including 4 ape species and 20 operational taxonomic units belonging to bipedal hominins (species Australopithecus, Paranthropus, and Homo) to infer character states at the ancestral nodes. At the macroscopical level, we found that (a) the occipital lobe changed its inclination at the Pan-Australopithecus transition; (b) the frontal lobe increased its roundness during the transition between Australopithecus/Paranthropus and Homo; (c) the parietal lobe increased its relative length in a hominin clade including Homo erectus, H. floresiensis, H. cepranensis, H. neandertalensis and H. sapiens; and (d) the distal border of the temporal lobe increased its height and the posterolateral border of the temporal lobe acquired a ventrallyconcave outline in the clade including H. neandertalensis and H. sapiens. These observations are important in the broader context of the inference of the relationships of paleoneurology and behavioral outputs in extinct hominid species.

Osteomas are slow-growing benign tumors that can affect the skull, most frequently the parietal and frontal. Temporal bone osteomas are more common in the external acoustic meatus and exceptional in the mastoid region. The rarity of mastoid osteomas is confirmed by the fact that very few cases have been reported in the clinical and paleopathological literature. The aim of this paper is to report a new paleopathological case of mastoid tumor in a Pre-Hispanic adult cranium. The skull derives from the Chunchuri (today Dupont-1 site) Pre-Hispanic site in Northern Chile (1390 A.D). Macroscopical examination and high-resolution tomography were used to assess the cranium. The CT scan revealed a well demarcated lesion suggestive of a mastoid osteoma. This case adds new evidence regarding the antiquity of primary neoplasms in ancient populations and reinforces the importance of high resolution imaging in paleopathological research. Due to the antiquity of the remains this is probably the ol...

The tibia index (TI) is commonly used to predict leg injury based on measurements taken by an anthropomorphic test device (ATD). The TI consists of an interaction formula that combines axial loading and bending plus a supplemental compressive force criterion. Current ATD lower limbs lack geometric biofidelity with regard to tibial curvature and fibular load-sharing. Due to differences in tibial curvature, the midshaft moments induced by axial loading are different in humans and ATDs. Midshaft tibial loading in the human is also reduced by load-sharing through the fibula, which is not replicated in current ATDs. In this study, tibial curvature and fibular load-sharing are quantified through CT imaging and biomechanical testing, and equations are presented to correct ATD measurements to reflect the loading that would be experienced by a human tibia.

A intrigante descoberta de um hominídeo em miniatura na ilha das Flores tem sido considerada como um dos grandes acontecimentos científicos do ano transacto. Tal facto suscitou-nos tecer alguns comentários e levantar algumas questões sobre este inegavelmente importante mas controverso conjunto de fósseis, sobre os quais, em nossa opinião, ainda muito haverá para esclarecer.

The Acheulean is the longest lasting cultural–technological tradition in human evolutionary history. However, considerable gaps remain in understanding the chronology and geographical distribution of Acheulean hominins. We present the first chronometrically dated Acheulean site from the Arabian Peninsula, a vast and poorly known region that forms more than half of Southwest Asia. Results show that Acheulean hominin occupation expanded along hydrological networks into the heart of Arabia from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 until at least ~190 ka ̶ the youngest documented Acheulean in Southwest Asia. The site of Saffaqah features Acheulean technology, characterized by large flakes, handaxes and cleavers, similar to Acheulean assemblages in Africa. These findings reveal a climatically-mediated later Acheulean expansion into a poorly known region, amplifying the documented diversity of Middle Pleistocene hominin behaviour across the Old World and elaborating the terminal archaic landscape...

The dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa has been extensively researched across several disciplines. Here we review the evidence for spatial and temporal variability in lithic (stone tool) technologies relative to the predictions of two major hypotheses: 1) that a single successful dispersal occurred 60e50 thousand years ago (ka), marked by a trail of geometric/microlithic technologies, and 2) that multiple dispersals occurred, beginning much earlier (probably in Marine Isotope Stage [MIS] 5), associated with Middle Palaeolithic technology in its early phase. Our results show that Late Pleistocene geometric/ microlithic technologies exhibit significant temporal and regional differences between each other. These differences suggest independent, convergent origins for these technologies, which are likely to have been repeatedly re-invented. In contrast, we identify similarities between East African lithic technologies from MIS 8 onwards and Middle Palaeolithic assemblages as far east as India by MIS 5. That this constellation of technological features e particularly an emphasis on centripetal Levallois reduction reflecting interchangeable preferential and recurrent methods, along with particular retouched forms such as points e transcends ecologies and raw material types suggests that it is unlikely to entirely reflect technological convergence (analogy). Our results indicate an early onset of multiple dispersals out of Africa. The hypothesis of an early onset to successful dispersal is entirely consistent with the possibility of further subsequent (post-MIS 5) dispersals out of Africa. Testing such hypotheses through quantified comparative lithic studies and interdisciplinary research is therefore likely to significantly advance understanding of the earliest H. sapiens dispersals.

This paper proposes a radical reconceptualization of Déjà vu, not as a memory malfunction or neurological artifact, but as a pre-conscious anomaly detection system embedded within the cognitive scaffolding of the human brain. Departing from traditional models that localize cognitive events within static anatomical regions, this work introduces the Votey-Broadmann Architecture (VBA)-a novel neurological framework that extends the classical Broadmann Area schema into dynamic, non

Rubini M., Gozzi A., Altamura F., Spanò F., Zaio P., 2025. A rediscovered fossil hominin fragment from Gombore IB, an Early Pleistocene site of Melka Kunture (Upper Awash, Ethiopia), in Quaternary International, 729, 109792. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109792
Abstract: The Gombore gully of Melka Kunture is located in the upper Awash Valley of Ethiopia. In the Lower Acheulean layer of Gombore IB, dated to 1.7 million years ago, a well-preserved distal portion of a left humerus was discovered in 1976. Additionally, a proximal fragment of a left humerus was discovered from the same site in 1973; however, it was not initially recognized as belonging to a hominin during excavations. This latter specimen, which was only recently identified within the Gombore I collection, is analyzed here. It is attributed to the middle proximal segment of the bone. The bone presents a significant cortical thickness together with a reduced medullary cavity. Subjected to tomographic examination, it revealed a concentrated cortical structure denoting a young individual. The muscle insertion areas appear well developed and free of apparent musculoskeletal stress. The section appears subcircular with significant diaphyseal torsion that denotes muscular activity. The chronological horizon suggests belonging to Homo erectus. The cross-sectional geometric properties analyses highlight affinity with the first Homo through comparisons with diachronic and synchronic samples. This affinity is probably to be found in the variability of the species and in the bio-complexity at the origin of human evolution.

Klasies River main site (KRM) is a prominent Middle Stone Age (MSA) site located on the southern Cape coast in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. This contribution discusses the animal remains from the DC member in Cave 1B not reported on before. These animals fall within MSA II (Mossel Bay) techno-complex that, at KRM, dates from before 110 to 78ka. Despite heavy fragmentation, the fauna from this period shows a variety of taxa, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and molluscs. The most common taxa in the sample include indeterminate medium and small mammals, tortoises, indeterminate small birds, Cape fur seals, and indeterminate Bovid I and II's. The presence of several stacked hearths, shellfish, lithics and burnt and butchered bones all suggest that humans were the main agent of accumulation of the fauna. This is further supported by low values for the carnivore-ungulate ratio, the carnivore richness-and the leopard index, which measures the probabilities of brown hyena, leopard and human accumulations. However, the presence of chew marks presumably caused by carnivores suggests brown hyenas or leopards accumulated, or had access to some fauna. Assuming that humans accumulated most fauna, there is evidence of a summer occupation at KRM during the MSA II. People were exploiting a variety of environments during the MSA II, including coastal dunes, grasslands, savanna woodlands and closed, bush environments. During the MSA II at KRM, people focused on hunting ungulates.

The evolution of bipedalism in the hominin lineage has shaped the posterior human calcaneus into a large, robust structure considered to be adaptive for dissipating peak compressive forces and energy during heel-strike. A unique anatomy thought to contribute to the human calcaneus and its function is the lateral plantar process (LPP). While it has long been known that humans possess a plantarly positioned LPP and apes possess a more dorsally positioned homologous structure, the relative position of the LPP and intraspecific variation of this structure have never been quantified. Here, we present a method for quantifying relative LPP position and find that, while variable, humans have a significantly more plantar position of the LPP than that found in the apes. Among extinct hominins, while the position of the LPP in Australopithecus afarensis falls within the human distribution, the LPP is more dorsally positioned in Australopithecus sediba and barely within the modern human range of variation. Results from a resampling procedure suggest that these differences can reflect either individual variation of a foot structure/function largely shared among Australopithecus species, or functionally distinct morphologies that reflect locomotor diversity in Plio-Pleistocene hominins. An implication of the latter possibility is that calcaneal changes adaptive for heel-striking bipedalism may have evolved independently in two different hominin lineages.

Homo naledi is a previously-unknown species of extinct hominin discovered within the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star cave system, Cradle of Humankind, South Africa. This species is characterized by body mass and stature similar to small-bodied human populations but a small endocranial volume similar to australopiths. Cranial morphology of H. naledi is unique, but most similar to early Homo species including Homo erectus, Homo habilis or Homo rudolfensis. While primitive, the dentition is generally small and simple in occlusal morphology. H. naledi has humanlike manipulatory adaptations of the hand and wrist. It also exhibits a humanlike foot and lower limb. These humanlike aspects are contrasted in the postcrania with a more primitive or australopith-like trunk, shoulder, pelvis and proximal femur. Representing at least 15 individuals with most skeletal elements repeated multiple times, this is the largest assemblage of a single species of hominins yet discovered in Africa.

recently described three human metatarsal bones of Middle Stone Age antiquity from Klasies River Mouth (KRM) main site, South Africa. One of these, a complete adult left first metatarsal is broadly similar to Late Stone Age (LSA) Holocene skeletons from the southern coastal margins of the Cape, and based on size, was suggested to be from a male. Our analysis subjected the KRM first metatarsal and comparative human samples to selected morphometric analyses, in an attempt to test the hypothesis regarding shapeassociated sexual dimorphism as a means to estimate sex in the KRM individual. The results support earlier suggestions that it falls within the range of early Holocene variation, this being very narrow both in size and shape. The size-independent shape-associated morphology, however, suggests that the individual may be female. Even though these findings imply that the KRM individual may have been female based on sexually dimorphic shape-associated discrimination in LSA Holocene people, they are not conclusive and that this individual could probably be assigned to either sex.

Comparison of a proximal hominin tibial fragment, StW 396 from Sterkfontein Member 4, South Africa, with the StW 514a tibia, also from Member 4 and attributed to Australopithecus africanus, indicates a degree of morphological variability that may represent the extremes of intraspecific variability or even exceed what one would expect from intraspecific variation alone. The morphology of StW 396 is human-like which suggests adaptations towards stability at the knee, whilst that of StW 514a is interpreted as being more mobile and ape-like . Four features separate the two morphological patterns. In StW 514a the attachment area of m. semimembranosus is strongly localized, whereas in StW 396 the posteromedial border is notched near the base of the lateral intercondylar tubercle; thirdly, the lateral tibial condyle of StW 514a is supero-inferiorly thin, whereas in StW 396 the lateral condyle is supero-inferiorly thickened and the contrast between the condyle and the shaft is less pronounced; lastly the articular surface of the medial condyle of StW 396 is anteroposteriorly broad and highly concave as opposed to the narrower, flatter surface of StW 514a. The degree of variability of the two specimens possibly suggests differing functional adaptations and may thus support an hypothesis suggesting that two hominin species may be represented within Sterkfontein Member 4.

The discovery of stone tools dating back 3-4 million years implies advanced cognitive and technological abilities among hominins. Archaeological research has unveiled the pivotal role of stone tools in fulfilling basic needs like protection, nutrition, and shelter, evolving from rudimentary tools to sophisticated implements. This evolution parallels the development of social, cultural, cognitive, and creative activities. Use-wear analysis and practical experimentation are crucial in understanding the functionality and societal impact of stone tools. Over the past century, microscopic methods for analyzing use-wear marks have evolved, aided by modern scientific and technological advancements. Micro-archaeological analysis offers insights into the techno-typology, economic models, and lifestyles of ancient societies, while micro-functional analyses elucidate the intricate relationships between humans, tools, and the environment. This article explores the application of electronic, digital, and smart technological devices in traceological-microscopic analysis, showcasing advancements in the detection of wear marks on stone tools. It is based on research conducted within the framework of the "Traceological and experimental analyzes of the techno-typology of the tool industry of the Stone Age of Karabakh" project, funded by the Azerbaijan Science Foundation. Additionally, it discusses the integration of practical-experimental, neuroscience, and psychology studies to unveil the paleoecological, sociological, technological, economic, and cognitive living models of Paleolithic societies.

Bir türün besinsel adaptasyonunu anlamak, o türün morfolojisini ve davranışlarını şekillendiren seçilim baskıları ve mekanizmalarına ilişkin bir anlayışı beraberinde getirir. Özellikle, yok olmuş bir taksonun paleobiyolojik yönlerine ilişkin sorular, söz konusu türün beslenme biçimi hakkında bilgi sahibi olmadan tam olarak yanıtlanamaz. Bu çalışmada Hominin genuslarının beslenme biçimlerine, beslenme biçimlerinin anlaşılması için kullanılan metotlara, Homo genusun besinsel farklılaşmasına ve hominin beslenmesinin anlaşılmasının önemine değinilmiştir.

This is Chapter 7 of a book called 'Living, Minding World,' which I am publishing chapter by chapter as I do a final edit. It's subtitle is 'where science and religion overlap . . .,' and its over-all thesis is that the ancients were correct to see a kind of intention and intelligence in Nature but went wrong when they interpreted that volition on the analogy of a human king or emperor. This was a fruitful mistake as it suggested the possibility that humans could “read the mind of God in the Book of Nature,” thereby contributing to the launch of science as distinct from religion and philosophy. But it was also deeply misleading; and it's even more so today, given the state of current knowledge.
Today we're in a position to see a kind of intelligence at work in our best understanding of the physical universe – in quantum field, theory, cosmology, genetics and evolutionary biology. We study that intelligence under labels like 'self-organization,' 'autopoiesis,' 'least action' and 'emergence,' and we begin to see ourselves as tentative by-products of self-organization, and not as Lords of Creation, appointed so by an Almighty God. It appears now that all the intelligence needed to account for the world's complexity was inherent from the beginning in that world itself. No external 'watchmaker' was needed.

The open cast mine at Sch€ oningen, Germany, provides the opportunity to study climatic and environmental changes that occurred from the Middle Pleistocene until today. Therefore, researchers from several different institutes and disciplines have been collecting data here for more than 25 years. These studies not only take place on the basis of singular cores, but also mainly in the context of long cross sections through the mine reflecting large landscape areas and biotopes. The quantity as well as the quality of the finds is unique. The Lower Palaeolithic complex includes wooden artefacts, stone artefacts, bones with impact scars and cut marks as well as bone artefacts, charcoal, charred wood and heated flint. Moreover, the countless natural remains of plants (e.g. wood, seeds, roots and leaves), bones, eggshells, molluscs, insects, and microscopic organisms can be used as proxies to understand the landscape and climatic development in Central Europe during the Upper Middle Pleistocene. Sch€ oningen provides the data from changing environments with rich biodiversity which Homo heidelbergensis adapted to over a period of thousands of years. Thus it offers new insights into the evolution of the capacities and mechanisms involved in the exploitation of resources and the settlements dynamics.

The earliest hominin occupation of Europe is one of the most debated topics in palaeoanthropology. However, the purportedly oldest of the Early Pleistocene sites in Eurasia lack precise age control and contain stone tools rather than human fossil remains. Here we report the discovery of a human mandible associated with an assemblage of Mode 1 lithic tools and faunal remains bearing traces of hominin processing, in stratigraphic level TE9 at the site of the Sima del Elefante, Atapuerca, Spain. Level TE9 has been dated to the Early Pleistocene (approximately 1.2-1.1 Myr), based on a combination of palaeomagnetism, cosmogenic nuclides and biostratigraphy. The Sima del Elefante site thus emerges as the oldest, most accurately dated record of human occupation in Europe, to our knowledge. The study of the human mandible suggests that the first settlement of Western Europe could be related to an early demographic expansion out of Africa. The new evidence, with previous findings in other At...

The femoral remains recovered from the Lesedi Chamber are among the most complete South African fossil hominin femora discovered to date and offer new and valuable insights into the anatomy and variation of the bone in Homo naledi. While the femur is one of the best represented postcranial elements in the H. naledi assemblage from the Dinaledi Chamber, the fragmentary and commingled nature of the Dinaledi femoral remains has impeded the assessment of this element in its complete state. Here we analyze and provide descriptions of three new relatively wellpreserved femoral specimens of H. naledi from the Lesedi Chamber: U.W. 102a-001, U.W. 102a-003, and U.W. 102a-004. These femora are quantitatively and qualitatively compared to multiple extinct hominin femoral specimens, extant hominid taxa, and, where possible, each other. The Lesedi femora are morphologically similar to the Dinaledi femora for all overlapping regions, with differences limited to few traits of presently unknown significance. The Lesedi distal femur and mid-diaphysis preserve anatomy previously unidentified or unconfirmed in the species, including an anteroposteriorly expanded midshaft and anteriorly expanded patellar surface. The hypothesis that the Lesedi femoral sample may represent two individuals is supported. The Lesedi femora increase the range of variation of femoral morphology in H. naledi. Newly described features of the diaphysis and distal femur are either taxonomically uninformative or Homo-like. Overall, these three new femora are consistent with previous functional interpretations of the H. naledi lower limb as belonging to a species adapted for long distance walking and, possibly, running.

A crucial design feature of language useful for determining when grammatical language evolved in the human lineage is our ability to combine meaningless units to form a new unit with meaning (combinatoriality) and to further combine these meaningful units into a larger unit with a novel meaning (compositionality). There is overlap between neural bases that underlie hierarchical cognitive functions required for compositionality in both linguistic and nonlinguistic contexts (e.g., tool use). Therefore, evidence of compositional tool use in the archaeological record should signify, at the very least, the cognitive capacity for grammatical language by that point in time. We devise a novel system to evaluate the level of hierarchical nesting of tool components in single tool use activities. In the application of this system, we demonstrate that nonhuman primates, and by extension, the last common ancestor shared by Pan and Homo, are capable of basic combinatoriality; however, their technology does not approach the compositionality observable in modern human tool use. The prehistoric archaeological record supports a continuous evolution of combinatorial tool use into compositional tool use, with evidence for human-like levels of by 0.93 million years ago (Ma), or possibly as early as 1.7 Ma. While compositional language could have lagged behind compositional tool use, if language and technology coevolved according to the Technological Origin for Language hypothesis, which proposes a feedback system between the two, then evidence for hierarchical tool use structures implies a similar level of complexity in linguistic structures.

Laetoli, Tanzania is one of the most important palaeontological and palaeoanthropological localities in Africa. We report on a survey of the extant terrestrial gastropod faunas of the Laetoli-Endulen area, examine their ecological associations and re-examine the utility of Pliocene fossil molluscs in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Standardised collecting at 15 sites yielded 7302 individuals representing 58 mollusc species. Significant dissimilarities were found among the faunas of three broad habitat types: forest, woodland/bushland and open (grassland and scattered, xeric shrubland). Overall, more species were recorded in the woodland/bushland sites than in the forest sites. Open sites were less diverse. Environmental factors contributing most strongly to the separation of habitat types were aridity index and elevation. The results are supplemented with new mollusc data from the Mbulu Plateau south of Lake Eyasi, and compared to the list of species cumulatively recorded from the Ngorongoro area. Some regional variation is apparent and historical factors may explain the absence of some fossil taxa from Laetoli today. Differences in seasonality separated upland forest sites on the Mbulu plateau from those at Lemagurut at Laetoli. Indicator species were identified for each habitat. These included several large-bodied species analogous to the Laetoli Pliocene fossil species that were then used for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Based on the estimated aridity index, and adopting the widely used United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) global climate classification, the four stratigraphic subunits of the Upper Laetolil Beds (3.6-3.85 Ma) would be placed in either the UNEP's Dry Sub-humid or Semi-arid climate classes, whereas the Upper Ndolanya Beds (2.66 Ma) and Lower Laetolil Beds (3.85-<4.36 Ma) would be assigned to the Humid and Semi-arid climate classes respectively. Pliocene precipitation at Laetoli is estimated as 847-965 mm per year, refining previous estimates. This is close or slightly higher than the present mean annual precipitation, and is likely to have corresponded to a mosaic of forest, woodland and bushland within a grassland matrix consistent with other reconstructions.