- Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies
University of Cambridge
The Henry Wellcome Building
Fitzwilliam Street
Cambridge
CB2 1QH
UK
Robert Foley
University of Cambridge, LCHES, Faculty Member
- Human Evolution, Human evolutionary ecology, Palaeolithic Archaeology, Evolutionary Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Anthropology, and 17 moreEvolutionary Biology, Evolutionary theory, The evolution of human diversity, Human evolutionary genetics, Archaeological Method & Theory, Historical Linguistics, Evolutionary Ecology, Evolution and Human Behavior, Lithics, Hominin evolution, Lithic Technology, Paleoanthropology, Modern Human Origins, Middle to Upper Paleolithic Transition, Paleolithic Archaeology, Middle Stone Age (Archaeology), and Cultural Transmission (Evolutionary Biology)edit
- I research and teach human evolution at the University of Cambridge, where I am the Leverhulme Professor of Human Evo... moreI research and teach human evolution at the University of Cambridge, where I am the Leverhulme Professor of Human Evolution. With Marta Mirazon Lahr I co-founded the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies (LCHES), a research centre devoted to multi-disciplinary approaches (biological, archaeological, genetic and behavioural) to human evolution. I have worked on a range of topics in human evolution and prehistory, from the early hominins and bipedalism to the evolution of human social behaviour, to the origins of modern humans and historical linguistics and human diversity. What combines this research is a focus on evolutionary ecology, on applying Darwinian models to human evolution, and developing a comparative framework. My work draws on both archaeological and biological principles and methods. Much of this work has been carried out in collaboration with Marta Mirazon Lahr. I have worked primarily in Africa, and am currently engaged in Mirazon Lahr's projects in the Central Sahara and Kenya.edit
The last twenty years have seen a resurgence of interest in human evolution in many aspects. A distinction can be made between 'narrow' (general acceptance that human evolution occurred, historically) and 'broad' (evolutionary ideas that... more
The last twenty years have seen a resurgence of interest in human evolution in many aspects. A distinction can be made between 'narrow' (general acceptance that human evolution occurred, historically) and 'broad' (evolutionary ideas that stretch much further into all aspects of humanity, past and present) human evolution. The broad perspective is beginning to make its presence felt, for example, through the developments in evolutionary genetics, evolutionary psychology and behavioural ecology. There must, therefore, be, among the variety of human adaptations, natures and behaviours, phenomena which are not susceptible to an evolutionary analysis, which are beyond the bounds of evolution. The problem is, though, that we do not really know where that boundary lies. Here, the limits of human evolution are explored, using two approaches - first, finding where humans 'fit' the expectations of evolutionary principles; and second, applying evolutionary methods to particular human contexts, whilst looking for an evolutionary signal.
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This book is a broad-ranging discussion of the pattern of human evolution. Each chapter is deveoted to a particualr question which researchers and general readers alike ask about our species - for example, when did we evolve? why is... more
This book is a broad-ranging discussion of the pattern of human evolution. Each chapter is deveoted to a particualr question which researchers and general readers alike ask about our species - for example, when did we evolve? why is Africa central to human evolution? what makes us human? and so on. The book embraces the use of Darwinism as an all-embracing framework, but argues aginst single factor explanations for human evolution.
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Humans are unique. no other animal has our capacity for communication, complex social interaction, technological innovation and adaptability. No other primate is bipedal, nor has such a large brain relative to its body size. And yet this... more
Humans are unique. no other animal has our capacity for communication, complex social interaction, technological innovation and adaptability. No other primate is bipedal, nor has such a large brain relative to its body size. And yet this uniqueness is the produce of straightforward evolutionary processes.
Another Unique Species tackles this paradox by looking at how uniqueness arises for all species through the mechanism of natural selection. It does so by examining problems that early hominids faced in their environment, and at the types of solution selection might have favoured. This approach emphasises the fact that different animals may share the same problems of survival, and so a comparative approach to adaptation – the evolution of biological solutions – is possible. Adaptive problems that have been important in human evolution include those of living in tropical environments, being a large mammal, being a ground-dwelling primate, living in a seasonal environment, and being part of a competitive ecosystem. By comparing hominid solutions to these problems it is possible to see how humans can be a unique species, and just another unique species.
Another Unique Species tackles this paradox by looking at how uniqueness arises for all species through the mechanism of natural selection. It does so by examining problems that early hominids faced in their environment, and at the types of solution selection might have favoured. This approach emphasises the fact that different animals may share the same problems of survival, and so a comparative approach to adaptation – the evolution of biological solutions – is possible. Adaptive problems that have been important in human evolution include those of living in tropical environments, being a large mammal, being a ground-dwelling primate, living in a seasonal environment, and being part of a competitive ecosystem. By comparing hominid solutions to these problems it is possible to see how humans can be a unique species, and just another unique species.
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An outline of the theory of regional archaeological distributions for hunter-gatherers and pastoralists, and the development and application of a methodology for off-site archaeology (i.e. the analysis of continuous archaeological... more
An outline of the theory of regional archaeological distributions for hunter-gatherers and pastoralists, and the development and application of a methodology for off-site archaeology (i.e. the analysis of continuous archaeological materials across a landscape). The models developed are applied to Amboseil in Southern Kenya.
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Eastern Africa (broadly Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania) has yielded the earliest fossils of modern humans, the earliest evidence for Mode 3 technologies (Middle Stone Age), and is one of the areas in which... more
Eastern Africa (broadly Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania) has yielded the earliest fossils of modern humans, the earliest evidence for Mode 3 technologies (Middle Stone Age), and is one of the areas in which modern humans may well have been endemic. This paper reviews the genetic, archaeological, and fossil evidence for the evolution of modern humans across MIS 6-2 in eastern Africa, and places this into the context of Middle Pleistocene human evolution, the development of the Middle Stone Age across the continent, and climatic change over the last two glacial cycles. We argue that while there is a paucity of well-dated sites that reduces the resolution of any interpretation, the available evidence indicates a major role for eastern Africa as an area of endemism, most probably related to the interaction of mosaic environments and refugia. We show that the evolution of modern humans has roots that extend well before MIS 6, and propose four overlapping stages, making this a much more prolonged process than has traditionally been described. There is a broad relationship between evolutionary history and major climatic oscillations; nevertheless , a closer examination reveals a more complex pattern. There are periods of synchrony and asynchrony in both contextual and evolutionary/behavioral changes, and these show variable links to both northern and southern Africa. Although eastern, northern and southern Africa (with central and western being largely unknown) show similarities and ultimately the same evolutionary and behavioral outcome, they also exhibit independent trajectories that require further research to throw light on the processes involved.
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Despite a massive endeavour, the problem of modern human origins not only remains unresolved, but is usually reduced to “Out of Africa” versus multiregional evolution. Not all would agree, but evidence for a single recent origin is... more
Despite a massive endeavour, the problem of modern human origins not only remains unresolved, but is usually reduced to “Out of Africa” versus multiregional evolution. Not all would agree, but evidence for a single recent origin is accumulating. Here, we want to go beyond this debate and explore within the “Out of Africa” framework an issue that has not been fully addressed: the mechanism by which modern human diversity has developed. We believe there is no clear rubicon of modern Homo sapiens, and that multiple dispersals occurred from a morphologically variable population in Africa. Pre-existing African diversity is thus crucial to the way human diversity developed outside Africa. The pattern of diversity—behavioural, linguistic, morphological and genetic—can be interpreted as the result of dispersals, colonisation, differentiation and subsequent dispersals overlaid on former population ranges. The first dispersals would have originated in Africa from where two different geographical routes were possible, one through Ethiopia/Arabia towards South Asia, and one through North Africa/Middle East towards Eurasia.
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The origins and evolution of modern humans has been the dominant interest in palaeoanthropology for the last decade, and much archaeological interpretation has been structured around the various issues associated with whether humans have... more
The origins and evolution of modern humans has been the dominant interest in palaeoanthropology for the last decade, and much archaeological interpretation has been structured around the various issues associated with whether humans have a recent African origin or a more ancient one. While the archaeological record has been used to support or refute various aspects of these theories, and to provide a behavioural framework for different biological models, there has been little attempt to employ the evidence of stone tool technology to unravel phylogenetic relationships. Here we examine the evidence that the evolution of modern humans is integrally related to the development of the Upper Palaeolithic and similar technologies, and conclude that there is a weak relationship. In contrast there is a strong relationship between the evolution and spread of modern humans and Grahame Clark’s Mode 3 technologies (the Middle Stone Age/Palaeolithic). The implication of this for the evolution of the Neanderthals, the multiple pattern of human dispersals and the nature of cognitive evolution are considered.
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The origins of modern humans have been the central debate in palaeoanthropology during the last decade. We examine the problem in the context of the history of anthropology, the accumulating evidence for a recent African origin, and... more
The origins of modern humans have been the central debate in palaeoanthropology during the last decade. We examine the problem in the context of the history of anthropology, the accumulating evidence for a recent African origin, and evolutionary mechanisms. Using a historical perspective, we show that the current controversy is a continuation of older conflicts and as such relates to questions of both origins and diversity. However, a better fossil sample, improved dates, and genetic data have introduced new perspectives, and we argue that evolutionary geography, which uses spatial distributions of populations as the basis for integrating contingent, adaptive, and demographic aspects of microevolutionary change, provides an appropriate theoretical framework.
Evolutionary geography is used to explore two events: the evolution of the Neanderthal lineage and the relationship between an ancestral bottleneck with the evolution of anatomically modern humans and their diversity. We argue that the Neanderthal and modern lineages share a common ancestor in an African population between 350,000 and 250,000 years ago rather than in the earlier Middle Pleistocene; this ancestral population, which developed mode 3 technology (Levallois/Middle Stone Age), dispersed across Africa and western Eurasia in a warmer period prior to independent evolution towards Neanderthals and modern humans in stage 6. Both lineages would thus share a common large-brained ancestry, a technology, and a history of dispersal. They differ in the conditions under which they subsequently evolved and their ultimate evolutionary fate. Both lineages illustrate the repeated interactions of the glacial cycles, the role of cold-arid periods in producing fragmentation of populations, bottlenecks, and isolation, and the role of warmer periods in producing trans-African dispersals.
Evolutionary geography is used to explore two events: the evolution of the Neanderthal lineage and the relationship between an ancestral bottleneck with the evolution of anatomically modern humans and their diversity. We argue that the Neanderthal and modern lineages share a common ancestor in an African population between 350,000 and 250,000 years ago rather than in the earlier Middle Pleistocene; this ancestral population, which developed mode 3 technology (Levallois/Middle Stone Age), dispersed across Africa and western Eurasia in a warmer period prior to independent evolution towards Neanderthals and modern humans in stage 6. Both lineages would thus share a common large-brained ancestry, a technology, and a history of dispersal. They differ in the conditions under which they subsequently evolved and their ultimate evolutionary fate. Both lineages illustrate the repeated interactions of the glacial cycles, the role of cold-arid periods in producing fragmentation of populations, bottlenecks, and isolation, and the role of warmer periods in producing trans-African dispersals.
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Summary: it is well known that Marine Isotope Stage 3 is characterised by marked climatic shifts, and a general trend towards cooler environments in Europe. This period also coincides with the appearance of modern humans in Europe and the... more
Summary: it is well known that Marine Isotope Stage 3 is characterised by marked climatic shifts, and a general trend towards cooler environments in Europe. This period also coincides with the appearance of modern humans in Europe and the extinction of the Neanderthal populations. In this paper we analyse the distribution of MIS3 archaeological sites, by time and latitude, and test their distribution against a model of expansions and contractions in relation to temperature variation. We show that both modern humans and Neanderthals fit such a dispersal/contraction model, and that both populations were able to withstand cooler environments.
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We are the only living species of the genus Homo. Given the startling results of a cave excavation in Southeast Asia, it seems that we coexisted with another species until much more recently than had been thought.
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This paper makes a case for the more formal use of evolutionary models in trying to understand human evolution. As the fossil record for hominin evolution has accumulated, and the level of diversity recognized has increased, we have moved... more
This paper makes a case for the more formal use of evolutionary models in trying to understand human evolution. As the fossil record for hominin evolution has accumulated, and the level of diversity recognized has increased, we have moved to viewing the evolutionary history of the lineage as a series of adaptive radiations, rather than as a process of continuous, within lineage change. The australopithecines would be seen to represent one such radiation, diversifying phylogenetically and expanding geographically. It is assumed that this is a response to a combination of the evolution of bipedalism and the expansion of more open habitats.
Such interpretations have been largely inductive, and little attention has been paid to the way in which processes such as adaptive radiations and dispersals have been analysed more widely in evolutionary biology. In this paper the australopithecine radiation is examined in the context of a number of models that have been developed to identify adaptive radiations. The results suggest that while there is some evidence for adaptational directionality to the group, in other ways australopithecine evolution falls short of the criteria for an adaptive radiation. As an alternative, australopithecine diversity is looked at in the context of dispersal models and the distribution in Africa. Finally, as it is clear that such model-based approaches are very sensitive to scale, the pattern of early hominin evolution is compared to two events at different scales – the evolution of modern humans, and the diversity of the chimpanzee clade.
Such interpretations have been largely inductive, and little attention has been paid to the way in which processes such as adaptive radiations and dispersals have been analysed more widely in evolutionary biology. In this paper the australopithecine radiation is examined in the context of a number of models that have been developed to identify adaptive radiations. The results suggest that while there is some evidence for adaptational directionality to the group, in other ways australopithecine evolution falls short of the criteria for an adaptive radiation. As an alternative, australopithecine diversity is looked at in the context of dispersal models and the distribution in Africa. Finally, as it is clear that such model-based approaches are very sensitive to scale, the pattern of early hominin evolution is compared to two events at different scales – the evolution of modern humans, and the diversity of the chimpanzee clade.
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This paper looks at the evolution and diversity of the Pliocene hominins (Australopithecus, Paranthropus, Homo) in the context of geographical patterns in Africa. Two theoretical aspects are emphasised – the crucial role of geography... more
This paper looks at the evolution and diversity of the Pliocene hominins (Australopithecus, Paranthropus, Homo) in the context of geographical patterns in Africa. Two theoretical aspects are emphasised – the crucial role of geography in evolutionary processes, and the role of extinction in shaping evolutionary events.
From the conclusions:
1) Pliocene hominid evolution was examined using available data at these various scales. It was found that the most global scale - climatic change - could not account for the observed pattern of the appearance of new species and novelty in hominid evolution. 2) Where climatic change could be shown to have an effect was on extinctions and patterns of dispersals. It was argued that this was consistent with expectations that while speciation was the product of a number of mechanisms, there was likely to be a more direct relationship between diversity and environments and extinction and changing habitats. 3) Theoretically it was argued that inter-specific competition (sensu lato) would impinge more directly on evolutionary patterns than climate, and that the logic of the Red Queen hypothesis was such that evolutionary change would not be synchronous across an ecological community, and nor would it be confined to particular periods. 4) The available data on community level patterns supported these propositions, but the extent to which detailed statistical relationships could be explained was questionable. 5) The biogeographic patterns of species richness in African primates today provide another level of explanation, although the fossil data indicate that the precise pattern has shifted through time. 6) The implication of a Red Queen hypothesis of inter-specific interactive effects led to the proposal that evolutionary patterns should be considered more locally, and with greater emphasis on geographical patterns. Community level interactions are not necessarily arms races, but can vary in intensity according to local conditions. In particular when species become extinct, which may occur in relation to climatic change, competitive conditions will change, and may lead to evolutionary shifts. 7) Three categories of evolutionary geographical event were identified (dispersal, isolation and contraction), and maps of hominid phylogenetic geography were used to uncover the pattern for hominid evolution. The evidence can be tentatively interpreted to suggest that Pliocene hominid phylogeny is strongly geographical, and that isolation and dispersal events do not occur at the same times. Contraction of hominid populations was probably widespread, leading to periodic endemism, refugia formation, and local and continental extinction. Such events occur througout the Pliocene and early Pleistocene.
From the conclusions:
1) Pliocene hominid evolution was examined using available data at these various scales. It was found that the most global scale - climatic change - could not account for the observed pattern of the appearance of new species and novelty in hominid evolution. 2) Where climatic change could be shown to have an effect was on extinctions and patterns of dispersals. It was argued that this was consistent with expectations that while speciation was the product of a number of mechanisms, there was likely to be a more direct relationship between diversity and environments and extinction and changing habitats. 3) Theoretically it was argued that inter-specific competition (sensu lato) would impinge more directly on evolutionary patterns than climate, and that the logic of the Red Queen hypothesis was such that evolutionary change would not be synchronous across an ecological community, and nor would it be confined to particular periods. 4) The available data on community level patterns supported these propositions, but the extent to which detailed statistical relationships could be explained was questionable. 5) The biogeographic patterns of species richness in African primates today provide another level of explanation, although the fossil data indicate that the precise pattern has shifted through time. 6) The implication of a Red Queen hypothesis of inter-specific interactive effects led to the proposal that evolutionary patterns should be considered more locally, and with greater emphasis on geographical patterns. Community level interactions are not necessarily arms races, but can vary in intensity according to local conditions. In particular when species become extinct, which may occur in relation to climatic change, competitive conditions will change, and may lead to evolutionary shifts. 7) Three categories of evolutionary geographical event were identified (dispersal, isolation and contraction), and maps of hominid phylogenetic geography were used to uncover the pattern for hominid evolution. The evidence can be tentatively interpreted to suggest that Pliocene hominid phylogeny is strongly geographical, and that isolation and dispersal events do not occur at the same times. Contraction of hominid populations was probably widespread, leading to periodic endemism, refugia formation, and local and continental extinction. Such events occur througout the Pliocene and early Pleistocene.
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Humans have had a major impact on the environment. This has been particularly intense in the last millennium but has been noticeable since the development of food production and the associated higher population densities in the last... more
Humans have had a major impact on the environment. This has been particularly intense in the last millennium but has been noticeable since the development of food production and the associated higher population densities in the last 10,000 years. The use of fire and over-exploitation of large mammals has also been recognized as having an effect on the world’s ecology, going back perhaps 100,000 years or more. Here we report on an earlier anthropogenic environmental change. The use of stone tools, which dates back over 2.5 million years, and the subsequent evolution of a technologically-dependent lineage required the exploitation of very large quantities of rock. However, measures of the impact of hominin stone exploitation are rare and inherently difficult. The Messak Settafet, a sandstone massif in the Central Sahara (Libya), is littered with Pleistocene stone tools on an unprecedented scale and is, in effect, a man-made landscape. Surveys showed that parts of the Messak Settafet have as much as 75 lithics per square metre and that this fractured debris is a dominant element of the environment. The type of stone tools—Acheulean and Middle Stone Age—indicates that extensive stone tool manufacture occurred over the last half million years or more. The lithic-strewn pavement created by this ancient stone tool manufacture possibly represents the earliest human environmental impact at a landscape scale and is an example of anthropogenic change. The nature of the lithics and inferred age may suggest that hominins other than modern humans were capable of unintentionally modifying their environment. The scale of debris also indicates the significance of stone as a critical resource for hominins and so provides insights into a novel evolutionary ecology.
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The Central Sahara is an area of great interest in human evolution partly because it currently exhibits some of the most extreme desert conditions in the world, and partly because of its geographical location e in a nexus of relationships... more
The Central Sahara is an area of great interest in human evolution partly because it currently exhibits some of the most extreme desert conditions in the world, and partly because of its geographical location e in a nexus of relationships with sub-Saharan Africa, Mediterranean Africa, and Western Asia. Fieldwork in the Ubari sand sea and the Messak (Fazzan, Libya) through the Desert Migrations Project has identified numerous Middle Stone Age (MSA) sites both along the shores of interdunal palaeolakes and on the mountainous plateaus of the area, such as the Messak Settafet. In this paper, we describe some of the evidence for the MSA in Fazzan, and discuss it in the context of the African MSA more generally. We show that this MSA record exhibits considerable typological and techno- logical variation, and discuss the implications for hypotheses relating to the colonization of desert environment and the expansion of hominins out of sub-Saharan Africa.
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Summary: this paper considers the problem of how the archaeological record is distributed continuously across a landscape, and that consequently ‘sites’ are best considered as high density localities against a low density background. The... more
Summary: this paper considers the problem of how the archaeological record is distributed continuously across a landscape, and that consequently ‘sites’ are best considered as high density localities against a low density background. The paper develops a model of how human behaviour is landscape based, and is transformed into an archaeological record, and develops an off-site, artefact density approach and method.
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Summary: this paper was an early application of cladistics to archaeology and human evolution, and attempted to reconstruct a common phylogeny for lithics and hominin species. Original abstract: a fast-growing quantity of fossil material... more
Summary: this paper was an early application of cladistics to archaeology and human evolution, and attempted to reconstruct a common phylogeny for lithics and hominin species.
Original abstract: a fast-growing quantity of fossil material - post-cranial as well a s skulls and teeth - is combining with cladistics and other new theoretical perspectives radically to change the picture of human evolution. Here, a summary of that picture is given, as the basis for a re-examination of that fundamental question of Pleistocene archaeology, the matching with the bones of the stones of the palaeolithic sequence.
Original abstract: a fast-growing quantity of fossil material - post-cranial as well a s skulls and teeth - is combining with cladistics and other new theoretical perspectives radically to change the picture of human evolution. Here, a summary of that picture is given, as the basis for a re-examination of that fundamental question of Pleistocene archaeology, the matching with the bones of the stones of the palaeolithic sequence.
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While it is generally accepted that farming spread into Europe from the Near East, the extent to which this occurred through population movements or cultural diffusion or a combination of the two remains uncertain. One of the primary... more
While it is generally accepted that farming spread into Europe from the Near East, the extent to which this occurred through population movements or cultural diffusion or a combination of the two remains uncertain. One of the primary conditions for determin- ing the role of dispersals versus cultural spread is the scale of the European Mesolithic populations. Here we use conclusions drawn from an archaeological data base analysis (Pinhasi et al. Chapter 6) to generate a population density based model for determining the expected degree of admixture or replacement that occurred across the Mesolithic– Neolithic transition in Europe. Five regional patterns are described: 1) areas with very sparse Mesolithic populations and dense Neolithic, where the Neolithic would have had a major genetic impact on the succeeding gene pool (Anatolia, Balkans); 2) areas with sparse or moderate Mesolithic populations and moderately dense Neolithic settlement, where there would be minor genetic contribution from the Mesolithic populations (Cen- tral Europe, North European Plains, northern Italy); 3) areas where both Mesolithic and Neolithic populations were at least moderately dense, and so where there would be expected an equal contribution from the two populations (southern Italy, western Con- tinental Europe); 4) areas where the Neolithic was relatively sparse and the Mesolithic populations significant, and so a greater contribution from the latter would be expected (Britain, Scandinavia); and areas where the Neolithic would have had little or no impact (Alps). This model of regional variation emphasizes the dynamic and geographically specific nature of prehistoric human population distributions.
Full list of authors: M. Mirazon Lahr, R.A. Foley and R. Pinhasi.
Full list of authors: M. Mirazon Lahr, R.A. Foley and R. Pinhasi.
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The use of molecular genetics to explore problems in prehistory has brought into sharp relief the role that archaeological data can play in testing hypotheses about population dispersals and expansions. This has been the case particularly... more
The use of molecular genetics to explore problems in prehistory has brought into sharp relief the role that archaeological data can play in testing hypotheses about population dispersals and expansions. This has been the case particularly for the spread of farming into Europe. This paper uses a quantified data base of the distribution of archaeological sites from the Late Palaeolithic, the Mesolithic and the Neolithic in relation to radiocarbon dates to gain independent insights into the pattern of human occupation of Europe during the Early Holocene. Although the archaeological data cannot directly address the question of genetic continuity or replacement, it does provide a detailed context for testing hypotheses. The results of this study show that there is clear evidence for a spread, by whatever means, of Neolithic farming practices, but that this occurs in the context of an equally dynamic and geographically variable pattern of Mesolithic occupation. The patterns of these population distributions are discussed, and it is suggested that the complexities of the archaeological record can be used to generate testable hypotheses of relevance to molecular genetics.
Full list of authors: R. Pinhasi, R.A. Foley and M. Mirazon Lahr.
Full list of authors: R. Pinhasi, R.A. Foley and M. Mirazon Lahr.
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Culture is the central concept of anthropology. Its centrality comes from the fact that all branches of the discipline use it, that it is in a way a shorthand for what makes humans unique, and therefore defines anthropology as a separate... more
Culture is the central concept of anthropology. Its centrality comes from the fact that all branches of the discipline use it, that it is in a way a shorthand for what makes humans unique, and therefore defines anthropology as a separate discipline. In recent years the major contributions to an evolutionary approach to culture have come either from primatologists mapping the range of behaviors, among chimpanzees in particular, that can be referred to as cultural or “proto-cultural” 1, 2 or from evolutionary theorists who have developed models to account for the pattern and process of human cultural diversification and its impact on human adaptation.
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Over the last four decades, there has been surprisingly little advance in the quantitative morphometric analysis of Palaeolithic stone tools, especially compared to that which has taken place in biological morphometrics over a comparable... more
Over the last four decades, there has been surprisingly little advance in the quantitative morphometric analysis of Palaeolithic stone tools, especially compared to that which has taken place in biological morphometrics over a comparable time frame. In Palaeolithic archaeology’s sister discipline of palaeoanthropology, detailed quantitative morphometric, geometric morphometric, and even 3D geometric morphometric analyses are now seen almost as routine. This period of relative methodological stasis may have been influenced by the lack of homologous landmarks on many lithic tools (essential for any comparative analysis), especially core-based technologies of the Lower Palaeolithic. Archae- ological field conditions may also prohibit the use of expensive and delicate precision instruments in certain cases. Here we present a crossbeam co-ordinate caliper that e crucially e both geometrically locates and measures distances between morphologically homologous landmarks upon lithic nuclei via a single protocol. Intra- and inter-observer error tests provide evidence that error levels associated with the instrument fall within acceptable ranges. In addition, we present empirical examples of application in the form of a multivariate analysis of 55 discrete morphometric variables, and a 3D geometric morphometric analysis of co-ordinate landmark configurations derived from Pleistocene lithic nuclei (i.e. ‘cores’ sensu lato). We also introduce to lithic studies some techniques for the study of shape variation that have previously been used with success in biological morphometric analyses. We conclude that use of an instrument such as the crossbeam co-ordinate caliper may provide a useful adjunct to traditional techniques of lithic analysis, particularly in developing a quantitative morphometric approach.
Full list of authors: S.J. Lycett, N. von Cramon-Taubadel and R.A. Foley.
Full list of authors: S.J. Lycett, N. von Cramon-Taubadel and R.A. Foley.
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he Desert Migrations Project is a new interdisciplinary and multi-dimensional collaborative project between the Society for Libyan Studies and the Department of Antiquities. The geographical focus of the study is the Fazzan region of... more
he Desert Migrations Project is a new interdisciplinary and multi-dimensional collaborative project between the Society for Libyan Studies and the Department of Antiquities. The geographical focus of the study is the Fazzan region of southwest Libya and in thematic terms we aim to address the theme of migration in the broadest sense, encompassing the movement of people, ideas/knowledge and material culture into and out of Fazzan, along with evidence of shifting climatic and ecological boundaries over time. The report describes the principal sub-strands of the project’s first season in January 2007, with some account of research questions, methods employed and some preliminary results. Three main sub-projects are reported on. The first concerns the improved understanding of long-term climatic and environmental changes derived from a detailed palaeoenvironmental study of palaeolake sediments. This geo-science work runs alongside and feeds directly into both archaeological sub-projects, the first relating to prehistoric activity and mobility around and between a series of palaeolakes during wetter climatic cycles; the second to the excavation of burials in the Wadi al-Ajal, exploring the changing relationship between material culture, identity and ethnicity across time, from prehistory to the early Islamic period (the span of the main cemetery zones). In addition, some rock art research and a survey of historic period sites was undertaken in the Wadi ash-Shati and Ubari sand sea.
Full list of authors: David Mattingly, Marta Lahr, Simon Armitage, Huw Barton, John Dore, Nick Drake, Robert Foley, Stefania Merlo, Mustapha Salem, Jay Stock and Kevin White.
Full list of authors: David Mattingly, Marta Lahr, Simon Armitage, Huw Barton, John Dore, Nick Drake, Robert Foley, Stefania Merlo, Mustapha Salem, Jay Stock and Kevin White.
Research Interests: Libyan Studies and Libyan
he palaeoanthropological and geomorphological sub-projects of the Desert Migrations Project (DMP) focus on the Pleistocene and early Holocene environment and prehistory of Fazzan so as to assess the timing and extent of hominin and human... more
he palaeoanthropological and geomorphological sub-projects of the Desert Migrations Project (DMP) focus on the Pleistocene and early Holocene environment and prehistory of Fazzan so as to assess the timing and extent of hominin and human movement across the Sahara through time. This paper reports on the findings of the 2008 field season, with a focus on the prehistoric evidence along the northern margin of the Ubari sand sea.
The geomorphological record of the area preserves evidence of at least five past episodes of lake formation. The exact chronology of these, as well as the spatial extent of these lakes, remains the focus of further study.
The archaeological record of hominin and human occupation of Fazzan prior to the establishment of the Garamantian civilisation is extraordinarily rich. Between 2007 and 2008, the DMP palaeoanthropological project surveyed thirty-five localities along the northern margin of the Ubari sand sea, recording a range of assemblages spanning all Palaeolithic industries. Most of the archaeological remains found consisted of stone-tools, while grinding stones were comparatively restricted geographically. Mode 1/Oldowan tools were found at two localities, contrasting with the widespread presence of Mode 2/Acheulean, Mode 3/Middle Stone Age and Mode 5/microlithic artefacts. This indicates that, although hominin presence in the area is probably earlier than previously thought, populations were comparatively sparse until the Middle Pleistocene. Twenty-one localities within the Ubari sand sea, as well as seven south of the Messak Settafet were also surveyed between 2007 and 2008. The detailed study of the lithics from these areas will be carried out next year, but preliminary results stress the different nature of the assemblages found within interdune corridors – very low frequency of cores, no Mode 1 and extremely rare Mode 2 lithics (found at a single locality).
The 2009 field season will focus on obtaining further samples of palaeolake sediments for dating, on the evidence of Mode 1 assemblages south of the Messak, as well as on the refining of the archaeological indicators that may distinguish the different phases of hominin and human occupation of Fazzan during the Later Pleistocene and Holocene.
Full list of authors: Marta Mirazón Lahr, Robert Foley, Simon Armitage, Huw Barton, Federica Crivellaro, Nicholas Drake, Mark Hounslow, Lisa Maher, David Mattingly, Mustapha Salem, Jay Stock and Kevin White.
The geomorphological record of the area preserves evidence of at least five past episodes of lake formation. The exact chronology of these, as well as the spatial extent of these lakes, remains the focus of further study.
The archaeological record of hominin and human occupation of Fazzan prior to the establishment of the Garamantian civilisation is extraordinarily rich. Between 2007 and 2008, the DMP palaeoanthropological project surveyed thirty-five localities along the northern margin of the Ubari sand sea, recording a range of assemblages spanning all Palaeolithic industries. Most of the archaeological remains found consisted of stone-tools, while grinding stones were comparatively restricted geographically. Mode 1/Oldowan tools were found at two localities, contrasting with the widespread presence of Mode 2/Acheulean, Mode 3/Middle Stone Age and Mode 5/microlithic artefacts. This indicates that, although hominin presence in the area is probably earlier than previously thought, populations were comparatively sparse until the Middle Pleistocene. Twenty-one localities within the Ubari sand sea, as well as seven south of the Messak Settafet were also surveyed between 2007 and 2008. The detailed study of the lithics from these areas will be carried out next year, but preliminary results stress the different nature of the assemblages found within interdune corridors – very low frequency of cores, no Mode 1 and extremely rare Mode 2 lithics (found at a single locality).
The 2009 field season will focus on obtaining further samples of palaeolake sediments for dating, on the evidence of Mode 1 assemblages south of the Messak, as well as on the refining of the archaeological indicators that may distinguish the different phases of hominin and human occupation of Fazzan during the Later Pleistocene and Holocene.
Full list of authors: Marta Mirazón Lahr, Robert Foley, Simon Armitage, Huw Barton, Federica Crivellaro, Nicholas Drake, Mark Hounslow, Lisa Maher, David Mattingly, Mustapha Salem, Jay Stock and Kevin White.
Research Interests: Libyan Studies and Libyan
his paper reports on the work carried out during the 2009 field season of the prehistory sub-theme of the Desert Migrations Project. The work consisted of detailed survey and small-scale excavations in two wadis that drain the Messak... more
his paper reports on the work carried out during the 2009 field season of the prehistory sub-theme of the Desert Migrations Project. The work consisted of detailed survey and small-scale excavations in two wadis that drain the Messak Settafet, near the town of Jarma. Both wadis were found to contain evidence of Palaeolithic and Neolithic occupation, as well as of having been used as migratory routes between the Ubari and Murzuq sand seas. One of the wadis (WJAR-E-O1) was surveyed intensely along a few kilometers of its tributary margins. This revealed archaeological material ranging from Oldowan (Mode 1) to historic. The distribution of the various industries and structures had a distinct spatial patterning; the Palaeolithic scatters were spatially discrete, but Holocene remains were often found superimposed on earlier industries. Among the finds were a spatially discrete Oldowan assemblage, an extensive Acheulean industry which included the exploitation of fossil wood as raw material, the identification of at least five major outcrops of fossil trees, and a number of more recent structures dating from Neolithic to Islamic times and consisting of graves, cairns, rock engravings, and stone features. Middle Stone Age lithics, so predominant over the surface of the Messak plateau, were absent. The second wadi (WJAR-W-02) was geomorphologically different, being comparatively narrow and deeply incised, and containing a number of terraces on the wadi bed resulting from cut and infill processes in the past. The surface of these terraces contained an extensive Aterian lithic industry, while evidence of late Holocene use of the area was also recorded in the form of Tifinagh inscriptions, rock engravings, cairns and graves. Besides mapping the archaeological distributions, a number of trenches were dug at the edge of the river terraces. These revealed an in situ stratigraphic sequence, within which Aterian lithics were found at a depth of >1 m. Samples for OSL dating were taken. Overall, the work of the 2009 field season was extremely successful in that, besides the fascinating range of archaeological material recorded and studied, it provided important insights into the role of the north-south wadis that cross the Messak, the southern boundary of the area being explored by the DMP, and their differential use in prehistory.
Full list of authors: Marta Mirazón Lahr, Robert Foley, Federica Crivellaro, Mercedes Okumura, Lisa Maher, Tom Davies, Djuke Veldhuis, Alex Wilshaw and David Mattingly
Full list of authors: Marta Mirazón Lahr, Robert Foley, Federica Crivellaro, Mercedes Okumura, Lisa Maher, Tom Davies, Djuke Veldhuis, Alex Wilshaw and David Mattingly
This paper reports on the results of the work of the Palaeo team of the DMP in January 2010. The fieldwork was focused on two different areas – the Wadi ash-Shati and the southwestern margin of the Ubari Sand Sea. Work in the Wadi... more
This paper reports on the results of the work of the Palaeo team of the DMP in January 2010. The fieldwork was focused on two different areas – the Wadi ash-Shati and the southwestern margin of the Ubari Sand Sea. Work in the Wadi ash-Shati confirmed the existence of Oldowan sites in Fazzan (locality SHT11 and environs), which although undated, represent a major addition to the extent of prehistoric occupation of the area. Further work near the site originally studied by Petit-Maire in the 1980s confirmed the association of a shell layer dated to the last interglacial with archaeological artefacts in situ. These artefacts are of MSA affinity, thus placing Fazzan in the context of other northern African sites of that time. The work in the southwestern margin of the basin represented the first formal archaeological survey of that area. This revealed extensive Holocene and MSA occupations, and in a group of sites at the southern edge of the Hamada Zaqher, also Oldowan lithics. Little if any Acheulean remains were observed, while the latter predominate in the interdunes just north of the Wadi al-Ajal. Overall, the spatial and technological analyses of the sites and remains suggest that there were different resource constraints on hominins in the Middle and later Quaternary, shaping the distribution of industries and raw materials. Furthermore, the relative widespread distribution of Oldowan sites – Wadi ash-Shati, southern Messak, and Hamada Zaqher, shows that the Central Sahara played an important role in the evolutionary geography of Lower Pleistocene hominins in Africa.
Research Interests:
Cementum banding patterns have been used by archaeozoologists and wildlife managers for a number of decades to assess the season and age at death of mammalian populations. However, the observation and measurement of the nature of cementum... more
Cementum banding patterns have been used by archaeozoologists and wildlife managers for a number of decades to assess the season and age at death of mammalian populations. However, the observation and measurement of the nature of cementum banding, especially that of the final band, has proved to be difficult except under conditions of excellent preservation and advanced microscopy. The research presented here details a method for extracting luminance data from the banding patterns of cementum in order to quantify the optical properties of cementum tissue. By doing so, analysis of the relationship between cementum deposition and environmental variables is achieved. We present the results of a digital cementum luminance analysis (DCLA) on a sample of first molars from two species, Ovis aries, Soay and Capra ibex. The results indicate that significant relationships occur between seasonal temperature changes and cementum histology. Furthermore, we show that luminance values can be used to assess the geographical range of genetically similar populations. Our results demonstrate that the study of luminance is a vital tool for the quantitative study of dental cementum for both archaeological and ecological studies.
The bacteria Yersinia pestis is the etiological agent of plague and has caused human pandemics with millions of deaths in historic times. How and when it originated remains contentious. Here, we report the oldest direct evidence of... more
The bacteria Yersinia pestis is the etiological agent of plague and has caused human pandemics with millions of deaths in historic times. How and when it originated remains contentious. Here, we
report the oldest direct evidence of Yersinia pestis identified by ancient DNA in human teeth from Asia and Europe dating from 2,800 to 5,000 years ago. By sequencing the genomes, we find that these ancient plague strains are basal to all known Yersinia pestis. We find the origins of the Yersinia pestis lineage to be at least two times older than previous estimates. We also identify a temporal sequence of genetic changes that lead to increased virulence and the emergence of the bubonic plague. Our results show that plague infection was endemic in the human populations of Eurasia
at least 3,000 years before any historical recordings of pandemics.
report the oldest direct evidence of Yersinia pestis identified by ancient DNA in human teeth from Asia and Europe dating from 2,800 to 5,000 years ago. By sequencing the genomes, we find that these ancient plague strains are basal to all known Yersinia pestis. We find the origins of the Yersinia pestis lineage to be at least two times older than previous estimates. We also identify a temporal sequence of genetic changes that lead to increased virulence and the emergence of the bubonic plague. Our results show that plague infection was endemic in the human populations of Eurasia
at least 3,000 years before any historical recordings of pandemics.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The recent paper published in Nature (Green et al., 2006) by a group led by Svante Pääbo of the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and a second related paper by Noonan et al. (2006) in Science, represent a major... more
The recent paper published in Nature (Green et al., 2006) by a group led by Svante Pääbo of the Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, and a second related paper by Noonan et al. (2006) in Science, represent a major breakthrough in ancient DNA (aDNA) ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
We present an Aboriginal Australian genomic sequence obtained from a 100-year-old lock of hair donated by an Aboriginal man from southern Western Australia in the early 20th century. We detect no evidence of European admixture and... more
We present an Aboriginal Australian genomic sequence obtained from a 100-year-old lock of hair donated by an Aboriginal man from southern Western Australia in the early 20th century. We detect no evidence of European admixture and estimate contamination levels to be below 0.5%. We show that Aboriginal Australians are descendants of an early human dispersal into eastern Asia, possibly 62,000 to 75,000 years ago. This dispersal is separate from the one that gave rise to modern Asians 25,000 to 38,000 years ago. We also find evidence of gene flow between populations of the two dispersal waves prior to the divergence of Native Americans from modern Asian ancestors. Our findings support the hypothesis that present-day Aboriginal Australians descend from the earliest humans to occupy Australia, likely representing one of the oldest continuous populations outside Africa.
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Although molecular genetic evidence continues to accumulate that is consistent with a recent common African ancestry of modern humans, its ability to illuminate regional histories remains incomplete. A set of unique event polymorphisms... more
Although molecular genetic evidence continues to accumulate that is consistent with a recent common African ancestry of modern humans, its ability to illuminate regional histories remains incomplete. A set of unique event polymorphisms associated with the non-recombining portion of the Y-chromosome (NRY) addresses this issue by providing evidence concerning successful migrations originating from Africa, which can be interpreted as subsequent colonizations, differentiations and migrations overlaid upon previous population ranges. A total of 205 markers identified by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), together with 13 taken from the literature, were used to construct a parsimonious genealogy. Ancestral allelic states were deduced from orthologous great ape sequences. A total of 131 unique haplotypes were defined which trace the microevolutionary trajectory of global modern human genetic diversification. The genealogy provides a detailed phylogeographic portrait of contemporary global population structure that is emblematic of human origins, divergence and population history that is consistent with climatic, paleoanthropological and other genetic knowledge.
Full list of authors: P.A. Underhill, G. Passarino, A.A. Lin, P. Shen, M. Mirazón Lahr, R.A. Foley, P.J. Oefner and L.L. Cavalli-Sforza.
Full list of authors: P.A. Underhill, G. Passarino, A.A. Lin, P. Shen, M. Mirazón Lahr, R.A. Foley, P.J. Oefner and L.L. Cavalli-Sforza.
Research Interests:
The debate on modern human origins has often focused on the relationship between genes and fossils. Although more and more genetic evidence has been accumulating in favor of a recent African origin for modern humans, it has been assumed... more
The debate on modern human origins has often focused on the relationship between genes and fossils. Although more and more genetic evidence has been accumulating in favor of a recent African origin for modern humans, it has been assumed by many that the fossil evidence remains ambiguous. On the contrary, it has been clear for some time that the fossil evidence does not support the multiregional model: Fossils and archeology indicate a pattern of multiple dispersals from and beyond Africa, against which the genetic data can be compared. The continuing value of paleobiology is in complementing genetic information by revealing the context of human evolution: locating the dispersals and extinctions of populations in time and space, correlating these events with the environmental forces that shaped them, and providing an increasingly detailed understanding of the morphology and technology of early humans.
Research Interests:
Background: Human genetic diversity observed in Indian subcontinent is second only to that of Africa. This implies an early settlement and demographic growth soon after the first 'Out-of-Africa' dispersal of anatomically modern humans in... more
Background: Human genetic diversity observed in Indian subcontinent is second only to that of Africa. This implies an early settlement and demographic growth soon after the first 'Out-of-Africa' dispersal of anatomically modern humans in Late Pleistocene. In contrast to this perspective, linguistic diversity in India has been thought to derive from more recent population movements and episodes of contact. With the exception of Dravidian, which origin and relatedness to other language phyla is obscure, all the language families in India can be linked to language families spoken in different regions of Eurasia. Mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome evidence has supported largely local evolution of the genetic lineages of the majority of Dravidian and Indo-European speaking populations, but there is no consensus yet on the question of whether the Munda (Austro-Asiatic) speaking populations originated in India or derive from a relatively recent migration from further East.
Results: Here, we report the analysis of 35 novel complete mtDNA sequences from India which refine the structure of Indian-specific varieties of haplogroup R. Detailed analysis of haplogroup R7, coupled with a survey of ~12,000 mtDNAs from caste and tribal groups over the entire Indian subcontinent, reveals that one of its more recently derived branches (R7a1), is particularly frequent among Munda-speaking tribal groups. This branch is nested within diverse R7 lineages found among Dravidian and Indo-European speakers of India. We have inferred from this that a subset of Munda- speaking groups have acquired R7 relatively recently. Furthermore, we find that the distribution of R7a1 within the Munda-speakers is largely restricted to one of the sub-branches (Kherwari) of northern Munda languages. This evidence does not support the hypothesis that the Austro-Asiatic speakers are the primary source of the R7 variation. Statistical analyses suggest a significant correlation between genetic variation and geography, rather than between genes and languages.
Conclusion: Our high-resolution phylogeographic study, involving diverse linguistic groups in India, suggests that the high frequency of mtDNA haplogroup R7 among Munda speaking populations of India can be explained best by gene flow from linguistically different populations of Indian subcontinent. The conclusion is based on the observation that among Indo-Europeans, and particularly in Dravidians, the haplogroup is, despite its lower frequency, phylogenetically more divergent, while among the Munda speakers only one sub-clade of R7, i.e. R7a1, can be observed. It is noteworthy that though R7 is autochthonous to India, and arises from the root of hg R, its distribution and phylogeography in India is not uniform. This suggests the more ancient establishment of an autochthonous matrilineal genetic structure, and that isolation in the Pleistocene, lineage loss through drift, and endogamy of prehistoric and historic groups have greatly inhibited genetic homogenization and geographical uniformity.
Full list of authors: Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Monika Karmin, Ene Metspalu, Mait Metspalu, Deepa Selvi-Rani, Vijay Kumar Singh, Jüri Parik, Anu Solnik, B Prathap Naidu, Ajay Kumar, Niharika Adarsh, Chandana Basu Mallick, Bhargav Trivedi, Swami Prakash, Ramesh Reddy, Parul Shukla, Sanjana Bhagat, Swati Verma, Samiksha Vasnik, Imran Khan, Anshu Barwa, Dipti Sahoo, Archana Sharma, Mamoon Rashid, Vishal Chandra, Alla G Reddy, Antonio Torroni, Robert A Foley, Kumarasamy Thangaraj, Lalji Singh, Toomas Kivisild and Richard Villems
Results: Here, we report the analysis of 35 novel complete mtDNA sequences from India which refine the structure of Indian-specific varieties of haplogroup R. Detailed analysis of haplogroup R7, coupled with a survey of ~12,000 mtDNAs from caste and tribal groups over the entire Indian subcontinent, reveals that one of its more recently derived branches (R7a1), is particularly frequent among Munda-speaking tribal groups. This branch is nested within diverse R7 lineages found among Dravidian and Indo-European speakers of India. We have inferred from this that a subset of Munda- speaking groups have acquired R7 relatively recently. Furthermore, we find that the distribution of R7a1 within the Munda-speakers is largely restricted to one of the sub-branches (Kherwari) of northern Munda languages. This evidence does not support the hypothesis that the Austro-Asiatic speakers are the primary source of the R7 variation. Statistical analyses suggest a significant correlation between genetic variation and geography, rather than between genes and languages.
Conclusion: Our high-resolution phylogeographic study, involving diverse linguistic groups in India, suggests that the high frequency of mtDNA haplogroup R7 among Munda speaking populations of India can be explained best by gene flow from linguistically different populations of Indian subcontinent. The conclusion is based on the observation that among Indo-Europeans, and particularly in Dravidians, the haplogroup is, despite its lower frequency, phylogenetically more divergent, while among the Munda speakers only one sub-clade of R7, i.e. R7a1, can be observed. It is noteworthy that though R7 is autochthonous to India, and arises from the root of hg R, its distribution and phylogeography in India is not uniform. This suggests the more ancient establishment of an autochthonous matrilineal genetic structure, and that isolation in the Pleistocene, lineage loss through drift, and endogamy of prehistoric and historic groups have greatly inhibited genetic homogenization and geographical uniformity.
Full list of authors: Gyaneshwer Chaubey, Monika Karmin, Ene Metspalu, Mait Metspalu, Deepa Selvi-Rani, Vijay Kumar Singh, Jüri Parik, Anu Solnik, B Prathap Naidu, Ajay Kumar, Niharika Adarsh, Chandana Basu Mallick, Bhargav Trivedi, Swami Prakash, Ramesh Reddy, Parul Shukla, Sanjana Bhagat, Swati Verma, Samiksha Vasnik, Imran Khan, Anshu Barwa, Dipti Sahoo, Archana Sharma, Mamoon Rashid, Vishal Chandra, Alla G Reddy, Antonio Torroni, Robert A Foley, Kumarasamy Thangaraj, Lalji Singh, Toomas Kivisild and Richard Villems
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Genetics, Geography, Human Genetics, Gene Flow, and 16 morePopulation Genetics, Molecular Evolution, Principal Component Analysis, Linguistics, India, High Frequency, Phylogeny, Mitochondrial DNA, Humans, Late Pleistocene, Haplotypes, Genetic Structure, Y chromosome, Ethnic Groups, High Resolution, and Genetic variation
Few things show the distinctiveness of human evolution research better than the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis (AAH). On one hand, we have “orthodox” research into human evolution, firmly based on land; on the other, we have the aquatic ape... more
Few things show the distinctiveness of human evolution research better than the Aquatic Ape Hypothesis (AAH). On one hand, we have “orthodox” research into human evolution, firmly based on land; on the other, we have the aquatic ape community, convinced not only that our ancestors went through an aquatic phase, but that the professional scientific community ignores their work and keeps it out of the mainstream. How many fields of science have two entirely parallel communities that essentially are hermetically sealed from each other?
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Under the assumption that life history in general and longevity in particular play an important part in the study of evolutionary patterns and processes, this paper focuses on predicting longevity changes across hominid evolution and... more
Under the assumption that life history in general and longevity in particular play an important part in the study of evolutionary patterns and processes, this paper focuses on predicting longevity changes across hominid evolution and attempts to throw light on the significance of such changes. We also consider some statistical arguments in the analysis of hominid life history patterns. Multiple
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We know that there are fundamental differences between humans and living apes, and also between living humans and their extinct relatives. It is also probably the case that the most significant and divergent of these differences relate to... more
We know that there are fundamental differences between humans and living apes, and also between living humans and their extinct relatives. It is also probably the case that the most significant and divergent of these differences relate to our social behaviour and its underlying cognition, as much as to fundamental differences in physiology, biochemistry or anatomy. In this paper, we first attempt to demarcate what are the principal differences between human and other societies in terms of social structure, organization and relationships, so that we can identify what derived features require explanation. We then consider the evidence of the archaeological and fossil record, to determine the most probable context in time and taxonomy, of these evolutionary trends. Finally, we attempt to link five major transitional points in hominin evolution to the selective context in which they occurred, and to use the principles of behavioural ecology to understand their ecological basis. Critical changes in human social organization relate to the development of a larger scale of fission and fusion; the development of a greater degree of nested substructures within the human community; and the development of intercommunity networks. The underlying model that we develop is that the evolution of ‘human society’ is underpinned by ecological factors, but these are influenced as much by technological and behavioural innovations as external environmental change.
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In the context of hominin evolution as a whole, the evolution of modern humans is just a small part of a much larger picture. There has also been increased interest in the later half of the 20th century in looking at human evolution as an... more
In the context of hominin evolution as a whole, the evolution of modern humans is just a small part of a much larger picture. There has also been increased interest in the later half of the 20th century in looking at human evolution as an adaptive process, involving climatic change, morphological specializations, and behavioral innovations, rather than as phylogenetic history alone. In particular, it is clear that the hominin evolutionary record as a whole shows a series of adaptive radiations. I shall look at the overall pattern of hominin evolution in terms of its constituent adaptive radiations, and what might be the behavioral and ecological elements that underlie each of these.
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Research Interests:
At the inception of the social sciences in the late 19th century, early psychologists, an- thropologists, archaeologists and sociologists frequently proposed evolutionary explanations for social phenomena. Yet by the mid-20th century... more
At the inception of the social sciences in the late 19th century, early psychologists, an- thropologists, archaeologists and sociologists frequently proposed evolutionary explanations for social phenomena. Yet by the mid-20th century Darwin’s theory had virtually disappeared from the social sciences, and most social scientists continue to reject evolutionary approaches within their disciplines. This special issue of the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology contains six papers each of which addresses the question of why social scientists rejected evolution, and why they still do. Three broad reasons are identified by our contributors. First, many social scientists past and present hold distorted views of evolution leading to, in our view, an unfounded rejection of evolutionary theory. This distortion might be addressed by improved education and communica- tion of evolutionary theory. Second, many past applications of evolutionary theory to social phe- nomena have been inadequate for explaining the kinds of phenomena that social scientists are most interested in, such as rapid cultural change and the emergence of large-scale cooperative in- stitutions. This situation is changing as modern Darwinian approaches incorporate behavioural flexibility, group-level explanations and culture. Finally, certain strands of the social sciences have rejected the scientific method in general, instead adopting non-scientific perspectives such as social constructionism. While this is a broader epistemological issue, the application of evolution- ary methods to social phenomena may provide the best and most direct support for the value of the scientific method.
Explanations for both the origins of humans and the pattern of human evolution have been diverse, imaginative and often erroneous. The problems associated with both single factor or trigger models and multifactorial models are discussed.... more
Explanations for both the origins of humans and the pattern of human evolution have been diverse, imaginative and often erroneous. The problems associated with both single factor or trigger models and multifactorial models are discussed. It is suggested that in order to explain events in hominid evolution is is necessary to recognize that such events are produced by the interaction of factors acting as conditions, causes (selective pressures), constraints (often phylogenetic) and consequences. Within this framework a number of explanatory strategies are proposed. First, that the pattern of evolution can throw light on process; second, that the relationship between the pattern of hominid evolution and the context in which it occurs can be significant; third, that assessing general models in terms of the feasibility of the detailed biological parameters can be a powerful tool; fourth, that the selective advantages of hominid characteristics should consider both costs and benefits; and fifth, that the consequences of humans having evolved may help us to assess the underlying causes. These strategies lead to the conclusion that the pattern of human evolution is similar to that of other animals in consisting of a series of adaptive radiation. Climate influences hominid evolution, but does not lead to the appearance of new species. The primary effect is through extinction, implying that evolutionary novelty amongst hominids derives from local competitive conditions. The evolution of high levels of encephalization, whatever the proximate selective pressures, was only possible in the context of major changes in life history strategy and foraging behaviour. Finally, when the development of food production is linked to long-term evolutionary patterns, it can be see that humans have been part of the most significant ecological change for 280 million years.
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Many plants and animals are capable of developing In a variety of ways, forming characteristics that are well adapted to the environments In which they are likely to live. In adverse circumstances, for example, small size and slow... more
Many plants and animals are capable of developing In a variety of ways, forming characteristics that are well adapted to the environments In which they are likely to live. In adverse circumstances, for example, small size and slow metabolism can facilitate survival, whereas larger size and more rapid metabolism have advantages for reproductive success when resources are more abundant Often these characteristics are induced In early life or are even set by cues to which their parents or grandparents were exposed. Individuals developmentally adapted to one environment may, however, he at risk when exposed to another when they are older, The biological evidence may be relevant to the understanding of human development and susceptibility to disease. As the nutritional state of many human mothers has improved around the world, the characteristics of their offspring-such as body size and metabolism-have also changed, Responsiveness to their mothers' condition before birth may generally prepare individuals so that they are best suited to the environment forecast by cues available in early life. Paradoxically, however, rapid improvements in nutrition and other environmental Conditions may have damaging effects on the health of those people whose parents and grandparents lived In impoverished conditions. A fuller understanding of patterns of human plasticity in response to early nutrition and other environmental factors will have implications for the administration of public health.
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In a recent article in Evolutionary Anthropology, Tattersall discussed the development of human evolution in the last 50 years, specifically in the context of the history of evolutionary theory over the same time. His paper was rich in... more
In a recent article in Evolutionary Anthropology, Tattersall discussed the development of human evolution in the last 50 years, specifically in the context of the history of evolutionary theory over the same time. His paper was rich in ideas and information, all clearly and elegantly stated, even if his admiration for most palaeoanthropologists’ grasp of issues in evolutionary theory was somewhat restrained. His summary of many issues in the complex world of fossil hominins cut a swathe through much that is often obscure. Furthermore, the paper was clearly meant to be provocative, and in this it is a masterly success. (...)
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Research Interests:
Explanations in evolution generally, and human evolution in particular, very in the extent to which emphasis is placed on adaptation or on other factors, such as chance or historical contingency. In this paper the broad pattern of hominid... more
Explanations in evolution generally, and human evolution in particular, very in the extent to which emphasis is placed on adaptation or on other factors, such as chance or historical contingency. In this paper the broad pattern of hominid evolution above the species level is described and used to throw light on the processes of evolution involved. Adaptive radiations, species survivorship, biogeographical patterns and the relationship with climatic change all show that chance and historical contingency play a role in the formation of the initial conditions under which evolution occurs, but that the detailed micro-evolutionary shape of any outcome is a function of adaptation and selective mechanisms.
Optimality principles are widely used in evolutionary biology and are being extended to anthropology. The general theory of optimality and its relationship to natural selection is presented. Problems associated with using the general... more
Optimality principles are widely used in evolutionary biology and are being extended to anthropology. The general theory of optimality and its relationship to natural selection is presented. Problems associated with using the general principle of optimality are discussed. The appropriateness of optimality principles as opposed to satisficer ones is considered; emphasis is placed on the relative nature of optimality. The main types of optimality model are described (physiological, reproductive, foraging ad evolutionarily stable strategy), and the characteristics held commonly by them all are presented. The conformity of hominids to optimality assumptions is considered, and factors that both promote and inhibit optimisation are developed. The main conclusions drawn are that: 1) the term optimality has meaning only within the restricted context of specific models and the framework of evolutionary theory; 2) optimality theory does not predict achieved optimality; 3) optimality theory is of value because of its emphasis on comparison and presentation of a template against which deviations from optimality can be assessed; and 4) optimality theory leans to tests not of the principle of adaptation but of specific hypotheses about adaptation.
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The history of phylogenetic reconstruction in palaeoanthropology shows considerable variation in the number of taxa recognized. Recent and current interpretations allow a range from a minimum of five to a maximum of 17 taxa to be... more
The history of phylogenetic reconstruction in palaeoanthropology shows considerable variation in the number of taxa recognized. Recent and current interpretations allow a range from a minimum of five to a maximum of 17 taxa to be identified in the fossil record. Given this range it is appropriate to ask whether there are means by which the expected number of species can be calculated and compared with observations of the fossil record. Models of hominid diversity (numbers of species) are constructed using fossil mammalian longevity data, mammalian speciation rates and living primate and carnivore spatial patterns. These models are discussed in the context of the longevity of the hominid lineage, its geographical distribution, and its adaptive basis. The results suggest that there may be strong interactions between ecological processes and evolutionary patterns in hominid evolution, and that early and later phases may be characterized by contrasting patterns of evolution.
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Research Interests:
The temporal association of hominid evolution with a period of global climatic instability and cooling is suggestive of a causal relationship. A number of authors have proposed a climatic forcing model for the timing and nature of... more
The temporal association of hominid evolution with a period of global climatic instability and cooling is suggestive of a causal relationship. A number of authors have proposed a climatic forcing model for the timing and nature of evolutionary changes in human evolution during the Pliocene and Pleistocene (5-0 Mya), such as the appearance of new taxa, and by inference only a limited role for continuous evolutionary change in response to inter- and intra-specific competition at the local level. A major problem with such models is that both climatic change and hominid evolution are now recognised as complex with numerous events. By splitting climatic change as revealed in deep sea cores into a number of distinct attributed (temperature, stability and variability) and examining the relationship of each to the appearance, diversity and disappearance of hominid taxa it is possible to investigate more closely the effect of climatic change on hominid evolution. It is shown that the effect of climatic change can be observed in relation to extinction events, but there is no significant relationship with the first appearance of hominid taxa. This implies that the mechanism by which climate influences evolution is primarily through extinction, and that further factors dependent upon local competitive conditions play a significant part in the appearance of new taxa.
Over the last 150 years the number of hominin fossils discovered has increased, and with it the taxonomic diversity recognised. There are currently claims for at least 26 hominin species. I consider here the challenge posed by this... more
Over the last 150 years the number of hominin fossils discovered has increased, and with it the taxonomic diversity recognised. There are currently claims for at least 26 hominin species. I consider here the challenge posed by this diversity, andhowwecan determine, through comparative modelling, whether it is a real evolutionary signal or an artefact of our procedures, and also the opportunities provided to make the science of human evolution a more comparative one.
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The evolution of cumulative adaptive culture has received widespread interest in recent years, especially the factors promoting its occurrence. Current evolutionary models suggest that an increase in population size may lead to an... more
The evolution of cumulative adaptive culture has received widespread interest in recent years, especially the factors promoting its occurrence. Current evolutionary models suggest that an increase in population size may lead to an increase in cultural complexity via a higher rate of cultural transmission and innovation. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the role of natural selection in the evolution of cultural complexity. Here we use an agent-based simulation model to demonstrate that high selection pressure in the form of resource pressure promotes the accumulation of adaptive culture in spite of small population sizes and high innovation costs. We argue that the interaction of demography and selection is important, and that neither can be considered in isolation. We predict that an increase in cultural complexity is most likely to occur under conditions of population pressure relative to resource availability. Our model may help to explain why culture change can occur without major environmental change. We suggest that understanding the interaction between shifting selective pressures and demography is essential for explaining the evolution of cultural complexity.
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The contribution of language history to the study of the early dispersals of modem humans throughout the Old World has been limited by the shallow time depth (about 8000 2000 years) of current linguistic methods. Here it is shown that the... more
The contribution of language history to the study of the early dispersals of modem humans throughout the Old World has been limited by the shallow time depth (about 8000 2000 years) of current linguistic methods. Here it is shown that the application of biological cladistic methods, not to vocabulary (as has been previously tried) but to language structure (sound systems and grammar), may extend the time depths at which language data can be used. The method was tested against well-understood families of Oceanic Austronesian languages, then applied to the Papuan languages of Island Melanesia, a group of hitherto unrelatable isolates. Papuan languages show an archipelago-based phylogenetic signal that is consistent with the current geographical distribution of languages. The most plausible hypothesis to explain this result is the divergence of the Papuan languages from a common ancestral stock, as part of late Pleistocene dispersals.
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Biogeographers have noted many strong patterns in the diversity and distribution of animal and plant taxa. Human cultural diversity also exhibits strong geographical patterns. Here we analyse the global distribution of 3814 human cultures... more
Biogeographers have noted many strong patterns in the diversity and distribution of animal and plant taxa. Human cultural diversity also exhibits strong geographical patterns. Here we
analyse the global distribution of 3814 human cultures in relation to latitude and climatic parameters. The density and diversity of human cultures decline with latitude and increase with temperature and rainfall. Human cultures in tropical, wetter or warmer areas have smaller ranges and are more densely packed and differentiated. These relationships can be documented statistically in ways that parallel species diversity among other organisms. The global nature of these patterns implies ecological equilibrium independent of evolutionary history in different continents. This has implications for the interpretation of human genetic diversity, as well as for the understanding of processes of human cultural diversification and their relationship to evolutionary and ecological mechanisms.
analyse the global distribution of 3814 human cultures in relation to latitude and climatic parameters. The density and diversity of human cultures decline with latitude and increase with temperature and rainfall. Human cultures in tropical, wetter or warmer areas have smaller ranges and are more densely packed and differentiated. These relationships can be documented statistically in ways that parallel species diversity among other organisms. The global nature of these patterns implies ecological equilibrium independent of evolutionary history in different continents. This has implications for the interpretation of human genetic diversity, as well as for the understanding of processes of human cultural diversification and their relationship to evolutionary and ecological mechanisms.
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The abundant evidence that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa within the past 200 000 years, and dispersed across the world only within the past 100 000 years, provides us with a strong framework in which to consider the evolution of human... more
The abundant evidence that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa within the past 200 000 years, and dispersed across the world only within the past 100 000 years, provides us with a strong framework in which to consider the evolution of human diversity. While there is evidence that the human capacity for culture has a deeper history, going beyond the origin of the hominin clade, the tendency for humans to form cultures as part of being distinct communities and populations changed markedly with the evolution of H. sapiens. In this paper, we investigate ‘cultures’ as opposed to ‘culture’, and the question of how and why, compared to biological diversity, human communities and populations are so culturally diverse. We consider the way in which the diversity of human cultures has developed since 100 000 years ago, and how its rate was subject to environmental factors. We argue that the causes of this diversity lie in the distribution of resources and the way in which human communities reproduce over several generations, leading to fissioning of kin groups. We discuss the consequences of boundary formation through culture in their broader ecological and evolutionary contexts. Keywords: culture; human evolution; human diversity; cultural evolution
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Background: Parent-of-origin effects have been found to influence the mammalian brain and cognition and have been specifically implicated in the development of human social cognition and theory of mind. The experimental design in this... more
Background: Parent-of-origin effects have been found to influence the mammalian brain and cognition and have been specifically implicated in the development of human social cognition and theory of mind. The experimental design in this study was developed to detect parent-of-origin effects on theory of mind, as measured by the ‘Reading the mind in the eyes’ (Eyes) task. Eyes scores were also entered into a principal components analysis with measures of empathy, social skills and executive function, in order to determine what aspect of theory of mind Eyes is measuring.
Methodology/Principal Findings: Maternal and paternal influences on Eyes scores were compared using correlations between pairs of full (70 pairs), maternal (25 pairs) and paternal siblings (15 pairs). Structural equation modelling supported a maternal influence on Eyes scores over the normal range but not low-scoring outliers, and also a sex-specific influence on males acting to decrease male Eyes scores. It was not possible to differentiate between genetic and environmental influences in this particular sample because maternal siblings tended to be raised together while paternal siblings were raised apart. The principal components analysis found Eyes was associated with measures of executive function, principally behavioural inhibition and attention, rather than empathy or social skills.
Conclusions/Significance: In conclusion, the results suggest a maternal influence on Eye scores in the normal range and a sex-specific influence acting to reduce scores in males. This influence may act via aspects of executive function such as behavioural inhibition and attention. There may be different influences acting to produce the lowest Eyes scores which implies that the heratibility and/or maternal influence on poor theory of mind skills may be qualitatively different to the influence on the normal range.
Methodology/Principal Findings: Maternal and paternal influences on Eyes scores were compared using correlations between pairs of full (70 pairs), maternal (25 pairs) and paternal siblings (15 pairs). Structural equation modelling supported a maternal influence on Eyes scores over the normal range but not low-scoring outliers, and also a sex-specific influence on males acting to decrease male Eyes scores. It was not possible to differentiate between genetic and environmental influences in this particular sample because maternal siblings tended to be raised together while paternal siblings were raised apart. The principal components analysis found Eyes was associated with measures of executive function, principally behavioural inhibition and attention, rather than empathy or social skills.
Conclusions/Significance: In conclusion, the results suggest a maternal influence on Eye scores in the normal range and a sex-specific influence acting to reduce scores in males. This influence may act via aspects of executive function such as behavioural inhibition and attention. There may be different influences acting to produce the lowest Eyes scores which implies that the heratibility and/or maternal influence on poor theory of mind skills may be qualitatively different to the influence on the normal range.
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The growth of evolutionary psychology has led to renewed interest in what might be the significant evolutionary heritage of people living today, and in the extent to which humans are suited to a particular adaptive environment—the EEA.... more
The growth of evolutionary psychology has led to renewed interest in what might be the significant evolutionary heritage of people living today, and in the extent to which humans are suited to a particular adaptive environment—the EEA. The EEA, though, is a new tool in the battery of evolutionary concepts, and it is important both that it is scrutinized for its utility, and that the actual reconstructions of the environments in which humans and hominids evolved are based on sound palaeobiological inference and an appropriate use of the phylogenetic context of primate evolution.
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Any model of the evolution of the human mind should be testable against and consistent with the evidence drawn from the human palaeontological and the archaeological record. Such data are, however, notoriously sparse and incomplete. Here... more
Any model of the evolution of the human mind should be testable against and consistent with the evidence drawn from the human palaeontological and the archaeological record. Such data are, however, notoriously sparse and incomplete. Here an attempt is made to measure a number of variables from the palaeobiological record that may provide evidence of the pattern of human cognitive evolution: relative brain size, neocortex ratio, duration of technological tradition, complexity of technology and rate of maturation. If these data do reflect cognitive states then they show a pattern of independent evolution, with maturation rate and neocortex ratio showing a relatively early and more continuous pattern than EQ and technology. Debates about the relative cognitive status of extinct hominid taxa should take into account that different skills may evolve independently. It is also argued that changes in life history strategy underpin cognitive evolution.
Hominid evolution is marked by very significant increase in relative brain size. Because brain size has been linked to energetic requirements it is possible to look at the pattern of encephalization as a factor in the evolution of human... more
Hominid evolution is marked by very significant increase in relative brain size. Because brain size has been linked to energetic requirements it is possible to look at the pattern of encephalization as a factor in the evolution of human foraging and dietary strategies. Major expansion of the brain is associated with Homo rather than the Hominidae as a whole, and the energetic costs are likely to have forced a prolongation of growth rates and secondary altriciality. It is calculated here that modern human infants have energetic requirements approximately 9% greater than similar size apes due to their large brains. Consideration of energetic costs of brain allow the prediction of growth rates in hominid taxa and an examination of the implications for life-history strategy and foraging behaviour.
Geoffrey Lloyd’s book (2007. Cognitive variations: Reflections on the unity and diversity of the human mind. Oxford: Oxford University Press) provided some important insights into the problem of the extent to which human cognition is... more
Geoffrey Lloyd’s book (2007. Cognitive variations: Reflections on the unity and diversity of the human mind. Oxford: Oxford University Press) provided some important insights into the problem of the extent to which human cognition is univversal, or whether it varies from population to population, according to cultural rules. A group of researchers were invited to discuss Lloyd’s perspective, drawn from a close study of ancient Chinese and Greek societies, but strongly informed by recent scientific work. This paper is from this collection of essays. “The essence of what I will say is that there is undoubtedly both a universal biological element to human cognition, and a level of cultural diversity, but that understanding the relationship between the two does require a more formal evolutionary framework, as well as the multi-disciplinary approach which Lloyd has championed. There are three areas which I will cover . (1) What is the relationship between universality and biology? (2) What, in evolutionary biology, determines whether something is universal or variable? (3) Does populational history and phylogeny matter in considering diversity and unity in human traits? I will conclude by briefly discussing recent views on culture derived from evolutionary models, and how these affect the discussion. Much of what I will say concerns what we can expect on the basis of evolutionary and biological principles, and in the end, my main message is that our models of what we should expect should not lag behind the rapid and multi-disciplinary developments which Lloyd has described and analysed.”
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Open peer commentary on: Falk, D. (1990) Brain evolution in Homo: the 'radiator' theory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences13, 333-344. Falk's argument that large brain size in Homo is related to therrnoregulatory factors introduces yet... more
Open peer commentary on: Falk, D. (1990) Brain evolution in Homo: the 'radiator' theory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences13, 333-344.
Falk's argument that large brain size in Homo is related to therrnoregulatory factors introduces yet another strand to the debate concerning human encephalization. That debate has intensified in recent years, mainly through approaches that placed large human brains into the context of brain size and life history among animals generally (Eisenberg 1981; Jerison 1973; Martin 1981). (...)
Falk's argument that large brain size in Homo is related to therrnoregulatory factors introduces yet another strand to the debate concerning human encephalization. That debate has intensified in recent years, mainly through approaches that placed large human brains into the context of brain size and life history among animals generally (Eisenberg 1981; Jerison 1973; Martin 1981). (...)
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The nature of inter-group relations among prehistoric hunter-gatherers remains disputed, with arguments in favour and against the existence of warfare before the development of sedentary societies. Here we report on a case of inter-group... more
The nature of inter-group relations among prehistoric hunter-gatherers remains disputed, with arguments in favour and against the existence of warfare before the development of sedentary societies. Here we report on a case of inter-group violence towards a group of hunter-gatherers from Nataruk, west of Lake Turkana, which during the late Pleistocene/early Holocene period extended about 30 km beyond its present-day shore. Ten of the twelve articulated skeletons found at Nataruk show evidence of having died violently at the edge of a lagoon, into which some of the bodies fell. The remains from Nataruk are unique, preserved by the particular conditions of the lagoon with no evidence of deliberate burial. They offer a rare glimpse into the life and death of past foraging people, and evidence that warfare was part of the repertoire of inter-group
relations among prehistoric hunter-gatherers.
relations among prehistoric hunter-gatherers.
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Summary: this paper develops the idea of finite social space – that there are only a limited number of possible social systems, and uses this model cladistically to reconstruct early hominin social behaviour and evolutionary pathways.... more
Summary: this paper develops the idea of finite social space – that there are only a limited number of possible social systems, and uses this model cladistically to reconstruct early hominin social behaviour and evolutionary pathways.
Original abstract: Changes in social behaviour were a key aspect of human evolution, and yet it is notoriously difficult for palaeobiologists to determine patterns of social evolution. By defining the limited number of distributional strategies available to members of each sex of any species and investigating the conditions under which they may occur and change, the social behaviour of different hominid taxa may be reconstructed.
Original abstract: Changes in social behaviour were a key aspect of human evolution, and yet it is notoriously difficult for palaeobiologists to determine patterns of social evolution. By defining the limited number of distributional strategies available to members of each sex of any species and investigating the conditions under which they may occur and change, the social behaviour of different hominid taxa may be reconstructed.
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Knight's model of the role of reproductive synchrony in human female reproductive behaviour is tested through a simulation model. Under conditions of high infant mortality it is unlikely that human females would benefit from a strategy of... more
Knight's model of the role of reproductive synchrony in human female reproductive behaviour is tested through a simulation model. Under conditions of high infant mortality it is unlikely that human females would benefit from a strategy of reproductive synchrony.
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Our aim in this paper is to make a complete break from the theoretical framework in which the transition from hunting and gathering to herding or cultivation is conceived as an evolutionary progression from one distinct type to another.... more
Our aim in this paper is to make a complete break from the theoretical framework in which the transition from hunting and gathering to herding or cultivation is conceived as an evolutionary progression from one distinct type to another. Instead we explore the usefulness of treating hunting and gathering, herding and cultivation as alternative strategies which are, singly or in combination, appropriate to particular social or natural environments. We consider the ranking of foods in hunter-gatherer diets in terms of the return they offer for energy invested in procuring them and ask which of these foods come to predominate in the diet of cultivators and herders. We consider cases of symbiosis between hunter-gatherers and others and cases of mixed economies and of reversion to hunting and gathering by people who previously practiced herding or cultivation. We conclude that population growth is unlikely of itself to provide an adequate explanation for the transition away from hunting and gathering. Rather it appears likely that the cause lies in changes in the availability of certain foods brought about by asocial or natural modification of the hunter-gatherers’ environment
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Current models of hunter-gatherer adaptive strategy indicate variability with latitude (gathering predominant in the tropics, fishing in the mid-latitudes and hunting only in the high latitudes). This article questions the adequacy of the... more
Current models of hunter-gatherer adaptive strategy indicate variability with latitude (gathering predominant in the tropics, fishing in the mid-latitudes and hunting only in the high latitudes). This article questions the adequacy of the ethnographic data on which predictions about hunter-gatherer subsistence behaviour in some tropical environments are based. As an alternative, the pattern of covariability between plant community structure, large mammal biomass, and rainfall in equatorial regions is employed to predict high levels of hunting in certain low latitude environments. The present distribution of animal protein-dependent pastoralists in tropical Africa supports this model. It is suggested that large mammal hunting may have been of greater significance in the adaptive strategies of prehistoric savanna hunter-gatherers than in those of ethnographically-observed tropical hunter-gatherers.
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The amount of phenotypic variation between conspecifics is largely a result of the opposing forces of constraint and plasticity. Because selection is the product of competition between individuals of the same species, understanding the... more
The amount of phenotypic variation between conspecifics is largely a result of the opposing forces of constraint and plasticity. Because selection is the product of competition between individuals of the same species, understanding the interactions between these forces is vital to understanding evolution. We investigated levels of intraspecific variation in the catarrhine skeleton using a morphometric analysis of 245 crania and 189 appendicular postcranial skeletons. We identified regions of interest from the literature and made comparisons of intraspecific variation between the appendicular postcranium and cranium, the forelimb and hind limb, the diaphyses and epiphyses of long bones, and the diaphyses of the proximal and distal segments of the limbs. We confirmed that variation is significantly higher in the appendicular postcranium than in the cranium, in the forelimb compared to the hind limb, and in the diaphyses compared to the epiphyses. Further, we found that this pattern was repeated in 12 species spanning the infraorder, suggesting a characteristic of catarrhines in general. The relatively low level of variation in the cranium suggests that constraint is more widespread in this region compared to the appendicular postcranium, which is more plastic, especially in the diaphyses of the forelimb. In contrast to previous studies, we found the diaphyses of the distal segment to be more variable than the diaphyses of the proximal segment. The results from this study, which show regional differences in intraspecific variation, will aid the interpretation of evolutionary and plastic influences on morphological variation and inform decisions about which skeletal regions are suitable for answering specific evolutionary questions.
The geographical distribution of species richness and species range size of African anthropoid primates (catarrhines) is investigated and related to patterns of habitat and dietary niche breadth. Catarrhine species richness is... more
The geographical distribution of species richness and species range size of African anthropoid primates (catarrhines) is investigated and related to patterns of habitat and dietary niche breadth. Catarrhine species richness is concentrated in the equatorial regions of central and west Africa; areas that are also char- acterised by low average species range sizes and increased ecological specificity. Species richness declines with increasing latitude north and south of the equator, while average species range size, habitat and dietary breadth increase. Relationships between species richness, species range size and niche breadth remain once latitudinal and longitudinal effects have been removed. Among areas of lowest species richness, however, there is increased variation in terms of average species range size and niche breadth, and two trends are identified. While most such areas are occupied by a few wide-ranging generalists, others are occupied by range-restricted specialist species. That conservation efforts increasingly focus on regions of high species richness may be appropriate if these regions are also characterised by species that are more restricted in both their range size and their ecological versatility, although special consideration may be required for some areas of low species richness.
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This paper reports the high frequency of dental abnormality found among a population of waterbuck in Nakuru National Park. Kenya, and discusses the possible causes. The data were obtained from examination of carcasses and skeletons found... more
This paper reports the high frequency of dental abnormality found among a population of waterbuck in Nakuru National Park. Kenya, and discusses the possible causes. The data were obtained from examination of carcasses and skeletons found in the Park - 58.3% of these displayed uneven wear along the posterior tooth row, sometimes resulting in tooth loss. These patterns were found in individuals of both sexes and all ages. It is argued that this high incidence of dental abnormalities is the result of specific conditions in which the Nakuru waterbuck population live (isolation and reduced competition and predation) leading to inbreeding and increased homozygosity and a higher frequency of expressed genetic abnormalities. These conclusions may have some implications for wildlife management of isolated populations.
Turkana Basin Institute, PO box 24467-00502, Nairobi, Kenya. National Museums of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta House, PO box 152-30500, Lodwar, Kenya. Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueologia, UNED, c/ Paseo Senda del Rey, 7, 28040 Madrid, Spain.... more
Turkana Basin Institute, PO box 24467-00502, Nairobi, Kenya. National Museums of Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta House, PO box 152-30500, Lodwar, Kenya. Departamento de Prehistoria y Arqueologia, UNED, c/ Paseo Senda del Rey, 7, 28040 Madrid, Spain. National Museums of Kenya, PO box 40658-00100, Nairobi, Kenya. Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, PO box 62000-00200, Nairobi, Kenya. Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Building 142, Mills Road, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia.
Human mate choice is influenced by limb proportions. Previous work has focused on leg-to-body ratio (LBR) as a determinant of male attractiveness and found a preference for limbs that are close to, or slightly above, the average. We... more
Human mate choice is influenced by limb proportions. Previous work has focused on leg-to-body ratio (LBR) as a determinant of male attractiveness and found a preference for limbs that are close to, or slightly above, the average. We investigated the influence of two other key aspects of limb morphology: arm-to-body ratio (ABR) and intra-limb ratio (IR). In three studies of heterosexual women from the USA, we tested the attractiveness of male physiques that varied in LBR, ABR and IR, using figures that ranged from -3 to +3 standard deviations from the population mean. We replicated previous work by finding that the optimally attractive LBR is approximately 0.5 standard deviations above the baseline. We also found a weak effect of IR, with evidence of a weak preference for the baseline proportions. In contrast, there was no effect of ABR on attractiveness, and no interactions between the effects of LBR, ABR and IR. Our results indicate that ABR is not an important determinant of human...
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Africa is the birthplace of the species Homo sapiens, and Africans today are genetically more diverse than other populations of the world. However, the processes that underpinned the evolution of African populations remain largely... more
Africa is the birthplace of the species Homo sapiens, and Africans today are genetically more diverse than other populations of the world. However, the processes that underpinned the evolution of African populations remain largely obscure. Only a handful of late Pleistocene African fossils (∼50-12 Ka) are known, while the more numerous sites with human fossils of early Holocene age are patchily distributed. In particular, late Pleistocene and early Holocene human diversity in Eastern Africa remains little studied, precluding any analysis of the potential factors that shaped human diversity in the region, and more broadly throughout the continent. These periods include the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a moment of extreme aridity in Africa that caused the fragmentation of population ranges and localised extinctions, as well as the 'African Humid Period', a moment of abrupt climate change and enhanced connectivity throughout Africa. East Africa, with its range of environments, m...
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To infer the ecogeographic conditions that underlie the evolutionary diversification of macaques, we investigated the within- and between-species relationships of craniodental dimensions, geography, and environment in extant macaque... more
To infer the ecogeographic conditions that underlie the evolutionary diversification of macaques, we investigated the within- and between-species relationships of craniodental dimensions, geography, and environment in extant macaque species. We studied evolutionary processes by contrasting macroevolutionary patterns, phylogeny, and within-species associations. Sixty-three linear measurements of the permanent dentition and skull along with data about climate, ecology (environment), and spatial geography were collected for 711 specimens of 12 macaque species and analyzed by a multivariate approach. Phylogenetic two-block partial least squares was used to identify patterns of covariance between craniodental and environmental variation. Phylogenetic reduced rank regression was employed to analyze spatial clines in morphological variation. Between-species associations consisted of two distinct multivariate patterns. The first represents overall craniodental size and is negatively associa...
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Research Interests: Geography, Computer Science, Genomics, Gene Flow, Africa, and 15 moreAustralia, Language, Aboriginal History in Australia, Medicine, Evolutionary Genomics, Humans, Human Migration, Holocene, Human Population Genetics, Modern Human Origins, Australian prehistory, Early human dispersal, Modern human dispersal, Human dispersals, and Australian genetic diversity
Humans are uniquely unique, in terms of the extreme differences between them and other living organisms, and the impact they are having on the biosphere. The evolution of humans can be seen, as has been proposed, as one of the major... more
Humans are uniquely unique, in terms of the extreme differences between them and other living organisms, and the impact they are having on the biosphere. The evolution of humans can be seen, as has been proposed, as one of the major transitions in evolution, on a par with the origins of multicellular organisms or the eukaryotic cell (Maynard Smith & Szathmáry 1997 Major transitions in evolution). Major transitions require the evolution of greater complexity and the emergence of new evolutionary levels or processes. Does human evolution meet these conditions? I explore the diversity of evidence on the nature of transitions in human evolution. Four levels of transition are proposed-baseline, novel taxa, novel adaptive zones and major transitions-and the pattern of human evolution considered in the light of these. The primary conclusions are that changes in human evolution occur continuously and cumulatively; that novel taxa and the appearance of new adaptations are not clustered very ...
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Eastern Africa (broadly Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania) has yielded the earliest fossils of modern humans, the earliest evidence for Mode 3 technologies (Middle Stone Age), and is one of the areas in which... more
Eastern Africa (broadly Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania) has yielded the earliest fossils of modern humans, the earliest evidence for Mode 3 technologies (Middle Stone Age), and is one of the areas in which modern humans may well have been endemic. This paper reviews the genetic, archaeological, and fossil evidence for the evolution of modern humans across MIS 6-2 in eastern Africa, and places this into the context of Middle Pleistocene human evolution, the development of the Middle Stone Age across the continent, and climatic change over the last two glacial cycles. We argue that while there is a paucity of well-dated sites that reduces the resolution of any interpretation, the available evidence indicates a major role for eastern Africa as an area of endemism, most probably related to the interaction of mosaic environments and refugia. We show that the evolution of modern humans has roots that extend well before MIS 6, and propose four overlapping stages, making this a much more prolonged process than has traditionally been described. There is a broad relationship between evolutionary history and major climatic oscillations; nevertheless, a closer examination reveals a more complex pattern. There are periods of synchrony and asynchrony in both contextual and evolutionary/behavioral changes, and these show variable links to both northern and southern Africa. Although eastern, northern and southern Africa (with central and western being largely unknown) show similarities and ultimately the same evolutionary and behavioral outcome, they also exhibit independent trajectories that require further research to throw light on the processes involved.
Research Interests: Geography, Prehistoric Archaeology, Human Evolution, Africa, Palaeolithic Archaeology, and 15 moreEast Africa, Middle Stone Age (Archaeology), Palaeoanthropology, Prehistory, Quaternary, African prehistory, Quaternary environments, East African prehistory, Modern Human Origins, Middle Stone Age, Anatomically Modern Humans, African Middle Stone Age, Human Origins Behaviour, Evolution of Modern Humans, and African biogeography
Evolutionary problems are often considered in terms of ‘origins', and research in human evolution seen as a search for human origins. However, evolution, including human evolution, is a process of transitions from one state to... more
Evolutionary problems are often considered in terms of ‘origins', and research in human evolution seen as a search for human origins. However, evolution, including human evolution, is a process of transitions from one state to another, and so questions are best put in terms of understanding the nature of those transitions. This paper discusses how the contributions to the themed issue ‘Major transitions in human evolution’ throw light on the pattern of change in hominin evolution. Four questions are addressed: (1) Is there a major divide between early (australopithecine) and later ( Homo ) evolution? (2) Does the pattern of change fit a model of short transformations, or gradual evolution? (3) Why is the role of Africa so prominent? (4) How are different aspects of adaptation—genes, phenotypes and behaviour—integrated across the transitions? The importance of developing technologies and approaches and the enduring role of fieldwork are emphasized. This article is part of the the...
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This paper reports on the work carried out during the 2009 field season of the prehistory sub-theme of the Desert Migrations Project. The work consisted of detailed survey and small-scale excavations in two wadis that drain the Messak... more
This paper reports on the work carried out during the 2009 field season of the prehistory sub-theme of the Desert Migrations Project. The work consisted of detailed survey and small-scale excavations in two wadis that drain the Messak Settafet, near the town of Jarma. Both wadis were found to contain evidence of Palaeolithic and Neolithic occupation, as well as of having been used as migratory routes between the Ubari and Murzuq sand seas. One of the wadis (WJAR-E-O1) was surveyed intensely along a few kilometers of its tributary margins. This revealed archaeological material ranging from Oldowan (Mode 1) to historic. The distribution of the various industries and structures had a distinct spatial patterning; the Palaeolithic scatters were spatially discrete, but Holocene remains were often found superimposed on earlier industries. Among the finds were a spatially discrete Oldowan assemblage, an extensive Acheulean industry which included the exploitation of fossil wood as a raw mat...
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Geology, Middle Stone Age (Archaeology), Lithic Technology, and 12 moreAcheulian (Archaeology), North African prehistory (Archaeology), Prehistory, Libyan archaeology, Lithic Technology (Archaeology), Aterian, African Archaeology, Acheulean, Libyan Studies, Cambridge University, Libyan, and Wadi
This paper reports on the results of the work of the Palaeo team of the DMP in January 2010. The fieldwork was focused on two different areas – the Wadi ash-Shati and the southwestern margin of the Ubari Sand Sea. Work in the Wadi... more
This paper reports on the results of the work of the Palaeo team of the DMP in January 2010. The fieldwork was focused on two different areas – the Wadi ash-Shati and the southwestern margin of the Ubari Sand Sea. Work in the Wadi ash-Shati confirmed the existence of Oldowan sites in Fazzan (locality SHT11 and environs), which although undated, represent a major addition to the extent of prehistoric occupation of the area. Further work near the site originally studied by Petit-Maire in the 1980s confirmed the association of a shell layer dated to the last interglacial with archaeological artefactsin situ. These artefacts are of MSA affinity, thus placing Fazzan in the context of other northern African sites of that time. The work in the southwestern margin of the basin represented the first formal archaeological survey of that area. This revealed extensive Holocene and MSA occupations, and in a group of sites at the southern edge of the Hamada Zaqher, also Oldowan lithics. Little if...
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Human Evolution, Climate Change, and 15 morePalaeolithic Archaeology, Lithic Technology, Oldowan, Pleistocene, Mediterranean archaeology, Prehistory, Libyan archaeology, African Archaeology, North African Archaeology, Middle Stone Age, MSA, Acheulean, Libyan Studies, Palaeolakes, and Central Sahara
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Research Interests: Ancient History, Genetics, Archaeology, Anthropology, Epidemiology, and 15 moreBioarchaeology, Biology, History of Plague, Bronze Age Archaeology, Ancient DNA Research, Evolutionary Genomics, Black Death, Biological Sciences, Europe, Early Bronze Age Archaeology, Animals, Ancient DNA, Cell, Asia, and Bubonic Plague
"The palaeoanthropological and geomorphological sub-project of the Desert Migrations Project (DMP) focus on the Pleistocene and early Holocene environment and prehistory of Fazzan,... more
"The palaeoanthropological and geomorphological sub-project of the Desert Migrations Project (DMP) focus on the Pleistocene and early Holocene environment and prehistory of Fazzan, so as to assess the timing and extent of hominin and human movement across the Sahara through time. This paper reports on the findings of the 2008 field season, with a focus on the prehistoric evidence along the northern margin of the Ubari sand sea. The geomorphological record of the area preserves evidence of at least five episodes of lake formation. The exact chronology of these, as well as the spatial extent of these lakes, remains the focus of further study. The archaeological record of hominin and human occupation of Fazzan prior to the establishment of the Garamantian civilisation is extraordinarily rich. Between 2007 and 2008, the DMP palaeoanthropological project surveyed thirty-five localities along the northern margin of the Ubari sand sea, recording a range of assemblages spanning all Palaeolithic industries. Most of the archaeological remains found consisted of stone-tools, while grinding stones were comparatively restricted geographically. Mode 1/Oldowan tools were found at two localities, constrasting with the widespread presence of Mode 2/Acheulean, Mode 3/Middle Stone Age and Mode 5/microlithic artefacts. This indicates that, although hominin presence in the area is probably earlier than previously thought, populations were comparatively sparse until the Middle Pleistocene. Twenty-one localities within the Ubari sand sea, as well as seven south of the Messak Settafet were also surveyed between 2007 and 2008. The detailed study of the lithics from these areas will be carried out next year, but preliminary results stress the different nature of the assemblages found within interdune corridors - very low frequency of cores, no Mode 1 and extremely rare Mode 2 lithics (found at a single locality). The 2009 field season will focus on obtaining further samples of palaeolake sediments for dating, on the evidence of Mode 1 assemblages south of the Messak, as well as on the refining of the archaeological indicators that may distinguish the different phases of hominin and human occupation of Fazzan during the late Pleistocene and Holocene."
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Humans have had a major impact on the environment. This has been particularly intense in the last millennium but has been noticeable since the development of food production and the associated higher population densities in the last... more
Humans have had a major impact on the environment. This has been particularly intense in the last millennium but has been noticeable since the development of food production and the associated higher population densities in the last 10,000 years. The use of fire and over-exploitation of large mammals has also been recognized as having an effect on the world's ecology, going back perhaps 100,000 years or more. Here we report on an earlier anthropogenic environmental change. The use of stone tools, which dates back over 2.5 million years, and the subsequent evolution of a technologically-dependent lineage required the exploitation of very large quantities of rock. However, measures of the impact of hominin stone exploitation are rare and inherently difficult. The Messak Settafet, a sandstone massif in the Central Sahara (Libya), is littered with Pleistocene stone tools on an unprecedented scale and is, in effect, a man-made landscape. Surveys showed that parts of the Messak Settaf...
Research Interests: Engineering, Geography, Archaeology, Chemistry, Human Evolution, and 15 moreGeoarchaeology, Biology, Ecology, Evolution and Human Behavior, Biological Sciences, African Archaeology, Humans, Geoarchaeology and Lithic Studies, Animals, Geoarchaeology and Paleoenvironmental Reconstructions, Acheulean, Anthropocene, Hominidae, Evolution of Hominin and Human Behaviour, and Archaeology Lithic Analysis and Organization of Technology
ABSTRACT
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Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Geology, Human Evolution, Palaeolithic Archaeology, and 15 moreSaharan Archaeology, Lithic Technology, Prehistory, Quaternary, Libyan archaeology, Middle Palaeolithic, African prehistory, Aterian, African Archaeology, Modern Human Origins, Lithic Raw Material Sourcing, Middle Stone Age, Levallois, African Middle Stone Age, and Nubian Prehistory
Research Interests: Archaeology, Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Computational Biology, Adaptation, and 15 moreCulture, Biology, Ecosystem Modeling, Ecology, Cultural Evolution, Cultural Diversity, Behavioral Ecology, Biological Sciences, Computer Simulation, Ecosystems, Adaptive, Adaptive Strategies, Carrying Capacity, Computer modeling, and cumulative
We know that there are fundamental differences between humans and living apes, and also between living humans and their extinct relatives. It is also probably the case that the most significant and divergent of these differences relate to... more
We know that there are fundamental differences between humans and living apes, and also between living humans and their extinct relatives. It is also probably the case that the most significant and divergent of these differences relate to our social behaviour and its underlying cognition, as much as to fundamental differences in physiology, biochemistry or anatomy. In this paper, we first attempt to demarcate what are the principal differences between human and other societies in terms of social structure, organization and relationships, so that we can identify what derived features require explanation. We then consider the evidence of the archaeological and fossil record, to determine the most probable context in time and taxonomy, of these evolutionary trends. Finally, we attempt to link five major transitional points in hominin evolution to the selective context in which they occurred, and to use the principles of behavioural ecology to understand their ecological basis. Critical...
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Paleoanthropology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Human Evolution, and 15 morePalaeolithic Archaeology, Evolutionary Anthropology, Biology, Ecology, Cultural Evolution, Medicine, Biological Sciences, Social behavior, Humans, Animals, Ecosystem, Hominidae, Social Behavior, Cc, and Medical and Health Sciences
The abundant evidence that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa within the past 200 000 years, and dispersed across the world only within the past 100 000 years, provides us with a strong framework in which to consider the evolution of human... more
The abundant evidence that Homo sapiens evolved in Africa within the past 200 000 years, and dispersed across the world only within the past 100 000 years, provides us with a strong framework in which to consider the evolution of human diversity. While there is evidence that the human capacity for culture has a deeper history, going beyond the origin of the hominin clade, the tendency for humans to form cultures as part of being distinct communities and populations changed markedly with the evolution of H. sapiens . In this paper, we investigate ‘cultures’ as opposed to ‘culture’, and the question of how and why, compared to biological diversity, human communities and populations are so culturally diverse. We consider the way in which the diversity of human cultures has developed since 100 000 years ago, and how its rate was subject to environmental factors. We argue that the causes of this diversity lie in the distribution of resources and the way in which human communities reprodu...
Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Anthropology, Human Evolution, Biology, Cultural Evolution, and 15 moreCultural Diversity, Medicine, Biological Sciences, Evolution of cultures, Humans, Animals, Homo Sapiens, Biological evolution, Pan troglodytes, Ecosystem, Genetic variation, Modern Human Evolution, Population Boundaries, Genetic Markers, and Medical and Health Sciences
This paper reports on the fifth season of fieldwork for the Palaeoanthropology part of the Desert Migrations Project. Previous seasons established an extensive archaeological map based on a wide survey of the rich record along the edges... more
This paper reports on the fifth season of fieldwork for the Palaeoanthropology part of the Desert Migrations Project. Previous seasons established an extensive archaeological map based on a wide survey of the rich record along the edges of the Ubari Sand Sea, a small area of the Messak Settafet, the Wadi al-Ajal, the Wadi ash-Shati and the Wadi Barjuj. These surveys, complemented with small excavations, demonstrated a deep prehistory to the Fazzan, with Mode 1 technologies, Acheulean, Mode 3 (classic Levallois, large blade technologies, and Aterian), and Late Stone Age and Neolithic assemblages, some with pottery and grinding stones. The focus of the 2011 season was the Wadi Barjuj. This is an extensive wadi system to the South of the Messak, running along the northern edge of the Murzuq Sand Sea, and draining towards the east. Geomorphologically, it comprises old channel cut and fill gravels, usually finely graded, with areas of ancient lacustrine duricrusts, some of which are elev...
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Human Evolution, Climate Change, North Africa Studies, and 15 moreLithic Technology, Lithics, Oldowan, Mediterranean archaeology, Libyan archaeology, Palaeolithic, Late Stone Age, Early Stone Age, Aterian, African Archaeology, Holocene, Middle Stone Age, MSA, Acheulean, and Libyan Studies
Preface. 1. A Question of Evolution. 2. Why Darwinism? 3. What are Human Beings? 4. When did we become Human? 5. Was Human Evolution Progressive? 6. Why Africa? 7. Is Human Evolution Adaptive? 8. Why are Humans such an Evolutionary... more
Preface. 1. A Question of Evolution. 2. Why Darwinism? 3. What are Human Beings? 4. When did we become Human? 5. Was Human Evolution Progressive? 6. Why Africa? 7. Is Human Evolution Adaptive? 8. Why are Humans such an Evolutionary Rarity? 9. How do we Explain the Evolution of Humans? 10. Does Human Evolution Matter? A Tabular Guide to the Naming and Discovery of Hominid Species and Subspecies. Notes. References. Index.
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Research Interests: Genetics, Sociology, Psychology, Cognitive Science, Evolutionary Psychology, and 15 moreEpistemology, Social Sciences, History of Science, Ecology, Evolution, Cultural Evolution, Systematics, Social Evolution, Darwinism, Darwin, Darwinian evolution, Butterflies, Mimicry, Evolutionary, and Social Science
Research Interests: Genetics, Geography, Archaeology, Geochemistry, Pacific Island Studies, and 15 moreArchaeological Science, Biology, Ancient DNA Research, Pacific Archaeology, Oceania archaeology, mtDNA, Mitochondrial DNA, Holocene, Case Study, Ancient DNA, Late Holocene, Melanesia Anthropology, Diversity Indices, Linguistic Modeling, and Academic
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We present an Aboriginal Australian genomic sequence obtained from a 100-year-old lock of hair donated by an Aboriginal man from southern Western Australia in the early 20th century. We detect no evidence of European admixture and... more
We present an Aboriginal Australian genomic sequence obtained from a 100-year-old lock of hair donated by an Aboriginal man from southern Western Australia in the early 20th century. We detect no evidence of European admixture and estimate contamination levels to be below 0.5%. We show that Aboriginal Australians are descendants of an early human dispersal into eastern Asia, possibly 62,000 to 75,000 years ago. This dispersal is separate from the one that gave rise to modern Asians 25,000 to 38,000 years ago. We also find evidence of gene flow between populations of the two dispersal waves prior to the divergence of Native Americans from modern Asian ancestors. Our findings support the hypothesis that present-day Aboriginal Australians descend from the earliest humans to occupy Australia, likely representing one of the oldest continuous populations outside Africa.
Research Interests: Ancient History, Archaeology, Human Evolution, Genomics, Gene Flow, and 15 moreBiology, Far East, Computer Simulation, Haplotypes, Animals, Ancient DNA, Asia, Ethnic Groups, Australian prehistory, Aboriginal origins, Hominidae, European Continental Ancestry Group, Asian Continental Ancestry Group, Genome sequence, and Gene frequency
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Biogeographers have noted many strong patterns in the diversity and distribution of animal and plant taxa. Human cultural diversity also exhibits strong geographical patterns. Here we analyse the global distribution of 3814 ...
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During the second half of the twentieth century, the evidence that Africa was central to hominin evolution became overwhelming. The earliest occurrences of most of the fossil hominin taxa and lithic technologies are to be found in Africa,... more
During the second half of the twentieth century, the evidence that Africa was central to hominin evolution became overwhelming. The earliest occurrences of most of the fossil hominin taxa and lithic technologies are to be found in Africa, and there is also strong evidence that humans are closely related to African apes, and that the genetic origins of modern humans lie in Africa. The aim of this article is to consider the possible evolutionary and ecological basis for this — why should Africa be so central? After considering biases in the record that might promote an African record, this article uses evolutionary geography – the spatial and distributional properties of the evolutionary process — to consider the factors that lead to higher rates of speciation, novelty and dispersals, as well as the way in which the African ecological context is structured and changes through time. Critical factors identified are the variable role of the Sahara, the different extent of the Afrotropica...
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Human mate choice is influenced by limb proportions. Previous work has focused on leg-to-body ratio (LBR) as a determinant of male attractiveness and found a preference for limbs that are close to, or slightly above, the average. We... more
Human mate choice is influenced by limb proportions.
Previous work has focused on leg-to-body ratio (LBR) as a
determinant of male attractiveness and found a preference
for limbs that are close to, or slightly above, the average.
We investigated the influence of two other key aspects of
limbmorphology: arm-to-body ratio (ABR) and intra-limb ratio
(IR). In three studies of heterosexual women from the USA,
we tested the attractiveness of male physiques that varied in
LBR, ABR and IR, using figures that ranged from −3 to +3
standard deviations from the population mean. We replicated
previous work by finding that the optimally attractive LBR
is approximately 0.5 standard deviations above the baseline.
We also found a weak effect of IR, with evidence of a weak
preference for the baseline proportions. In contrast, there was
no effect of ABR on attractiveness, and no interactions between
the effects of LBR, ABR and IR. Our results indicate that ABR
is not an important determinant of human mate choice for this
population, and that IR may exert some influence but that this
is much smaller than the effects of LBR. We discuss possible
reasons for these results, including the limited variability in
upper limb proportions and the potentially weak fitness-signal
provided by this aspect of morphology.
Previous work has focused on leg-to-body ratio (LBR) as a
determinant of male attractiveness and found a preference
for limbs that are close to, or slightly above, the average.
We investigated the influence of two other key aspects of
limbmorphology: arm-to-body ratio (ABR) and intra-limb ratio
(IR). In three studies of heterosexual women from the USA,
we tested the attractiveness of male physiques that varied in
LBR, ABR and IR, using figures that ranged from −3 to +3
standard deviations from the population mean. We replicated
previous work by finding that the optimally attractive LBR
is approximately 0.5 standard deviations above the baseline.
We also found a weak effect of IR, with evidence of a weak
preference for the baseline proportions. In contrast, there was
no effect of ABR on attractiveness, and no interactions between
the effects of LBR, ABR and IR. Our results indicate that ABR
is not an important determinant of human mate choice for this
population, and that IR may exert some influence but that this
is much smaller than the effects of LBR. We discuss possible
reasons for these results, including the limited variability in
upper limb proportions and the potentially weak fitness-signal
provided by this aspect of morphology.
Using 17 chemical elements as a proxy for stellar DNA, we present a full phylogenetic study of stars in the solar neighbourhood. This entails applying a clustering technique that is widely used in molecular biology to construct an... more
Using 17 chemical elements as a proxy for stellar DNA, we present a full phylogenetic study of stars in the solar neighbourhood. This entails applying a clustering technique that is widely used in molecular biology to construct an evolutionary tree from which three branches emerge. These are interpreted as stellar populations that separate in age and kinematics and can be thus attributed to the thin disc, the thick disc and an intermediate population of probable distinct origin. We further find six lone stars of intermediate age that could not be assigned to any population with enough statistical significance. Combining the ages of the stars with their position on the tree, we are able to quantify the mean rate of chemical enrichment of each of the populations, and thus show in a purely empirical way that the star formation rate in the thick disc is much higher than that in the thin disc. We are also able to estimate the relative contribution of dynamical processes such as radial migration and disc heating to the distribution of chemical elements in the solar neighbourhood. Our method offers an alternative approach to chemical tagging methods with the advantage of visualizing the behaviour of chemical elements in evolutionary trees. This offers a new way to search for 'common ancestors' that can reveal the origin of solar neighbourhood stars.