81 posts · 32,387 views
A review and discussion of human evolution, including both biological, behavioural and cultural changes.
sahelanthropus
81 posts
Sort by: Latest Post, Most Popular
View by: Condensed, Full
- February 4, 2012
- 12:52 PM
- 402 views
The science of belly button fluff
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Science excels at explaining the unknown, but try as we might there are some things that are remain just beyond our grasp. Why are we here? Where are we going? Why do some people have more belly button fluff than others? Georg Steinhauser is a man who isn’t afraid of a challenge and has come [...]... Read more »
Steinhauser, G. (2009) The nature of navel fluff. Medical Hypotheses, 72(6), 623-625. DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2009.01.015
- April 19, 2012
- 10:55 AM
- 402 views
How did food sharing start?
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Food sharing is an important human behaviour that enables our modern, complex society to function as it does. Since food is distributed throughout the group everyone does not have to spend their time farming or hunting. This frees up their time to do other things, like become specialist tool makers or write entertaining blogs on [...]... Read more »
Yuko Hattori, Kristin Leimgruber c, Kazuo Fujita, Frans B.M. deWaal c. (2012) Image of brill logo Over three centuries of scholarly publishing Brill Online Books and Journals image of shopping-cart Shopping cart FAQ Contact us Advanced Search Home E-Books Journals All titles (. Behaviour, 149(2), 171-185. info:/10.1163/156853912X634124
- June 13, 2012
- 10:31 AM
- 397 views
We know nothing about the evolution of handedness
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Jim Thomeson – who gets a brofist for being one of the most frequent commenter here – asks I wonder about handedness. i am right handed, and my right hand can do things for which my left hand has no clue. On the other hand, both hands attended typing class at the same time, and … Continue reading »... Read more »
Cashmore L, Uomini N, & Chapelain A. (2008) The evolution of handedness in humans and great apes: a review and current issues. Journal of anthropological sciences , 7-35. PMID: 19934467
FINCH, G. (1941) CHIMPANZEE HANDEDNESS. Science, 94(2431), 117-118. DOI: 10.1126/science.94.2431.117
Francks C, Maegawa S, Laurén J, Abrahams BS, Velayos-Baeza A, Medland SE, Colella S, Groszer M, McAuley EZ, Caffrey TM.... (2007) LRRTM1 on chromosome 2p12 is a maternally suppressed gene that is associated paternally with handedness and schizophrenia. Molecular psychiatry, 12(12), 1129. PMID: 17667961
Halpern DF, Haviland MG, & Killian CD. (1998) Handedness and sex differences in intelligence: evidence from the medical college admission test. Brain and cognition, 38(1), 87-101. PMID: 9735180
Hopkins, W. (1996) Chimpanzee handedness revisited: 55 years since Finch (1941). Psychonomic Bulletin , 3(4), 449-457. DOI: 10.3758/BF03214548
Keller JF, Croake JW, & Riesenman C. (1973) Relationships among handedness, intelligence, sex, and reading achievement of school age children. Perceptual and motor skills, 37(1), 159-62. PMID: 4727991
Perelle, I., & Ehrman, L. (1994) An international study of human handedness: The data. Behavior Genetics, 24(3), 217-227. DOI: 10.1007/BF01067189
Toth, N. (1985) Archaeological evidence for preferential right-handedness in the lower and middle pleistocene, and its possible implications. Journal of Human Evolution, 14(6), 607-614. DOI: 10.1016/S0047-2484(85)80087-7
- May 8, 2012
- 05:04 PM
- 386 views
Humans could still be evolving
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Humans have a great impact on their environment, significantly altering it. Whilst other animals also engage in such environmental alteration, none do so as much as humans. This behaviour technically called “niche construction.” It has often been used to suggest that humans are no longer evolving. We have created our own environment that lacks any … Continue reading »... Read more »
Courtiol, A., Pettay, J., Jokela, M., Rotkirch, A., & Lummaa, V. (2012) Natural and sexual selection in a monogamous historical human population. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1118174109
- May 15, 2012
- 04:34 PM
- 375 views
Vocal learning shown in primates
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Chimps can behave in a surprisingly human manner. They engage in advanced co-operative hunting, manufacture tools and even pass deliberate messages to one another. One of the more important – yet often overlooked – of these “human” attributes is the fact that chimpanzees have cultures. The important part here is not so much the culture … Continue reading »... Read more »
Hardus ME, Lameira AR, Van Schaik CP, & Wich SA. (2009) Tool use in wild orang-utans modifies sound production: A functionally deceptive innovation?. Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society, 276(1673), 3689-94. PMID: 19656794
- June 20, 2012
- 04:33 PM
- 375 views
Are humans supposed to be monogamous?
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
This Wednesday question (or “wondering Wednesdays,” or something else witty and alliterative. Suggestions please) comes from Colin who asks Just wondering if there is evoanth suggesting hominids are monogamous creatures or monogomy just lies on the spectrum of dispositions? In case you don’t feel like reading through the second EvoAnth (Colin, you’re meant to capitalise … Continue reading »... Read more »
A. de Boer, E.M. van Buel, G.J. Ter Horst. (2012) Love is more than just a kiss: a neurobiological perspective on love and affection. Neuroscience, 114-124. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.11.017
Henrich J, Boyd R, & Richerson PJ. (2012) The puzzle of monogamous marriage. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 367(1589), 657-69. PMID: 22271782
THOMAS R. INSEL, LAWRENCE E. SHAPIRO. (1992) Oxytocin receptor distribution reflects social organization in monogamous and polygamous voles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 5981-5984. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.89.13.5981
Ophir AG, Gessel A, Zheng DJ, & Phelps SM. (2012) Oxytocin receptor density is associated with male mating tactics and social monogamy. Hormones and behavior, 61(3), 445-53. PMID: 22285648
- May 17, 2012
- 12:08 PM
- 374 views
Mutation helped human brains evolve
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
There is a correlation between the brain size of an individual and their body size: a larger animal needs a larger a brain to take care of their basic bodily functions. However, some creatures deviate from this relationship and have a significantly bigger brain than would be expected given their body size. This is known … Continue reading »... Read more »
Dennis MY, Nuttle X, Sudmant PH, Antonacci F, Graves TA, Nefedov M, Rosenfeld JA, Sajjadian S, Malig M, Kotkiewicz H.... (2012) Evolution of Human-Specific Neural SRGAP2 Genes by Incomplete Segmental Duplication. Cell, 149(4), 912-22. PMID: 22559943
- June 12, 2012
- 12:54 PM
- 366 views
Did our ancestors knuckle-walk?
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
The classic “ascent of man” image has our lineage progressing upwards. First we were knuckle-walkers, like modern chimps, but then switched to bipedalism. Over time we gradually became more and upright, straightening our backs and striding forwards as modern man. It’s a noble image of our origins and almost ubiquitous with the field of human … Continue reading »... Read more »
Lovejoy CO, & McCollum MA. (2010) Spinopelvic pathways to bipedality: why no hominids ever relied on a bent-hip-bent-knee gait. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 365(1556), 3289-99. PMID: 20855303
- July 31, 2012
- 02:13 PM
- 361 views
Neanderthal technology and intelligence
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
For many years people have been attempting to identify differences between Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis in an effort to understand why one species survived yet the other did not. Many of these alleged differences have fallen flat on their face, whilst others have achieved more success (albeit with a fair bit of controversy). Of … Continue reading »... Read more »
Mellars P, Gravina B, & Bronk Ramsey C. (2007) Confirmation of Neanderthal/modern human interstratification at the Chatelperronian type-site. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104(9), 3657-62. PMID: 17360698
- July 3, 2012
- 06:25 PM
- 343 views
Humans have giant chimp brains
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Humans specialise in being smart. It wasn’t our sharp teeth that allowed us to rise to dominance chain but our brains. It provides us with the intelligence needed to build a metaphorical ladder to the top of the food chain. Yet what is it about our brains that makes us so smart? Is there something … Continue reading »... Read more »
Suzana Herculano-Houzel, Christine E. Collins, Peiyan Wong, Jon H. Kaas. (2007) Cellular scaling rules for primate brains. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(9), 3562-3567. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0611396104
Suzana Herculano-Houzel. (2012) The remarkable, yet not extraordinary, human brain as a scaled-up primate brain and its associated cost. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1201895109
- June 19, 2012
- 12:25 PM
- 328 views
Is the Out of Africa model of human migration right?
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Homo sapiens arose in Africa 195,000 – 160,000 years ago, emerging from our archaic predecessors. Nowadays we’re an international species, with an outpost on every continent (and even one in space). How we changed from one state of affairs to the other is the subject of great debate, with many competing hypotheses attempting to explain … Continue reading »... Read more »
Robin Dennella, Michael D. Petragliab. (2012) The dispersal of Homo sapiens across southern Asia: how early, how often, how complex?. Quaternary Science Reviews, 15-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2012.05.002
- July 5, 2012
- 01:33 PM
- 328 views
The oldest pottery discovered
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
In our modern world of metal technology and artificial plastics it’s easy to forget the importance of ceramics. However, there was a time when pottery was the only way to make vessels for cooking food or storing it. Doing so would’ve opened up a raft of new options for prehistoric people, such as using advanced … Continue reading »... Read more »
Vandiver PB, Soffer O, Klima B, & Svoboda J. (1989) The origins of ceramic technology at dolni vecaronstonice, czechoslovakia. Science (New York, N.Y.), 246(4933), 1002-8. PMID: 17806391
Xiaohong Wu, Chi Zhang, Paul Goldberg, David Cohen, Yan Pan, Trina Arpin, Ofer Bar-Yosef. (2012) Early Pottery at 20,000 Years Ago in Xianrendong Cave, China. Science, 1696-1700. DOI: 10.1126/science.1218643
- August 3, 2012
- 01:12 PM
- 314 views
The mysterious StW 89 metatarsal
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
StW 89 is the designation of a recently described 2-2.6 million year old second metatarsal from the Sterkfontein formation in South Africa. As a metatarsal, it’s an important fossil since very few pre-Homo metatarsus have been recovered because they’re very small. As such, it’s a fascinating find despite the fact it’s only a single bone. … Continue reading »... Read more »
Desilva JM, Proctor DJ, & Zipfel B. (2012) A complete second metatarsal (StW 89) from Sterkfontein Member 4, South Africa. Journal of human evolution. PMID: 22762740
- June 14, 2012
- 04:39 PM
- 306 views
Bonobo genome sequenced
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Bonobos (Pan paniscus) are a species of chimp, closely related to their more common cousins, the “chimps” (Pan troglodytes*). The latter are the only species to be referred to as chimpanzees by the general public, despite the fact the term technically applies to the genus Pan and thus both “chimps” and bonobos. However, this taxonomical … Continue reading »... Read more »
Prüfer, K., Munch, K., Hellmann, I., Akagi, K., Miller, J., Walenz, B., Koren, S., Sutton, G., Kodira, C., Winer, R.... (2012) The bonobo genome compared with the chimpanzee and human genomes. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature11128
- January 25, 2012
- 01:49 PM
- 302 views
Evolving our success
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
If you were asked what it was that makes Homo sapiens so successful, how might you respond? That it is our technology, which enables us to conquer any environment? But what allowed the development of such technology? Our big brains of course! But why did our brains get so big? To facilitate larger group sizes! [...]... Read more »
Grove, M., Pearce, E., & Dunbar, R. (2011) Fission-fusion and the evolution of hominin social systems. Journal of Human Evolution. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2011.10.012
- August 21, 2012
- 12:48 PM
- 287 views
Was human technology superior to neanderthals’?
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Why our neanderthal cousins died out is the source of intense debate in evolutionary anthropology, with a plethora of ideas being thrown back and forth between competing camps. Certainly I’ve written my fair share of posts on the subject. Sadly there is little definitive evidence for any of them and so no single proposal has … Continue reading »... Read more »
Eren MI, Greenspan A, & Sampson CG. (2008) Are Upper Paleolithic blade cores more productive than Middle Paleolithic discoidal cores? A replication experiment. Journal of human evolution, 55(6), 952-61. PMID: 18835009
- July 10, 2012
- 04:06 PM
- 272 views
The diet of Australopithecus sediba
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Australopithecus sediba contains several archaic traits present in other Australopithecines such as a small cranial capacity, small body and relatively long upper limbs. However, it also contains several derived traits more characteristic of Homo including smaller teeth, reduced prognathism and cheek bones as well as a more human hip. Given this combination of archaic and … Continue reading »... Read more »
Henry AG, Ungar PS, Passey BH, Sponheimer M, Rossouw L, Bamford M, Sandberg P, de Ruiter DJ, & Berger L. (2012) The diet of Australopithecus sediba. Nature. PMID: 22763449
- August 28, 2012
- 02:53 PM
- 258 views
How “god” evolved #3: How does “god” promote co-operation?
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
<- Part 2 came before Belief in a “high” god who created humanity and gave us a moral code to live by is very common in most Western societies. Indeed, for the past thousand years or so such “high” gods have been one of the defining traits of Western culture, driving architecture, art and music. … Continue reading »... Read more »
Shariff AF, & Norenzayan A. (2007) God is watching you: priming God concepts increases prosocial behavior in an anonymous economic game. Psychological science, 18(9), 803-9. PMID: 17760777
- August 16, 2012
- 05:28 PM
- 245 views
How “god” evolved
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Religious belief is very common in Homo sapiens, with almost all cultures having some kind of supernatural belief that is important to their sense of identity. However, here the similarities end for within the spectrum of human society is a similarly broad spectrum of religious beliefs. These range from the simple “animal spirits” who are … Continue reading »... Read more »
Peoples HC, & Marlowe FW. (2012) Subsistence and the Evolution of Religion. Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.). PMID: 22837060
- July 19, 2012
- 01:19 PM
- 242 views
Recent changes to the human accelerated region
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Some genes have undergone very little evolution and so are highly conserved between species, being almost identical in animals which are far from similar. Such conservation is typically due to the fact that these conserved genes are fundamental for survival and so any mutations are fatal. This strong purifying selection puts a handbrake on evolution, … Continue reading »... Read more »
Burbano HA, Green RE, Maricic T, Lalueza-Fox C, de la Rasilla M, Rosas A, Kelso J, Pollard KS, Lachmann M, & Pääbo S. (2012) Analysis of human accelerated DNA regions using archaic hominin genomes. PloS one, 7(3). PMID: 22412940
topics
join us!
Do you write about peer-reviewed research in your blog? Use ResearchBlogging.org to make it easy for your readers — and others from around the world — to find your serious posts about academic research.
If you don't have a blog, you can still use our site to learn about fascinating developments in cutting-edge research from around the world.
