Anthropology posts
- October 5, 2012
- 04:58 AM
- 289 views
Why do we play? And why it is sexy?!
by Farid Pazhoohi in Epistemophil
Question of the origin of play and playfulness has been one of concerns of Garry Chick, Professor at the Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Management, Penn State University. From an evolutionary perspective, Professor Chick has developed a theory in which he explains adult play and playfulness. It is now known why children and offspring [...]... Read more »
Garry Chick, Careen Yarnal, and Andrew Purrington. (2012) Play and Mate Preference Testing the Signal Theory of Adult Playfulness. American Journal of Play, 4(4). info:/
- October 4, 2012
- 08:00 AM
- 241 views
The Feast of Men: Cannibalism in Fiji
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
Interpreting cannibalism is complex due to our own Western assumptions about the practice, a lack of attention to context of the acts, and the diverse reasons for its occurrence. Cannibalism occurs for a number of reasons in a number of ways: people consume other humans when they are foreigners or from that culture, it can … Continue reading »... Read more »
S. JONES, H. WALSH-HANEY, & R. QUINN. (2012) Kana Tamata or Feasts of Men: An Interdisciplinary Approach for Identifying Cannibalism in Prehistoric Fiji. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology. info:/
- October 3, 2012
- 10:02 AM
- 249 views
Prestigious clothing increases your height!
by Farid Pazhoohi in Epistemophil
Do you want to seem taller? Our study shows that your prestigious clothing affects perception of height, at least for the children. Height is a biological factor that can affect how others perceive and behave toward an individual. Clothing, as a non-biological factor, can affect these perceptions of height. In this study we investigated the [...]... Read more »
Mahmoud Rashidi, Katayoun Keshtkaran, Sahar Zabihidan, Masoud Hosseinchari, and Farid Pazhoohi. (2012) Effect of Different Professions’ Clothing on Children’s Height Perception. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 15(3). info:/http://dx.doi.org/10.5209/rev_SJOP.2012.v15.n3.39394
- October 3, 2012
- 05:43 AM
- 244 views
Does attractiveness predict reproductive success?
by Farid Pazhoohi in Epistemophil
Thanks to the scientific investigations, now we know physical attractiveness would boost one’s social and sexual success. Attractive females would have more chances of being hired, and having attract/sustain men with more resources. It is hypothesized that female physical attractiveness is the signal for her fertility; i.e. men prefer attractive women because they are more [...]... Read more »
Lena S. Pflüger, Elisabeth Oberzaucher, Stanislav Katina, Iris J. Holzleitner,, & Karl Grammer. (2012) Cues to fertility: perceived attractiveness and facial shape predict reproductive success. Evolution . DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2012.05.005
- October 2, 2012
- 07:45 PM
- 227 views
Aziz and Aziza in love with Daphnis and Chloe
by Douglas Galbi in purple motes
The story of Aziz and Aziza from the Arabian Nights outrageously re-arranges the romance of Daphnis and Chloe from an ancient Greek novel. ... Read more »
Grunebaum, Gustave E. von. (1942) Greek Form Elements in the Arabian Nights. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 62(4), 277-292. DOI: 10.2307/594031
- October 2, 2012
- 12:22 PM
- 237 views
Darwin on Religion
by Cris Campbell in Genealogy of Religion
In keeping with my back to (foundational) basics reading programme, I have naturally been digging around Darwin’s writing on religion. While doing so I came across “David Hume and Charles Darwin” (1972), an article in which John Greene suggests that Hume had a significant influence on Darwin. Given Darwin’s impressive reading habits, it is not [...]... Read more »
Huntley, William. (1972) David Hume and Charles Darwin. Journal of the History of Ideas, 33(3), 457-470. DOI: 10.2307/2709046
Day, Matthew. (2008) Godless Savages and Superstitious Dogs: Charles Darwin, Imperial Ethnography, and the Problem of Human Uniqueness. Journal of the History of Ideas, 69(1), 49-70. DOI: 10.1353/jhi.2008.0006
- October 2, 2012
- 12:14 PM
- 214 views
Humans and chimps diverged earlier than previously thought
by sahelanthropus in EvoAnth
Our lineage’s fossil record is especially sparse between 4 – 8 million years ago. From that time period we have roughly 50 fragmented specimens making up only 6 or so individuals. It isn’t much to go on, which is particularly disappointing since genetic data indicates that humans and chimps diverged during this period. Indeed, with … Continue reading »... Read more »
Langergraber KE, Prüfer K, Rowney C, Boesch C, Crockford C, Fawcett K, Inoue E, Inoue-Muruyama M, Mitani JC, Muller MN.... (2012) Generation times in wild chimpanzees and gorillas suggest earlier divergence times in great ape and human evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109(39), 15716-21. PMID: 22891323
- September 30, 2012
- 04:28 AM
- 335 views
Milk, meat and blood: how diet drives natural selection in the Maasai
by aatishb in Empirical Zeal
This post is a little different from the usual fare at this blog, as I am discussing a paper on which I’m a co-author. My collaborators and I just put up a paper in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. We analyzed genetic data … Continue reading →... Read more »
Kshitij Wagh, Aatish Bhatia, Gabriela Alexe, Anupama Reddy, Vijay Ravikumar, Michael Seiler, Michael Boemo, Ming Yao, Lee Cronk, Asad Naqvi, Shridar Ganesan, Arnold J. Levine, Gyan Bhanot. (2012) Lactase Persistence and Lipid Pathway Selection in the Maasai. PLOS ONE, 7(9). info:/10.1371/journal.pone.0044751
- September 30, 2012
- 01:45 AM
- 199 views
Malaria, sickle-cell anemia and microRNA
by zacharoo in Lawn Chair Anthropology
This is the first time I'm teaching Introduction to Biological Anthropology here at Nazarbayev University. It's exciting and curious that for nearly every class session, I'm able to find a very recent outside article or blog post that's relevant to the field and/or something we're talking about at the moment. For instance, the 30-paper barrage of the ENCODE project came out right as we were beginning the unit focused on evolution and genetics. Serendipity!Recently in this first unit, we covered one of the classic anthro examples illustrating principles of both genetics and evolution: sickle-cell anemia and malaria resistance. And right on cue, a brief review about the actual molecular basis for this phenomenon was just published in Nature Genetics (Feliciano, 2012, reviewing LaMonte et al., 2012).Briefly, sickle-cell anemia is an iron deficiency caused by having aberrant hemoglobin, and characterized by sickle-shaped red blood cells ("erythrocytes"). The sickle cell trait is caused by a simple point mutation on the 11th chromosome, at a locus termed the hemoglobin S (or HbS) allele; the 'normal' allele is designated A (or HbA). If you have two A alleles you have normal hemoglobin, whereas two S alleles result in sickle cell, which is generally fatal. You don't want to have two S alleles. The deleterious S allele is nevertheless maintained in the population because heterozygous individuals (AS genotype) have basically normal red blood cells and resistance to malaria, a disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. P. falciparum loves red blood cells, and so in populations where malaria is endemic, having normal hemoglobin can actually be a health risk because of stupid smelly P. falciparum. Natural selection therefore maintains both the normal A and sickle S alleles in malarial areas because of a heterozygote advantage.The outstanding question, however, is how having both an A and an S allele confers resistance to malaria. The textbook explanation (e.g. Larsen, 2010) is that sickle cells are poor in oxygen, and therefore poor hosts for stupid smelly P. falciparum. A recent study, however, points to a much more badass mechanism of resistance.LaMonte and colleagues (2012) show a role for microRNAs (miRNA) in sickle cell-mediated resistance to malaria. miRNAs are small strands of RNA (21-25 base pairs long) that do not get translated into proteins, but are nevertheless important in regulating gene expression. This mechanism is called RNA interference (RNAi) - check out this sweet slideshow and animation from Nature for more info. What LaMonte and colleagues found was that SS and AS red blood cells had higher concentrations of certain variants of miRNA, which were then transferred into P. falciparum parasitizing these cells. These miRNA-enriched parasites, in turn, showed reduced growth compared to those parasitizing normal cells. It remains to be seen, however, just how these human miRNAs are disrupting development of Plasmodium, since these parasites do not produce the same genetic machinery that utilizes the miRNA used in human RNAi (Feliciano, 2012). Not being a geneticist, I'm really enjoying how complicated the genome is proving to be. The example here illustrates not only our increased appreciation for RNA and especially non-protein-coding elements, but also the dynamic genetic interactions between different species.Better explanations than I was able to giveFeliciano P (2012). miRNAs and malaria resistance. Nature genetics, 44 (10) PMID: 23011225Lamonte G, Philip N, Reardon J, Lacsina JR, Majoros W, Chapman L, Thornburg CD, Telen MJ, Ohler U, Nicchitta CV, Haystead T, & Chi JT (2012). Translocation of Sickle Cell Erythrocyte MicroRNAs into Plasmodium falciparum Inhibits Parasite Translation and Contributes to Malaria Resistance. Cell host & microbe, 12 (2), 187-99 PMID: 22901539... Read more »
Feliciano P. (2012) miRNAs and malaria resistance. Nature genetics, 44(10), 1079. PMID: 23011225
Lamonte G, Philip N, Reardon J, Lacsina JR, Majoros W, Chapman L, Thornburg CD, Telen MJ, Ohler U, Nicchitta CV.... (2012) Translocation of Sickle Cell Erythrocyte MicroRNAs into Plasmodium falciparum Inhibits Parasite Translation and Contributes to Malaria Resistance. Cell host , 12(2), 187-99. PMID: 22901539
- September 24, 2012
- 10:50 AM
- 270 views
Sex, War & Revolution: The Epidemiology of Gonorrhea in the USA
by Rebecca Kreston in BODY HORRORS
The epidemiology of gonorrhea in the United States has been influenced by several profound social and cultural forces - World War II, the emergence of Baby Boomer generation and the sexual revolution.... Read more »
orke JA, Hethcote HW and Nold A. (1978) Dynamics and control of the transmission of gonorrhea. . Sex Transm Dis. . DOI: 10.1097/00007435-197804000-00003
- September 22, 2012
- 11:03 PM
- 183 views
Marian aretalogy of an impious Christian physician to Abbasid caliphs
by Douglas Galbi in purple motes
An aretalogy fragment from the early Abbasid caliphate features the Christian physician Yūhannā ibn Māsawayhi, known also for being crude and impious.... Read more »
Howard C. Kee. (1973) Aretalogy and Gospel. Journal of Biblical Literature, 92(3), 402-422. DOI: 10.2307/3263581
- September 21, 2012
- 06:12 PM
- 593 views
New DNA study shows humankind’s complex origins in Africa
by Perikis Livas in Tracing Knowledge
The Khoe and San peoples in southern Africa play an important role for our understanding of the evolutionary history of humans. These peoples are directly descended from the first branching of the genealogical tree of today’s humans. This is shown in a study led by Uppsala University researchers and being presented in the early online version of the journal Science today.... Read more »
Anneli Waara. (2012) New DNA study shows humankind’s complex origins in Africa. News from Uppsala University. info:/
- September 21, 2012
- 06:00 PM
- 262 views
A Tale of Two Memories: Long-Term Memory and “Google Memory”
by S. Garrity Guenther in WhatAreTheseIdeas.com
The Google Effect proposes that the availability of information on the Internet is impairing our ability to remember information. Though there are very clear cognitive consequences, not all are negative.... Read more »
Betsy Sparrow1, Jenny Liu, & Daniel M. Wegner. (2011) Google Effects on Memory: Cognitive Consequences of Having Information at Our Fingertips. Science . DOI: 10.1126/science.1207745
Manuel London, Jeffrey T. Polzer, & Heather Omoregie. (2005) Interpersonal Congruence, Transactive Memory, and Feedback Processes: An Integrative Model of Group Learning. Human Resource Development Review. DOI: 10.1177/1534484305275767
- September 21, 2012
- 05:39 AM
- 243 views
Once Upon a (Complicated) Time in Africa
by gunnardw in The Beast, the Bard and the Bot
The roots of modern man lie in eastern Africa, so the scientific consensus maintains, supported by ample evidence. And, before we left our cradle to spread throughout the world, a lot of interesting things happened there. Two recent studies present … Continue reading →... Read more »
Mathias, R.A., Fu, W., Akey, J.M., Ainsworth, H.C., Togerson, T.G., Ruczinski, I., Sergeant, S., Barnes, K.C., & Chilton, F.H. (2012) Adaptive Evolution of the FADS Gene Cluster within Africa. PLOS ONE, 7(9). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044926
Schlebusch, C.M., Skoglund, P., Sjödin, P., Gattepaille, L.M., Hernandez, D., Jay, F., Li, S., De Jongh, M., Singleton, A., Blum, M.G.B.... (2012) Genomic Variation in Seven Khoe-San Groups Reveals Adaptation and Complex African History. Science. DOI: 10.1126/science.1227721
- September 20, 2012
- 09:27 AM
- 250 views
Ancient Baby Graveyard or Infant Sacrifice Site?
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
The Tophet of Carthage, an infant cremation burial ground, has been a highly debated site for over a thousand years, and only in the past decade has it come under archaeological scrutiny. Historical sources from Jewish and Christian scriptures refer to it as a place of child sacrifice. Kleitarchos, in the 3rd c. BCE, described Carthaginians … Continue reading »... Read more »
Schwartz JH, Houghton F, Macchiarelli R, & Bondioli L. (2010) Skeletal remains from Punic Carthage do not support systematic sacrifice of infants. PloS one, 5(2). PMID: 20174667
J.H. Schwartz, F.D. Houghton, L. Bondioli, & R. Macchiarelli. (2012) Bones, teeth, and estimating age of perinates: Carthaginian infant sacrifice revisited. Antiquity, 738-745. info:/
- September 18, 2012
- 01:56 PM
- 394 views
ENCODE Reveals Regulatory Variation in the Human Genome
by Daniel Koboldt in Massgenomics
I’m still working through the outstanding series of articles published by members of the ENCODE Consortium. After my previous post highlighting their marker paper on genome content and function, I came across two companion papers that demonstrate the power of ENCODE data to characterize functional regulatory variants in the human genome. The first article, from [...]... Read more »
Vernot B, Stergachis AB, Maurano MT, Vierstra J, Neph S, Thurman RE, Stamatoyannopoulos JA, & Akey JM. (2012) Personal and population genomics of human regulatory variation. Genome research, 22(9), 1689-97. PMID: 22955981
Schaub MA, Boyle AP, Kundaje A, Batzoglou S, & Snyder M. (2012) Linking disease associations with regulatory information in the human genome. Genome research, 22(9), 1748-59. PMID: 22955986
- September 18, 2012
- 11:26 AM
- 424 views
Bones, Teeth and Climate Change in Japan
by Katy Meyers in Bones Don't Lie
As we have seen from other recent articles, it is important to look at changes in environment when addressing changes in population and culture in the past. A re-examination of environmental trends from the medieval period revealed that volcanic eruptions caused changes in weather patterns in England. The increased cloud cover caused by the eruption … Continue reading »... Read more »
Soichiro Kusaka, Takanori Nakano, Wataru Morita, & Masato Nakatsukasa. (2012) Strontium isotope analysis to reveal migration in relation to climate change and ritual tooth ablation of Jomon skeletal remains from western Japan. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2012.05.004
- September 17, 2012
- 07:00 AM
- 186 views
Prolactin and the Men of Cebu
by nath in Imprints of Philippine Science
Prolactin is a hormone whose two most well-known effects in humans are its regulation of milk production for suckling mothers, and its …Continue reading »... Read more »
Gettler LT, McDade TW, Feranil AB, & Kuzawa CW. (2012) Prolactin, fatherhood, and reproductive behavior in human males. American journal of physical anthropology, 148(3), 362-70. PMID: 22576125
- September 16, 2012
- 01:23 PM
- 323 views
Risk vs. Opportunity across the life-span: Risky choices decline with age
by Richard Kunert in Brain's Idea
Risk taking is somewhat enigmatic. On the one hand, risky choices in every day life – like drug abuse or drink driving – peak in adolescence. Never again in life is the threat to die from easily preventable causes as great. On the other hand, in laboratory experiments this risky choice peak in adolescence is absent. Instead, the readiness to take a gamble simply goes down the older you are. How can we explain this paradox? Perhaps, we should look at a tribe in the Amazon rain forest for answers.... Read more »
Everett, D. (2008) Don't sleep, there are snakes. London: Profile Books. info:/
Paulsen, D.J., Platt, M.L., Huettel, SA, & Brannon, E.M. (2012) From risk-seeking to risk-averse: the development of economic risk preference from childhood to adulthood. Frontiers in psychology, 313. PMID: 22973247
- September 16, 2012
- 12:01 PM
- 235 views
early Arabic love poetry caps Roman love elegy on aging
by Douglas Galbi in purple motes
An early Arabic poem -- Buthaynah and Jamīl's conversation on aging -- works to redeem Roman love elegy in exquisite, humane poetic truth.... Read more »
Jayyusi, Salma K. (1983) Umayyad poetry. In Beeston, A. F. L. Arabic literature to the end of the Umayyad period. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., 387-432. DOI: 10.1017/CHOL9780521240154.021
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.
