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'Trust' provides answer to handaxe enigma

Research suggests that the fine crafting of handaxes by Homo erectus/ergaster in the Lower Palaeolithic period was driven by a desire to prove trustworthiness rather than physical fitness. The 'trustworthy handaxe theory' proposes that attention to detail is about demonstrating emotional reliability and capacity for strong relationships.

SourceUniversity of York·JournalWorld Archaeology·DateNov 21, 2012

Neolithic man: The first lumberjack?

The Neolithic Age saw a direct connection between the development of an agricultural society and the emergence of sophisticated carpentry. Archaeological evidence suggests that as humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers to farmers, they also developed heavier axes and woodworking tools capable of felling trees.

SourceAmerican Friends of Tel Aviv University·JournalPLOS ONE·DateAug 9, 2012
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Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Hunter-gatherers, Westerners use same amount of energy, contrary to theory

A new study published in PLOS ONE found that hunter-gatherers, such as the Hadza tribe, expend a similar amount of energy daily as Western adults, contradicting the long-held assumption that their ancestors burned more calories. This similarity suggests that habitual metabolic rates are relatively constant among human populations.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateJul 25, 2012

Genes shed light on spread of agriculture in Stone Age Europe

The study found that genetic variation of today's Europeans was strongly affected by immigrant Stone Age farmers, but hunter-gatherer genes still remain. The agricultural revolution is believed to have been driven by people migrating from Southern Europe, who lived alongside hunter-gatherers for thousands of years before interbreeding.

SourceUppsala University·JournalScience·DateApr 26, 2012

New study chronicles the rise of agriculture in Europe

A recent study analyzing 5,000-year-old DNA from Stone Age remains in Sweden found that farming moved north across the continent with migrating populations. The analysis suggests that European farmers mixed their genes with resident hunter-gatherers, shaping modern European genomes.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateApr 26, 2012
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

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Pythons and people take turns as predators and prey

In a study co-authored by Cornell University researcher Harry Greene, men are attacked by giant pythons but also target them for food, competing for the same local deer, wild pigs, and monkeys. The complex relationships between humans and snakes highlight broader patterns of predation and competition in the natural world.

SourceCornell University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 14, 2011

Ancient cooking pots reveal gradual transition to agriculture

Researchers analyzed ancient pottery for signs of terrestrial, marine, and freshwater organisms, finding that fish and aquatic resources continued to be exploited after the advent of farming. This suggests a gradual transition from hunting to agriculture in Western Europe, challenging previous assumptions about the abrupt shift.

SourceUniversity of York·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 24, 2011
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Northern hunters slowed down advance of Neolithic farmers

Researchers have proposed a new model to explain how the Neolithic front slowed down as it moved towards northern Europe. The study suggests that the farmers' dispersal and reproduction were limited by the high density of hunter-gatherers in the region.

SourceSpanish Foundation for Science and Technology·JournalNew Journal of Physics·DateFeb 3, 2011

Stone Age Scandinavians unable to digest milk

A new study by researchers at Uppsala University and Stockholm University found that Stone Age Scandinavians were lactose intolerant. This discovery challenges earlier conclusions about the ancestry of modern Swedes.

SourceUppsala University·JournalBMC Evolutionary Biology·DateApr 1, 2010

I think step to the left, you think step to the east

A study reveals cultural variations in spatial relationships, with nomadic hunter-gatherers remembering body movements differently than Westerners. German children followed a consistent pattern, while Hai||om children adapted their movements based on direction.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateDec 14, 2009
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Scandinavians are descended from Stone Age immigrants

A new study suggests Scandinavians are not direct descendants of hunter-gatherers who lived in the region during the Stone Age. The research uses DNA from ancient remains to investigate the spread of agriculture and livestock practices.

SourceUppsala University·JournalCurrent Biology·DateSep 24, 2009

Europe's first farmers replaced their Stone Age hunter-gatherer forerunners

New research suggests that Europe's first farmers migrated into central and Eastern Europe around 7,500 years ago, bringing domesticated plants and animals with them. The study analyzed DNA from hunter-gatherer and early farmer burials, finding little evidence of a direct genetic link between the two groups.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalScience·DateSep 3, 2009

Meat for sex in wild chimpanzees

Researchers found that male chimpanzees who share their food with females can mate more often than those who don't. Sharing meat over long periods of time doubles a male's mating success, while females increase their caloric intake without incurring energetic costs.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalPLOS ONE·DateApr 8, 2009

Wild chimpanzees exchange meat for sex

Researchers found that females copulate more frequently with males who share meat with them, compared to those who never share. This suggests that sharing meat with females improves males' mating success and may be a long-term strategy for securing mates.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateApr 7, 2009

ASU genetics research sheds light on evolution of the human diet

Researchers at ASU have discovered that humans have a unique genetic adaptation to starch consumption, with high-starch diets associated with more copies of the AMY1 gene. This finding provides insight into why certain populations may be better equipped to handle diarrheal diseases.

SourceArizona State University·DateFeb 12, 2009
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Male voice pitch predicts reproductive success in hunter-gatherers

A study of the Hadza tribe found that males with lower vocal pitch had more surviving children, suggesting a link between voice pitch and fertility. The researchers believe that women may choose mates with deeper voices because they are perceived as better providers.

SourceHarvard University·JournalBiology Letters·DateSep 25, 2007

Girls prefer pink, or at least a redder shade of blue

Researchers discovered a clear preference for pink or reddish hues among women, shifting their color preference towards red and away from blue. The study suggests that this difference may be driven by biological factors, potentially related to evolution and the importance of ripe fruit in hunter-gatherer societies.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateAug 20, 2007
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Conditions for slavery: New study sheds light on the development of early social hierarchies

A new study reveals that reliable resources like salmon, high population densities, and the defense of territories were crucial for the development of marked inequality in North America. Conversely, Australian Aboriginal societies on the tropical northern coast exhibited 'transient inequality' due to polygyny and high resource availabi...

SourceUniversity of Chicago Press Journals·JournalCurrent Anthropology·DateDec 16, 2005

An evolutionary road less traveled

Researchers found that genetic diversity of the Mlabri is significantly lower than other agriculture-based hill tribes, indicating a severe population reduction around 500-1000 years ago. This reverts previous assumptions that contemporary hunter-gatherer groups represent pre-agricultural human populations.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateFeb 21, 2005