Anthropogenesis

Why is almost everyone right-handed? The answer may lie in how we learned to walk

Location, location, location: How the Nile helped an ancient Sudanese city thrive for centuries

The University of Michigan study reveals that Napata, an ancient city in Sudan, benefited from the Nile's relatively stable flow and deposits of clay and silt. This landscape feature reduced flood risk while maintaining access to water, allowing for successful settlement and cultural development.

Hanyang University ERICA researchers trace chicken domestication on the Korean Peninsula

Researchers analyzed bone collagen peptides from avian remains found at the Gungok-ri site in South Korea, identifying the presence of chickens and their management during the Proto-Three Kingdoms period. The study's findings provide insights into Korean food culture, agriculture, and animal domestication.

Signs on Stone Age objects: Precursor to written language dates back 40,000 years

Researchers found that Palaeolithic sign sequences are statistically comparable to the earliest proto-cuneiform script, dating back 40,000 years. The analysis of over 3,000 geometric signs on 260 objects revealed complex and informative systems used by early humans to convey information.

Small chimps, big risks: What chimps show us about our own behavior

A study of chimpanzees reveals that infants take the greatest risks, followed by juveniles and then adolescents. This contradicts human behavior where risky behavior peaks during adolescence. The researchers suggest that human parents' ability to monitor their children may be a key factor in mitigating risk-taking behavior.

Study models the transition from Neanderthals to modern humans in Europe

The study uses a numerical model to simulate encounters between Neanderthals and modern humans on the Iberian Peninsula. Climate fluctuations significantly influenced population dynamics, with mixing possible in certain regions. The research offers a broader explanatory framework for interpreting archaeological and genomic data.

Ape ancestors and Neanderthals likely kissed, new analysis finds

Researchers reconstructed the evolutionary history of kissing using a cross-species approach and found it evolved in large apes 21.5 - 16.9 million years ago. The study also suggests that Neanderthals likely engaged in kissing, given their shared oral microbes and genetic material with humans.

Aging as evolutionary success

Anthropologist Michael Gurven challenges youth-obsessed culture by exploring aging's physiological and societal aspects, asserting that evolution designed humans to live at least seven decades. Multigenerational cooperation played a key role in the evolution of a post-reproductive life stage.

Humans evolved fastest amongst the apes

Researchers analyzed ape skulls to find that humans evolved the largest brain size and flattest face among closely related species. This rapid evolution suggests a strong link between cranial structure and cognitive abilities, but social factors may also play a role in human skull development.

Study links human activities to increased non-diatom carbon burial in the Changjiang River Estuary

Researchers analyzed sediment cores to find a recurring 60-year cycle in carbon and silicon burial, showing human intervention led to changes in estuary ecosystems. Human activities like dam construction reduced organic matter delivery, while increased water clarity promoted algal growth.

Why did Neanderthals go to the beach?

The study of Neanderthal footprints offers a unique window into everyday behaviour, providing insight into their physical presence, locomotion strategies, diet and social structure. The research suggests that Neanderthals were more versatile and ecologically adapted to coastal environments than previously believed.

Changes in diet drove physical evolution in early humans

A new study found that early humans consumed carbohydrate-rich foods like grains and underground plant tissues before they had the ideal teeth to chew them efficiently. This suggests that behavior played a significant role in their physical evolution, allowing them to adapt to new environments despite physical limitations.

University of Houston archaeologists discover tomb of first king of Caracol

The discovery sheds light on the complex connections between ancient Maya and central Mexican civilizations. Archaeologists found artifacts indicating early contact between the two regions around AD 350.

A turning point in the Bronze Age: the diet was changed and the society was transformed

A new study reveals radical changes in mobility, diet, and social inequalities during the Late Bronze Age, around 1500 BC. The researchers found that people's food consumption became more uniform but poorer, while animal husbandry and migration patterns changed.

New research reveals chimpanzees act as ‘engineers’, choosing materials to make tools based on the structural and mechanical properties which make them ideal for the job

Researchers found that chimpanzees deliberately select plant materials with flexible properties for termite fishing, indicating an intuitive comprehension of material properties. This 'folk physics' ability has implications for understanding human technological evolution and tool use.

New fossil discovery of an early human ancestor reveals that it walked upright, just like humans

Researchers found a single young adult Paranthropus robustus fossil with evidence of habitual upright walking, weighing only about a meter tall and 27 kg at death. The species' small size made it vulnerable to predators like sabertooth cats and giant hyenas.

Professor awarded NEH grant to advance anthropology research collections at Texas A&M

The National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded a Preservation Assistance Grant to Texas A&M University's Anthropology Research Collections. The grant will help protect and improve access to the university's anthropological and archaeological materials, while also providing new learning opportunities for graduate students.

Occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in the western Qinghai Lake basin

The study investigates microbial community and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the western Qinghai Lake basin. ARGs were found to be significantly lower than in strong anthropogenic activity areas, but a correlation with I1 was observed, indicating potential rapid proliferation.

First hominin muscle reconstruction shows 3.2 million-year-old ‘Lucy’ could stand as erect as we can

A study using digital reconstructions of Australopithecus afarensis muscles suggests that the 3.2 million-year-old 'Lucy' hominin could walk upright as efficiently as modern humans. The research, published in Royal Society Open Science, used open-source data on Lucy's fossil to create a detailed model of her lower body muscle structure.

Neanderthals hunted elephants: Earliest evidence found of humans killing elephants for food

Neanderthals deliberately hunted down and slaughtered European straight-tusked elephants over 125,000 years ago, providing a significant source of nutrition. The study reveals that Neanderthals came together in larger social groups than previously assumed, with adult male individuals being overrepresented in the assemblage.

Paleontologists have discovered the jaws of a rare bear in Taurida Cave

Paleontologists have found the jaws of an Etruscan bear in a Crimean cave, dating back to 2-1.5 million years ago. The discovery suggests that early humans may have lived on the Crimean Peninsula around the same time.

A Child of darkness

Researchers discover partial skull of 4-6 year old Homo naledi child, providing insight into species' growth and development. The skull, named Leti, consists of 28 fragments and six teeth, with estimated brain size comparable to adult members.

Study reveals extent of impact of human settlement on island ecosystems

Research finds that human settlement led to increased fires and soil erosion, altering unique island ecosystems in Macaronesia. The study also shows that colonial-era settlers had a greater impact on vegetation than aboriginal settlers.