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In 2021 and 2022, archaeological surveys and major excavations were conducted at the Xuetang Liangzi site in Areas B, C, and E. These efforts uncovered archaeological remains that include a complete sequence of Paleolithic cultures in southern China. The history of prehistoric human activity at the site spans more than one million years, covering the early to late Paleolithic period. The No. 3 skull of Yunxian Man, unearthed from Layer 3 in Area B, dates to approximately one million years ago and is the best-preserved hominin cranium found on the Eurasian continent of its period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proposed that we are entering the age of postmortalism, where digital immortality is a credible option. The desire to overcome death has occupied humanity for centuries, and even though biological immortality is still impossible, recent technological advances have enabled possible eternal life in the metaverse. In palaeoanthropology and archaeology contexts, we are often driven by our preoccupation with visualising and interacting with ancient populations, with the production of facial depictions of people from the past enabling some interaction. New technologies and their implementation, such as the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), are profoundly transforming the ways that images, videos, voices, and avatars of digital ancient humans are produced, manipulated, disseminated, and viewed. As facial depiction practitioners, postmortalism crosses challenging ethical territory around consent and representation. Should we create a postmortem avatar of someone from past just because it is technically possible, and what are the implications of this kind of forced immortality? This paper describes the history of the technologically mediated simulation of people, discussing the benefits and flaws of each technological iteration. Recent applications of 4D digital technology and AI to the fields of palaeoanthropological and historical facial depiction are discussed in relation to the technical, aesthetic, and ethical challenges associated with this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising temperatures due to climate change are predicted to threaten the persistence of wild animals, but there is little evidence that climate change has pushed species beyond their thermal tolerance. The immune system is an ideal avenue to assess the effects of climate change because immune performance is sensitive to changes in temperature and immune competency can affect reproductive success. We investigate the effect of rising temperatures on a biomarker of nonspecific immune performance in a wild population of capuchin monkeys and provide compelling evidence that immune performance is associated with ambient temperature. Critically, we found that immune performance in young individuals is more sensitive to high temperatures compared to other age groups. Coupled with evidence of rising temperatures in the region, our results offer insight into how climate change will affect the immune system of wild mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species is the basic unit of analysis in systematic paleontology. Yet, for most of its history the subfield of paleoanthropology has lacked any coherent concept of what fossil species are, using the species epithet variously at different times -- most recently, with the conspicuous effect of minimizing apparent diversity among the hominins. The application of molecular systematic techniques to the analysis of high-latitude early Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 and its contemporaries thus offers a welcome opportunity to reappraise our approaches to species recognition in the rapidly expanding hominin fossil record. But it must be cautioned that evidence for hybridization among documented or hypothesized lineages cannot necessarily be taken as evidence for recoalescence among them, and that "braided stream" models of hominin evolution (which militate against speciation) cannot account for the diversity of historically and morphologically differentiated entities we see in that record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of vertebrate palaeontology in the United Kingdom holds a significant position in global research. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis and topic modelling of UK vertebrate palaeontology from 2014 to 2023, utilizing data from the DeepBone database and Web of Science. A total of 2884 publications were analysed using bibliometric methods and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to identify key research themes, institutional contributions, and international collaborations. The results reveal a significant increase in publication volume over the decade, peaking in 2021 with 374 papers. High-impact journals such as Nature and Science published approximately 6.60% of the total papers. The LDA analysis identified seven primary research themes, including morphology, palaeoanthropology, evolutionary biology, and geological periods. The Natural History Museum, University of Bristol, and University of Oxford emerged as major contributing institutions. Scientists from the United States were found to be the most frequent international collaborator. The average impact factor of the top journals in the field was 8.28 in 2024, highlighting the high quality of UK vertebrate palaeontology research. This study provides objective insights into the current state of vertebrate palaeontology in the UK, emphasizing its multidisciplinary nature, the importance of international cooperation in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a case study based on the results of an archaeological survey conducted between 2011 and 2014 in Diros Bay, southern Lakonia, Greece. This survey, conducted as part of the Diros Project and under the auspices of the Ephorate of Paleo-anthropology and Speleology, was the first systematic, pedestrian survey to be undertaken in the Mani peninsula. Specifically, this article examines two concentrations of ceramic assemblages within the survey boundary that represent secure archaeological evidence for activity in the region from the Greek Classical to the Late Roman period. Together, the macroscopic, petrographic, chemical, and geophysical analyses presented in this article demonstrate the potential that lies in examining small, rural settlements. The goals of the present work are threefold: first, to demonstrate the importance of analyzing pedestrian surface survey finds and in recording the material culture in understudied regions; second, to illustrate the discrepancy between the historical record of classical antiquity and the actual record of occupation in the form of archaeological remains; and third, to emphasize the potential that this region holds for understanding the nature of rural settlements in the ancient Mani peninsula throughout classical antiquity. 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Edaphic and vegetation conditions can render climatically suitable sites inadequate for a species to persist, constraining the amount of suitable habitat and the possibilities of tracking preferred climatic conditions as they shift in response to climate change. We combined climatic and remotely sensed data to model current and future distributions of nine extant taxa of ateline primates across the Amazon basin. We used the models to identify and quantify potential range changes and refugia of suitable habitat from the present to the latter half of the 21st century. We applied an ensemble forecasting approach for species distribution models using 596 spatially rarefied occurrences. We parameterised these models combining reflectance data from a basin‐wide Landsat TM/ETM+ image composite, and three sets of bioclimatic layers containing data for the current time period, and two different (moderate and worst‐case) climate change scenarios for 2041–2070. Eight out of nine taxa are likely to experience pronounced range losses, with seven of them predicted to lose over 50% of their currently suitable habitats irrespective of climate change scenarios. Modelled ateline richness exhibited a broad decrease in high‐richness areas, and a possible redistribution along the northernmost parts of western Amazonia. Refugia from 21st century climate change for the whole complex were mostly concentrated in western Amazonia, especially in its southern part. We identified hotspots of vulnerability to climate change and 21st century refugia for all Amazonian atelines while accounting for habitat characteristics that are important to guarantee the continued existence of suitable habitats for these strictly arboreal taxa. Increasing the understanding of climate change impacts on Amazonia's largest primates can help to inform spatial conservation planning decisions and management to sustain forest‐dwelling biodiversity over large areas such as Amazonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes, analyzes, and compares the anatomy of the outer ear with the cranial base from the perspective of cranial integration and modularity within the Hominidae family. Through an osteometric analysis conducted on digital models of computed tomography (CT) scans of skulls from different specimens belonging to the genera Australopithecus, Homo, Pan, Gorilla, Pongo, and Macaca. The result obtained shows that in all analyzed genera, there is a positive correlation between the ear and the cranial base, indicating a possible joint adaptation for the production and perception of verbal communication. Likewise, the presence of specific morphological variations in the anatomical structures necessary for phonation, such as the palate and audition, such as the external auditory canal, was confirmed. Highlighting a differentiation of anatomically modern humans from other primates and placing some fossils specimens between these two groups. These differences provide important clues about the possible origin of double-articulated language, which characterizes our species. The results can be applied in other paleoanthropological studies, contributing to the interpretation of osteological traits related to the production and perception of human language.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Dmanisi specimens represent the most diverse contemporaneous hominin fossils found at one single site and are key in understanding the first out-of-Africa dispersal and the origins of Homo erectus. Due to these reasons, they have]e been the focus of many studies in paleoanthropology in the last 30 years. However, there has not been any consensus on how to classify these fossils, nor has it been clarified how many species were co-living at that site. In this article, we aim to revisit the subject and contribute further to the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palaeoneurology is a complex field as the object of study, the brain, does not fossilize. Studies rely therefore on the (brain) endocranial cast (often named endocast), the only available and reliable proxy for brain shape, size and details of surface. However, researchers debate whether or not specific marks found on endocasts correspond reliably to particular sulci and/or gyri of the brain that were imprinted in the braincase. The aim of this study is to measure the accuracy of sulcal identification through an experiment that reproduces the conditions that palaeoneurologists face when working with hominin endocasts. We asked 14 experts to manually identify well‐known foldings in a proxy endocast that was obtained from an MRI of an actual in vivo Homo sapiens head. We observe clear differences in the results when comparing the non‐corrected labels (the original labels proposed by each expert) with the corrected labels. This result illustrates that trying to reconstruct a sulcus following the very general known shape/position in the literature or from a mean specimen may induce a bias when looking at an endocast and trying to follow the marks observed there. We also observe that the identification of sulci appears to be better in the lower part of the endocast compared to the upper part. The results concerning specific anatomical traits have implications for highly debated topics in palaeoanthropology. Endocranial description of fossil specimens should in the future consider the variation in position and shape of sulci in addition to using models of mean brain shape. Moreover, it is clear from this study that researchers can perceive sulcal imprints with reasonably high accuracy, but their correct identification and labelling remains a challenge, particularly when dealing with extinct species for which we lack direct knowledge of the brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, I review the Finnish palaeontologist Björn Kurtén's (1924–1988) views on human evolution, as he presented them in his books. In particular, I discuss Kurtén's controversial hypothesis of an ancient, Oligocene separation of the human and great ape evolutionary lineages. This hypothesis, which he argued for strongly in the early 1970s, was based mainly on the idea that the human dentition could not have evolved from an ape-like dentition. Kurtén thought that some of the fossil primates known at the time, especially Propliopithecus and Ramapithecus from the Oligocene and the Miocene, respectively, were plausible human ancestors because of their supposedly human-like dentitions. New lines of scientific evidence forced Kurtén to abandon his 'not from the apes' hypothesis in the 1980s. However, he continued to speak favourably of other minority views within palaeoanthropology, such as the so-called aquatic ape hypothesis, until the end of his life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Modular architecture of traits in complex organisms can be important for morphological evolution at micro‐ and sometimes macroevolutionary scales as it may influence the tempo and direction of changes to groups of traits that are essential for particular functions, including food acquisition and processing. We tested several distinct hypotheses about craniofacial modularity in the hominine skull in relation to feeding biomechanics. Materials and Methods: First, we formulated hypothesized functional modules for craniofacial traits reflecting specific demands of feeding biomechanics (e.g., masseter leverage/gape or tooth crown mechanics) in Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, and Gorilla gorilla. Then, the pattern and strength of modular signal was quantified by the covariance ratio coefficient and compared across groups using covariance ratio effect size. Hierarchical clustering analysis was then conducted to examine whether a priori‐defined functional modules correspond to empirically recovered clusters. Results: There was statistical support for most a priori‐defined functional modules in the cranium and half of the functional modules in the mandible. Modularity signal was similar in the cranium and mandible, and across the three taxa. Despite a similar strength of modularity, the empirically recovered clusters do not map perfectly onto our priori functional modules, indicating that further work is needed to refine our hypothesized functional modules. Conclusion: The results suggest that modular structure of traits in association with feeding biomechanics were mostly shared with humans and the two African apes. Thus, conserved patterns of functional modularity may have facilitated evolutionary changes to the skull during human evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1963, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) published the first volume of its long-awaited cultural and scientific history of mankind. First announced in 1948, the History of Mankind was envisioned as a comprehensive, universal human history, from the evolution of Homo sapiens to the middle of the twentieth century. This article uses editorial conflicts over the site of the cradle of the human species to explore the position of scientific knowledge in world history writing and to examine tensions between different national traditions of expertise at a moment of political and scientific transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Xanthomonas primarily comprises phytopathogenic species. By carrying out deep phylo-taxonogenomics, we recently reported that the genera Xylella, Stenotrophomonas, and Pseudoxanthomonas are misclassified and belong to the genus Xanthomonas. Considering the importance of Xanthomonas/Xylella as plant pathogens and to further determine the taxonomic and phylogenetic breadth of this genus, we extended our earlier study by including all the reported genera and families in the order. This investigation revealed that at least four more genera belong to the genus Xanthomonas, with a notable case being Lysobacter, after which the family and order are named. Similarly, our investigation also allowed us to reveal the expanded taxonomic breadth of the related genus Rhodanobacter. This finding of a major related genus that lacks plant pathogenic species will allow for taxonomy-based comparative studies. The phylo-taxonogenomic revelations were further supported by complete 16S rRNA-based sequence boundaries proposed for genus delineation. Accordingly, we propose a taxonomic revision of these major and closely related genera along with their constituent families within the order Lysobacteraceae (Xanthomonadaceae). The identification of a major related genus lacking plant pathogenic species will be important in investigating the origin and success of pathogenic species/lineages in the genus Xanthomonas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A skull of Hippopotamus recovered from the area of Tor di Quinto, within the urban area of Rome (central Italy) is here redescribed. Despite being one of the most complete specimens of hippopotamuses of the European Pleistocene, the Tor di Quinto skull did not attract much research interest, due to long-standing uncertainties on its provenance. This work begun in 2021, when the skull was restored, within a large renovation project on the vertebrate exposed at the Earth Science University Museum of Sapienza University of Rome. Original sediments were found inside the cranial and mandible cavities during the restoration work, which were sampled for petrographic analyses. By combining a review of the old paleontological, archeological and geological literature published during the 19th and 20th century on the Rome basin and the correlation of these new sedimentological and petrographic information with the lithostratigraphic and synthemic units of the national geological cartography, we clarify that the Hippopotamus skull was most likely to have been collected from a quarry called Cava Montanari, from a formation dated between 560 and 460 ka. Morphological and biometric analyses clearly support an attribution of the Cava Montanari specimen to the extant species Hippopotamus amphibius. The reassessment of the stratigraphic and geological data on Cava Montanari implies that the studied specimen is the earliest confirmed occurrence of Hippopotamus amphibius in the European fossil record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I first provide an overview of the Neandertals by recounting their initial discovery and subsequent interpretation by scientists and by discussing our current understanding of the temporal and geographic span of these hominins and their taxonomic affiliation. I then explore what progress we have made in our understanding of Neandertal lifeways and capabilities over the past decade in light of new technologies and changing perspectives. In the process, I consider whether these advances in knowledge qualify as so-called Black Swans, a term used in economics to describe events that are rare and unpredictable and have wide-ranging consequences, in this case for the field of paleoanthropology. Building on this discussion, I look at ongoing debates and focus on Neandertal extinction as a case study. By way of discussion and conclusion, I take a detailed look at why Neandertals continue to engender great interest, and indeed emotion, among scientists and the general public alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

De novo genes are genes that emerge as new genes in some species, such as primate de novo genes that emerge in certain primate species. Over the past decade, a great deal of research has been conducted regarding their emergence, origins, functions, and various attributes in different species, some of which have involved estimating the ages of de novo genes. However, limited by the number of species available for whole-genome sequencing, relatively few studies have focused specifically on the emergence time of primate de novo genes. Among those, even fewer investigate the association between primate gene emergence with environmental factors, such as paleoclimate (ancient climate) conditions. This study investigates the relationship between paleoclimate and human gene emergence at primate species divergence. Based on 32 available primate genome sequences, this study has revealed possible associations between temperature changes and the emergence of de novo primate genes. Overall, findings in this study are that de novo genes tended to emerge in the recent 13 MY when the temperature continues cooling, which is consistent with past findings. Furthermore, in the context of an overall trend of cooling temperature, new primate genes were more likely to emerge during local warming periods, where the warm temperature more closely resembled the environmental condition that preceded the cooling trend. Results also indicate that both primate de novo genes and human cancer-associated genes have later origins in comparison to random human genes. Future studies can be in-depth on understanding human de novo gene emergence from an environmental perspective as well as understanding species divergence from a gene emergence perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PALB2 (Partner and localizer of BRCA2) is crucial for repairing DNA double-stranded breaks (DSBs) through homologous recombination (HR). Germline pathogenic variation in PALB2 disrupts DNA damage repair and increases the risk of Fanconi Anemia, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer. Determination of the evolutionary origin of human PALB2 variants will promote a deeper understanding of the biological basis of PALB2 germline variation and its roles in human diseases. We tested the evolution origin for 1444 human PALB2 germline variants, including 484 pathogenic and 960 benign variants. We performed a phylogenic analysis by tracing the variants in 100 vertebrates. However, we found no evidence to show that cross-species conservation was the origin of PALB2 germline pathogenic variants, but it is indeed a rich source for PALB2 germline benign variants. We performed a paleoanthropological analysis by tracing the variants in over 5000 ancient humans. We identified 50 pathogenic in 71 ancient humans dated from 32,895 to 689 before the present, of which 90.1% were dated within the recent 10,000 years. PALB2 benign variants were also highly shared with ancient humans. Data from our study reveal that human PALB2 pathogenic variants mostly arose in recent human history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the controversy surrounding the claim that Homo naledi intentionally buried its dead, which was initially reported through preprints and media rather than peer-reviewed journals. Topics discussed include the criticism of the eLife publishing model, challenges in reproducing the study's findings, and the debate over the appropriate use of preprints in scientific communication.

This article refers to the debate between proponents of mono- and polygenism. After clearly defining these two positions in reference to the distinction between mono- and polyphyletism, it presents the scientific consensus in favor of polygenism as the default model of speciation. Taking this into account, the remaining part of the article concentrates on the monogenetic model of human speciation. Approaching this topic from the Aristotelian–Thomistic perspective, it delineates the three main theological arguments and one more scientifically grounded contention in favor of monogenism and offers a critical evaluation of Kenneth Kemp's contemporary model of theological monogenism grounded in biological polygenism. While viable, consistent, and remaining in line with the most recent paleoanthropology and human genetics, it needs to be cleared of its voluntaristic and dualistic undertones and reformulated in a way that avoids its implicit assumption of a metaphysically dubious substantial change taking place at the last step of the origin of Homo sapiens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We draw on the distribution of recorded archaeological sites, temporally diagnostic projectile points, sources of lithic raw materials, and fossil pollen projections to evaluate existing models for Early Holocene landscape use in the upper Tombigbee River valley (UTRV) in northeast Mississippi. We then discuss the applicability of Anderson and Hanson (1988), Daniel (2001), and Hollenbach (2009) in gaining a better understanding of early hunter-gatherer mobility and settlement in the region and discuss future directions for research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-time conservation palaeobiology uses palaeontological, archaeological and other geohistorical records to study the late Quaternary transition of the biosphere from its pristine past to its present-day, human-altered state. Given the scarcity of data on recent extinctions in the oceans, geohistorical records are critical for documenting human-driven extinctions and extinction threats in the marine realm. The historical perspective can provide two key insights. First, geohistorical records archive the state of pre-industrial oceans at local, regional and global scales, thus enabling the detection of recent extinctions and extirpations as well as shifts in species distribution, abundance, body size and ecosystemfunction. Second, we can untangle the contributions of natural and anthropogenic processes by documenting centennial-tomillennial changes in the composition and diversity of marine ecosystems before and after the onset of major human impacts. This long-term perspective identifies recently emerging patterns and processes that are unprecedented, thus allowing us to better assess human threats to marine biodiversity. Although global-scale extinctions are not well documented for brackish and marine invertebrates, geohistorical studies point to numerous extirpations, declines in ecosystem functions, increases in range fragmentation and dwindling abundance of previously widespread species, indicating that marine ecosystems are accumulating a human-driven extinction debt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the world-famous "four dry fruits", Walnut is the homology of medicine and food with high nutritional and medicinal value, which also offers human wood and the living environment. With extensive research on the archaeology of environment and plants, more and more walnut remains were excavated in archaeological sites and strata, providing us with first-hand material to learn the origin and long history of walnut. China is one of the origins of walnut, which can be shown in the discovery of walnut leaves, nut fossils, pollen and charred or non-charred remains. According to ancient codes and records about walnut utilization, China has a long history of walnut cultivation. Our smart and diligent predecessors accumulated rich experience of walnut utilization and created a splendid walnut culture. A further exploration of walnut history and culture has great practical significance to the development of walnut industry, income growth of farmers and the construction of beautiful new countryside in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most modern mammalian populations exhibit higher mortality at both ends of the age-at-death distribution. Yet our hominin ancestors reportedly do not exhibit this same distribution, with explanations ranging from predation to taphonomic causes. This paper compares mortality distributions of extant nonhuman primates to fossil hominins by applying the D0-14/D age-at-death estimation method. Using subadult and adult counts for four extinct hominin taxa, we fitted the hominin data to a modern human mortality curve, resulting in hypothetical mortality distributions. With the expectation that fossil hominin taxa likely fall somewhere on the continuum of nonhuman primate to human life histories, we compared the distributions to those of five extant catarrhine primate populations. Subadult mortality amongst the extinct hominin groups was typically within the range of that of extant nonhuman primate groups, and the previously reported high mortality amongst young and middle-aged adults in hominin assemblages may be explained by normal, multi-cause deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossils and artifacts from Herto, Ethiopia, include the most complete child and adult crania of early Homo sapiens. The endocranial cavities of the Herto individuals show that by 160,000 y ago, brain size, inferred from endocranial size, was similar to that seen in modern human populations. However, endocranial shape differed from ours. This gave rise to the hypothesis that the brain itself evolved substantially during the past ~200,000 y, possibly in tandem with the transition from Middle to Upper Paleolithic techno-cultures. However, it remains unclear whether evolutionary changes in endocranial shape mostly reflect changes in brain morphology rather than changes related to interaction with maxillofacial morphology. To discriminate between these effects, we make use of the ontogenetic fact that brain growth nearly ceases by the time the first permanent molars fully erupt, but the face and cranial base continue to grow until adulthood. Here we use morphometric data derived from digitally restored immature and adult H. sapiens fossils from Herto, Qafzeh, and Skhul (HQS) to track endocranial development in early H. sapiens. Until the completion of brain growth, endocasts of HQS children were similar in shape to those of modern human children. The similarly shaped endocasts of fossil and modern children indicate that our brains did not evolve substantially over the past 200,000 y. Differences between the endocranial shapes of modern and fossil H. sapiens adults developed only with continuing facial and basicranial growth, possibly reflecting substantial differences in masticatory and/or respiratory function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Studies of human fossils, and the DNA extracted from them, reveal a complex history of interbreeding between various human lineages over the last one hundred thousand years. Of particular interest is the nature of the population interactions between the Neandertals of Ice Age Europe and western Asia and the modern humans that eventually replaced them. Here, we used six measurements of the facial skeleton, in samples of Neandertal and early modern human fossils, in an exploratory study aimed at trying to identify geographic regions (from the Near East to western Europe) where interbreeding may have been prevalent enough to have left a signal in the facial morphology of the early modern humans of those regions. Although fossil sample sizes were in some cases very small, the results are consistent with the Near East having played an important role in the introduction of Neandertal genes into the genomes of living humans. Ancient DNA from, Neandertal and modern human fossils, and comparative morphological analyses of them, reveal a complex history of interbreeding between these lineages and the introgression of Neandertal genes into modern human genomes. Despite substantial increases in our knowledge of these events, the timing and geographic location of hybridization events remain unclear. Six measures of facial size and shape, from regional samples of Neandertals and early modern humans, were used in a multivariate exploratory analysis to try to identify regions in which early modern human facial morphology was more similar to that of Neandertals, which might thus represent regions of greater introgression of Neandertal genes. The results of canonical variates analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis suggest important affinities in facial morphology between both Middle and Upper Paleolithic early modern humans of the Near East with Neandertals, highlighting the importance of this region for interbreeding between the two lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most notable events in the history of palaeoanthropology was the description of 'Piltdown Man', a hoax that took 40 years to uncover. At the centre of this episode was Sir Arthur Smith Woodward, who was duped by the 'discoverer' and fossil forger, Charles Dawson. Smith Woodward never doubted the authenticity of this find and died before the dénouement of the Piltdown episode. His last major work was a summary of Piltdown Man and its associated 'science'. The Earliest Englishman is well‐written and crafted, and still is worthy of being read at the present day, 70 years since the forgery was exposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so-called "Altamura Man" is a Neanderthal skeleton found in 1993 in the Lamalunga karstic system (southern Italy). The skeleton, dated between 172 and 130 ka, still lies deep within a spectacular cave setting, partly embedded within speleothems and extensively covered by coralloid concretions. These peculiar location and conditions would entail major difficulties in excavating and preserving ex-situ this skeleton. Moreover, a decision-making impasse among the institutions involved complicates the problem. Yet, this specimen is one of the best preserved human fossils known. From 2016 to 2020 we conducted extensive in situ investigations of the specimen. Digital techniques and equipment specifically designed for or adapted to the difficult underground context were used in carrying out the most detailed assessment possible of the skeleton. The data thus collected provide an insight into human evolution in Europe, and a first glance at the amount of information this amazing specimen could provide. In this contribution, we want to update the information on the problematic context of Lamalunga, and address the innovative solutions put in place in 2016–2020 to study and preserve the Neanderthal skeleton in this fragile environment. • The so-called "Altamura Man" is one of the most complete Neanderthal fossils. • The site and condition of preservation have made the study problematic for decades. • New studies in situ allowed a better characterization of the fossil and its context. • We review what is currently known of the specimen and its site in southern Italy. • We also present some of the innovative methods used for the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origins of Homo, as well as the diversity and biogeographic distribution of early Homo species, remain critical outstanding issues in paleoanthropology. Debates about the recognition of early Homo, first appearance dates, and taxonomic diversity within Homo are particularly important for determining the role that southern African taxa may have played in the origins of the genus. The correct identification of Homo remains also has implications for reconstructing phylogenetic relationships between species of Australopithecus and Paranthropus, and the links between early Homo species and Homo erectus. We use microcomputed tomography and landmark-free deformationbased three-dimensional geometric morphometrics to extract taxonomically informative data from the internal structure of postcanine teeth attributed to Early Pleistocene Homo in the southern African hominin-bearing sites of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, Drimolen, and Kromdraai B. Our results indicate that, from our sample of 23 specimens, only 4 are unambiguously attributed to Homo, 3 of them coming from Swartkrans member 1 (SK 27, SK 847, and SKX 21204) and 1 from Sterkfontein (Sts 9). Three other specimens from Sterkfontein (StW 80 and 81, SE 1508, and StW 669) approximate the Homo condition in terms of overall enamel–dentine junction shape, but retain Australopithecus-like dental traits, and their generic status remains unclear. The other specimens, including SK 15, present a dominant australopith dental signature. In light of these results, previous dietary and ecological interpretations can be reevaluated, showing that the geochemical signal of one tooth from Kromdraai (KB 5223) and two from Swartkrans (SK 96 and SKX 268) is consistent with that of australopiths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preauricular sulcus (PS) appears as a parallel and adjacent groove in the coxae, inferior to the iliac auricular surface, is often cited as an indicator of female sex however its relationship to female skeletons and pregnancy/parturition is a controversial subject. Few studies are known to have tested PS on modern male and female skeletons and validated it with antemortem information. The aim of this study is to test the usability of PS in sex and pregnancy⁄parturition estimation in human skeletons and to contribute to related studies. In our study, a total of 132 right and left coxae belonging to 66 modern skeletons, consisting of 35 male individuals aged 14- 80 and 31 female individuals aged 14-79 (nulliparous/parous/multiparous), were macroscopically examined, and PS was morphologically divided into three categories and scored. The results of our study, which is a preliminary test, indicate that the absence of PS or being present and shallow is not useful in sex estimation, the absence of PS in women coxae or being present and shallow indicate the possibility of not having a pregnancy/parturition history, and wide and deep PS points to female coxae and closely related to pregnancy/parturition. In the further stage of this test, the number of materials will be increased and the usability of wide and deep PS in sex estimation and its relation with pregnancy⁄parturition in women coxae will be tested. The results of this test are important because of its contribution to population-specific studies on sex and pregnancy/parturition estimations on human skeletons, and being the first scientific study conducted on the Cyprus population on this subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age-at-death and sex estimation are considered among the essential parameters in osteobiography and represent the first stage of study in bioarchaeology, forensic anthropology and paleoanthropology. This review discusses the accuracy, reliability, and reproducibility of various methodological approaches in estimating important biological profile parameters based on adult skeletal remains. It emphasizes in various aspects the contribution of Vladimír Novotný for the development of current methods for studying the skeleton. The need for accurate and reliable morphological and metric methods is still necessary in the skeletal identification process despite the use of a molecular approach. The results of morphological, metric and other methods complement each other and are equivalent and unbiased if used correctly. The more frequent use of modern imaging techniques and geometric morphometric methods in anthropological research has facilitated the acquisition and revision of available population data. They also allow the development of robust methods applicable to individuals with unknown population affinity. Estimating age after death in adults is still a very difficult part of estimating the biological profile. Current age estimation methods can only estimate age accurately and reliably over very wide age intervals. The fact that these approaches are mostly based on a single skeletal indicator assessed visually or use an inappropriate statistical approach, does not contribute to improving this situation. For estimating sex, the DSP (Diagnose Sexuelle Probabiliste) method is becoming a valid method and widely used technique for estimating sex in terms of accuracy and reliability. Other methods using software programs facilitate the work of biological anthropologists in various areas of research and practice. This article evaluates the current development of age and sex estimation methods and considers possible future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than a decade of exacting scientific research involving paleontological fragments and ancient DNA has lately produced a series of pronouncements about a purportedly novel population of archaic hominins dubbed "the Denisova." The science involved in these matters is both technically stunning and, socially, at times a bit reckless. Here I discuss the responsibilities which scientists incur when they make inductively risky pronouncements about the different relative contributions by Denisovans to genomes of members of apparent subpopulations of current humans (i.e., the so-called "races"). This science is sensational: it is science which empirically speculates, to the public delight's and entertainment, about scintillating topics such as when humans evolved, where we came from, and who else we were having sex with during our early hominin history. An initial characterization of sensational science emerges from my discussion of the case, as well as a diagnosis of an interactive phenomenon termed amplified inductive risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in neurobiology, paleontology, and paleogenetics allow us to associate changes in brain size and organization with threemain "moments" of increased behavioral complexity and, more speculatively, language development. First, Australopiths display a significant increase in brain size relative to the great apes and an incipient extension of postnatal brain development. However, their cortical organization remains essentially similar to that of apes. Second, over the last 2 My, with two notable exceptions, brain size increases dramatically, partly in relation to changes in body size. Differential enlargements and reorganizations of cortical areas lay the foundation for the "language-ready" brain and cumulative culture of later Homo species. Third, in Homo sapiens, brain size remains fairly stable over the last 300,000 years but an important cerebral reorganization takes place. It affects the frontal and temporal lobes, the parietal areas and the cerebellum and resulted in a more globular shape of the brain. These changes are associated, among others, with an increased development of long-distance--horizontal--connections. A few regulatory genetic events took place in the course of this hominization process with, in particular, enhanced neuronal proliferation and global brain connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overview: Video games are unparalleled as an interactive medium and can serve as potential educational tools through intelligent game design and the players' immersion in the game world (e.g., Mayo 2009; Rassalle 2021; Rubio-Campillo 2020; Winter 2021). At the same time, video games, like any media, might also misinform (e.g., Aron 2020; Dennis 2019; Emery and Reinhard 2016). In this review, I present my impressions of the game Ancestors: A Humankind Odyssey (Panache Digital Games 2019), specifically regarding its portrayal of paleoanthropological themes. In preparing this review, I played the game in its entirety and subsequently interviewed the developers in order to clarify their intentions when designing the game (Patrice Désilets and Marc-André De Blois, personal communication 2021). Using the medium of video games, is it possible to make a "perfectly" accurate simulation of human evolution? Perhaps, but that may not matter anyway. In my view, video games, as exemplified by Ancestors, have great potential for exploring the basic components of human evolution and to reach and inspire a wider public that might otherwise learn very little about the subject matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To explore mandibular shape differences between Ouranopithecus macedoniensis and a comparative sample of extant great apes using three‐dimensional (3D) geometrics morphometrics. Other objectives are to assess mandibular shape variation and homogeneity within Ouranopithecus, explore the effects of size on mandibular shape, and explore the degree of mandibular sexual size dimorphism in Ouranopithecus. Materials and methods: The comparative sample comprises digitized mandibles from adult extant great apes. The 3D analysis includes three datasets: one with landmarks registered on the mandibular corpus and symphysis of mandibles preserving both sides, one on hemimandibles only, and one focused on the ramus and gonial area. Multivariate statistical analyses were conducted, such as ordination analyses (PCA), intra‐specific Procrustes distances pairs, pairwise male–female centroid size differences, and correlation analyses. Results: The male and female specimens of Ouranopithecus have mandibular shapes that are quite similar, although differences exist. The Procrustes distances results suggest more shape variation in Ouranopithecus than in the extant great apes. Ouranopithecus shows some similarities in mandibular shape to the larger great apes, Gorilla and Pongo. Moreover, the degree of sexual dimorphism in the small Ouranopithecus sample is greater than any of the great apes. Based on our correlation analyses of principal components (PC) with size, some PCs are significantly correlated with size, with correlation varying from moderate to substantial. Discussion: This study attempted to understand better the variation within the mandibles of O. macedoniensis and the expression of sexual dimorphism in this taxon in more detail than has been done previously. The overall mandibular morphology of Ouranopithecus shows some similarities to those of the larger great apes, which likely reflects similarities in size. Compared to Gorilla and Pongo, O. macedoniensis shows an elevated degree of morphological variation, although limitations relating to sample size apply. Sexual dimorphism in the mandibles of O. macedoniensis appears to be relatively high, seemingly greater than in Gorilla and high even in comparison to Pongo, but this again is possibly in part an artifact of a small sample size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The story of human history was changed forever in 1863 with William King's proposal that we had not always been the sole members of the Homo genus. Yet, more than 150 years after Homo neanderthalensis was first named and then summarized in the pages of The Anthropological Review, the man responsible for this revolutionary announcement is poorly known in the field of palaeoanthropology today. Following the sesquicentennial anniversary of this seminal event in 2013, a timely reappraisal is given of King's reputation, legacy, and work within the intellectual vortex of his time. [Neanderthals, human evolution, history of paleoanthropology, William King] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: One of the most contentious issues in paleoanthropology is the nature of the last common ancestor of humans and our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos (panins). The numerical composition of the vertebral column has featured prominently, with multiple models predicting distinct patterns of evolution and contexts from which bipedalism evolved. Here, we study total numbers of vertebrae from a large sample of hominoids to quantify variation in and patterns of regional and total numbers of vertebrae in hominoids. Materials and Methods: We compile and study a large sample (N = 893) of hominoid vertebral formulae (numbers of cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, caudal segments in each specimen) and analyze full vertebral formulae, total numbers of vertebrae, and super‐regional numbers of vertebrae: presacral (cervical, thoracic, lumbar) vertebrae and sacrococcygeal vertebrae. We quantify within‐ and between‐taxon variation using heterogeneity and similarity measures derived from population genetics. Results: We find that humans are most similar to African apes in total and super‐regional numbers of vertebrae. Additionally, our analyses demonstrate that selection for bipedalism reduced variation in numbers of vertebrae relative to other hominoids. Discussion: The only proposed ancestral vertebral configuration for the last common ancestor of hominins and panins that is consistent with our results is the modal formula demonstrated by chimpanzees and bonobos (7 cervical‐13 thoracic‐4 lumbar‐6 sacral‐3 coccygeal). Hox gene expression boundaries suggest that a rostral shift in Hox10/Hox11‐mediated complexes could produce the human modal formula from the proposal ancestral and panin modal formula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review the state of paleoanthropology research in Asia. We survey the fossil record, articulate the current understanding, and delineate the points of contention. Although Asia received less attention than Europe and Africa did in the second half of the twentieth century, an increase in reliably dated fossil materials and the advances in genetics have fueled new research. The long and complex evolutionary history of humans in Asia throughout the Pleistocene can be explained by a balance of mechanisms, between gene flow among different populations and continuity of regional ancestry. This pattern is reflected in fossil morphology and paleogenomics. Critical understanding of the sociocultural forces that shaped the history of hominin fossil research in Asia is important in charting the way forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern human dispersal to Asia is drawing more researchers' attention as more Asian records become available in archaeology, paleoanthropology and genetics. The ecocultural range expansion model, based on ecological competition between archaic and modern humans and on a population-culture feedback loop, predicts two types of modern human range expansion, namely the first wave and the second wave. This 'two-wave model' has been applied to dispersal from the Levant to Europe. Here, in order to apply this model to dispersal in Asia, we modify the model to allow multiple origins of 'high culture', which is defined as something that increases carrying capacity and corresponds to the Early Upper Paleolithic in context of Europe. Comparing with empirical records, we suggest that the multiple-origin model explains dispersal to North Asia better than the single-origin model. As for dispersal to South-Southeast Asia and Wallacea, we propose forest or maritime adaptations as 'skills' of the model. We will discuss how empirical records can be interpreted, including pre- and post-50 ka dispersal hypotheses, if we adopt the ecocultural model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A central goal of paleoanthropology is understanding the role of ecological change in hominin evolution. Over the past several decades researchers have expanded the hominin fossil record and assembled detailed late Cenozoic paleoclimatic, paleoenvironmental, and paleoecological archives. However, effective use of these data is precluded by the limitations of pattern-matching strategies for inferring causal relationships between ecological and evolutionary change. We examine several obstacles that have hindered progress, and highlight recent research that is addressing them by (i) confronting an incomplete fossil record, (ii) contending with datasets spanning varied spatiotemporal scales, and (iii) using theoretical frameworks to build stronger inferences. Expanding on this work promises to transform challenges into opportunities and set the stage for a new phase of paleoanthropological research. Research aiming to understand the role of ecological change in hominin evolution has fueled the generation of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental records across Africa. Limitations of conventional methods for inferring ecology–evolution relationships mean that more data have not always led to a deeper understanding of hominin evolution. We outline several challenges that have hindered progress, and highlight how recent research is addressing them. This research is confronting the limitations of the fossil record, contending with proxy records spanning a range of spatiotemporal scales, and providing a stronger inferential approach to hypothesis testing. Addressing the obstacles that have hindered progress will enable a more robust understanding of the relationships between ecological change and hominin evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable methods are needed to distinguish anthropogenic from non-anthropogenic causes of proboscidean limb bone breakage in fossil assemblages because of theoretical uncertainty about human-proboscidean relationships in the Pleistocene. This paper compares experimentally broken bones of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) and mammoths (Mammuthus spp.) after establishing that limb bone fracture dynamics are the same for those proboscidean taxa. We show that features thought exclusively diagnostic of percussive fracturing of green proboscidean long bones such as notched fracture edges, smooth fracture surfaces, and curvilinear fracture outlines also can be created on non-green bones and on bones affected by non-anthropogenic processes. The information reported here can be applied in analyses or re-analyses of fossil proboscidean bone assemblages and may either support or potentially alter current interpretations of hominin behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In stone artefact studies, researchers often rely on qualitative classifications to describe flake scar arrangements on cores. While this approach provides a broad overview of core reduction patterns, its application can be ambiguous due to the three-dimensional complexities of core geometry and the subjective nature of qualitative classifications, making it challenging to objectively compare flake scar patterning across different analytical settings. In this study, we present a new approach to quantify one aspect of flake scar arrangement on cores: the three-dimensional orientation of core scar negatives. Using standardised digital and experimentally flintknapped cores, we demonstrate that statistical techniques from fabric analysis can quantitatively characterise the scar orientation profile of cores. Importantly, this method is able to reveal variations in the flake scar arrangements of informal cores, such as multiplatform cores. When applied to a sample of multiplatform cores from the Homo floresiensis type-site of Liang Bua in Indonesia, we identify differences in flake scar orientation between cores made by Homo floresiensis and those manufactured by modern humans who utilised the site after the disappearance of the extinct hominin. This finding suggests a possible divergence in stone knapping practices between the two hominin taxa at Liang Bua. Overall, our research provides a new quantitative approach to gain new insights into hominin technological behaviour through stone artefact analysis. It also highlights the potential of 3D analysis for advancing the field of archaeological lithic research. • A new method for quantifying the 3D orientation of flake scars on cores. • Major core types can be differentiated on the basis of flake scar orientation data. • Effective in characterising scar pattern variability among multiplatform cores. • Detected scar orientation differences at the Homo floresiensis site of Liang Bua. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article enters the anthropological materials from warrior burials of the Qarashamb burial ground. Monument are in the territory of the Kotayk province of Armenia. The article provides a comprehensive analysis within the framework of integrative anthropology and represents itself consolidation of two of it such sections as physical anthropology and paleopathology. When describing and diagnosing pathological changes, a macroscopic method of research was used. The analysis showed that individuals has features of the southern-european type. According to the average modulus of the crown, the individuals shows evidence of microdontism. Based on osteometric characteristics, individuals were characterized by medium height and strong physique. The specificity of the development of musculoskeletal relief is associated with horse riding. The osteological evidence suggests that these - warrior burials were more likely status symbols, since the remains do not exhibit any battle related ante- or perimortem trauma. The lifetime general state of health of individuals can be characterized as healthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]