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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]

The Pliocene was a period of major faunal shift in India as older primate lineages slowly went extinct, leaving the niches vacant for cercopithecoids, specifically cercopithecids (Old World monkeys), to occupy. Among them, Presbytis sivalensis, Macaca palaeindica and Procynocephalus subhimalayanus are important, as they are potential kin to many of the South Asian and Southeast Asian monkeys living today. Further in the Pleistocene, as ecology shifted to a more grassland environment, primates such as Theropithecus delsoni and the first people of Homo sp. migrated into the subcontinent and occupied central India. All of these primate fossils are known only from a handful of fragmentary fossil remains. This article aims to discuss the discovery of fossils and the nature of these fossils from the Pliocene and the Pleistocene. Information regarding the phylogenetic affinities of these fossil primates is sporadic as well. There is a need to learn more about these primates by reanalysing existing discoveries and conducting further research into the lives of these primates of a bygone era. Such research, using modern tools and methods, will surely make significant contributions to palaeoanthropology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ–skeleton relationships are understudied in biological anthropology. The torso skeleton is often used to infer the organ size and evolution in hominins; ribcage "types", in particular, are used to infer the abdominal organ size in hominins. This study is a quantitative examination of the relationship between the lower ribcage and two organs: the liver and the intestines ("gut") in humans. Specifically, we test whether the ribcage breadth, shape, and "flare", at the level of rib 10, covaries with the liver volume and gut volume in Homo sapiens. Liver size, gut size, and ribcage measurements are taken from CT scans (N = 61). The results show sex differences in the gut–ribcage relationship. The gut volume is associated with ribcage breadth and flare in both sexes. The liver volume is not associated with any ribcage measurements. We conclude that sex differences in the organ–skeleton relationship complicate the previous simplistic view that the size of the liver or the gut could be inferred through a fossil's ribcage type. Biological anthropologists should continue to explore sex differences in organ–skeleton relationships, when attempting to understand the evolution of visceral organs and the torso. [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]

В 2018—2019 гг. на памятнике Самсы в Шу-Илейском междуречье раскопано пять курганов тюркского времени (VIII—X вв.). Всего изучено семь погребений: в четырех курганах обнаружены единичные катакомбные (№1, 3) и подбойные погребения с конем (№ 4, 17). В ещё одном кургане (№ 2) вскрыто два подбойных захоронения, совершённых по мусульманскому обычаю (VIII—X вв.) и одно позднее впускное. В первом захоронении (кург. 2) найдено довольно редкое бронзовое зеркало, ближайшие аналогии которому происходят с территории Тянь-Шаня и Согда. Результаты радиоуглеродного анализа, полученные находки и характер погребального обряда позволяют датировать курганы VIII—X вв. На основе краниологического анализа делается вывод о неоднородности населения, оставившего данный могильник. В серии присутствуют черепа, в облике которых фиксируются как европеоидные, так и монголоидные признаки. Особенности остеологической конституции позволяют отметить, что исследованные посткраниуумы, в целом, характеризуются «степным» морфологическим вариантом сложения. Различия в погребальных обрядах и физическом облике погребённых свидетельствуют об активных процессах смешивания монголоидного и европеоидного компонентов местных и пришлых этнических групп. Полученные данные дают информацию о разнотипном антропологическом составе людей, погребённых на памятнике Самсы, и их связях на основе погребального инвентаря с населением Тянь-Шаня, Согда и Тохаристана. Разнотипность антропологического состава тюрков связана с их смешиванием с представителями иных расовых типов на пути своего распространения, что подтверждается в работах других исследователей.

Based on paleogenetic analysis of anthropological remains from Denisova Cave in Altai Mountains, a previously unknown population of fossil people, the Denisovans, was discovered, and a complex picture of their interaction with Neanderthals was established. Currently, 17 skeletal remains of Paleolithic hominins discovered in the cave have been identified, and fragments of ancient human DNA have been isolated from its Pleistocene deposits. This work is devoted to the characteristics of the Denisova Cave inhabitants based on a comprehensive analysis of currently known paleoanthropological and paleogenetic data. We show that the oldest human remains in Altai were found in the basal deposits of the Denisova Cave. They belong to the Denisovans, hominins that share a common ancestor with Neanderthals but a different population history. The lower culture-bearing layers with finds from the initial stage of the Middle Paleolithic contain fragments of genomes that differ from the Denisovan genomes from the overlying sediments, indicating the existence of two different populations of Denisovans. The earliest evidence of the appearance of Neanderthals in Altai was also found in Denisova Cave. A complete genome sequence was isolated from the phalanx of the foot, which received the conditional name Altai Neanderthal. Between the populations of Neanderthals and Denisovans in Altai, there was a regular exchange of genetic material.

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]

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.

In 1993 in Altamura (BA), Lamalunga Cave, a cultural site of exceptional interest was found, as it preserved the remains of the most archaic and complete Neanderthal known dating from ca. 150,000 years ago, as well as several hundred animal remains framed at ca. 40,000 years ago. In 2023 the Superintendence ABAP of Bari has implemented a new approach to the analysis and conservation of the site with transdisciplinary character. The Charter of Venice becomes a pivotal element in approaching the preservation of a complex, multi-faceted cultural heritage that has its roots in the deep time of prehistory. We are adopting traditional methods of archaeological research, but also innovative ones, such as microbiological and biomolecular, as well as technological-instrumental as high-resolution 3D surveys with attached XR project aimed at creating a digital twin to remotely increase the search on the site and, at the same time, the use of property not currently accessible to the public. [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]

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This study presents the results of a classic physical anthropological and paleopathological study of the early medieval human bone material from the Himod-Káposztáskertek site. A smaller part of the graves can be dated to the ninth century but the majority of graves dates to the tenth–eleventh century. Since the possibility of population continuity was raised, the archaeological data related to the question were also reviewed (with special emphasis on the typology of a knife found in Grave 68), with the intent of seeing whether the anthropological data supported this hypothesis. Both samples represent only a small number of cases and the remains are poorly preserved. The ninth century series especially provided very little data, ultimately making comparison impossible. The remains of 25 individuals were found in the Carolingian cemetery section: childburials number 15, the juvenile age group is not represented by any skeletons, there are ten adult burials (4 males, 5 females, 1 of undeterminable sex). The skeletons from 87 individuals were excavated from the tenth–eleventh century section of the cemetery, of which 25 were children, 5 were juveniles, and 57 were adults (29 males, 28 females). For both men and women, people of tall stature form the majority; male skulls are characterized by large absolute dimensions, mainly a broad forehead and a broad face. Fractures, degenerative changes of the spine and extravertebral joints (especially the elbow joint) were common. Tuberculosis infection was suspected in the case of one individual. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease with bilateral involvement and a rare developmental disorder, congenital scoliosis, occurred in the material as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The philosophy of cognitive paleoanthropology involves three related tasks: (1) asking what inferences might be drawn from the paleontological and archaeological records to past cognition, behavior and culture; (2) constructing synthetic accounts of the evolution of distinctive hominin capacities; (3) exploring how results from cognitive paleoanthropology might inform philosophy. We introduce some distinctive cognitive paleoanthropological inferences and discuss their epistemic standing, before considering how attention to the material records and the practice of paleoanthropology can inform and transform philosophical approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human evolution is a topic that is largely excluded from K-12 classrooms for a variety of reasons, including the inability, unwillingness, or lack of preparedness of educators to teach a topic that has been seen as controversial. This study explored how engagement in professional development infused with 3D printing and ways of knowing discussion influenced science teachers' self-efficacy for teaching human evolution. The professional development opportunity was designed to empower teachers and provide them with the tools necessary to incorporate human evolution into their curriculum. During this workshop, participants learned about paleontology and human origins, spoke with professional paleoanthropologists, discussed implementation strategies with evolution educators, and developed lesson plans centered around human evolution. To explore the role of this professional development on teachers' self-efficacy and perceptions of the teaching of evolution, we used a previously validated survey that was employed in the pre-test and post-test format and semi-structured focus group interviews. Results: The results of this study indicate that the workshop positively impacted teacher perceptions of the teaching of evolution with significant improvements on two of the three tested factors and the third factor almost reaching significance. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate that a three-day workshop can successfully impact teachers' perception dof the teaching of evolution and, in turn, increase the implementation of human evolution in K-12 classrooms. By specifically structuring the workshop content in a way that addressed many of the previously indicated obstacles in teaching evolution, we were able to positively impact educators and provide them with the information and tools necessary to add human evolution into their curricula. [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 history of North Africa has been always tightly connected to events occurring in Eurasia. Human migrations in both directions are well-documented in written sources and archaeological records. To gain a comprehensive understanding of historical processes, it is essential to study the remains of individuals who inhabited this region during various time periods. A lack of cranial metric data on the Medieval population of North Africa impedes thorough investigation of the population history of the region. This paper presents a craniometric study of the sample from the Southern necropolis at Deraheib. This study contributes to filling the existing void in the understanding of the Medieval population of North Africa. According to written sources, the site was a center of gold mining, known as the city of al-Allaki, dated to the 9th to 15th centuries AD. The city attracted a diverse population seeking economic opportunities. Besides this, Al-Allaki served as an important point on the caravan route which was utilized by merchants and pilgrims traversing the Nubian Desert on their way to Jeddah. The study analyzes cranial metrics of a total of 23 individuals (14 male and 9 female) skulls recovered from the southern necropolis Deraheib sample and employs 55 linear dimensions, following Martin's/Howells craniometric protocol as well as some additional measurements. Statistical analyses were performed using the R language packages and the Multican software. Our results revealed heterogeneity of the sample in male and female parts of the sample at the intragroup level: an observation aligning with existing archaeological and historical evidence. The limited size of the sample warns against any firm conclusions regarding affinities of the Deraheib population. Our intergroup comparison has shown that the cranial sample from the Southern Necropolis of the Deraheib site displays morphological features that are more similar to neighboring Caucasoid populations rather than equatorial groups from East Africa.

The article deals with the paleoanthropological analysis of the skeletons unearthed from the Myntobe necropolis and dated to the II – IV centuries AD. Myntobe necropolis is located 2 km south of Gani Muratbayev village in the Keles district of Turkestan province. The burial ground consists of more than 600 randomly located mounds of various sizes. All mounds have a dirt embankment. Archaeological excavations were carried out at the burial ground in 2017 and 2022, as a result of which burials in the catacombs and naus were unearthed. An analysis of the burial tradition and recovered material allows researchers to speak about the belonging of these burials to the Kangli tribes. Since the burials date back to the Kangli period, the theoretical part reveals the issues of the location and political structure of the tribes and, most importantly, the determination of the paleopathology of the Myntobints by conducting a macroscopic analysis of the discovered skeletons. The results of the analysis allowed for drawing preliminary conclusions about lifestyle, social life, and nutritional status. When writing the theoretical part of the article, electronic textbooks and resources from the book fund of the National Library of Kazakhstan and the library of the International Kazakh-Turkish University named after Kozh Ahmet Yasawi were used. In total, 9 skeletons were selected for paleoanthropological and paleopathological analysis, from mounds No. 3, No. 6, and No. 7. Paleoanthropological reasoning in the main section is written on the basis of materials in Turkish and English from the collections of Turkish libraries. The skeletons found were analyzed macroscopically and many diseases were identified, such as osteoarthritis (joint deformity), osteopathy, ankylosing spondylitis, heel spurs, thickening of the cranial bone, and deformity of the mandibular joint. Preliminary conclusions about the paleopathology of the discovered skeletons are made.

The paper deals with the result of the theoretical and methodological research of scientific publications, dedicated to the paleoanthropological study of the Middle Bronze Age population of the Volga-Don steppes. The results of the analysis made it possible to establish the next: the methodological principles, prevailing in anthropological science, largely determined the specifics and conclusions of the research. In accordance with this, periodization of the historiography of the Catacomb culture of the Lower Volga region and adjacent territories was proposed, which includes two stages: morphotypological (1948–1964) and population-genetic (from 1964 to the present). The contribution of the Moscow and Leningrad anthropological schools to the development of the issues was evaluated. The works of Moscow anthropologists solved a dual problem: factual and methodological. The studies of Leningrad scientists were aimed at systematizing the material and developing issues of ethnic genesis. Analysis of modern historiography allowed us to identify the main trends in the study of the Catacomb culture. The methods of paleodemography, paleoecology, paleogenetics, etc. became an integral part of paleoanthropological studies. The basis of modern research remains the population-genetic race concept and the comprehensive study of anthropological material.

The article presents the results of osteometric research of small groups from the Permian Kama region, attributed to the period of Russian colonization (XVI–XVIII centuries). Mainly three groups are compared (the population of Solikamsk, the first settlers at the Yegoshikha copper-smelter works, the Pyskor monastery dwellers). Also, paleoanthropological data on the medieval population and somatological studies of the XIX–XX centuries in the Upper Kama region are used to compare body length. There is an extremely shortish and gracile "solikamsk" group with a feebly marked bone relief and low gender dimorphism of the skeleton. The specificity of this group is seen both in the absolute size of the postcranial skeleton long bones, and in some combined osteometric features: osteological lengths of hands and legs, a conditional index of the skeleton size, reconstructed body length, etc. The average body length of the representatives of the other groups (men) falls within the range of 161–164 cm.

An uncritical reliance on the phylogenetic species concept has led paleoanthropologists to become increasingly typological in their delimitation of new species in the hominin fossil record. As a practical matter, this approach identifies species as diagnosably distinct groups of fossils that share a unique suite of morphological characters but, ontologically, a species is a metapopulation lineage segment that extends from initial divergence to eventual extinction or subsequent speciation. Working from first principles of species concept theory, it is clear that a reliance on morphological diagnosabilty will systematically overestimate species diversity in the fossil record; because morphology can evolve within a lineage segment, it follows that early and late populations of the same species can be diagnosably distinct from each other. We suggest that a combination of morphology and chronology provides a more robust test of the single‐species null hypothesis than morphology alone. [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]

This paper addresses the crucial question of the structuring of scientific Notions for the purpose of their proper teaching/acquisition. It aims to demonstrate that non-taxonomic structures, derived from the systematic lexicographic definition of terminological lexical units, can be rigorously constructed and are adequate for implementing a non-isolationist approach to terminology modeling: one that embeds the description of terminological units within a more global model of the general lexicon. Using theoretical and descriptive principles of Explanatory Combinatorial Lexicology and the lexicography of lexical networks known as Lexical Systems, we apply our approach to the core terminology of chemistry and chemistry-related environmental terminology. This allows us to propose Notion building road maps for three languages—English, French and Russian—that can be used as guides for the teaching/acquisition of chemistry Notions. Additionally, exploiting the special case of the noun carbon—which pertains to chemistry, environmental science and, even, general language—we demonstrate the potential of our non-isolationist approach for interfacing distinct sectors of terminological knowledge. [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]

Abstract Sahelanthropus tchadensis has raised much debate since its initial discovery in Chad in 2001, given its controversial classification as the earliest representative of the hominin lineage. This debate extends beyond the phylogenetic position of the species, and includes several aspects of its habitual behavior, especially in what regards its locomotion. The combination of ancestral and derived traits observed in the fossils associated with the species has been used to defend different hypotheses related to its relationship to hominins. Here, the cranial morphology of Sahelanthropus tchadensis was assessed through 16 linear craniometric measurements, and compared to great apes and hominins through Principal Component Analysis based on size and shape and shape information alone. The results show that S. tchadensis share stronger morphological affinities with hominins than with apes for both the analysis that include size information and the one that evaluates shape alone. Since TM 266-01-060-1 shows a strong morphological affinity with the remaining hominins represented in the analysis, our results support the initial interpretations that S. tchadensis represents an early specimen of our lineage or a stem basal lineage more closely related to hominins than to Panini.

The article presents paleoanthropological materials from the early period of the functioning of the Berel burial mound Pazyryk culture. The monument is located in Altai (Republic of Kazakhstan). The author presents craniological, odontological data and evidence of post-mortem manipulations with the bones of individuals from large mounds that belonged to people of high social status. The physical characteristics of the population represented in the burial mound find analogies both in the Pazyryk culture and among the population of the Saka cultures of Central Asia. The presence of a female skull with a Mongoloid appearance in mound 16 confirms already existing ideas about the participation of individuals with an eastern, Mongoloid appearance in the full life of the Pazyryk community. Post-mortem manipulations with bodies, traces of which are recorded on the skeletal remains of persons of high social status at the Berel burial mound, significantly complement the database for understanding the nuances of burial traditions associated with the artificial mummification of bodies. Farewell ceremonies in a nomadic lifestyle are not always possible in a short time. It can be assumed that the mummification of bodies was a preparatory stage for a complex and lengthy process of farewell traditions before the burial of the body in an arid climate.

The work contains the results of a comprehensive archaeological and paleoanthropological analysis of unique materials which were received at the beginning of the 20th century by the Kuban Museum (now the Krasnodar Territory Krasnodar State Historical and Archaeological Museum-Reserve named after E.D. Felitsyn): fragments of the upholstery of a copper coffin, bronze parts of a saber sheath, iron arrowheads, a wooden comb, and an almost complete skeleton of a buried young man 25-35 years. This miraculously preserved collection comes from a predatory excavation of an underground military entombment next to the modern city of Krymsk. The grave goods, and the closest analogies to the finds and features of the burial rite, undoubtedly indicate the elite nature of the burial and allow us to date the complex to the second half of the 14th century. The analysis using the principal component method showed us a high similarity of the buried skull with materials which were found in the burials of the Aushedz, Karras and Glebovka entombments. This can indicate that the skull belonged to the sedentary population of the North-Western Caucasus – the direct ancestors of the modern Circassians or Abazas. The marks left by arrowheads on the vertebrae and the inside of the rib let us suggest that these injuries were the cause of the warrior’s death.

This article discusses the evolution of human bipedalism and its connection to anatomical variation in modern humans and our close relatives. It explores the musculoskeletal adaptations of early hominins and the factors that influenced the development of bipedalism, such as subsistence economy, choice of footwear, and biological factors. The article also examines the role of age-related changes in bone density and the scaling patterns of muscles in ape locomotor behaviors. Additionally, it discusses the impact of activity levels, footwear, and sedentary lifestyles on the morphology of foot bones. The research topic includes 10 peer-reviewed original research articles that contribute to our understanding of bipedalism. The article emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of studying bipedalism and endorses a pluralistic approach to research. [Extracted from the article]

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]

Copyright of Theology & Morality / Teologia I Moralmosc is the property of Uniwersytetu im. Adama Mickiewicza (IH UAM) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Animals collect and process the information they need to survive and reproduce. The means by which they process information is through the capacity of intelligence, which is in turn a function of the brain, its morphology, size, organization, and cytoarchitecture. While the internal organization and cellular interconnectivity of the brains of fossilized animals are invisible to paleontologists, the size and surface morphology of the brain are sometimes preserved, usually only in part, in the form of endocasts (casts, either natural or artificial, of the inside of the brain case). This broad survey of the evolution of intelligence in primates as interpreted from the fossil record of endocasts is primarily focused on the lineages that inform us more directly about the evolutionary events leading to the origin of human intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ensaio: Avaliação e Políticas Públicas em Educação is the property of Ensaio: Avaliacao e Politicas Publicas em Educacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is a rare and endemic species in China. The population of golden snub-nosed monkeys in Sichuan Province has an isolated genetic status, large population size, and low genetic diversity, making it highly vulnerable to environmental changes. Our study aimed to evaluate the potential impact of climate and land-use changes on the distribution and dispersal paths of the species in Sichuan Province. We used three general circulation models (GCMs), three greenhouse gas emission scenarios, and three land-use change scenarios suitable for China to predict the potential distributions of the golden snub-nosed monkey in the current and 2070s using the MaxEnt model. The dispersal paths were identified by the circuit theory. Our results suggested that the habitats of the golden snub-nosed monkey were reduced under all three GCM scenarios. The suitable habitats for the golden snub-nosed monkey would be reduced by 82.67%, 82.47%, and 75.17% under the RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5 scenarios, respectively, compared to the currently suitable habitat area. Additionally, we found that the density of future dispersal paths of golden snub-nosed monkeys would decrease, and the dispersal resistance would increase. Therefore, relevant wildlife protection agencies should prioritize the climatically suitable distributions and key dispersal paths of golden snub-nosed monkeys to improve their conservation. We identified key areas for habitat preservation and increased habitat connectivity under climate change, which could serve as a reference for future adaptation strategies. [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]

Accelerometers are powerful tools for behavioral ecologists studying wild animals, particularly species that are difficult to observe due to their cryptic nature or dense or difficult to access habitats. Using a supervised approach, e.g., by observing in detail with a detailed ethogram the behavior of an individual wearing an accelerometer, to train a machine learning algorithm and the accelerometer data of one individual from a wild population of Javan slow lorises (Nycticebus javanicus), we applied a Random Forest model (RFM) to classify specific behaviors and posture or movement modifiers automatically. We predicted RFM would identify simple behaviors such as resting with the greatest accuracy while more complex behaviors such as feeding and locomotion would be identified with lower accuracy. Indeed, resting behaviors were identified with a mean accuracy of 99.16% while feeding behaviors were identified with a mean accuracy of 94.88% and locomotor behaviors with 85.54%. The model identified a total of 21 distinct combinations of six behaviors and 18 postural or movement modifiers in this dataset showing that RFMs are effective as a supervised approach to classifying accelerometer data. The methods used in this study can serve as guidelines for future research for slow lorises and other ecologically similar wild mammals. These results are encouraging and have important implications for understanding wildlife responses and resistance to global climate change, anthropogenic environmental modification and destruction, and other pressures. [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]

Animals collect and process the information they need to survive and reproduce. The means by which they process information is through the capacity of intelligence, which is in turn a function of the brain, its morphology, size, organization, and cytoarchitecture. While the internal organization and cellular interconnectivity of the brains of fossilized animals are invisible to paleontologists, the size and surface morphology of the brain are sometimes preserved, usually only in part, in the form of endocasts (casts, either natural or artificial, of the inside of the brain case). This broad survey of the evolution of intelligence in primates as interpreted from the fossil record of endocasts is primarily focused on the lineages that inform us more directly about the evolutionary events leading to the origin of human intelligence.

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]

The sustainable development goals regard improving agricultural production efficiency (APE) as the main method to solve food security problems. Based on the geographical cognition, combined with the functional positioning, we used meta semi‐parametric linear programming and spatial convergence models to analyze the spatiotemporal convergence characteristics of APE in the Yangtze River Economic Belt from 2000 to 2020. The results show that (1) under the framework of metafrontier analysis, the APE increases while maintaining an olive‐shaped stable structure of "sharp at both ends and wide in the middle"; (2) the efficiencies in agricultural production areas and the middle reaches has obviously declined compared with that of non‐agricultural production areas; and (3) non‐spatial factors and spatial factors jointly drive the convergence. The research results can provide references for clarifying the evolution law of regional agriculture and formulating differentiation macro policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On Human and other Apes of the kind: Darwinism, Paleoanthropology and Archaeogenetics The affirmation and diffusion of darwinism in Europe coincides with the birth of paleoanthropology. This paper analyzes the interaction between these elements from a historical perspective, underlining on the one hand the relevance of paleoanthropology within the reception of Darwin’s theories at the time, and on the other hand, the importance of recent discoveries in the field of human evolution, stemming from the so-called “Revolution of ancient DNA”. The fall of all anthropological models, brought forward by the implementation of archaeogenetics, opens a new season in the study of humanity’s deep past: the human “family tree” has been chopped down, and in its place, an unexpected and more complex scenario seems to unravel.