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| Open AccessNew Eocene primate from Myanmar shares dental characters with African Eocene crown anthropoids
Recent fossil findings have suggested that anthropoid primates originated in Asia before dispersing into Africa. Here, Jaeger and colleagues describe a new fossil Asian primate, Aseanpithecus myanmarensis, that they interpret as a closer relative of African crown anthropoids.
- Jean-Jacques Jaeger
- , Olivier Chavasseau
- & Yaowalak Chaimanee
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Article
| Open AccessPalaeodemographic modelling supports a population bottleneck during the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in Iberia
The archaeological record provides large ensembles of radiocarbon dates which can be used to infer long-term changes in human demography. Here, the authors analyse the radiocarbon record of the Iberian peninsula, finding support for a bottleneck during the Last Glacial-Interglacial transition
- Javier Fernández-López de Pablo
- , Mario Gutiérrez-Roig
- & Sergi Lozano
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| Open AccessLate Pleistocene human genome suggests a local origin for the first farmers of central Anatolia
Central Anatolia harbored some of the earliest farming societies outside the Fertile Crescent of the Near East. Here, the authors report and analyze genome-wide data from a 15,000-year-old Anatolian hunter-gatherer and from seven Anatolian and Levantine early farmers, and suggest high genetic continuity between the hunter-gatherers and early farmers of Anatolia.
- Michal Feldman
- , Eva Fernández-Domínguez
- & Johannes Krause
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| Open AccessSpecialized rainforest hunting by Homo sapiens ~45,000 years ago
As modern humans migrated out of Africa, they encountered novel habitats. Here, Wedage et al. study the archaeological site of Fa-Hien Lena in Sri Lanka and show that the earliest human residents of the island practiced specialized hunting of small mammals, demonstrating ecological plasticity.
- Oshan Wedage
- , Noel Amano
- & Patrick Roberts
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| Open AccessAncient human genome-wide data from a 3000-year interval in the Caucasus corresponds with eco-geographic regions
The Caucasus mountain range has impacted on the culture and genetics of the wider region. Here, the authors generate genome-wide SNP data for 45 Eneolithic and Bronze Age individuals across the Caucasus, and find distinct genetic clusters between mountain and steppe zones as well as occasional gene-flow.
- Chuan-Chao Wang
- , Sabine Reinhold
- & Wolfgang Haak
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Article
| Open AccessNeurodevelopmental milestones and associated behaviours are similar among healthy children across diverse geographical locations
It is unclear whether the sequence and timing of early life neurodevelopment varies across human populations, excluding the effects of disease or malnutrition. Here, the authors show that children of healthy, urban, educated mothers show very similar development across five geographically diverse populations.
- José Villar
- , Michelle Fernandes
- & Stephen Kennedy
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| Open AccessCompound-specific radiocarbon dating and mitochondrial DNA analysis of the Pleistocene hominin from Salkhit Mongolia
The Salkhit skull from Mongolia was initially suggested to have archaic hominin characters. Here, Devièse and colleagues date the skull to approximately 34–35 thousand years ago and reconstruct its mitochondrial genome, finding that it falls within modern human haplogroup N found across Eurasia.
- Thibaut Devièse
- , Diyendo Massilani
- & Tom Higham
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Article
| Open AccessQuantitative metaproteomics of medieval dental calculus reveals individual oral health status
Mineralized plaque, or dental calculus, is a valuable reservoir of the ancient oral microbiome. Here, the authors use quantitative metaproteomics to analyze the dental calculus of 21 individuals from a medieval cemetery, identifying human and microbial proteins that shed light on their oral health status.
- Rosa R. Jersie-Christensen
- , Liam T. Lanigan
- & Jesper V. Olsen
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Article
| Open Access3D virtual reconstruction of the Kebara 2 Neandertal thorax
How different Neandertal morphology was from that of modern humans has been a subject of long debate. Here, the authors develop a 3D virtual reconstruction of the thorax of an adult male Neandertal, showing similar size to modern humans, yet with greater respiratory capacity due to its different shape.
- Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- , Alon Barash
- & Ella Been
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Article
| Open AccessClosing the gender gap in competitiveness through priming
Men are often more willing to compete compared to women, which may contribute to gender differences in wages and career advancement. Here, the authors show that ‘power priming’ - encouraging people to imagine themselves in a situation of power - can close the gender gap in competitiveness.
- Loukas Balafoutas
- , Helena Fornwagner
- & Matthias Sutter
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Article
| Open AccessAncient proteins from ceramic vessels at Çatalhöyük West reveal the hidden cuisine of early farmers
Ancient diets have been reconstructed from archaeological pottery based on lipid remains, but these can lack specificity. Here, Hendy and colleagues analyze ancient proteins from ceramic vessels up to 8000 years old to produce a more nuanced understanding of ancient food processing and diet.
- Jessica Hendy
- , Andre C. Colonese
- & Eva Rosenstock
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Article
| Open AccessUnderstanding 6th-century barbarian social organization and migration through paleogenomics
The Longobards invaded and conquered much of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Here, the authors sequence and analyze ancient genomic DNA from 63 samples from two cemeteries associated with the Longobards and identify kinship networks and two distinct genetic and cultural groups in each.
- Carlos Eduardo G. Amorim
- , Stefania Vai
- & Krishna R. Veeramah
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| Open AccessFossil lemurs from Egypt and Kenya suggest an African origin for Madagascar’s aye-aye
The fossil taxon Propotto was originally identified as a primate, but is currently widely interpreted as a bat. Here, the authors identify Propotto as a stem chiromyiform lemur and, based on phylogenetic analysis, suggest two independent lemur colonizations of Madagascar.
- Gregg F. Gunnell
- , Doug M. Boyer
- & Erik R. Seiffert
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| Open AccessAncient DNA from Chalcolithic Israel reveals the role of population mixture in cultural transformation
The Late Chalcolithic material culture in the southern Levant has unique attributes that suggest spread of people or culture. Here, the authors use genome-wide ancient DNA data from 22 individuals from a Chalcolithic site and show evidence of complex population movements and turnovers.
- Éadaoin Harney
- , Hila May
- & David Reich
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| Open AccessEarly Neolithic executions indicated by clustered cranial trauma in the mass grave of Halberstadt
Prehistoric warfare and massacres of Linearbandkeramik (LBK) communities are evidenced by mass graves from the Early Neolithic of Central Europe. Here, Meyer et al. describe a newly discovered mass grave from Germany revealing the execution of a predominantly adult male group of non-local individuals.
- Christian Meyer
- , Corina Knipper
- & Kurt W. Alt
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| Open AccessCultural hitchhiking and competition between patrilineal kin groups explain the post-Neolithic Y-chromosome bottleneck
A population bottleneck 5000-7000 years ago in human males, but not females, has been inferred across several African, European and Asian populations. Here, Zeng and colleagues synthesize theory and data to suggest that competition among patrilineal kin groups produced the bottleneck pattern.
- Tian Chen Zeng
- , Alan J. Aw
- & Marcus W. Feldman
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| Open AccessThe development of human social learning across seven societies
Social learning is a crucial human ability. Here, the authors examined children in 7 cultures and show that children’s reliance on social information and their preference to follow the majority vary across societies. However, the ontogeny of majority preference follows the same, U-shaped pattern across all societies.
- Edwin J. C. van Leeuwen
- , Emma Cohen
- & Daniel B. M. Haun
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Article
| Open AccessPre-Columbian earth-builders settled along the entire southern rim of the Amazon
Previous studies of Pre-Columbian earthworks in the Amazon basin have left a gap in the Upper Tapajós Basin (UTB). Here, the authors detect 104 Pre-Columbian earthworks in the UTB, suggesting continuous occupation across southern Amazonia and higher population densities than previously estimated.
- Jonas Gregorio de Souza
- , Denise Pahl Schaan
- & José Iriarte
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| Open AccessCooperation and the evolution of hunter-gatherer storytelling
Storytelling entails costs in terms of time and effort, yet it is a ubiquitous feature of human society. Here, Smith et al. show benefits of storytelling in Agta hunter-gatherer communities, as storytellers have higher reproductive success and storytelling is associated with higher cooperation in the group.
- Daniel Smith
- , Philip Schlaepfer
- & Andrea Bamberg Migliano
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| Open AccessCounter-intuitive influence of Himalayan river morphodynamics on Indus Civilisation urban settlements
The Bronze-age Indus civilisation (4.6–3.9 ka) was thought to have been linked to the development of water resources in the Himalayas. Here, the authors show that along the former course of the Sutlej River the Indus settlements developed along the abandoned river valley rather than an active Himalayan river.
- Ajit Singh
- , Kristina J. Thomsen
- & Sanjeev Gupta
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| Open AccessA parsimonious neutral model suggests Neanderthal replacement was determined by migration and random species drift
The replacement of Neanderthals by modern humans is thought to have been due to environmental factors, a selective advantage of modern humans, or both. Here, Kolodny and Feldman develop a neutral model of species drift showing that rapid Neanderthal replacement can be explained parsimoniously by simple migration dynamics.
- Oren Kolodny
- & Marcus W. Feldman
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| Open AccessEvidence of a chimpanzee-sized ancestor of humans but a gibbon-sized ancestor of apes
The pattern of body size evolution in hominids can provide insight into historical human ecology. Here, Grabowski and Jungers use comparative phylogenetic analysis to reconstruct the likely size of the ancestor of humans and chimpanzees and the evolutionary history of selection on body size in primates.
- Mark Grabowski
- & William L. Jungers
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| Open AccessLong-term consistency in chimpanzee consolation behaviour reflects empathetic personalities
Non-human animals are known to exhibit behaviours suggestive of empathy, but the development and maintenance of these traits is unexplored. Here, Webb and colleagues quantify individual consolation tendencies over 10 years across two chimpanzee groups and show evidence of consistent ‘empathetic personalities’.
- Christine E. Webb
- , Teresa Romero
- & Frans B. M. de Waal
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| Open AccessEco-evolutionary dynamics in a contemporary human population
Evolution can occur rapidly enough to influence population growth, though this possibility tends to be discounted for human populations. Here, the authors analyse genealogical records and show that evolution of women’s age at first reproduction contributed significantly to the growth of the île aux Coudres population.
- Fanie Pelletier
- , Gabriel Pigeon
- & Emmanuel Milot
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| Open AccessModelling the role of groundwater hydro-refugia in East African hominin evolution and dispersal
Water is a fundamental resource, but its role in hominin evolution is not well explored. Here, the authors use a combination of groundwater, climate and agent-based models to show that groundwater availability may be critical to past patterns of taxonomic diversity in hominin development in East Africa.
- M. O. Cuthbert
- , T. Gleeson
- & G. M. Ashley
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| Open AccessAncestry and demography and descendants of Iron Age nomads of the Eurasian Steppe
The Scythian culture was widespread throughout the Eurasian Steppe during the 1stmillennium BCE. This study provides genetic evidence for two independent origins for the Scythians in the eastern and western steppe with varying proportions of Yamnaya and East Asian ancestry, and gene flow among them.
- Martina Unterländer
- , Friso Palstra
- & Joachim Burger
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| Open AccessArchaeogenomic evidence reveals prehistoric matrilineal dynasty
In ancient cultures without a writing system, it is difficult to infer the basis of status and rank. Here the authors analyse ancient DNA from nine presumed elite individuals buried successively over a 300-year period at Chaco Canyon, and show evidence of matrilineal relationships.
- Douglas J. Kennett
- , Stephen Plog
- & George H. Perry
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| Open AccessA time transect of exomes from a Native American population before and after European contact
A First Nation population declined after European contact, likely as a result of infectious disease. Here, researchers partner with indigenous communities to analyse ancient and modern Native American exomes, and find a shift in selection pressure on immune genes, correlated to European-borne epidemics.
- John Lindo
- , Emilia Huerta-Sánchez
- & Ripan S. Malhi
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| Open AccessSocial image concerns promote cooperation more than altruistic punishment
Cooperation requires individuals to sacrifice individual rewards for group benefits. Here, Grimalda, Pondorfer and Tracer show in a foraging society of Papua New Guinea that social image building is a more powerful motivator of social cooperation than altruistic punishment.
- Gianluca Grimalda
- , Andreas Pondorfer
- & David P. Tracer
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| Open AccessDisease dynamics and costly punishment can foster socially imposed monogamy
Many human societies transitioned from polygyny to socially imposed monogamy as group sizes increased. Using a simulation model, the authors show that sexually transmitted infections impose heavier fitness penalties on polygynists as group size grows, enabling monogamists who punish polygyny to thrive in large groups.
- Chris T. Bauch
- & Richard McElreath
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| Open AccessHuman predation contributed to the extinction of the Australian megafaunal bird Genyornis newtoni ∼47 ka
The impact of humans on megafaunal extinction is Australia is unclear. Here, the authors show burn patterns on eggshells of the extinct megafaunal bird, Genyornis newtoni, created by humans across Australia, suggesting that human predation contributed to the extinction of this bird around 47 thousand years ago.
- Gifford Miller
- , John Magee
- & Stephen DeVogel
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| Open AccessCooperation is related to dispersal patterns in Sino-Tibetan populations
Dispersal is key to establishing patterns of cooperation. Here, the authors show that social organization is associated with levels of cooperation in Sino-Tibetan populations with strikingly different dispersal patterns.
- Jia-Jia Wu
- , Ting Ji
- & Ruth Mace
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| Open AccessSurprising trunk rotational capabilities in chimpanzees and implications for bipedal walking proficiency in early hominins
Greater trunk flexibility in humans is thought to be a major adaptation to bipedal walking compared to chimpanzees. Here Thompson et al. show that chimpanzees are capable of human-like trunk rotations during bipedalism, suggesting bipedal proficiency was present in early hominins.
- Nathan E. Thompson
- , Brigitte Demes
- & Susan G. Larson
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| Open AccessThe foot of Homo naledi
Hominin fossils reveal high diversity in the types of terrestrial bipedalism. Here, the authors show that the foot of Homo naledifrom South Africa is predominantly human-like in morphology and inferred function and is well adapted for striding bipedalism.
- W. E. H. Harcourt-Smith
- , Z. Throckmorton
- & J. M. DeSilva
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| Open AccessThe hand of Homo naledi
It is unclear to what extent early hominins were adapted to arboreal climbing. Here, the authors show that the nearly complete hand of H. naledifrom South Africa has markedly curved digits and otherwise human-like wrist and palm, which indicates the retention of a significant degree of climbing.
- Tracy L. Kivell
- , Andrew S. Deane
- & Steven E. Churchill
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| Open AccessEarliest modern human-like hand bone from a new >1.84-million-year-old site at Olduvai in Tanzania
The homin fossil record reveals a complex pattern of hand evolution. Here, the authors describe a phalanx of a >1.84-million-year-old unidentified hominin, which represents the earliest modern human like hand bone in the fossil record.
- Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo
- , Travis Rayne Pickering
- & David Uribelarrea
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Article
| Open AccessDetecting anthropogenic footprints in sea level rise
The contribution of anthropogenic forcing to rising sea levels during the industrial era remains uncertain. Here, the authors provide a probabilistic evaluation and show that at least 45% of global mean sea level rise is of anthropogenic origin.
- Sönke Dangendorf
- , Marta Marcos
- & Jürgen Jensen
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| Open AccessGrowth pattern from birth to adulthood in African pygmies of known age
The African pygmies are known for their short stature, yet it is unclear when and how this phenotype is acquired during growth. Here the authors show that the pygmies’ small stature results primarily from slow growth during infancy.
- Fernando V. Ramirez Rozzi
- , Yves Koudou
- & Jérémie Botton
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Article
| Open AccessThe evolution of human and ape hand proportions
The human hand can be distinguished from that of apes by its long thumb relative to fingers. Here the authors show that hand proportions vary greatly among ape species and that the human hand evolved from an ancestor that was more similar to humans than to chimpanzees.
- Sergio Almécija
- , Jeroen B. Smaers
- & William L. Jungers
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| Open AccessThe first archaic Homo from Taiwan
Growing evidence reveals great diversity of archaic Asian hominins. Here, Chang and colleagues describe a newly discovered archaic Homomandible from Taiwan, which suggests the survival of multiple evolutionary lineages among archaic hominins before the arrival of modern humans to eastern Asia.
- Chun-Hsiang Chang
- , Yousuke Kaifu
- & Liang-Kong Lin
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| Open AccessHigh mobility explains demand sharing and enforced cooperation in egalitarian hunter-gatherers
Contemporary hunter-gatherers share food in a cooperative behaviour called demand sharing. Here the authors show that populations of demand sharers who move freely between camps survive in the unpredictable environments typical of hunter-gatherers, while sedentary and non-sharing families die out.
- Hannah M. Lewis
- , Lucio Vinicius
- & Andrea Bamberg Migliano
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The impact of agricultural emergence on the genetic history of African rainforest hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists
Agriculture emerged in West Africa 5,000 years ago but how this impacted the population of rainforest hunter-gatherers (RHGs) is unknown. Here, the authors show that modern-day RHG populations present up to 50% of farmer ancestry but admixture only occurred in the last 1,000 years.
- Etienne Patin
- , Katherine J. Siddle
- & Lluís Quintana-Murci
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| Open AccessA substantial prehistoric European ancestry amongst Ashkenazi maternal lineages
Ashkenazi mitochondrial DNA variation has four major founders whose sources are difficult to trace due to the rarity of Ashkenazi Jews in the general population. Here, the authors provide evidence that all four major founders originated from Europe and provide a genealogical record of the Ashkenazi.
- Marta D. Costa
- , Joana B. Pereira
- & Martin B. Richards
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| Open AccessDevelopment of Middle Stone Age innovation linked to rapid climate change
The South African archaeological record contains evidence of the early flourishing of the human mind. Ziegler et al. provide new paleoclimate reconstructions, which suggest that rapid fluctuations in global climate have played a key role in the evolution of these early human cultures.
- Martin Ziegler
- , Margit H. Simon
- & Rainer Zahn
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| Open AccessA European population in Minoan Bronze Age Crete
5,000 years ago, the Minoans established the first advanced civilization of Europe, but their origin remains unclear. Here the authors show that the Minoans were a European population, genetically similar to other ancient European populations and to the present inhabitants of the island of Crete.
- Jeffery R. Hughey
- , Peristera Paschou
- & George Stamatoyannopoulos
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Neolithic mitochondrial haplogroup H genomes and the genetic origins of Europeans
Here, Brotherton and colleagues sequence 39 mitochondrial genomes from ancient human remains. They track population changes across Central Europe and find that the foundations of the European mitochondrial DNA pool were formed during the Neolithic rather than the post-glacial period.
- Paul Brotherton
- , Wolfgang Haak
- & Janet S. Ziegle
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| Open AccessNew insights into the Tyrolean Iceman's origin and phenotype as inferred by whole-genome sequencing
The Tyrolean Iceman is 5,300 years old and his mitochondrial genome has been previously sequenced. This study reports the full genome sequence of the Iceman and reveals that he probably had brown eyes, was at risk for coronary disease and may have been infected with the pathogen Lyme borreliosis.
- Andreas Keller
- , Angela Graefen
- & Albert Zink
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Evolution of the base of the brain in highly encephalized human species
Encephalization—increase of brain size relative to body size—has occurred in two distinct evolutionary lineages; Neanderthals and modern humans. However, the 3D endocranial surface shape analysis reported here reveals unique structures at the base of the brain inHomo sapiens, which may have contributed to learning and social capacities.
- Markus Bastir
- , Antonio Rosas
- & Jean-Jacques Hublin
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Upright human gait did not provide a major mechanical challenge for our ancestors
The emergence of bipedalism in humans is considered to be an evolutionary challenge. In this study, however, the authors show that humans, dogs and chickens create a virtual pivot point above their centre of mass during walking, thereby mimicking an external support.
- H.-M. Maus
- , S.W. Lipfert
- & A. Seyfarth