Journal of Human Evolution最新文献

Earliest centripetal flaking system in eastern Eurasia reveals human behavioral complexity in late Middle Pleistocene China. 欧亚大陆东部最早的向心剥落系统揭示了中国中更新世晚期人类行为的复杂性。

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-05-07 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103841

Yu-Chao Zhao, Zhan-Yang Li, Hai-Wei Zhang, Xin-Ya Shao, Hao-Hong Cai, Ying Cui, Ya-Nan Li, Hai Cheng, Zhe Hou, Christopher J Bae, Brian A Stewart

{"title":"Earliest centripetal flaking system in eastern Eurasia reveals human behavioral complexity in late Middle Pleistocene China.","authors":"Yu-Chao Zhao, Zhan-Yang Li, Hai-Wei Zhang, Xin-Ya Shao, Hao-Hong Cai, Ying Cui, Ya-Nan Li, Hai Cheng, Zhe Hou, Christopher J Bae, Brian A Stewart","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103841","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103841","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Eastern Asia has long been viewed as exhibiting biocultural stasis and technological conservatism during the late Middle Pleistocene (ca. 300-120 ka BP). However, recent fossil, genetic, and archaeological findings reveal a more complex evolutionary and behavioral landscape. This study further challenges this narrative by examining lithic technology at Lingjing (ca. 146-90 ka BP), northern China, a critical site for understanding human evolution in eastern Asia. Integrating three-dimensional morphometrics with the logical analytical system, we investigate discoid core reduction at the site, reconstructing volumetric exploitation, raw material management, and technical design. New <sup>230</sup>Th dates are presented that place Lingjing's initial occupation 20,000 years older than previously estimated. Our study demonstrates the earliest use of sophisticated, systematic centripetal flaking systems in eastern Asia. Hierarchical cores exhibit advanced predetermination, standardized reduction sequence, and sustained platform and surface maintenance, demanding refined cognitive planning and technical skill. Coupled with formal tool production, curated lithic provisioning, and bone tool manufacture, they suggest intentionality beyond strategic opportunism. Such technological complexity coincides with archaic human fossils displaying morphological mosaicism, linking technological sophistication to human evolution or hybridization in eastern Asia. A comparative analysis across 100 Chinese Paleolithic sites indicates discoid technology became a strategic adaptation to late Middle Pleistocene ecological and demographic shifts.</p>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"103841"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846365","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The axis (C2) from El Sidrón and its implications for Neanderthal upper cervical spine form 来自El Sidrón的轴（C2）及其对尼安德特人上颈椎形态的影响。

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-18 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103816

Carlos A. Palancar , Markus Bastir , Daniel García-Martínez , Antonio García-Tabernero , Antonio Rosas

引用次数: 0

Can controversial samples lead to reliable conclusions? A reply to. 有争议的样本能得出可靠的结论吗？对…的答复

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-03-31 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103817

Dimitris S Kostopoulos, Georgios Th Lazaridis

引用次数: 0

The dentognathic material of the Neanderthals from Chagyrskaya (Altai, Russia): Morphology and paleobiology 俄罗斯阿尔泰Chagyrskaya地区尼安德特人的牙齿材料：形态学和古生物学。

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103808

Arthur Gicqueau , Bruno Maureille , Sandrine Costamagno , Kseniya Kolobova , William Rendu , Sergei Markin , Bence Viola

{"title":"The dentognathic material of the Neanderthals from Chagyrskaya (Altai, Russia): Morphology and paleobiology","authors":"Arthur Gicqueau , Bruno Maureille , Sandrine Costamagno , Kseniya Kolobova , William Rendu , Sergei Markin , Bence Viola","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Located in the northernmost part of Central Asia, the western foothills of the Altai Mountains (Western Siberia) represent to date the easternmost known boundary of Neanderthal distribution, far from their main cultural areas currently known in Western Eurasia. This geographic situation suggests the possibility of distinct cultural and biological traits in Altai Neanderthals. In this region, Chagyrskaya Cave contains the most substantial paleoanthropological collection, with 75 remains, including 20 craniodental elements attributed to at least eight individuals of varying ages (22 permanent teeth and four deciduous teeth), dating to between approximately 59 and 51 ka BP. Previous paleogenetic analyses suggest several individuals from this site are closely related. Our study is the first to comprehensively analyze the morphology of the entire set of dentognathic elements. In this study, we document the phenotypic variability of the Chagyrskaya’s individuals by examining the dimensions and proportions of the crown and root tissues, the nonmetric traits of the outer enamel surface, and the enamel-dentine junction of the 26 teeth from this site and by comparing them to published data of both fossil and more recent material. Furthermore, we explore aspects related to their lifestyle and behavior describing the antemortem lesions affecting their dentognathic elements. Our results show that the dental traits of these human remains fall within the known Neanderthal phenotypic variability while also presenting certain specificities, the origins of which we discuss. In addition, the identification of several lesions on some of these fossils allows us to document their oral health and the use of their teeth for paramasticatory activities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 103808"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146214951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Endurance pursuit hunting among recent foragers and its relevance for hominin locomotor evolution 现代觅食者的耐力追求狩猎及其与人类运动进化的关系

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-03-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-13 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103807

Bruce Winterhalder , Eugène Morin

{"title":"Endurance pursuit hunting among recent foragers and its relevance for hominin locomotor evolution","authors":"Bruce Winterhalder , Eugène Morin","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103807","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2026.103807","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Textual analysis of 425 cases of endurance pursuit hunts (EPHs) found in ethnohistoric and ethnographic sources reveals the diversity, extent, and effectiveness of the endurance pursuit tactic. Endurance pursuits involve persistently running after an encountered animal, often for hours, until it can be subdued, the tactic frequently involving bouts of walking and tracking. Building on this definition, we assess the plausibility of five hypotheses that could account for the evolution of endurance pursuit strategies in hominins: i) optimization of subsistence efficiency, ii) risk minimization, iii) honest signaling of hunting prowess, iv) acquisition of alternative resources such as skin or fat, and v) procurement of game for spiritual reasons. Our test of these hypotheses also aids in delineating the contexts and factors that affect the success of EPHs. Crusted snow or high ambient temperatures favor the technique. Endurance pursuit hunters train from a young age, pace themselves carefully, and take advantage of prey cycles of flight and pause for recovery. Endurance pursuit hunts are predominantly a male activity, although females sometimes participate. Medium- to large-sized herbivores and carnivores are the main targets. Among the five tested hypotheses, our results indicate that EPHs are most consistent with optimization of subsistence efficiency, risk minimization, and costly signaling. These fitness goals could have provided a significant selective context for the evolution in early hominins of a running gait.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"212 ","pages":"Article 103807"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146175334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

The site of Notarchirico (Venosa Basin, Italy) and the hominin behavior in the Middle Pleistocene: New insights from taphonomy and spatial archaeology 意大利Venosa盆地Notarchirico遗址与中更新世古人类行为：地形学和空间考古学的新见解。

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-02-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-15 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103789

Antonio Pineda , Beniamino Mecozzi , Alessio Iannucci , Palmira Saladié , Marco Carpentieri , Raffaele Sardella , Marie-Hélène Moncel

{"title":"The site of Notarchirico (Venosa Basin, Italy) and the hominin behavior in the Middle Pleistocene: New insights from taphonomy and spatial archaeology","authors":"Antonio Pineda , Beniamino Mecozzi , Alessio Iannucci , Palmira Saladié , Marco Carpentieri , Raffaele Sardella , Marie-Hélène Moncel","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103789","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The early Middle Pleistocene is characterized by a significant turnover in the fauna across Europe, creating new niches and new subsistence opportunities for hominin populations. Open-air sites provide a unique opportunity to study the distinct and effective resource acquisition strategies that were developed by hominins during this period. The archaeological site of Notarchirico (695–610 ka) is a key locality for the study of the behavior of hominin groups in the Italian Peninsula and Western Europe. The site is one of the few open-air sites to have yielded human remains, namely a femur fragment of <em>Homo heidelbergensis</em>, in such ancient chronologies. Notarchirico also yielded numerous lithic and faunal remains, although the latter, despite their abundance, have so far received scarce attention from a taphonomic perspective. Here we present a study of the site, including material from both ancient and modern collections. Spatial and taphonomic inferences can be drawn about the formation of the assemblages, as well as behavioral inferences about the Middle Pleistocene hominin populations. Despite the poor preservation of the bones, the data suggest that both hominins and carnivores foraged in the area. From a taphonomic perspective, spatial analyses suggest that water flows may have altered the association between osteological and lithic assemblages. There is compelling evidence that suggests that hominin groups inhabited the area surrounding the site for a minimum of 100 ka as the region was abundant in resources. Notarchirico is a pivotal site for understanding the adaptation of hominins and their interaction with the Middle Pleistocene ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 103789"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145769801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Reconstructing dietary preferences in the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos population: A molar macrowear perspective 重建中更新世Sima de los Huesos人群的饮食偏好：一个臼齿宏观磨损的视角

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-02-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103797

Laura Martín-Francés , María Martinón-Torres , Marina Lozano , María Hernaiz-García , Juan Luis Arsuaga , José María Bermúdez de Castro , Luca Fiorenza

{"title":"Reconstructing dietary preferences in the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos population: A molar macrowear perspective","authors":"Laura Martín-Francés , María Martinón-Torres , Marina Lozano , María Hernaiz-García , Juan Luis Arsuaga , José María Bermúdez de Castro , Luca Fiorenza","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103797","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103797","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Molar macrowear analysis is a valuable tool for inferring dietary preferences in extinct hominins, ultimately aiding in the reconstruction of subsistence strategies and paleoenvironmental conditions. Radiometric studies suggest that the Middle Pleistocene population from the Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos site likely lived during Marine Isotope Stage 12, one of the coldest global periods. In this study, we applied the occlusal fingerprint analysis method to maxillary M1s and M2s from this population to assess whether their macrowear patterns reflect these environmental conditions. Given the nature of the hominin accumulation and the limited availability of faunal, lithic, and pollen remains at the site, we rely on published data from the nearby Trinchera sites of Gran Dolina and Galería to reconstruct paleoecological conditions and subsistence strategies. Our occlusal fingerprint analysis results indicate that the Sima de los Huesos population had a mixed diet, consuming similar proportions of meat and plant foods. This dietary pattern does not align with expectations for a strictly cold environment, such as that of Marine Isotope Stage 12, but instead it suggests a diverse landscape, as supported by pollen, faunal, and isotopic evidence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"211 ","pages":"Article 103797"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Context matters: Grăunceanu (Romania) is not an archaeological site 背景很重要：grurunceanu（罗马尼亚）不是一个考古遗址

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-02-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-13 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103786

Lutz Kindler , Sabine Gaudzinski-Windheuser , Fulco Scherjon , Wil Roebroeks

引用次数: 0

Morphological variation in the manual distal phalanges of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in relation to tool-use behavior 黑猩猩（类人猿）远端指骨的形态变化与工具使用行为的关系。

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2025-11-24 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103787

Riki Tanaka , Tomo Takano , Eishi Hirasaki , Naomichi Ogihara

引用次数: 0

Elbow anatomy of fossil cercopithecids from Nakali, Kenya: Functional anatomy and taxonomy 肯尼亚Nakali的颈蜡类化石肘部解剖：功能解剖和分类学。

IF 3.1 1区地球科学

Journal of Human Evolution Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-01 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103785

Laurent Pallas , Dionisios Youlatos , Yutaka Kunimatsu , Masato Nakatsukasa

{"title":"Elbow anatomy of fossil cercopithecids from Nakali, Kenya: Functional anatomy and taxonomy","authors":"Laurent Pallas , Dionisios Youlatos , Yutaka Kunimatsu , Masato Nakatsukasa","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103785","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103785","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The locomotor behavior and substrate preferences of early colobines are a matter of debate. Some researchers advocate a partly terrestrial origin with the subsequent parallel evolution of arboreality in different clades during the Plio-Pleistocene, while others suggest that arboreality had already evolved earlier in the Miocene. <em>Microcolobus</em>, from the Late Miocene of Nakali (ca. 10 Ma, Kenya), is one of the earliest known and, for the most part, best-documented African Miocene fossil colobines. A large collection of postcranial remains was recovered at Nakali during the fieldwork of the Joint Japan–Kenya Paleontological Expedition, permitting us to test hypotheses regarding the locomotor behavior, substrate preferences, and taxonomy of the Nakali colobines. Here, we present novel interpretations of the functional adaptations of the elbow anatomy of previously published partial skeletons from Nakali (KNM-NA 47916 and KNM-NA 47915) and the description of 12 additional humeral, ulnar, and radial specimens that we attributed to <em>Microcolobus</em>. The elbow specimens from Nakali are morphologically homogenous except one humeral specimen that demonstrates equivocal evidence of functional and taxonomical diversity. Quantitative and qualitative analyses confirm arboreal adaptations of <em>Microcolobus</em>, corroborating hypotheses supporting early adaptations for arboreal locomotor substrate preferences in colobines. The elbow anatomy of <em>Microcolobus</em> can be qualitatively and quantitatively distinguished from that of the Late Miocene colobines <em>Cercopithecoides bruneti</em> and <em>Paracolobus enkorikae</em>. <em>Microcolobus</em> also present several anatomical features seen in the small African colobine <em>Procolobus verus</em>, reflecting a frequently flexed elbow with moderate pronosupination abilities and a stable humeroulnar joint consistent with the use of flexed-elbow climbing and arboreal quadrupedal running.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"210 ","pages":"Article 103785"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145662878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0