Journal of Human Evolution最新文献

{"title":"Continuity and innovation in the Late Acheulian: Technological and functional analysis of scrapers from Jaljulia, Southern Levant (500–300 ka)","authors":"Vlad Litov ,&nbsp;Flavia Marinelli ,&nbsp;Cristina Lemorini ,&nbsp;Ran Barkai","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103716","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103716","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lower Paleolithic human adaptations were facilitated by the Acheulian stone toolkit, composed of various implements. Flake scrapers, a ubiquitous component of Acheulian toolkits, have received comparatively little scholarly attention despite their widespread presence and long temporal span. This paper presents a technotypological and functional analysis of Late Acheulian scrapers from the Late Lower Paleolithic localities of Jaljulia, Israel, dated to 500–200 ka. Traditional Acheulian scraper production at the site was supplemented by a limited number of uncharacteristic large flake scrapers, a trajectory that subsequently diminished, as well as by recurrent scrapers shaped by stepped and scaled-stepped Quina-like retouch. Our observations indicate that scrapers with distinct working edge attributes were predominantly used for both scraping and cutting activities. The emergence of Quina-like retouch within a Late Acheulian context marks a significant development in the evolution of Paleolithic scrapers. Late Acheulian toolmakers produced Quina-like scrapers alongside other scraper types, preceding and coinciding with the broad adoption of the Quina method in the subsequent Acheulo-Yabrudian Cultural Complex. Our results challenge the notion of Acheulian technological stagnation, highlighting the capability of <em>Homo erectus</em> to implement innovations into predominantly traditional toolkits. We propose a possible Acheulian origin for other technologies and cultural markers considered post-Acheulian as well.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"205 ","pages":"Article 103716"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144491854","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}

{"title":"Clavicular evidence for continued arboreality in Australopithecus afarensis","authors":"Hannah N. Farrell,&nbsp;Zeresenay Alemseged","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103714","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103714","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The emergence of the hominin lineage is marked by the transition to bipedalism, but debates persist regarding the role of arboreal behaviors during and after this shift. Uncertainties surrounding the locomotor habits of <em>Australopithecus</em> partly stem from the mosaic nature of their skeleton, with pelvic and lower limb traits principally indicating bipedalism, while upper limb morphology retains primitive features largely associated with arboreality in extant apes. Analyses of internal bone structure coupled with new fossil evidence may provide new insights in this regard. Here, we first describe the clavicles of the juvenile <em>Australopithecus afarensis</em> individual DIK-1-1, then the morphology is further investigated alongside adult <em>Au. afarensis</em>, as represented by KSD-VP-1/1, using geometric morphometrics and cortical cross-sectional geometry to identify and interpret potential functional signals. Our findings challenge the notion of a distinct modern human clavicular morphology as separate from chimpanzees, revealing significant overlap in external shape between <em>Homo</em> and <em>Pan</em>. Conversely, internal cortical geometry exhibits developmental plasticity in both extant apes and <em>Au. afarensis</em>, supporting its utility in exploring locomotor adaptations. Furthermore, similarities in internal cortical geometry between <em>Au. afarensis</em> and modern apes support hypotheses of continued arboreal behavior—including suspension and climbing—throughout life in the former. The discordance between external and internal morphology highlights the potential to identify unrecognized functional signals in hominin clavicles previously categorized as ‘primitive’ and cautions against oversimplified taxonomic assignments based solely on external shape. Ultimately, these results emphasize the importance of taking a comprehensive view of morphology to better understand locomotor evolution in early hominins and underscore the relevance of continued arboreality in <em>Au. afarensis</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"205 ","pages":"Article 103714"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144470525","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}

{"title":"The Neanderthal cervical spine revisited","authors":"Carlos A. Palancar ,&nbsp;Daniel García-Martínez ,&nbsp;Markus Bastir","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent studies have challenged the long-held notion that Neanderthals possessed a more stable and less lordotic cervical spine than modern humans. To investigate this hypothesis further, we conducted the first three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis focused on the Neanderthal cervical spine, examining 43 classic <em>Homo neanderthalensis</em> cervical vertebrae alongside 243 <em>Homo sapiens</em> cervical vertebrae from diverse populations, including the whole cervical spine (C1–C7). The Neanderthal sample comprises specimens from well-known individuals such as La Ferrassie 1, La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1, Kebara 2, Shanidar 2, Regourdou 1, and the Krapina group, ensuring completeness for a detailed analysis. Our results reveal a distinct morphological difference—that is greater in the lower levels—in the Neanderthal cervical spine, including a craniocaudally shorter and mediolaterally wider shape, longer spinous processes, and horizontally oriented articular facets. Contrary to earlier hypotheses, the study challenges the notion of reduced cervical lordosis in Neanderthals, proposing instead a potentially greater lordotic curvature than in modern humans, as evidenced by articulated mean forms and Cobb angle measurements. These findings suggest robust neck musculature adaptations in Neanderthals, potentially reflecting biomechanical responses to support the head and inhibit joint displacement. The study also highlights implications for respiratory biomechanics, with differences in the orientation of transverse processes (attachment site of the scalene muscle) potentially influencing neck muscle length and function, which could affect respiratory capacity in Neanderthals. In summary, our comprehensive examination sheds new light on the morphology and functional implications of the Neanderthal cervical spine, offering valuable insights into the intricate adaptations of Neanderthals and their implications for functional morphology and evolutionary biology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"205 ","pages":"Article 103704"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291513","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}

{"title":"The shape of technology to come: An examination of evolutionary relationships between bifacial and core technologies at the Lower-Middle Palaeolithic boundary across regions in Eurasia","authors":"Jayson P. Gill ,&nbsp;Nick Ashton ,&nbsp;Keith N. Wilkinson ,&nbsp;Boris Gasparyan ,&nbsp;Daniel S. Adler","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103702","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103702","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The origin of Levallois prepared core technology is a subject of debate among Palaeolithic archaeologists. While some argue for a single African origin for this style of core reduction, increasing support is found for a multiple-origin model in which Levallois technology independently evolves out of underlying technology in different regions of Africa and Eurasia. Within a multiple-origin framework, it has been proposed that the technology is realized through the evolution of either Late Lower Palaeolithic core technology or Acheulian bifaces. We explore these hypotheses by examining the relationships between early Levallois technology, proposed transitional types, and Lower Palaeolithic production systems in geographically discrete lithic assemblages in the Armenian Highlands and Britain. The sites of Nor Geghi-1 (Armenia) and Purfleet (Britain) are the focus of this study as they contain evidence for the in situ evolution of Levallois technology. Landmark-based geometric morphometrics is applied to high-quality three-dimensional scans of lithic artifacts from Lower-Middle Palaeolithic sites in the two regions. As this research is focused on morphological characteristics, we also explore factors outside of human decision-making that may affect shape diversity (i.e., raw material, size, reduction intensity). Our results indicate that the appearance of Levallois prepared core technology is likely the outcome of distinctive processes in the two regions. These results further support the growing body of research that argues for a multiple-origin model early prepared core production systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"205 ","pages":"Article 103702"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144280660","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}

{"title":"Uniform, circular, and shallow enamel pitting in hominins: Prevalence, morphological associations, and potential taxonomic significance","authors":"Ian Towle ,&nbsp;Mackie C. O'Hara ,&nbsp;A.B. Leece ,&nbsp;Andy I.R. Herries ,&nbsp;Afua Adjei ,&nbsp;Debbie Guatelli-Steinberg ,&nbsp;Marina Martínez de Pinillos ,&nbsp;Mario Modesto-Mata ,&nbsp;Arthur Thiebaut ,&nbsp;Raquel Hernando ,&nbsp;Joel D. Irish ,&nbsp;Franck Guy ,&nbsp;Jean-Renaud Boisserie ,&nbsp;Leslea J. Hlusko","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103703","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103703","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores a particular form of enamel pitting originally identified in <em>Paranthropus robustus</em>. We call this uniform, circular, and shallow (UCS) pitting to distinguish it from more irregular and nonuniform defects often associated with enamel hypoplasia. We pose the hypothesis that UCS pitting is unique to the genus <em>Paranthropus</em>. We test this by investigating hominin dental remains from the ca. 3.4 Ma to ca. 1.1 Ma fossiliferous sequence at Omo, Ethiopia (<em>n</em> = 76) to look for evidence of UCS pitting in an assemblage that includes at least three hominin genera (<em>Australopithecus</em>, <em>Paranthropus</em>, and <em>Homo</em>). We also examine the correlation between UCS pitting, tooth size, enamel thickness, and cusp proportions in samples from both eastern Africa (Omo) and southern Africa (Drimolen Main Quarry ∼2.04–1.95 Ma, Swartkrans ∼1.9–1.4 Ma, and Kromdraai ∼1.95–1.78 Ma). In the Omo specimens, we found UCS pitting similar to that seen in <em>P. robustus</em>. While we observed this pitting on five of 24 permanent teeth and two deciduous molars from both <em>Paranthropus aethiopicus</em> and <em>Paranthropus boisei</em>, we also identified UCS pitting on five of 13 non-<em>Paranthropus</em> hominin permanent posterior teeth from Member B (∼3.0 Ma). Our correlation studies yielded no association between the presence of UCS pitting and variation in tooth size, enamel thickness, or cusp proportions. The consistent appearance and characteristics of UCS pitting suggest a shared etiology. Our findings also suggest that UCS pitting may result from a genetic effect related to enamel formation, potentially in association with specific environmental or dietary factors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"204 ","pages":"Article 103703"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144221242","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}

{"title":"The nutritional quality of male chimpanzee diets in a semiarid savanna","authors":"Stacy Lindshield ,&nbsp;Landing Badji ,&nbsp;Papa Ibnou Ndiaye ,&nbsp;Sylvia Ortmann ,&nbsp;Kaia J. Tombak ,&nbsp;Jill Pruetz ,&nbsp;Jessica M. Rothman","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Nutritional ecology is vital to understanding food selection in chimpanzees (<em>Pan troglodytes</em>). However, there are knowledge gaps for chimpanzees in savanna landscapes concerning the nutrients of their foods as well as their daily energy and macronutrient intakes. The aims of this study are to (1) examine how adult male chimpanzees in a semiarid savanna select their foods and (2) compare chimpanzee foods between the savanna and forest. We conducted full-day focal follows to observe food processing behavior (87 days) and comprehensively measure daily food intake (25 days). We sampled 49 plant and four insect species to estimate their energy and macronutrient contents. Food consumption correlated positively with its profitability (caloric yield per hour) but was not associated with food abundance or distribution. Daily intakes of metabolizable energy and of water-soluble sugars were higher in the baobab (<em>Adansonia digitata</em>) season than in the non-baobab season and social rank boosted sugar intakes, suggesting that high-sugar foods are prized by Fongoli chimpanzees. In support of the idea that a scarcity of ripe fleshy fruits is an environmental pressure at Fongoli, chimpanzees commonly ingested unripe fruit and seeds, mostly of nonfleshy types, potentially for their protein content or as moderate sources of sugar, fat, and water. Our study indicates that the savanna is not a low-protein habitat and suggests ways that chimpanzees—and potentially early hominins—have adapted to meet daily nutritional requirements in a savanna environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"204 ","pages":"Article 103684"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143947673","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}

{"title":"Cranial vault thickness, its internal organization, and its relationship with endocranial shape in Neanderthals and modern humans","authors":"Sélim Natahi ,&nbsp;Simon Neubauer ,&nbsp;Zewdi J. Tsegai ,&nbsp;Jean-Jacques Hublin ,&nbsp;Philipp Gunz","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103683","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103683","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compared to the more elongated crania of Neanderthals, modern humans have a rounder, more globular cranial vault. The factors contributing to this globular cranial and endocranial morphology remain poorly understood. Cranial vault thickness (CVT) plays a role in shaping the braincase. It has been proposed that CVT variation in hominins reflects distinct stimuli influencing the cranial vault layers to different degrees. We aim to determine to what extent CVT differences could explain the well-documented endocranial shape differences between modern humans and Neanderthals. Additionally, we quantify the contributions of each cranial vault layer—the inner and outer tables and the diploë—to elucidate the processes driving CVT variation. We analyzed crania from seven Neanderthals and 75 modern humans using a ray casting method to measure cortical, diploic, and overall CVT. We generated morphometric maps of thickness distributions for each cranial vault layer. We then quantified the endocranial shape using geometric morphometrics and analyzed its relationship with CVT using two-block partial least squares analysis and regression models. Our findings reveal that Neanderthals generally have greater CVT and thicker layers of the cranial vault than modern humans. However, their ranges overlap with those of modern humans. The thicker vaults of Neanderthals are primarily driven by the diploic layer, with notable differences in thickness distribution patterns. Additionally, the inner and outer cortical tables exhibit distinct thickness distribution patterns between the two groups. Structural differences between the parietal bones of Neanderthals and modern humans are particularly pronounced. Furthermore, we observed a unique correspondence between CVT and endocranial shape in modern humans, which is not shared by Neanderthals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"204 ","pages":"Article 103683"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143935280","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}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Maxilla of Siamopithecus eocaenus (Anthropoidea, Primates) from the Paleogene of Krabi, Thailand, and its taxonomic status” [J. Hum. Evol. 198 (2025) 103614]","authors":"Yaowalak Chaimanee ,&nbsp;Sasidhorn Khansubha ,&nbsp;Olivier Chavasseau ,&nbsp;Arnaud Mazurier ,&nbsp;Jean-Jacques Jaeger","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103701","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103701","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"204 ","pages":"Article 103701"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144000027","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}

{"title":"Virtual reconstruction and geometric morphometric analysis of the Kocabaş fossil hominin from Turkey and implications for taxonomy and evolutionary significance: A commentary on Mori et al. (2024)","authors":"Amélie Vialet ,&nbsp;Sandrine Prat ,&nbsp;Dominique Grimaud-Hervé ,&nbsp;Anne-Elisabeth Lebatard ,&nbsp;Nicolas Boulbes ,&nbsp;Serdar Mayda ,&nbsp;Pierre Rochette ,&nbsp;Christophe Falguères ,&nbsp;Anne-Marie Moigne ,&nbsp;Jean-Jacques Bahain ,&nbsp;Mehmet Cihat Alçiçek","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103691","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103691","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"204 ","pages":"Article 103691"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143923948","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}

{"title":"A phylogenetic perspective on the evolution of early hominin foot morphology","authors":"Yeganeh Sekhavati ,&nbsp;Thomas Cody Prang ,&nbsp;David Strait","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103682","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103682","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Changes in foot morphology have played a crucial role in the evolution of bipedalism. Examining the evolution of pedal characters among hominins makes it possible to identify when and where key anatomical changes required for bipedalism evolved. This study uses ancestral character reconstruction to investigate foot morphology in the <em>Homo</em> + <em>Pan</em> last common ancestor and subsequent nodes in the hominin phylogeny. We explore the pattern of hominin foot evolution and examine the presence of terrestrial and arboreal adaptations at hominin ancestral nodes. In this study, we analyzed 62 discrete pedal characters hypothesized to be functionally significant. Our likelihood-based approach supports the hypothesis of a <em>Pan</em>-like last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees. The earliest foot synapomorphies in hominins are related to foot and ankle eversion and midtarsal stability. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that lateral midfoot stability might have evolved before medial midfoot stability. Moreover, several homoplasies were inferred across different taxa, particularly related to features hypothesized to reflect joint mobility and the longitudinal arch. Finally, the <em>Paranthropus</em> and the <em>Australopithecus africanus</em> + <em>Australopithecus sediba</em> clades evolved arboreal characteristics, suggesting adaptations for arboreality. Overall, the results demonstrate how pedal characters evolved in hominins from an African ape–like ancestor.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"203 ","pages":"Article 103682"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143907648","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}