Journal of Human Evolution最新文献

{"title":"A three-dimensional geometric morphometric study of Miocene ape lumbar vertebrae, with implications for hominoid locomotor evolution","authors":"Scott A. Williams ,&nbsp;Xue Wang ,&nbsp;Monica V. Avilez ,&nbsp;Lillian Fok ,&nbsp;Maria V. Giraldo ,&nbsp;Jeffrey K. Spear ,&nbsp;Thomas C. Prang","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Miocene apes represent snapshots in time of key transitions in hominoid evolution. While all extant apes are adapted to orthograde posture and suspensory behavior, many Miocene apes demonstrate evidence for pronogrady and habitual arboreal quadrupedalism or present ‘mosaic’ morphologies suggestive of locomotion and posture unlike any extant catarrhine. Here, we use three-dimensional geometric morphometrics to study penultimate lumbar vertebrae of extant anthropoids and those of three well-preserved Miocene apes: <em>Ekembo nyanzae</em> (KNM-MW 13142), <em>Morotopithecus bishopi</em> (UMP 67-28), and <em>Pierolapithecus catalaunicus</em> (IPS 21350-64), which have been interpreted as a pronograde arboreal quadruped, an orthograde suspensory or vertical climbing ape, and an orthograde vertical climber that was not adapted to suspensory behavior, respectively. Our results show that <em>E. nyanzae</em> shares three-dimensional shape space with terrestrial papionins, whereas <em>M. bishopi</em> and <em>P. catalaunicus</em> fall within overlapping morphospace shared by <em>Ateles</em> and hylobatids. <em>Morotopithecus bishopi</em> and <em>P. catalaunicus</em> share with hylobatids and brachiating atelids (<em>Ateles</em> and <em>Brachyteles</em>) well-established features such as dorsal lumbar transverse (costal) processes and a newly identified feature in this study, the presence of a convex pillar along the pars interarticularis that forms the lateral borders of the laminae. The latter feature is also shared with <em>E. nyanzae</em>. Together with their large body size estimates, we interpret these results to indicate that <em>E. nyanzae</em> was primarily a pronograde quadruped that may have been semiterrestrial rather than strictly arboreal, while <em>M. bishopi</em> and <em>P. catalaunicus</em> were adapted to both orthogrady and forelimb-dominated climbing and suspension.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 103650"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474072","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":"Locomotor adaptation in the hominoid clavicle through ontogeny","authors":"Hannah N. Farrell,&nbsp;Zeresenay Alemseged","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103652","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2025.103652","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reconstructions of the locomotor behavior of early hominins have been hindered by our incomplete understanding of the form-function relationship in the extant hominoid shoulder. Although extensive research has highlighted the role of the highly mobile shoulder in supporting the locomotor diversity and versatility observed in hominoids, the contribution of the clavicle and its morphological diversity to shoulder function remains significantly underexplored. In this study, we analyzed the cross-sectional geometry of the ape clavicle using a large ontogenetic sample to identify new osteological signals related to locomotor adaptation in the shoulder. We assessed the interspecific and intraspecific differences in cortical bone distribution, with ratios of cortical properties describing the relative eccentricity of the cross section (the ratio of the second moments of area about the maximum [I_MAX] and minimum [I_MIN] principal axes [I_MAX/I_MIN]), the orientation of the anatomical plane that eccentricity is occurring in (the ratio of the second moments of area relative to the craniocaudal [I_X] and dorsoventral [I_Y] axes [I_X/I_Y]), and the relative proportion of cortical bone in each section. Our analyses demonstrate that the hominoid clavicle holds strong signals of locomotor adaptation that can be identified both across taxa and through ontogeny. Gibbons and orangutans have a relatively uniform clavicular cortical geometry throughout life, with gibbon clavicles built to best withstand habitual, unidirectional bending forces and orangutan clavicles remodeled to resist unpredictable, multidirectional loading. Furthermore, we find a clear signal of increased clavicular bending in the same portion of the diaphysis through ontogeny in the cortical geometry of chimpanzees and gorillas, likely reflecting both the shifts toward terrestriality through ontogeny and bending rigidity needed for continued arboreality at a larger body mass. Ultimately, these results are promising for the identification of locomotor adaptation in the shoulder of early hominins, especially <em>Australopithecus</em>, and highlight the key structural role of the clavicle in ape locomotion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 103652"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474073","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":"Facial morphologies of Middle Pleistocene Europe: Morphological mosaicism and the evolution of Homo neanderthalensis","authors":"Siri Topsø Olsen ,&nbsp;Suzanna White","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103645","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103645","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The phylogeny of the Middle Pleistocene hominins is a matter of intense scientific debate. Important phylogenetic and taxonomic uncertainties remain, not least due to conflicting results of phylogenetic analyses when methodologies or morphological focus differ. Geography has been proposed to play a key role in Middle Pleistocene hominin diversity, with a European group potentially ancestral to Neanderthals (<em>Homo neanderthalensis</em>) and an African group possibly ancestral to <em>Homo sapiens</em>, but the evidence is equivocal. In this study, we explore the connection between geography and facial morphology in Middle Pleistocene hominins with a particular emphasis on the potential Neanderthal affinities of the European group. Furthermore, to assess the impact of methodology on the results, we use a multimethod approach in which morphological affinities in both facial shape and discrete facial traits are assessed on a dataset consisting of 38 fossil and 20 recent hominin skulls divided into five groups (European and non-European Middle Pleistocene hominins, <em>H</em>. <em>sapiens</em>, <em>H</em>. <em>neanderthalensis</em>, and <em>Homo erectus/Homo ergaster</em>). Two main conclusions emerge from these analyses. First, methodological approach has a marked impact on the recorded pattern of morphological affinity, which may explain result discrepancies among previous studies. Second, this disparity may be caused by morphological mosaicism and polymorphism in the facial region of Middle Pleistocene hominins. The results provide some support for a closer connection between European Middle Pleistocene hominins and Neanderthals in terms of discrete facial traits, but not in overall facial shape, raising questions about the process of evolution of the Neanderthal facial phenotype. As a consequence of these results, we argue that greater attention needs to be paid to clarifying the broader evolutionary processes guiding hominin evolution during this period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 103645"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143478737","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":"Dental microwear of Neogene cercopithecoids from the Turkana Basin, Kenya","authors":"Leah K. Fehringer ,&nbsp;Catherine C. Beck ,&nbsp;Louise N. Leakey ,&nbsp;Patricia Princehouse ,&nbsp;John Rowan ,&nbsp;Gabrielle A. Russo ,&nbsp;Mark F. Teaford ,&nbsp;Kevin T. Uno ,&nbsp;Peter S. Ungar","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103646","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103646","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reconstructions of the diets of individual fossil species can help us better understand the adaptive radiations of higher-level primate taxa. Some researchers have posited that folivory was key to the divergence of cercopithecoids from the catarrhine stem, with bilophodonty reflecting an adaptation for leaf consumption. Others have questioned this model, suggesting that dental functional morphology and wear patterns are more consistent with frugivory and perhaps hard-object consumption. Here, we present new microwear texture data (<em>n =</em> 22) that might contribute to the discussion. Specimens were sampled from Buluk (∼17 Ma, Early Miocene, <em>Noropithecus bulukensis</em>) and Lothagam (∼8–4 Ma, Late Miocene to Early Pliocene, <em>Parapapio lothagamensis</em>/sp. indet and fossil Colobinae) in the Turkana Basin, Kenya, and compared with a select group of extant taxa. Point clouds were generated from high-resolution replicas of molar teeth using a white light confocal profiler and analyzed using scale-sensitive fractal analysis. Redults of dental microwear texture analyses for both fossil samples align with those off extant grass (<em>Theropithecus</em>) and leaf (<em>Trachypithecus</em>) eaters and differ significantly from those of frugivores/generalists (<em>Macaca, Papio</em>) and hard-object specialists (<em>Cercocebus</em>). While both <em>Noropithecus</em> and <em>Parapapio</em> postdate the divergence of the cercopithecoid clade from other catarrhines, these results are largely consistent with previous work on the dietary ecology of the early papionin <em>Parapapio</em> from Lothagam and the traditional ‘tough-food’ model of leaves/grasses. Some previous <em>Noropithecus</em> dietary reconstructions indicated a diet of harder objects or fruits. Thus, the discrepancy between the microwear results and previous dietary reconstructions for <em>N. bulukensis</em> is unexpected. These results raise hypotheses that may help provide new context and insights into the radiation of this important superfamily of primates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 103646"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143430206","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 reanalysis of the Taung endocranial surface: Comparison with large samples of living hominids","authors":"Shawn Hurst ,&nbsp;Ralph Holloway ,&nbsp;Heather Garvin ,&nbsp;Grace Bocko ,&nbsp;Kara Garcia ,&nbsp;Zachary Cofran ,&nbsp;John Hawks ,&nbsp;Lee Berger","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103637","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103637","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Since its discovery, the natural endocast of the Taung cranium has played a central role in the interpretation of human brain evolution. Aspects of the endocast including the identification of the lunate sulcus, possible expansion of the parietal lobe, and rounded profile suggested to R. Dart that the Taung individual was aligned with humans and not with other anthropoid primates, yet these interpretations were immediately controversial and remain so today. We have generated a detailed curvature map of the Taung endocast to evaluate its surface organization with reference to 189 chimpanzee and 20 human brains. These data enable evolutionary consideration of the surface detail of depressions and projections sufficient to mark primary sulci and variations in sulcal organization due to superficial bridges between adjacent gyri. Our results suggest that the lunate sulcus in the Taung endocast displays a gyral bridge between the occipital lobe and the inferior parietal lobule seen in 65% of our adult human brain hemispheres but in only 1.8% of our chimpanzee ones. The frontal lobe organization of the Taung endocast reflects a superior frontal sulcus pattern seen in 92.8% of our adult human brain hemispheres, but in 0% of our adult chimpanzee sample, and an inferior frontal sulcus pattern seen in 100% of our adult human brain hemispheres but in only 2.1% of our chimpanzee ones. The Taung inferior frontal gyrus retains a fronto-orbital sulcus which is seen in 0% of our adult human brain hemispheres and in 100% of our adult chimpanzee ones. These observations help to resolve some apparent inconsistencies of interpretation of the posterior endocast of the Taung specimen while showing that the specimen shared some derived aspects of endocast organization with humans that were not found in chimpanzees.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 103637"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421878","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":"Paleoenvironments at the Homo erectus type locality of Trinil (Java, Indonesia): The artiodactyl evidence","authors":"B. Gruwier ,&nbsp;K. Kovarovic","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103638","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103638","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we assess the artiodactyl fossil record of the <em>Homo erectus</em> type locality of Trinil (Indonesia) and explore the paleoenvironmental implications for the site and for our understanding of early hominin paleoecology. Combining ecomorphological analyses on postcranial elements of cervids from Trinil (<em>n</em> = 43) with a range of existing paleobiological and paleoecological data on the bovids and cervids, a holistic reconstruction is made of the ecology of the artiodactyl community. The ecomorphological analyses indicate that the cervid <em>Axis lydekkeri</em> was adapted to relatively open environments with wet substrate. In combination with evidence of the other families, these results are compared in a correspondence analysis with the artiodactyl communities of contemporary Asian nature reserves. Trinil was shown to be similar to a number of Mainland Southeast Asian sites and reconstructed as an open woodland habitat with a wet component, possibly in the form of alluvial grasslands. The paleoenvironmental conditions reconstructed for Trinil indicate that <em>Homo erectus</em> was present in relatively open environments but that it still had a significant degree of environmental flexibility and was able to persist in wet and dry environments, with a vegetation structure ranging from grassland to open woodland.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 103638"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421877","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":"Divergent otolithic systems in the inner ear of Paranthropus robustus and Australopithecus africanus","authors":"Christopher M. Smith ,&nbsp;Ashley S. Hammond ,&nbsp;Alessandro Urciuoli ,&nbsp;José Braga ,&nbsp;Amélie Beaudet ,&nbsp;Marine Cazenave ,&nbsp;Jeffrey T. Laitman ,&nbsp;Sergio Almécija","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The bony labyrinth of the inner ear houses the sensory end-organs responsible for balance (otolithic system in the utricle and saccule, and semicircular canal system) and hearing (cochlea). Study of the bony labyrinth has revealed considerable morphological diversity in the hominin lineage (semicircular canals and cochleae) and aided in reconstructing essential aspects of primate evolution, including positional behavior, audition, and phylogenic affinities. However, evidence of evolutionary change in the hominin otolithic system remains elusive. Such morphological variation in these gravitoinertial sensory end-organs may suggest functional differences as their geometry is linked with positional behavior. We approach the question of evolutionary morphological change in the hominin otolithic system by examining bony vestibule morphology in two South African hominin taxa <em>Paranthropus robustus</em> (n = 9) and <em>Australopithecus africanus</em> (n = 6), compared to extant hominids (<em>Pongo pygmaeus</em>, <em>Gorilla gorilla</em>, <em>Pan troglodytes</em>, and <em>Homo sapiens</em>). We use landmark-based shape analyses of 78 extant hominid inner ears by means of virtual three-dimensional models derived from micro-computed tomography scans. Thirty bony landmarks were chosen to approximate otolithic organ morphology and relative configuration. Results show a distinctive morphology in <em>P. robustus</em> compared to <em>A. africanus</em> and extant hominids. Specifically, <em>P. robustus</em> exhibits anterolateral–posteromedial compression in bony otolithic organ structure, reducing the size of the saccule and vestibular aqueduct. In contrast, <em>A. africanus</em> exhibits a modern-human-like otolithic system. This newfound morphological diversity identifies unique bony features of the <em>P</em>. <em>robustus</em> inner ear which: 1) offers potential evidence for differential positional behavior between <em>P. robustus</em> and <em>A. africanus</em> and 2) presents osteological markers to be used in taxonomic identification of <em>P. robustus</em> remains and in future assessments of <em>Paranthropus</em> classification.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 103624"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142830821","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":"Contextualizing the Upper Paleolithic of the Armenian Highlands: New data from Solak-1, central Armenia","authors":"Tanner Z. Kovach ,&nbsp;Artur Petrosyan ,&nbsp;Keith N. Wilkinson ,&nbsp;Yannick Raczynski-Henk ,&nbsp;Kathleen Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Ellery Frahm ,&nbsp;Emily Beverly ,&nbsp;Jayson P. Gill ,&nbsp;Jennifer E. Sherriff ,&nbsp;Boris Gasparyan ,&nbsp;Hayk G. Avetisyan ,&nbsp;Artak V. Gnuni ,&nbsp;Daniel S. Adler","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103632","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103632","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a potential corridor connecting Southwest Asia with western and northern Europe, the Armenian Highlands and southern Caucasus hold great potential for increasing our understanding of Upper Paleolithic behavioral and cultural variability. However, given the dearth of Upper Paleolithic sites, we lack the data necessary to answer basic questions regarding the timing and nature of the Upper Paleolithic in this region. Solak-1 is an open-air site located along the upper Hrazdan Valley (1635 m above sea level) in central Armenia. The site preserves a rich Upper Paleolithic lithic assemblage produced almost exclusively on obsidian and is just the fourth Upper Paleolithic sequence in Armenia. The goal of this study is to present geoarchaeological, chronometric, and technological analyses of the Solak-1 site to integrate the site into the regional Upper Paleolithic sequence. Solak-1 is composed of six lithostratigraphic units (LUs 1–6) comprising recently reworked (LUs 1–2), pedogenically modified (LUs 3–5), and primary (LU 6) loess. A single-grain postinfrared infrared stimulated luminescence date of 27.73 ± 3.63 ka was obtained from LU 4. This age is comparable to regional Middle Upper Paleolithic sites in Armenia and Georgia. Technotypological analyses indicate a lithic assemblage dominated by the production of bladelets and bladelet tools from formal and informal cores. Geochemical sourcing of the obsidian highlights a predominance of local raw material use, with rare transport of artifacts over 185 linear km. These results add an important new datapoint to the Upper Paleolithic record of the Armenian Highlands, offering additional insights into technotypological patterning within this period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 103632"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142985437","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":"Interpreting statistical significance in hominin dimorphism: Power and Type I error rates for resampling tests of univariate and missing-data multivariate size dimorphism estimation methods in the fossil record","authors":"Adam D. Gordon","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103630","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103630","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The degree of sexual size dimorphism in fossil hominins is important evidence for the evaluation of evolutionary hypotheses, but it is also difficult/impossible to measure directly. Multiple methods have been developed to estimate dimorphism in univariate and multivariate datasets, including when data are missing. This paper introduces 'dimorph', an R package that implements many of these methods and associated resampling-based significance tests and evaluates their performance in terms of Type I error rates and power. Tests evaluated here are those that appear most commonly in the hominin literature: testing whether a fossil sample is significantly more dimorphic than a comparative sample of known dimorphism. Univariate and multivariate methods are applied to metric data from four extant hominoid species: <em>Gorilla gorilla</em>, <em>Homo sapiens</em>, <em>Pan troglodytes</em>, and <em>Hylobates lar</em>. Each species is represented by 47 female and 47 male adult individuals, from which 10 linear postcranial measurements are collected. Data are resampled at a broad range of sample sizes (<em>n</em> = 4 to <em>n</em> = 82), sex ratios (proportion of females range from 0 to 1), and in the case of missing-data methods, proportions of missing data (0–0.9). Type I error rates and power are evaluated by the proportion of tests correctly or incorrectly rejecting null hypotheses regarding dimorphism difference within pairs of samples drawn from these four species, in which one sample stands in for a fossil sample. Results indicate low Type I error rates for all methods, whereas power is variable across methods but often low at sample sizes common to fossil analyses. Recommendations are made for the best significance tests. Additionally, previous work using lack of significant difference as evidence for similarity in dimorphism between fossils and extant species should be re-examined to determine whether those studies have enough power to detect known differences among extant taxa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 103630"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900115","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":"Stone selection by wild chimpanzees shares patterns with Oldowan hominins","authors":"D.R. Braun ,&nbsp;S. Carvalho ,&nbsp;R.S. Kaplan ,&nbsp;M. Beardmore-Herd ,&nbsp;T. Plummer ,&nbsp;D. Biro ,&nbsp;T. Matsuzawa","doi":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The use of broad tool repertoires to increase dietary flexibility through extractive foraging behaviors is shared by humans and their closest living relatives (chimpanzees, <em>Pan troglodytes</em>). However, comparisons between tool use in ancient human ancestors (hominins) and chimpanzees are limited by differences in their toolkits. One feature shared by primate and hominin toolkits is rock selection based on physical properties of the stones and the targets of foraging behaviors. Here, we document the selectivity patterns of stone tools used by wild chimpanzees to crack nuts at Bossou, Guinea, through controlled experiments that introduce rocks unknown to this population. Experiments incorporate specific rock types because previous studies document hominin selection of these lithologies at Kanjera South 2 Ma. We investigate decisions made by chimpanzees when selecting stones that vary in their mechanical properties—features not directly visible to the individual. Results indicate that the selection of anvils and hammers is linked to task-specific mechanical properties. Chimpanzees select harder stones for hammers and softer stones for anvils, indicating an understanding of specific properties for distinct functions. Selectivity of rock types suggests that chimpanzees assess the appropriate materials for functions by discriminating these ‘invisible’ properties. Adults identify mechanical properties through individual learning, and juveniles often reused the tools selected by adults. Selection of specific rock types may be transmitted through the reuse of combinations of rocks. These patterns of stone selection parallel what is documented for Oldowan hominins. The processes identified in this experiment provide insights into the discrete nature of hominin rock selection patterns in Plio-Pleistocene stone artifact production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54805,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Evolution","volume":"199 ","pages":"Article 103625"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142900117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}