To test whether the universal two-parameter DS model, originally proposed in 2015, can accurately describe how human brain and body mass change from conception to old age and reproduce their complex allometric relationship. We analyzed published autopsy data on brain and body mass from conception to ~90 years, encompassing both sexes. Using nonlinear least-squares regression in Maple, we fitted the DS model to the data, testing single- and two-stage growth scenarios. Model performance was evaluated via residual analysis. A two-stage model-with a transition at ~1.5 years post-conception-accurately described both brain and body mass trajectories (typically within 10% error). The model successfully reproduced the non-monotonic, "hook-shaped" allometric curve of brain vs. body mass, including age-related declines after ~45 years. Furthermore, rescaling age using development time (derived from the DS model) largely eliminated sex differences in body mass trajectories and equalized male and female life expectancy in biological time. The DS model provides a parsimonious, scientifically well-grounded framework for human ontogenetic growth. It identifies ~1.5 years post-conception as a critical developmental transition and offers a physiologically meaningful time metric with potential applications in theoretical biology, evolutionary anthropology, biogerontology, etc.

The research field of reproductive ecology continues to be a major contributor to the scientific advancement of evolutionary anthropology and human biology in general. Primary contributions to human evolutionary biology include a greater understanding of the physiological mechanisms that manage lifetime reproductive effort, resource allocation, life history trade-offs, demographic variation in fertility, the adaptive traits that define humans (Homo sapiens), non-human primates, and our hominid ancestors as well as novel insights into reproductive health challenges such as cancer. Here we present a brief overview of the foundation on which this research path is based, including a summary of current research advances in human reproductive ecology, particularly within the scope of human variation. Future research directions, unanswered questions, and engagement with reproductive health challenges are discussed.

ABSTRACT In this article, we review how anthropologies from various subdisciplines, from social to evolutionary anthropology, are contributing to our understanding of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C). We focus on four key questions: What are the origins of FGM/C? What functions and meanings are linked to FGM/C? How does FGM/C persist and/or change? And how can anthropology inform policy and practice? We identify how anthropological research has challenged generalizations about FGM/C, showing how FGM/C practices and meanings vary between and within groups and can change, disappear, and reemerge, and that these practices are closely interlinked with other practices and institutions. Anthropologists have also shown that FGM/C is held in place by a range of factors and that social contacts can have significant influence on people's attitudes and behaviors. Finally, we highlight how anthropologists have also shown how anti‐FGM/C efforts can have unforeseen harmful consequences and have critically interrogated the international response to FGM/C, including the ethnocentrism in what is construed as harmful genital cutting.

Prognathism, a pronounced protrusion of the mandible or maxilla, has had a winding semantic path: from a supposed “racial marker” of “primitivism” in 19th-century anthropology, to a normal phenotypic variation within the human species, and finally to a medical condition with specific functional implications. This article deconstructs this conceptual evolution. By integrating medical, evolutionary, and biocultural perspectives, we argue that differences in the degree of prognathism primarily reflect adaptations to diet and population history, varying continuously without delimiting discrete human groups. A meta-analysis of recent literature confirms the scientific consensus that rejects any racial taxonomy based on this trait, reframing it as a subject of interest for orthodontics, orthognathic surgery, and evolutionary anthropology.

This review article explores the concept of de-generacy as a fundamental yet underutilised principle in evolutionary anthropology. De-generacy, defined as structurally distinct elements performing overlapping functions, is widely recognised in genetics, neurobiology, and immunology but remains overlooked in cultural evolution. Distinguishing de-generacy from redundancy-where identical structures fulfill the same role-is crucial for understanding adaptability, resilience, and innovation in both biological and cultural systems. Despite its explanatory potential, de-generacy has been largely absent from anthropological discourse due to historical baggage and terminological confusion. The misuse of "degeneracy" in colonial and eugenic narratives has hindered its application, even as contemporary evolutionary theory-particularly the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis-highlights structural variation as a driver of adaptive complexity. Consequently, an opportunity to refine methodologies in anthropological research, particularly in modelling cultural transmission, has been overlooked. De-generacy is a distributed property of complex adaptive systems that, in many circles of science, has been hidden in plain sight, overlooked because of a reductionist bias, and ignored because the term itself is misleading. This article clarifies the distinction between de-generacy and redundancy and demonstrates its significance in biological anthropology. Empirical examples illustrate degeneracy across multiple domains, including linguistic variation, kinship terminologies, and ritual practices. A comparative case study of Indonesian Silek and Brazilian Capoeira provides a snapshot of how structurally distinct yet functionally similar cultural formations emerge across diverse contexts. These examples reinforce de-generacy as a key explanatory principle in cultural resilience and transformation. By integrating degeneracy into evolutionary anthropology, this article advances a more nuanced understanding of cultural transmission and transformation. Recognising structurally diverse yet functionally coherent practices enhances models of cultural evolution, moving beyond strictly adaptationist explanations. Ultimately, degeneracy provides a robust conceptual tool for analysing variation, complexity, and persistence in human evolutionary systems, warranting greater attention in interdisciplinary research.

The aim of this article is to present and critically examine Ellen Dissanayake’s ethological theory of art, which frames artistic behavior as an evolutionary adaptation. The core problem addressed is the lack of a coherent, biologically grounded framework for understanding the origins and functions of art in both ontogenetic and phylogenetic contexts. Unlike traditional conceptions that define art through its symbolic content or aesthetic objects, Dissanayake proposes the concept of “artification” – a behavior she characterizes as “making special” – as a universal and innate human tendency. The methodology is interdisciplinary and theoretical, integrating findings from ethology, evolutionary anthropology, cognitive psychology, developmental pedagogy, archaeology, and neuroscience. The analysis relies on Dissanayake’s foundational works and contemporary critiques to trace the biological and developmental roots of art related behaviors. Key findings suggest that early artistic behaviors, such as rhythmic gestures, ornamentation, and mark-making, likely evolved as adaptive responses to environmental uncertainties. These behaviors originate in the mother-infant dyad and manifest through emotional bonding, repetitive patterns, and heightened sensory experiences – behaviors that later develop into ritualistic and artistic expressions within communal settings. The theory posits that proto-aesthetic behaviors promote social cohesion, emotional regulation, and cognitive development, ultimately contributing to reproductive success. In conclusion, Dissanayake’s model offers a compelling naturalistic account of art, positioning it not as a cultural artifact alone but as an evolutionary inheritance embedded in human nature. This reconceptualization challenges conventional art theory and calls for broader, behavior-based definitions of artistic phenomena.

The DNA analysis of aged human skeletal remains is pivotal to forensic genetics, forensic anthropology, and archaeology. Using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny, we analyzed 982 publications from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection to evaluate publication trends, key contributors, influential journals and articles, and the thematic evolution of the field through co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, and temporal overlay mapping. The results indicate the publication in this field began in 1989 and peaked at 72 articles in 2021. The most prolific countries were the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain. Leading institutions included the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, the University of Ljubljana, and the University of Copenhagen. High-impact contributors included Pääbo, Svante; Willerslev, Eske; Krause, Johannes; and Pajnič, Irena Zupanič. The most active journals were Forensic Science International, Journal of Forensic Sciences, Forensic Science International: Genetics, International Journal of Legal Medicine, and American Journal of Physical Anthropology. The most highly cited article was "Hofreiter, 2001, Nat Rev Genet". Keywords co-occurrence highlighted "ancient DNA (aDNA)", "human skeletal remains", "mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)", "forensic science", and "human identification" as dominant themes. Recent trends underscore the integration of aDNA into forensics workflows, increasing reliance on mtDNA and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) profiling, and massively parallel sequencing (MPS) applications for degraded DNA. Collectively, the findings highlight the transformative impact of technological innovation and international collaboration on the field's evolution. Continued global cooperation is essential to drive innovation, optimize resources, and accelerate forensic genetics research.

Background: Kazakhstan, situated at the crossroads of Eurasia, preserves rich archaeological materials that provide unique opportunities to study the evolution of infectious diseases. Paleogenomic research has recently identified ancient pathogens in human remains from Bronze and Iron Age contexts, offering new insights into the region’s epidemiological history. Materials and methods: Skeletal remains from East and Central Kazakhstan, spanning the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages, were analyzed using ancient DNA extraction and next-generation sequencing. Pathogen screening was performed through metagenomic approaches, followed by phylogenetic reconstruction. Results: Genome-wide analyses revealed Yersinia pestis in several individuals. Early Bronze Age genomes represented basal lineages predating flea-adapted strains (Andrades Valtueña et al., 2022), while fourteenth-century samples from the Tian Shan region corresponded to the source of the Black Death pandemic (Spyrou et al., 2022). Ancient hepatitis B virus (HBV) genomes were also recovered from Iron Age individuals, contributing to reconstruction of more than 10,000 years of HBV evolution (Kocher et al., 2021). Additional evidence of Salmonella enterica and parvovirus B19 suggests a broader spectrum of infections in ancient populations of Kazakhstan. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that Kazakhstan played a central role in the long-term history of major human pathogens. The identification of early Y. pestis lineages and HBV genomes highlights the region’s significance in tracing the evolutionary trajectories of epidemic diseases. Integration of genomic, archaeological, and epidemiological data will further advance reconstructions of ancient disease dynamics across Eurasia. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by collaborations between the Institute of Archaeology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (Kazakhstan) and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Germany) Key words: archeogenetics, ancient pathogens

ABSTRACT When did war and peace first emerge in the human lineage? Are they deep-rooted in our evolutionary past or recent cultural inventions? This article integrates insights from evolutionary anthropology into strategic studies to address this foundational question. Using the comparative method and ethnographic analogy, it examines patterns of group interaction among humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos to determine whether such patterns are inherited from their last common ancestor or uniquely human. It argues that the inclinations for intergroup coalitionary killing and peaceful cooperation both have deep roots, and they co-evolved through a gradual, incremental trajectory over millions of years. Neither war nor peace is a unitary package that evolved at a single point in time. These complex traits originated and subsequently co-evolved through a mosaic-like pattern of development, with distinct but interacting components emerging at different moments and becoming integrated over evolutionary time. The article makes three main contributions. First, it sheds new light on when, why and how war and peace emerged in the human lineage. Second, it challenges essentialist notions of ‘human nature’ through a diachronic account of the evolution of human group interactions. Third, it extends the temporal scope of strategic studies beyond recorded history and state-centric analyses. By promoting interdisciplinary research—integrating biology, primatology, comparative ethology, archaeology, ethnography, social psychology, palaeoanthropology, genetics and neuroscience—it advances our understanding of the biocultural forces that shaped the evolution and persistence of war and peace.

Abstract Reconstructing incomplete anatomical regions of extinct taxa is critical for understanding their ecological and evolutionary context, including their migration patterns, reproductive strategies and environmental adaptations. In hominins, the pelvis can be particularly challenging to reconstruct because crushing and fragmentation during fossilization affects the delicate pubis and the sacrum. Yet the pelvis provides key information about how adaptations to different ecological niches affected functional morphology and reproduction. Here, we introduce a novel method using statistical shape modelling (SSM) to predict missing skeletal morphology from partially preserved hominin pelvic remains. We developed three statistical shape models from different phylogenetic groupings of a dataset of 290 right hipbones comprising 100 Homo sapiens and 190 extant great apes (90 Pan troglodytes , 10 P. paniscus , 57 Gorilla gorilla , 33 G. beringei ) and cross‐validated each in extinct and extant hominins ( Australopithecus afarensis , A. africanus , A. sediba , Neanderthals and Pleistocene humans). We found that models based on more diverse reference samples sometimes produced more accurate predictions. Pooling extant humans, chimpanzees and gorillas (SSM3) improved predictions for two of the fossil specimens compared to models with more restricted taxonomic composition. The human–chimpanzee model (SSM2) best predicted Ohalo 2, MH2 and Sts 14. All three models yielded high prediction error for Kebara 2, failing to predict the length and anterior orientation of its pubis. Our findings establish SSM as a robust tool for reconstructing missing morphologies in extinct hominin pelves, while highlighting the limitations of this method when the quality of the predictor landmarks is insufficient. We provide a methodological framework for addressing incomplete skeletal morphology in evolutionary anthropology and related disciplines, contributing to the broader understanding of pelvic adaptation in hominin evolution and of the interplay between morphology and ecological adaptation.

Abstract In this article I extend the analysis outlined in my book Carl Jung and the Evolutionary Sciences: A New Vision for Analytical Psychology (Clark 2025). I contrast my own defence of the scientific basis of Carl Jung’s ideas with Christian Roesla’s analysis in Deconstructing Archetype Theory (Roesler 2023). Roesler’s book is an engaging and well-researched attempt to undermine the scientific and anthropological basis of Jung’s thought. However, it is an attempt that in large part fails. I also outline the importance of interdisciplinary cross-pollination between analytical psychology and major trends in contemporary science and anthropology.

The article presents a biological approach to the problem of the essence of man and society. The focus is on the contradiction between human’s humanitarian concepts and the biological approach to this issue. Humanitarian concepts within the framework of cultural studies, philosophy, economics and other sciences represent a person as a purely cultural and rational being. The evolutionary, biological roots of man are ignored or directly denied. Descartes’ words “I think, therefore I exist” are the best illustration of the definition of human nature from the point of view of humanitarians. But research in the field of ethology, sociobiology and genetics over the past 70-80 years has forced us to disagree with humanitarian approaches. The biologists’ conclusions suggest that the biological, evolutionary nature of man continues to be the basis on which both individual behavior and large-scale social processes depend. The essence of man is predetermined by his evolutionary history, which is essentially a stochastic process and not programmed in advance. Biological and evolutionary determinism can be considered a relevant theory explaining social processes. From the point of view of modern evolutionary anthropology, man is a biosocial being who remains heavily dependent on his natural self. It is necessary to recognize the serious inconsistency of human nature, since reason does not dominate the life of either an individual or society as a whole. This inconsistency is seen as the reason for the challenges faced by modern humanity. We are also talking about global issues such as general militarization, the tendency to resolve conflicts by force, hunger and mass diseases, stratification of society, environmental pollution, and much more.

The 1918 influenza pandemic was a major mortality event that is well understood in its proximate heterogeneous impacts, but its long-term impacts on inequality are less understood. Within anthropology, evolutionary frameworks such as the epidemiological transitions, biocultural anthropology, and evolutionary medicine can give meaning to ultimate explanations for pandemics' long-term consequences. I seek to identify and shape the gap in the 1918 influenza pandemic literature around the analysis of post-pandemic inequalities compared with pre-pandemic and pandemic period inequalities. I discuss six papers that address consequences on the demography and epidemiology of surviving populations and 11 papers that engage with the fetal origins hypothesis to understand unequal long-term impacts on cohorts exposed to stressful intrauterine environments during the pandemic. I contextualize existing knowledge of unequal impacts within evolutionary anthropological theory and argue that evolutionary anthropology is well suited to lead holistic research on ultimate determinants of long-term pandemic consequences.

ABSTRACT This paper examines 19th-century classical evolutionary anthropology and contemporary non-classical evolutionary anthropology in the light of Schelling’s philosophical anthropology. I argue that Schelling’s two-fold account – comprising a philosophy of nature and a philosophy of history – helps identify key presuppositions and problems lying in these later theories. These include a progressivism that downplays the negative aspects of human history and an account of human nature as inherently egoistic. As both classical and non-classical evolutionary anthropology fall within the Darwinian framework, the two issues reflect broader characteristics of Darwinian evolutionism. Schelling’s philosophical anthropology is a fitting point of comparison for two reasons. First, his early philosophy of nature incorporates recapitulationism, a tradition from which Darwinian evolutionary theory itself developed. The characteristic of progressivism in Darwinian theory is inherited from recapitulation and, in part, shared by Schelling’s philosophy of nature. Second, Schelling can avoid the problems that beset Darwinian-based evolutionary anthropology because he limits progressivism’s explanatory power to nature. He further proposes a historical evolutionary anthropology to account for human reason, freedom, morality, and history. This unique approach also shows that human nature is not inherently egoistic. He thereby offers a more nuanced and comprehensive framework for understanding human history.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the systematic omission of childbirth from evolutionary psychology, arguing that this lacuna reflects deeper epistemological and ideological limitations within the field. While evolutionary psychology frequently theorizes reproductive behavior, particularly mating and parenting – it largely ignores the behavioral and psychological dimensions of the birthing process itself. Through a critical textual analysis of 10 major evolutionary psychology textbooks, the paper reveals a striking absence of attention to birthing women as active agents. Drawing on feminist epistemology and interdisciplinary perspectives from evolutionary anthropology, bioarcheology, and medical anthropology, the paper identifies two central blind spots in evolutionary psychology: the marginalization of childbirth due to gendered aesthetic norms and the constraining influence of functionalist explanatory models. The phenomenon of “birthing consciousness” is proposed as a case of evolved psychological adaptation overlooked by the discipline. By situating childbirth as a culturally embedded and psychologically complex event, this paper challenges evolutionary psychology’s narrow focus on universal adaptationist claims and calls for a broader, more integrative theoretical framework. The case of childbirth serves as an illustrative case through which to interrogate how disciplinary assumptions shape what is considered legitimate psychological knowledge – and whose experiences are rendered invisible.

ABSTRACT This essay reads Olive Schreiner’s final, posthumously published novel, From Man to Man, or Perhaps Only (1926) as an anthropological epic. Its heroine, Rebekah, is an armchair anthropologist who must come to knowledge not only of herself and her society, as would be conventional in a bildungsroman, but account for her place in the sweep of social evolution. From Man to Man is animated by a dynamic I describe as recursive feminist pessimism: over and over, Rebekah confronts the idea that women’s subordination is both archaic and inexorable. Across the novel, Rebekah’s struggles with this idea are surprisingly salutary, spurring her toward a proto-intersectional feminism. Pessimism is also an incisive instrument of feminist self-critique for Schreiner, driving her to interrogate her investments in the primitive versus civilized binary and in evolutionary anthropology as the basis of progressive ideals.

This research investigates U.S. parents’ responses to the rapidly changing, novel environment of the internet, applying evolutionary theory and interdisciplinary methodologies. Novel environments pose potential challenges to existing adaptive strategies, so this research investigates important questions about how parents and children perceive the risks of children’s entry into the virtual world and how they mitigate potential risks. The research focuses on parents of children in middle childhood (children ages 6–12), a significant period in human life history when children start building relationships outside the family. We utilize in-depth interviews (n = 26), cultural domain analysis (n = 32), surveys (n = 199), and participatory co-design (n = 34) to synergize theoretical concepts in evolutionary anthropology with the applied research focus of human–computer interaction. Cultural domain maps and interview results identify and classify perceptions of costs, benefits, and risks, including intrinsic and extrinsic sources of risk and risk tangibility. Survey results further identify platforms and risks of highest priority and confirm parental interest in new kinds of tools for managing the digital experiences of their children. Life history theory informs our approach to the development of parental control software that favors skill building and encourages parent–child discussions supporting child executive function and resilience to risks.

Recent discussions between evolutionary and theological anthropology have intensified, particularly through the work of Michael Tomasello. As a key figure in evolutionary anthropology, Tomasello synthesizes extensive empirical research into an accessible ‘natural history’ of core human abilities. He posits that a unique human trait distinguishing us from our closest relatives is the capacity for “collective intentionality”, a concept he adapts from the philosophy of action. In this article, I show that Tomasello’s insights carry significant implications for philosophical and theological debates. Philosophically, his evolutionary framework invites a new understanding of the mind–brain problem, promoting a non-reductive view of human consciousness which questions the basic metaphysical assumptions of the debate by taking a genealogical perspective. Theologically, his work supports a “practical metaphysics”, suggesting that although morality is autonomous, it can lead to theistic interpretations of human existence. This supports the Kantian idea that religion does not precede morality but that religious views of the world are interpretations of human moral life. At the same time, religion is not just an add-on to morality but an interpretation of a human form of life as such. Both discourses exemplify the importance of a genealogical perspective in philosophy and theology, especially reinforcing the necessity of considering the ‘natural history’ of consciousness, free will or religiosity in anthropology.

Recent efforts to understand violent extremism have appealed to the concept of extreme overvalued beliefs as a way of explaining fixation and extremist commitments. Extreme overvalued beliefs refer to an ego-syntonic fixation that grows more intense, absolute and emotional over time and is shared with a sub-community. However, while extreme overvalued beliefs precede many targeted attacks, most people who hold them do not resort to violence. Previous research has highlighted four 'ingredients' associated with an increased risk of violent extremism, only three of which are captured in studies linking extreme overvalued beliefs to violence: perceived outgroup threat, demonization of the outgroup, and endorsement of violence. We argue that the fourth element-missing from the literature on extreme overvalued beliefs-is identity fusion: a visceral sense of oneness with the group in which personal and group identities become functionally equivalent. The goal of this paper is to improve current understanding of the circumstances where individuals with extreme overvalued beliefs turn into potential attackers. We show that when certain types of extreme overvalued beliefs are combined with identity fusion it can lead to violent self-sacrifice. Drawing on evidence from psychiatry, evolutionary anthropology, behavioural psychology and computational linguistics, along with a forensic analysis of three high-profile case studies of lone-actor grievance-fuelled violence, we explore the interplay of these risk factors and propose a more encompassing construct for explaining violent extremism. We call this hybrid framework Extreme Overvalued Beliefs and Identities (EOBI), synthesising the findings of interdisciplinary research on pathological fixation and identity fusion.

Drawings serve as a profound medium of expression for both humans and apes, offering unique insights into the cognitive and emotional landscapes of the artists, regardless of their species. This study employs artificial intelligence (AI), specifically Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and the interpretability tool Captum, to analyse non-figurative drawings by Molly, an orangutan. The research utilizes VGG19 and ResNet18 models to decode seasonal nuances in the drawings, achieving notable accuracy in seasonal classification and revealing complex influences beyond human-centric methods. Techniques, such as occlusion, integrated gradients, PCA, t-SNE, and Louvain clustering, highlight critical areas and elements influencing seasonal recognition, providing deeper insights into the drawings. This approach not only advances the analysis of non-human art but also demonstrates the potential of AI to enrich our understanding of non-human cognitive and emotional expressions, with significant implications for fields like evolutionary anthropology and comparative psychology.