Evolutionary Roots Research Articles

The Evolutionary Roots of Anxiety and its Implications for Socialization and Group Cohesion

The Evolutionary Roots of Anxiety and its Implications for Socialization and Group Cohesion

Event parsing and the origins of grammar.

How did grammar evolve? Perhaps a better way to ask the question is what kind of cognition is needed to enable grammar. The present analysis departs from the observation that linguistic communication is structured in terms of agents and patients, a reflection of how humans see the world. One way to explore the origins of cognitive skills in humans is to compare them with primates. A first approach has been to teach great apes linguistic systems to study their production in subsequent conversations. This literature has revealed considerable semantic competences in great apes, but no evidence for a corresponding grammatical ability, at least in production. No ape has ever created a sentence with an underlying causal structure of agency and patienthood. A second approach has been to study natural communication in primates and other animals. Here, there is intermittent evidence of compositionality, for example, a capacity to perform operations on semantic units, but again no evidence for an ability to refer to the causal structure of events. Future research will have to decide whether primates and other animals are simply unable to see the world as casually structured the way humans do, or whether they are just unable to communicate causal structures to others.This article is categorized under:Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of CognitionComputer Science and Robotics > Artificial IntelligenceLinguistics > Evolution of Language

Coupling evolution effect between security system vulnerability and security incident in petrochemical plants

Security system vulnerability is closely related to the occurrence and development of security accidents in petrochemical plants. It also affects security accident evolution, and the state of security accident changes and in turn acts on the system vulnerability. However, few studies have been performed on the coupling effect of security system vulnerability and security incidents on this evolution process. In this study, the correlation between security system vulnerability and security incident is analyzed from three aspects, namely, evolutionary roots, time dimension, and space dimension. A full-cycle coupling evolution model between security system vulnerability and security incidents is established. The quantitative coupling evolution law among them is also obtained. The coupling evolution relationship between security system vulnerability and security incidents in petrochemical plants is examined in detail, and an illustrative case is used to explain the rationality of our findings. Results reveal that security system vulnerability plays a leading role in each of the four security incident evolution periods.

Sequential and network analyses to describe multiple signal use in captive mangabeys

Although studies on primate communication have mainly focused on single communication systems (gestural, facial or vocal), there is an increasing interest in a more integrative approach to describe the communication of our closest relatives, particularly with the aim of investigating the evolutionary roots of human language. The understanding of the ultimate functions of multimodal (involving signals of different sensory modalities) and multicomponent (association of different signal types) communication needs more systematic description of multiple signal use in primate species, with details on the circumstances leading to such complex signalling. In the present study, we describe the sequential use of communicative signals of different types and sensory modalities in a captive population of catarrhine monkeys, the red-capped mangabey, Cercocebus torquatus . We applied existing analysis methods from other disciplines to define, systematically describe and quantify the production of signals among communicative sequences. We notably used sequence analysis tools (based on dissimilarity measures) to identify the typical signal sequences produced by mangabeys, and network analysis to describe dyadic signal associations among these sequences. The focal observation of five social groups of mangabeys allowed us to identify 424 communicative sequences, which could be grouped into eight main categories, and whose complexity, multimodality and multicomponentiality depended on social context and signaller characteristics. Overall, captive mangabeys frequently associated communication signals of all types (body, facial and vocal signals) and modalities (visual, audible and tactile), in a flexible way. Our results complete previous description of red-capped mangabey signalling and highlight the need for a multimodal and multicomponent approach to understand the complexity of primate communication. Moreover, we propose the method we used as a way to enhance primate communication analysis, in the frame of comparative research. • We describe signal associations among communication sequences in captive mangabeys. • Captive red-capped mangabeys flexibly couple signal types and sensory modalities. • Their communication complexity depends on context and signaller's age and sex. • Play and aggression contexts elicit more complex and multimodal signal sequences. • The method we used may enable comparative research on complex communication events.

Chimpanzees consider alternative possibilities

Humans reason not only about actual events (what is), but also about possible events (what could be). Many key operations of human cognition involve the representation of possibilities, including moral judgment, future planning, and causal understanding1. But little is known about the evolutionary roots of this kind of thought. Humans' closest relatives, chimpanzees, possess several cognitive abilities that are closely related to reasoning about alternatives: they plan for the future2, evaluate other's actions3, and reason causally4. However, in the first direct test of the ability to consider alternatives, Redshaw and Suddendorf5 claim that chimpanzees are not able to represent alternative possibilities. Here, using a novel method, we challenge this conclusion: our results suggest that, like human cognition, chimpanzee thought is not limited to what is, but also involves reasoning about what could be the case.

Specificity of spiders among fear- and disgust-eliciting arthropods: Spiders are special, but phobics not so much

To investigate a specificity of spiders as a prototypical fear- and disgust-eliciting stimuli, we conducted an online experiment. The respondents rated images of 25 spiders, 12 non-spider chelicerates, and 10 other arthropods on a fear and disgust 7-point scale. The evaluation of 968 Central European respondents confirmed the specificity of spiders among fear- and disgust-eliciting arthropods and supported the notion of spiders as a cognitive category. We delineated this category as covering extant spider species as well as some other chelicerates bearing a physical resemblance to spiders, mainly whip spiders and camel spiders. We suggested calling this category the spider-like cognitive category. We discussed evolutionary roots of the spider-like category and concluded that its roots should be sought in fear, with disgust being secondary of the two emotions. We suggested other chelicerates, e.g., scorpions, might have been important in formation and fixation of the spider-like category. Further, we investigated an effect of respondent's sensitivity to a specific fear of spiders on evaluation of the stimuli. We found that suspected phobic respondents were in their rating nearly identical to those with only high fear of spiders and similar to those with only moderate fear of spiders. We concluded that results based on healthy respondents with elevated fear should also be considered relevant for arachnophobia research.

Consciousness and cognition in plants.

Unlike animal behavior, behavior in plants is traditionally assumed to be completely determined either genetically or environmentally. Under this assumption, plants are usually considered to be noncognitive organisms. This view nonetheless clashes with a growing body of empirical research that shows that many sophisticated cognitive capabilities traditionally assumed to be exclusive to animals are exhibited by plants too. Yet, if plants can be considered cognitive, even in a minimal sense, can they also be considered conscious? Some authors defend that the quest for plant consciousness is worth pursuing, under the premise that sentience can play a role in facilitating plant's sophisticated behavior. The goal of this article is not to provide a positive argument for plant cognition and consciousness, but to invite a constructive, empirically informed debate about it. After reviewing the empirical literature concerning plant cognition, we introduce the reader to the emerging field of plant neurobiology. Research on plant electrical and chemical signaling can help shed light into the biological bases for plant sentience. To conclude, we shall present a series of approaches to scientifically investigate plant consciousness. In sum, we invite the reader to consider the idea that if consciousness boils down to some form of biological adaptation, we should not exclude a priori the possibility that plants have evolved their own phenomenal experience of the world. This article is categorized under: Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition Philosophy > Consciousness Neuroscience > Cognition.

Diversity and origin of carotenoid biosynthesis: its history of coevolution towards plant photosynthesis

The development of photosynthesis was a highlight in the progression of bacteria. In addition to the photosystems with their structural proteins, the photosynthesis apparatus consists of different cofactors including essential carotenoids. Thus, the evolution of the carotenoid pathways in relation to the functionality of the resulting structures in photosynthesis is the focus of this review. Analysis of carotenoid pathway genes indicates early evolutionary roots in prokaryotes. The pathway complexity leading to a multitude of structures is a result of gene acquisition, including their functional modifications, emergence of novel genes and gene exchange between species. Along with the progression of photosynthesis, carotenoid pathways coevolved with photosynthesis according to their advancing functionality. Cyanobacteria, with their oxygenic photosynthesis, became a landmark for evolutionary events including carotenogenesis. Concurrent with endosymbiosis, the cyanobacterial carotenoid pathways were inherited into algal plastids. In the lineage leading to Chlorophyta and plants, carotenoids evolved to their prominent role in protection and regulation of light energy input as constituents of a highly efficient light-harvesting complex.

Metabolic evolutionary roots of the macrophage immune response in amoeba-bacteria interactions: The conserved role of hypoxia-induced Factor and AMP kinase

The bacteria Legionella, being able to infect both macrophages and protozoans, reduce oxidative phosphorylation and induce glycolysis, which allows pathogens to grow and replicate in these cells. In amoeba-like inflammatory macrophages (M1), the phagocytizing cells of the primary immune defense, an increase in the rate of glycolysis is followed by a decrease of oxidative phosphorylation. The opposite takes place in anti-inflammatory macrophages (M2). They change from glycolysis to oxidative metabolism when AMP-dependent kinase (AMPK) is activated by a high ratio of AMP/ATP. Stimulation of macrophages with anti-inflammatory cytokines causes activation of AMPK. Infection of macrophages with the parasitic flagellate Leishmania infantum induces a switch from an initial glycolytic phase to oxidative phase with the essential role of AMPK in this change. Activated AMPK induces catabolic pathways effectively producing ATP as well as processes requiring the energy supply. AMPK regulates the migration of cells and enhances the phagocytic activity of macrophages. In macrophages, bacterial products activate TLRs and NF-κB signaling, causing an increase of transcription of hypoxia-induced factor HIF-1α (a subunit of HIF-1). This brings about induction of the enzyme and transporter expression essential for glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway to proceed and makes biosynthetic processes and ROS production in macrophages possible. Hypoxia augments macrophage phagocytosis in a HIF-1α-dependent manner. Multicellular parasites experience changes in the availability of oxygen in their life cycle. In the nematode Ascaris suum, HIF participates in the pre-adaptation to hypoxic conditions after infection of their hosts. Also, the freshwater and marine invertebrates meet changes of oxygen concentrations. In the anaerobic branch of the respiratory chain of these invertebrates, fumarate serves as the terminal electron acceptor that is reduced to succinate in complex II of the ETC. In mammalian cells, accumulation of succinate under hypoxic conditions suggests that the mammalian complex II may reduce fumarate to succinate, too. The data reviewed here show that the ability to shift the cell metabolism towards glycolysis observed in activated macrophages can be traced back in evolution to metabolic changes characterizing protozoans infected with bacteria. Anabolic needs of multiplying bacteria direct host metabolism to glycolysis that produces, aside from ATP, precursors of the amino acids used by the pathogen for its protein synthesis. M1-activated mammalian macrophages behave in the same way. Regulation of metabolism in M1 and M2 macrophages is further enhanced by HIF-1 and AMPK, respectively. These archaic functions of AMPK and HIF, important also to control phagocytosis and cell migration were extended to embryonic development in multicellular organisms.

Do wild animals get PTSD? Scientists probe its evolutionary roots

Do wild animals get PTSD? Scientists probe its evolutionary roots

Reverting to single-cell biology: The predictions of the atavism theory of cancer

Cancer or cancer-like phenomena pervade multicellular life, implying deep evolutionary roots. Many of the hallmarks of cancer recapitulate unicellular modalities, suggesting that cancer initiation and progression represent a systematic reversion to simpler ancestral phenotypes in response to a stress or insult. This so-called atavism theory may be tested using phylostratigraphy, which can be used to assign ages to genes. Several research groups have confirmed that cancer cells tend to over-express evolutionary older genes, and rewire the architecture linking unicellular and multicellular gene networks. In addition, some of the elevated mutation rate – a well-known hallmark of cancer – is actually self-inflicted, driven by genes found to be homologs of the ancient SOS genes activated in stressed bacteria, and employed to evolve biological workarounds. These findings have obvious implications for therapy.

Connecting primate gesture to the evolutionary roots of language: A systematic review.

Comparative psychology provides important contributions to our understanding of the origins of human language. The presence of common features in human and nonhuman primate communication can be used to suggest the evolutionary trajectories of potential precursors to language. However, to do so effectively, our findings must be comparable across diverse species. This systematic review describes the current landscape of data available from studies of gestural communication in human and nonhuman primates that make an explicit connection to language evolution. We found a similar number of studies on human and nonhuman primates, but that very few studies included data from more than one species. As a result, evolutionary inferences remain restricted to comparison across studies. We identify areas of focus, bias, and apparent gaps within the field. Different domains have been studied in human and nonhuman primates, with relatively few nonhuman primate studies of ontogeny and relatively few human studies of gesture form. Diversity in focus, methods, and socio-ecological context fill important gaps and provide nuanced understanding, but only where the source of any difference between studies is transparent. Many studies provide some definition for their use of gesture; but definitions of gesture, and in particular, criteria for intentional use, are absent in the majority of human studies. We find systematic differences between human and nonhuman primate studies in the research scope, incorporation of other modalities, research setting, and study design. We highlight eight particular areas in a call to action through which we can strengthen our ability to investigate gestural communication's contribution within the evolutionary roots of human language.

Limited memory optimizes cooperation in social dilemma experiments.

Cooperation is one of the key collective behaviours of human society. Despite discoveries of several social mechanisms underpinning cooperation, relatively little is known about how our neural functions affect cooperative behaviours. Here, we study the effect of a main neural function, working-memory capacity, on cooperation in repeated Prisoner's Dilemma experiments. Our experimental paradigm overcomes the obstacles in measuring and changing subjects' working-memory capacity. We find that the optimal cooperation level occurs when subjects remember two previous rounds of information, and cooperation increases abruptly from no memory capacity to minimal memory capacity. The results can be explained by memory-based conditional cooperation of subjects. We propose evolutionary models based on replicator dynamics and Markov processes, respectively, which are in good agreement with experimental results of different memory capacities. Our experimental findings differ from previous hypotheses and predictions of existent models and theories, and suggest a neural basis and evolutionary roots of cooperation beyond cultural influences.

Biophilia as Evolutionary Adaptation: An Onto- and Phylogenetic Framework for Biophilic Design.

Biophilia is a human personality trait described initially by Erich Fromm and later by E.O. Wilson, both of whom agree that biophilia has a biological basis and that it is fundamental to develop harmonious relationships between humans and the biosphere. This review aims at establishing a definition of biophilia as an evolutionary process. To this end, the most significant studies of evolutionary psychology were considered, to outline the fundamental characteristics of a hypothetical biophilic temperament/personality and to reconstruct a plausible history of biophilia as an evolutionary process. This process considers different typologies of Nature (wilderness, rural, and urban) and human cultures (Paleolithic, Neolithic, and Burg) and leads us to consider environmental preference and psycho-physiological recovery in relation to the threshold of time spent in contact with Nature. Unfortunately, modern people, especially children, lack direct and frequent contact with Nature and this can have negative consequences on their physical and mental health. Biophilic design, considering the evolutionary roots of this architectural approach, is an effective way of planning/designing interior and urban environments to stimulate the innate biophilia of the individual.

What is attention?

We define attention as "the set of evolved brain processes that leads to adaptive and effective behavioral selection." Our emphasis is on understanding the biological and neural mechanisms that make the behavioral properties of attention possible. Although much has been learned about the functional operation of attention by postulating and testing different aspects of attention, our view is that the distinctions most frequently relied upon are much less useful for identifying the detailed biological mechanisms and brain circuits. Instead, we adopt an evolutionary perspective that, while speculative, generates a different set of guiding principles for understanding the form and function of attention. We then provide a thought experiment, introducing a device that we intend to serve as an intuition pump for thinking about how the brain processes for attention might be organized, and that illustrates the features of the biological processes that might ultimately answer the question. This article is categorized under: Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition Psychology > Attention Philosophy > Psychological Capacities.

Genetic Diversity for Accelerating Microbial Adaptive Laboratory Evolution.

Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) is a widely used and highly effective tool for improving microbial phenotypes and investigating the evolutionary roots of biological phenomena. Serving as the raw materials of evolution, mutations have been extensively utilized to increase the chances of engineering molecules or microbes with tailor-made functions. The generation of genetic diversity is therefore a core technology for accelerating ALE, and a high-quality mutant library is crucial to its success. Because of its importance, technologies for generating genetic diversity have undergone rapid development in recent years. Here, we review the existing techniques for the construction of mutant libraries, briefly introduce their mechanisms and applications, discuss ongoing and emerging efforts to apply engineering technologies in the construction of mutant libraries, and suggest future perspectives for library construction.

Emotional contagion in nonhuman animals: A review.

Emotional contagion, the emotional state‐matching of an individual with another, seems to be crucial for many social species. In recent years evidence on emotional contagion in different animal species has accumulated. However, despite its adaptative advantages and its presumed simplicity, the study and direct demonstration of this phenomenon present more complexities than previously thought. For these reasons, a review of the literature on emotional contagion in nonhuman species is timely to integrate current findings. In this paper thus, we carry out a comprehensive review of the most relevant studies on emotional contagion in animals and discuss the main problems and challenges of the field. We conclude that more research is needed to broaden our understanding of the mechanisms and functions of emotional contagion and the extent to which this process is present in a wide variety of species. Furthermore, the comparative study of emotional contagion would benefit from the use of systematized paradigms including both behavioral and physiological measures and the simultaneous recording of the responses of the interacting individuals to reliably assess an emotional state‐matching between them and reliable controls.This article is categorized under:Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of CognitionPsychology > Comparative PsychologyPsychology > Emotion and Motivation

Contribution of ethology to evolutionary medicine

AbstractEvolutionary medicine is a concept that arose mainly in the 1990s, and which applies evolutionary biological principles to human medical fields. For instance, evolutionary medicine proposed that there is an evolutionary mismatch between the human anatomy and physiology and novel, man‐made environments, leading to the so‐called diseases of civilization. Constraints exist on the process of natural selection, and evolutionary trade‐offs can prevent traits from being optimal, leaving humans with traits that at first sight seem maladaptive, such as the very narrow birth canal of humans. More generally, certain traits can increase reproduction at the cost of health and longevity. Other traits, such as pain and fever, are related to protective physiological defences, and not diseases. Some medical topics have biological roots in the field of ethology, particularly human ethology, such as the behavioural aspects of psychiatry and addiction. Compulsive overeating and binge eating show similarities to substance‐linked addictions and behavioural addictions. Interactions between behaviour, stress and diseases have ancient evolutionary roots, which may lead to a mismatch to the modern human environment. A subject of high, topical interest is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic, as the behavioural aspects of population compliance are crucial for the success in fighting the pandemic. Ethology, and evolutionary biology in general, can substantially contribute to improving the biological understanding of medical phenomena, and therefore of medical and public health interventions. This applies not only to research but also to education.

Archaeal extracellular vesicles are produced in an ESCRT-dependent manner and promote gene transfer and nutrient cycling in extreme environments.

Membrane-bound extracellular vesicles (EVs), secreted by cells from all three domains of life, transport various molecules and act as agents of intercellular communication in diverse environments. Here we demonstrate that EVs produced by a hyperthermophilic and acidophilic archaeon Sulfolobus islandicus carry not only a diverse proteome, enriched in membrane proteins, but also chromosomal and plasmid DNA, and can transfer this DNA to recipient cells. Furthermore, we show that EVs can support the heterotrophic growth of Sulfolobus in minimal medium, implicating EVs in carbon and nitrogen fluxes in extreme environments. Finally, our results indicate that, similar to eukaryotes, production of EVs in S. islandicus depends on the archaeal ESCRT machinery. We find that all components of the ESCRT apparatus are encapsidated into EVs. Using synchronized S. islandicus cultures, we show that EV production is linked to cell division and appears to be triggered by increased expression of ESCRT proteins during this cell cycle phase. Using a CRISPR-based knockdown system, we show that archaeal ESCRT-III and AAA+ ATPase Vps4 are required for EV production, whereas archaea-specific component CdvA appears to be dispensable. In particular, the active EV production appears to coincide with the expression patterns of ESCRT-III-1 and ESCRT-III-2, rather than ESCRT-III, suggesting a prime role of these proteins in EV budding. Collectively, our results suggest that ESCRT-mediated EV biogenesis has deep evolutionary roots, likely predating the divergence of eukaryotes and archaea, and that EVs play an important role in horizontal gene transfer and nutrient cycling in extreme environments.

Growing points in attachment disorganization: looking back to advance forward

ABSTRACT In this special issue paper we reflect on the next generation of attachment research with a focus on disorganization, a central but still poorly understood topic in this area. We suggest that progress will be facilitated by a return to attachment theory’s evolutionary roots, and to the emphasis on biological function that inspired Bowlby’s original thinking. Increased interdisciplinary cross-fertilization and collaborations would enable novel and generative research on some of the long-standing questions surrounding attachment disorganization. Accordingly, we present an agenda for future research that encompasses contributions of modern ethology and neurobiology, novel hypotheses based on the concept of adaptive decanalization, connections with neurodevelopmental vulnerability and risk for mental disorders such as schizophrenia, and the possibility of sex differences in the behavioral manifestations of attachment disorganization. We believe that these avenues of theory and research offer exciting potential for innovative work in attachment disorganization in the years ahead.