Modern Humans Research Articles

Shaping the physical world to our ends through the left PF technical-cognition area.

Our propensity to materiality, which consists in using, making, creating, and passing on technologies, has enabled us to shape the physical world according to our ends. To explain this proclivity, scientists have calibrated their lens to either low-level skills such as motor cognition or high-level skills such as language or social cognition. Yet, little has been said about the intermediate-level cognitive processes that are directly involved in mastering this materiality, that is, technical cognition. We aim to focus on this intermediate level for providing new insights into the neurocognitive bases of human materiality. Here, we show that a technical-reasoning process might be specifically at work in physical problem-solving situations. We found via two distinct neuroimaging studies that the area PF (parietal F) within the left parietal lobe is central for this reasoning process in both tool-use and non-tool-use physical problem-solving and can work along with social-cognitive skills to resolve day-to-day interactions that combine social and physical constraints. Our results demonstrate the existence of a specific cognitive module in the human brain dedicated to materiality, which might be the supporting pillar allowing the accumulation of technical knowledge over generations. Intensifying research on technical cognition could nurture a comprehensive framework that has been missing in fields interested in how early and modern humans have been interacting with the physical world through technology, and how this interaction has shaped our history and culture.

Человек технологически достроенный: в поисках целостности

<p>The mixed online-offline reality, with the technosystem as an integral component of the digital era's ecological human system, has given rise to a new anthropological type: the technologically augmented human, enhanced by digital tools. This extended human, simultaneously embodied in the physical realm and dematerialized through extra-corporeal expansion, becomes distributed across multiple realities and digital spaces. This distribution challenges the concept of holistic subjectivity. The problem of wholeness is examined through technological, cognitive, motivational-value, and socio-behavioral dimensions. A key focus is on identifying new methods for managing digital extensions, fostering internal coherence, and integrating digital and real-world identities to enable conscious, responsible, effective, and safe participation in digital social practices. In this era of rapid digital transformation, the wholeness of modern humans must be reevaluated based on a fundamental principle: a changing individual exists within a constantly transforming world. This principle acknowledges the limitations of previous anthropological frameworks and norms in understanding humanity, recognizing humans as an open, unfinished project perpetually striving to realize their boundless potential.</p>

Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence Legislation in Europe and the Identification of Rural Victims of Modern Slavery and Forced Labour within the Agri-horticultural Supply Chain

Since 2017, Germany, Norway and France all passed or began to implement some form of Mandatory Human Rights Due Diligence (mHRDD) reporting for businesses. MHRDD legislation intends to hold businesses accountable for failing to identify and act upon actual and potential risks to workers within their own operation and within their supply chains. These developments are signs of progress to hold businesses more accountable in tackling modern slavery, but it is unclear what, if any, impact this will have on victims of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT) in the agricultural sector. Modern slavery within the European Agri-horticultural supply chain is usually mediated via organised crime, or involves vulnerable migrants recruited through informal labour intermediaries. The bottleneck structure of the Agri-horticultural supply chain in Europe means that the last business step of the food supply chain prior to consumers (food retailers) are usually several steps removed from the rural producers of agricultural products themselves. This study compared the three laws by identifying the food retailers with the top 90% of market share in each country, identifying if they are subject to reporting requirements under the applicable mHRDD law, analysing if the mHRDD reports produced by the food retailers address the risk of MSHT in their agri-horticultural supply chain, and analyses if rural victims of MSHT in their agri-horticultural supply chain would have any legal recourse to compensation under the applicable laws. The findings here suggest that mHRDD can theoretically positively impact the lives of rural victims of MSHT in the long term, especially since the relatively small number of end retailers compared to farms creates a streamlined checkpoint through which most agri-horticultural products flow. However, the laws are not likely to be effective in aiding current rural victims of MSHT in the agricultural sector to accessing remedy for abuses, nor will they address the downward pressure on the supply chain created by food retailers.

Evolution of antigenic diversity in the zoonotic multi-host parasite Schistosoma japonicum: implications for vaccine design.

Evolution of antigenic diversity in the zoonotic multi-host parasite Schistosoma japonicum: implications for vaccine design.

Digital Forensic Analysis of Tooth Wear in Prehistoric and Modern Humans

Digital Forensic Analysis of Tooth Wear in Prehistoric and Modern Humans

Large scale and regional demographic responses to climatic changes in Europe during the Final Palaeolithic.

The European Final Palaeolithic witnessed marked changes in almost all societal domains. Despite a rich body of evidence, our knowledge of human palaeodemographic processes and regional population dynamics still needs to be improved. In this study, we present regionally differentiated population estimates for the Greenland Interstadial 1d-a (GI-1d-a; 14-12.7 ka cal BP) and the Greenland Stadial 1 (GS-1; 12.7-11.6 ka cal BP) for Southern, Western, Northern and Central Europe. The data were obtained by applying the Cologne Protocol, a geostatistical approach for estimating prehistoric population size and density, to a newly compiled dataset of Final Palaeolithic sites. On a large spatio-temporal scale and compared to preceding Upper Palaeolithic phases, areas north of the Alps become the dominant demographic growth area for the first time since the dispersal of anatomically modern humans into Europe. At smaller scales, we observe divergent regional trends, with a conspicuous lack of archaeological evidence appearing in previously occupied areas of central France and Germany. Our study also shows that during the Final Palaeolithic, the climatic cooling of GS-1 coincides with a pronounced population decline in most parts of the study area. An apparent increase in population density occurs only in north-eastern Central Europe and north-eastern Italy. Our estimates suggest that the total population was reduced by half. Similar results, with a relationship between decreasing temperatures and decreasing populations, have already been observed for the late phase of the Gravettian, when populations were reduced to only one third of those estimated for the early phase. Yet, in contrast to the collapse of local populations during the late Gravettian, the increase in population densities in Central Europe during GS-1 indicates population movements eastwards, possibly in response to deteriorating climatic conditions, particularly in western regions during the Younger Dryas.

Reconciling Species Concepts: An Ecological Perspective.

Species concepts remain contentious, both in paleoanthropology and in modern taxonomy. The lineage-based concept emphasizing evolutionary independence is most fundamental, but in practice is generally represented by proxy evidence of morphological or genetic divergence. This has resulted in a troubling proliferation of species names in the hominin fossil record. Pseudo-extinctions where lineages persisted under a new species name need to be distinguished from cases where lineages ended terminally-the implications for ecological adaptability are diametrically opposed. Furthermore, the ecological criterion for species coexistence is widely overlooked. The competitive exclusion principle holds that species sharing closely similar niches cannot continue to coexist in the same place at the same time. Notably, the largely vegetarian Paranthropus lineage remained distinct from the diverging, more versatile Homo lineage until fading from the fossil record during the later Pleistocene. Claims that additional hominin species existed are ecologically suspect unless supported by evidence of adequate niche separation. Modern examples where there has been equivocation in lineage recognition are illustrated for bovids, giraffids, baboons, and elephants. Furthermore, the mechanisms that resulted in the displacement of Neanderthals by modern humans are reappraised from an ecological perspective. Representations of evolutionary divergence as a bushy tree need to be superseded by the emerging paradigm of reticulate lineages diverging and coalescing through time and space.

Quina lithic technology indicates diverse Late Pleistocene human dynamics in East Asia

The Late Pleistocene of Eurasia is key for understanding interactions between early modern humans and different types of archaic human groups. During this period, lithic technology shows more diversity and complexity, likely indicating flexible adaptative strategies. However, cultural variability as expressed by technological types remains vague in large parts of eastern Eurasia, like in China. Here, we report a complete Quina technological system identified from the study of the Longtan site in Southwest China. The site has been securely dated to ca. 60 to 50 thousand years ago (ka), with compelling evidence of core exploitation, production of large and thick flakes, shaping and maintenance of scrapers exhibiting the whole Quina concept, typical of contemporary European Middle Paleolithic technologies developed by Neanderthal groups adapted to climatic oscillations during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 and early MIS 3. The finding of a Quina lithic assemblage in China not only demonstrates the existence of a Middle Paleolithic technology in the region but also shows large-scale analogies with Neanderthal behaviors in western Europe. Longtan substantially extends the geographic distribution of this technical behavior in East Asia. Although its origin remains unclear, implications for Pleistocene hominin dispersal and adaptation to diverse ecological settings are considered. The Longtan lithic evidence also provides perspectives for understanding the cultural evolutionary situation before the large-scale arrivals of early modern humans in East Asia predating ~45 ka.

Birds from the oven: the Middle Palaeolithic avifauna of Tabun Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel

The long Middle Palaeolithic sequence of Tabun Cave covers a vital time of human dispersal across the Levant, both from Africa and from Europe. The sequence contains two of the human morphotypes found in the Levant during this period, most usually assigned to Neanderthals and anatomically modern humans, providing a unique opportunity to investigate whether there are behavioural differences between the two human groups. We approach this through the bird remains that offer a novel proxy to examine changes in the palaeoenvironment and potentially, human subsistence at Mount Carmel during the Middle Palaeolithic. We present the first systematic account of avian remains from Tabun layers C and B, along with a detailed taphonomic study. We identified 47 avian species from 27 stratified samples at Tabun Cave, including game birds, diurnal and nocturnal raptors, waterbirds, pigeons, and small songbirds. All constitute part of the present, or historically documented, avifauna of Israel, though not necessarily in the vicinity of the cave. Raptors seem to be a major depositional agent of birds in the cave, especially in the upper sedimentary unit (Tabun B). In contrast, some human contribution to the avian deposition is suggested in the lower part (Tabun C), based on the taxonomic dominance of rock doves and some evidence for cooking. Humans likely collected and exploited birds from the adjacent coastal plain, too. The identified avian taxa represent a full annual cycle of sedentary and migratory species, indicating largely similar conditions to the present day in Tabun B. Conversely, fluctuations in humidity and temperature in Tabun C were in conjunction to the most substantial human occupation of the examined sequence.

Pendekatan Filosofis Terhadap Kebahagiaan Dalam Perspektif Al-Qur'an Bagi Manusia Modern

Happiness is the main goal in human life, but the concept and how to achieve it are often debated in various perspectives, including philosophy and religion. The Qur'an as a guideline for the life of Muslims provides a comprehensive view of happiness, which is not only limited to material aspects, but also includes spiritual and moral dimensions. This article discusses happiness from the perspective of the Qur'an with a philosophical approach that is relevant to modern humans. This study examines the concept of happiness based on the verses of the Qur'an and the interpretations of scholars, then relates it to the challenges of contemporary life. The results of the study show that true happiness according to the Qur'an lies in peace of mind obtained through faith, good deeds, and gratitude. In addition, the understanding of happiness in Islam cannot be separated from the balance between worldly and hereafter aspects. Thus, a philosophical approach based on the Qur'an can be a solution for modern humans in achieving true and sustainable happiness.

A structured coalescent model reveals deep ancestral structure shared by all modern humans

Understanding the history of admixture events and population size changes leading to modern humans is central to human evolutionary genetics. Here we introduce a coalescence-based hidden Markov model, cobraa, that explicitly represents an ancestral population split and rejoin, and demonstrate its application on simulated and real data across multiple species. Using cobraa, we present evidence for an extended period of structure in the history of all modern humans, in which two ancestral populations that diverged ~1.5 million years ago came together in an admixture event ~300 thousand years ago, in a ratio of ~80:20%. Immediately after their divergence, we detect a strong bottleneck in the major ancestral population. We inferred regions of the present-day genome derived from each ancestral population, finding that material from the minority correlates strongly with distance to coding sequence, suggesting it was deleterious against the majority background. Moreover, we found a strong correlation between regions of majority ancestry and human–Neanderthal or human–Denisovan divergence, suggesting the majority population was also ancestral to those archaic humans.

The natural history of social bonds.

This paper reviews the evolutionary processes that shape the evolution of sociality in mammalian species in an effort to understand the importance of sociality in the lives of modern humans. A body of theory and empirical evidence compiled by behavioral ecologists helps us to understand why (some) other animals live in groups, why group-living animals form differentiated social bonds, how animals benefit from their social connections, and why some individuals are more social than others in their groups. Together, the answers to these questions help us to understand why humans are such social creatures, and why our social connections play such an important role in our lives.

Rapidly evolved genomic regions shape individual language abilities in present-day humans.

1 Minor genetic changes have produced profound differences in cognitive abilities between humans and our closest relatives, particularly in language. Despite decades of research, ranging from single-gene studies to broader evolutionary analyses[1, 2, 3, 4, 5], key questions about the genomic foundations of human language have persisted, including which sequences are involved, how they evolved, and whether similar changes occur in other vocal learning species. Here we provide the first evidence directly linking rapidly evolved genomic regions to language abilities in contemporary humans. Through extensive analysis of 65 million years of evolutionary events in over 30,000 individuals, we demonstrate that Human Ancestor Quickly Evolved Regions (HAQERs)[5] - sequences that rapidly accumulated mutations after the human-chimpanzee split - specifically influence language but not general cognition. These regions evolved to shape language development by altering binding of Forkhead domain transcription factors, including FOXP2 . Strikingly, language-associated HAQER variants show higher prevalence in Neanderthals than modern humans, have been stable throughout recent human history, and show evidence of convergent evolution across other mammalian vocal learners. An unexpected pattern of balancing selection acting on these apparently beneficial alleles is explained by their pleiotropic effects on prenatal brain development contributing to birth complications, reflecting an evolutionary trade-off between language capability and reproductive fitness. By developing the Evolution Stratified-Polygenic Score analysis, we show that language capabilities likely emerged before the human-Neanderthal split - far earlier than previously thought[3, 6, 7]. Our findings establish the first direct link between ancient genomic divergence and present-day variation in language abilities, while revealing how evolutionary constraints continue to shape human cognitive development.

A direct comparison of single-grain and multi-grain aliquot luminescence dating of feldspars from colluvial deposits in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Abstract. The erosional landscape of the Jojosi dongas in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, exposes accretionary slope deposits that preserve important geological and archaeological information. This landscape was occupied by modern humans during the Stone Age for many thousands of years, as evidenced by the presence of numerous stone artefacts on the surface and interbedded within at least three phases of gully cut-and-fill deposits. A contextualisation of the artefacts and their role for human evolution in southern Africa, along with developing an understanding of the environmental conditions that shaped this inhabited landscape, is only made possible by establishing a robust chronological framework. Here, we use luminescence dating of feldspars to constrain the geochronological framework for the sequence of accretionary hillslope deposition at Jojosi at three sampling locations. Measurements of feldspar single grains show low luminescence sensitivity of the individual grains and a variable proportion of grains in saturation. Summing the luminescence signal of individual grains and creating synthetic aliquots enables us to study the effect of signal averaging on the luminescence sensitivity, signal saturation, and dose distributions. We then compare the results from individual grain measurements and synthetic aliquots to true multi-grain aliquots. To allow a quantification of the results, we apply four different dose models, including the Central Age Model (CAM), the Average Dose Model (ADM), BayLum, and a standardised growth curve (SGC) approach, using an averaged Ln/Tn value interpolated onto the SGC. Doses calculated for the different samples range from ∼ 80 to ∼ 800 Gy and contain 6 % to 67 % saturated grains. We evaluate the performance of the different dose models over this range in equivalent doses and relative number of saturated grains. On average, we find good agreement between the results obtained using the different dose models but observe that samples with a large number of saturated grains impact the consistency of the result. Overall, all dose models and data sets give consistent results below a saturated grain threshold of ∼ 15 %, corresponding to a dose of ∼ 120 Gy in this study. Finally, we favour BayLum for age calculations of the single-grain and multi-grain aliquot data sets, representing the opportunity to refine the chronology by including stratigraphic information in the age calculations. We are able to establish a chronology for the three sampled sections within the Jojosi dongas, constraining erosional and depositional processes from ∼ 100 to ∼ 700 ka, and human occupation of the area spanning from early marine isotope stage (MIS) 5 to late MIS 6.

Mosaic evolution. An example in the origin of Neandertals

The emergence of Neandertal morphology (Homo neanderthalensis) is associated with the appearance of mosaic phenotypes in Middle Pleistocene ancestral populations. Using this case as a reference, we analyze the concept of "mosaic evolution". Mosaic evolution suggests that different traits can evolve independently, at different times, resulting in various combinations of primitive and derived traits (mosaics) in descendant species. Often, the seemingly random nature of these trait combinations is interpreted within the conceptual framework of population genetics, where the different states of anatomical traits are seen as direct expressions of allelic variants. In this paper, we propose that the appearance of these mosaics of traits in Middle Pleistocene hominins of Europe occurred within a complex network of morphogenetic interactions involving two factors that affect the organism as a whole. First, during the early part of the Middle Pleistocene, there is an increase in body size, and consequently, an increase in metabolism, which may have affected facial anatomy through the expansion of the respiratory tract. Second, the hominin lineage from which Neandertals, Denisovans, and modern humans descend experiences an increase in the size of certain brain areas, leading to changes in the anatomy of the cranial vault and the integration of anatomical systems related to the base of the skull. In this context, changes in the overall orientation of the basicranium and in the topological relationships between the midline of the skull base and the lateral portions of the skull (temporal fossae) can be explained from an organismic perspective.

Philosophy of the Future and the Posthuman: Implications and Philosophical Analysis

The relevance of the study arises from philosophical and ideological contradictions regarding human identity, which are intensifying in the scientific worldview and socio-cultural paradigm. The purpose of the article is to reveal the philosophical understanding of existential, anthropological, and axiological transformations of humans in the future. The research task is to highlight prospects for human dimensionality in the near future and global strategies of human existence within an uncertain future model. The analysis is based on reviewing, comparing, and systematising 52 scientific works covering anthropological topics within the context of philosophy, science, and civilisation. The study results indicate the absence of a unified posthuman model due to the uncertainty of human positioning in the future. The modern scientific picture offers only fragmented changes to the traditional idea of humans (biological, social, spiritual). In contrast, philosophy remains a key tool for interpreting developmental vectors of anthropological strategies that ensure the integrity of future humanity. The study’s specificity lies in balancing dichotomous and synergistic principles of philosophical and anthropological dimensions. On one hand, the posthuman contrasts with modern humans from scientific, natural, and socio-cultural perspectives. On the other hand, the formation of the posthuman is driven by processes where scientific, natural, and socio-cultural dimensions influence human transformation. The research prospects involve applying a synergistic model—potentially a methodological foundation for future philosophy—that emphasises pluralistic, interdisciplinary, and multicultural approaches to studying the posthuman. The study highlights the variability in scientific and philosophical discourse regarding the posthuman, leading to turbulence in philosophical and anthropological research. In this context, it is essential to preserve value-existential and functional-practical constants of the world order, correlating the philosophical methodology of the future (posthumanism and transhumanism) with characteristics of the human of the future.

Genetic diversity and dietary adaptations of the Central Plains Han Chinese population in East Asia

The Central Plains Han Chinese (CPHC) is the typical agricultural population of East Asia. Investigating the genome of the CPHC is crucial to understanding the genetic structure and adaptation of the modern humans in East Asia. Here, we perform whole genome sequencing of 492 CPHC individuals and obtained 22.65 million SNPs, 4.26 million INDELs and 41,959 SVs. We found the CPHC has a higher level of genetic diversity and the glycolipid metabolic genes show strong selection signals, e.g. LONP2, FADS2, FGF21 and SLC19A2. Ancient DNA analyses suggest that the domestication of crops, which drove the emergence of the candidate mutations. Notably, East Asian-specific SVs, e.g., DEL_21699 (LINC01749) and DEL_38406 (FAM102A) may be associated with the high prevalence of esophageal squamous carcinoma and primary angle-closure glaucoma. Our results provide an important genetic resource and show that dietary adaptations play an important role in phenotypic evolution in East Asian populations.

A refined analysis of Neanderthal-introgressed sequences in modern humans with a complete reference genome

BackgroundLeveraging long-read sequencing technologies, the first complete human reference genome, T2T-CHM13, corrects assembly errors in previous references and resolves the remaining 8% of the genome. While studies on archaic admixture in modern humans have so far relied on the GRCh37 reference due to the availability of archaic genome data, the impact of T2T-CHM13 in this field remains unexplored.ResultsWe remap the sequencing reads of the high-quality Altai Neanderthal and Denisovan genomes onto GRCh38 and T2T-CHM13. Compared to GRCh37, we find that T2T-CHM13 significantly improves read mapping quality in archaic samples. We then apply IBDmix to identify Neanderthal-introgressed sequences in 2504 individuals from 26 geographically diverse populations using different reference genomes. We observe that commonly used pre-phasing filtering strategies in public datasets substantially influence archaic ancestry determination, underscoring the need for careful filter selection. Our analysis identifies approximately 51 Mb of Neanderthal sequences unique to T2T-CHM13, predominantly in genomic regions where GRCh38 and T2T-CHM13 assemblies diverge. Additionally, we uncover novel instances of population-specific archaic introgression in diverse populations, spanning genes involved in metabolism, olfaction, and ion-channel function. Finally, to facilitate the exploration of archaic alleles and adaptive signals in human genomics and evolutionary research, we integrate these introgressed sequences and adaptive signals across all reference genomes into a visualization database, ASH (www.arcseqhub.com).ConclusionsOur study enhances the detection of archaic variations in modern humans, highlights the importance of utilizing the T2T-CHM13 reference, and provides novel insights into the functional consequences of archaic hominin admixture.

Long-read sequencing of 945 Han individuals identifies structural variants associated with phenotypic diversity and disease susceptibility

Genomic structural variants (SVs) are a major source of genetic diversity in humans. Here, through long-read sequencing of 945 Han Chinese genomes, we identify 111,288 SVs, including 24.56% unreported variants, many with predicted functional importance. By integrating human population-level phenotypic and multi-omics data as well as two humanized mouse models, we demonstrate the causal roles of two SVs: one SV that emerges at the common ancestor of modern humans, Neanderthals, and Denisovans in GSDMD for bone mineral density and one modern-human-specific SV in WWP2 impacting height, weight, fat, craniofacial phenotypes and immunity. Our results suggest that the GSDMD SV could serve as a rapid and cost-effective biomarker for assessing the risk of cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury. The functional conservation from human to mouse and widespread signals of positive natural selection suggest that both SVs likely influence local adaptation, phenotypic diversity, and disease susceptibility across diverse human populations.

Exploration of the covariation signal between cortical bone and dentine volumes across the upper limb bones and anterior teeth in modern humans and relevance to evolutionary anthropology.

Cortical bone and dentine are two mineralized tissues sharing a common embryological origin, developmental, and genetic background, distinct from those of enamel. Understanding their relationship is crucial to decipher the factors acting on their postnatal development, and shedding light on the evolutionary patterns of tissue proportions. Here, we investigate the coordinated variation between cortical bone and dentine volumes measured from arm and forearm bones (humeri, ulnae, radii) and upper anterior teeth (central incisors, lateral incisors, canines) of modern humans. Given the shared characteristics of cortical bone and dentine, we expect similarities in their postnatal development, which may lead to covariation between their volumes. The degree of bone-dentine covariation may be influenced by the physiological response of upper limb bones to mechanical loading. No such covariation is expected with enamel volumes, due to the greater developmental independence of bone and enamel. Our sample includes 55 adults of African and European ancestries from South African osteological collections. Principal component analysis of cortical thickness variation along the shafts of paired humeri, ulnae, and radii is used to assess asymmetry. Bone regions with bilateral asymmetry in cortical bone thickness are considered sensitive to functional loads, while regions with minimal bilateral variation likely reflect genetic influences during bone postnatal development. Statistical analyses reveal strong positive correlations between cortical bone and dentine volumes across all bones and teeth, and weaker correlations between cortical bone and enamel. We outline a complex pattern of bone-dentine covariation that varies by skeletal location and tooth type. Contrary to our expectations, the presumed functional sensitivity of bone regions does not influence the covariation signal. Additionally, the strength of the covariation appears to align with the developmental sequence of the anterior teeth, with the upper canines showing the strongest correlation with cortical bone volumes, followed by lateral and central incisors. These results provide insights into the functional and biological factors influencing the coordinated variation of cortical bone and dentine volumes during postnatal development. Further research on the cortical bone-dentine covariation across different skeletal parts, including lower limb elements, would enhance our understanding of the effects of both endogenous and exogenous factors on the development of the mineralized tissues.