ScienceDaily: Early Human News

From ocean to land: The fishy origins of our hips

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:15:15 EDT

New research has revealed that the evolution of the complex, weight-bearing hips of walking animals from the basic hips of fish was a much simpler process than previously thought.

Oldest fossil hominin ear bones ever recovered: Discovery could yield important clues on human origins

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:43:43 EDT

Anthropologists could shed new light on the earliest existence of humans. The study analyzed the tiny ear bones, the malleus, incus and stapes, from two species of early human ancestor in South Africa.

Prehistoric ear bones could lead to evolutionary answers

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:40:40 EDT

The tiniest bones in the human body -- the bones of the middle ear -- could provide huge clues about our evolution and the development of modern-day humans, according to researchers.

Genes show one big European family

Tue, 07 May 2013 19:56:56 EDT

From Ireland to the Balkans, Europeans are basically one big family, closely related to one another for the past thousand years, according to a new study of the DNA of people from across the continent.

Fossil of great ape sheds light on evolution

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:21:21 EDT

An integrative anatomy expert says the shape of an 11.8-million-year-old specimen's pelvis indicates that it lived near the beginning of the great ape evolution, after the lesser apes had started to develop separately but before the great ape species began to diversify.

Ancient DNA reveals Europe's dynamic genetic history

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:40:40 EDT

Ancient DNA recovered from a series of skeletons in central Germany up to 7,500 years old has been used to reconstruct the first detailed genetic history of modern Europe.

Evolving genes lead to evolving genes: Selection in European populations of genes regulated by FOXP2

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:49:49 EDT

Researchers have designed a method that can universally test for evolutionary adaption, or positive (Darwinian) selection, in any chosen set of genes, using re-sequencing data such as that generated by the 1000 Genomes Project. The method identifies gene sets that show evidence for positive selection in comparison with matched controls, and thus highlights genes for further functional studies.

Findings confirm early South African hominins

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:43:43 EDT

Close examination of the lower jawbone, teeth and skeleton of the hominid species Australopithecus sediba proves conclusively that it is uniquely different from a closely related species, Australopithecus africanus.

How 2-million-year-old ancestor moved: Sediba's ribcage and feet were not suitable for running

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:29:29 EDT

Researchers have described the anatomy of a single early hominin in six new studies. Australopithecus sediba was discovered near Johannesburg in 2008. The studies demonstrate how our 2-million-year-old ancestor walked, chewed and moved.

Fossilized teeth provide new insight into human ancestor: Species identified in 2010 is one of closest relatives to humans

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:29:29 EDT

A dental study of fossilized remains found in South Africa in 2008 provides new support that this species is one of the closest relatives to early humans.

How Au. Sediba walked, chewed and moved

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:29:29 EDT

The 2-million-year-old fossils belong to the species Australopithecus sediba (Au. sediba) and provides "unprecedented insight into the anatomy and phylogenetic position of an early human ancestor," one of the researchers said.

How human ancestor walked, chewed, and moved

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:27:27 EDT

Scientists have pieced together how the hominid Australopithecus sediba (Au. sediba) walked, chewed, and moved nearly two million years ago. Their research also shows that Au. sediba had a notable feature that differed from that of modern humans —- a functionally longer and more flexible lower back.

Walk this way: New research suggests human ancestors may have used different forms of bipedalism during the plio-pleistocene

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:27:27 EDT

According to a new study, our Australopithecus ancestors may have used different approaches to getting around on two feet. The new findings represent the culmination of more than four years of research into the anatomy of Australopithecus sediba (Au. sediba). The two-million-year-old fossils, discovered in Malapa cave in South Africa in 2008, are some of the most complete early human ancestral remains ever found.

Unusual anal fin offers new insight into evolution

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 08:22:22 EDT

An unusual fossil fish that has fins behind its anus could have implications for human evolution.

Scientists provide a more accurate age for the El Sidrón cave Neanderthals

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:11:11 EDT

A study has been able to accurately determine the age of the Neanderthal remains found in the El Sidrón cave (Asturias, Spain) for which previous studies had provided inexact measurements. The application of a pre-treatment to reduce contamination by modern carbon has managed to lower the margin of error from 40,000 to just 3,200 years.

Getting under the shell of the turtle genome

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:57:57 EDT

The genome of the western painted turtle, one of the most widespread, abundant and well-studied turtles in the world, has been sequenced. The data show that, like turtles themselves, the rate of genome evolution is extremely slow; turtle genomes evolve at a rate that is about a third that of the human genome and a fifth that of the python, the fastest lineage analyzed.

Tarsiers' bulging eyes shed light on evolution of human vision

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:25:25 EDT

After eons of wandering in the dark, primates developed highly acute, three-color vision that permitted them to shift to daytime living, a new study suggests. The findings challenge the prevailing view that trichromatic color vision, a hallmark of primate evolution, evolved only after they started getting up with the sun, a shift that gave rise to anthropoid (higher) primates, which, in turn, gave rise to the human lineage.

First migration from Africa less than 95,000 years ago: Ancient hunter-gatherer DNA challenges theory of early out-of-Africa migrations

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:48:48 EDT

Recent measurements of the rate at which children show DNA changes not seen in their parents -- the "mutation rate" -- have challenged views about major dates in human evolution. In particular these measurements have made geneticists think again about key dates in human evolution, like when modern non-Africans split from modern Africans. The recent measurements push back the best estimates of these dates by up to a factor of two. Now, however scientists present results that point again to the more recent dates.

Skulls of early humans carry telltale signs of inbreeding

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:04:04 EDT

Buried for 100,000 years at Xujiayao in the Nihewan Basin of northern China, the recovered skull pieces of an early human exhibit a now-rare congenital deformation that indicates inbreeding might well have been common among our ancestors, new research suggests.

Genetic study of house dust mites demonstrates reversible evolution

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 09:34:34 EST

In evolutionary biology, Dollo's law states that evolution is unidirectional and irreversible. But this "law" is not universally accepted and is the topic of heated debate among biologists. Now a research team has used a large-scale genetic study of the lowly house dust mite to uncover an example of reversible evolution that appears to violate Dollo's law.

Human Y chromosome much older than previously thought

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:58:58 EST

The discovery and analysis of an extremely rare African American Y chromosome push back the time of the most recent common ancestor for the Y chromosome lineage tree to 338,000 years ago. This time predates the age of the oldest known anatomically modern human fossils.

Louse genetics offer clues on human migrations

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 18:34:34 EST

A new genetic analysis of human lice from across the world sheds light on the global spread of these parasites, their potential for disease transmission and insecticide resistance.

Evolution and the ice age

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:52:52 EST

Scientists are discovering how the evolution of ecosystems has to be taken into account when speculating between different geological eras. Go back to the time of the dinosaurs or to the single-celled organisms at the origins of life, and it is obvious that ecosystems existing more than 65 million years ago and around four billion years ago cannot be simply surmised from those of today.

Has evolution given humans unique brain structures?

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 12:07:07 EST

Humans have at least two functional networks in their cerebral cortex not found in rhesus monkeys. This means that new brain networks were likely added in the course of evolution from primate ancestor to human.

Early human burials varied widely but most were simple

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:47:47 EST

A new study shows that the earliest human burial practices in Eurasia varied widely, with some graves lavish and ornate while the majority were simple.

Ancient teeth bacteria record disease evolution

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 13:41:41 EST

DNA preserved in calcified bacteria on the teeth of ancient human skeletons has shed light on the health consequences of the evolving diet and behavior from the Stone Age to the modern day.

'The Scars of Human Evolution': Physical fallout from two-footed walking

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:43:43 EST

From sore feet to backaches, blame it on human evolution.

Evolution helped turn hairless skin into a canvas for self-expression

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:42:42 EST

Hairless skin first evolved in humans as a way to keep cool -- and then turned into a canvas to help them look cool, according to an anthropologist.

Is there a Neanderthal in the house?

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:29:29 EST

As we humans evolved over the millennia to walk on two legs, grow larger brains and shorter jaws, bear big babies and live longer, we’ve also experienced some negative consequences. But keeping our evolutionary history in mind can help us better deal with issues from obesity to difficult childbirth in a much more productive way, according to an anthropologist.

Humans and chimps share genetic strategy in battle against pathogens

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 14:16:16 EST

A search for long-lived balancing selection has found at least six regions of the genome where humans and chimpanzees share a combination of genetic variants. These human genetic variation dates back to a common ancestor with chimpanzees millions of years ago, before the species split.

Studies reveal genetic variation driving human evolution

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:39:39 EST

A pair of studies sheds new light on genetic variation that may have played a key role in human evolution. The study researchers used an animal model to study a gene variant that could have helped humans adapt to humid climates, and they used whole-genome sequence data to identify hundreds of gene variants that potentially helped humans adapt to changing environmental conditions over time.

Putting our heads together: Canines may hold clues to human skull development

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 10:53:53 EST

Researchers have reviewed research on dog cranium development, suggest future research and how it may inform human skull development.

Most comprehensive tree of life shows placental mammal diversity exploded after age of dinosaurs

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 14:14:14 EST

Scientists have generated the most comprehensive tree of life to date on placental mammals, which are those bearing live young, including bats, rodents, whales and humans.

New look at human fossil suggests Eastern Europe was an important pathway in evolution

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:46:46 EST

A fossilized bone fragment found buried deep in the soil of a Serbian cave is causing scientists to reconsider what happened during a critical period in human development, when the strands of modern humanity were still coming together.

Features of southeast European human ancestors influenced by lack of episodic glaciations

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 18:58:58 EST

A fragment of human lower jaw recovered from a Serbian cave is the oldest human ancestor found in this part of Europe, who probably evolved under different conditions than populations that inhabited more western parts of the continent at the same time, according to new research.

Last Neanderthals of southern Iberia may not have coexisted with modern humans, new data suggest

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:37:37 EST

The last Neanderthals had passed by southern Iberia quite earlier than previously thought, approximately 45,000 years ago and not 30,000 years ago as it has been estimated until recently. Researchers dated samples from two archaeological sites of central and southern Iberia. The new data casts doubt on the theory that sapiens and Neanderthals coexisted in Iberia during the Upper Pleistocene.

Vegetation changes in cradle of humanity: Study raises questions about impact on human evolution

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:13:13 EST

What came first: the bipedal human ancestor or the grassland encroaching on the forest? A new analysis of the past 12 million years' of vegetation change in the cradle of humanity is challenging long-held beliefs about the world in which our ancestors took shape -- and, by extension, the impact it had on them.

Retrovirus in the human genome is active in pluripotent stem cells

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:39:39 EST

A retrovirus called HERV-H, which inserted itself into the human genome millions of years ago, may play an important role in pluripotent stem cells. The discovery, which may help explain how these cells maintain a state of pluripotency and are able to differentiate into many types of cells, could have profound implications for therapies that would use pluripotent stem cells to treat a range of human diseases.

Previous unknown fossilized fox species found

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:53:53 EST

Researchers have discovered a 2-million-year-old fossil fox at Malapa, South Africa, in the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site. The previously unknown species of fox has been named Vulpes Skinneri.

A relative from the Tianyuan Cave: Humans living 40,000 years ago likely related to many present-day Asians and Native Americans

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 16:18:18 EST

Ancient DNA has revealed that humans living some 40,000 years ago in the area near Beijing were likely related to many present-day Asians and Native Americans.

Earliest sea cow ancestors originated in Africa, lived in fresh water

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 19:53:53 EST

A new fossil discovered in Tunisia represents the oldest known ancestor of modern-day sea cows, supporting the African origins of these marine mammals.

A history lesson from genes: Using DNA to tell us how populations change

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 15:11:11 EST

Researchers have developed a software model that can infer population history from modern DNA.

Did Lucy walk on the ground or stay in the trees?

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:10:10 EST

Researchers have investigated tree-climbing behavior of modern hunter-gatherers to elucidate our fossil ancestors' terrestrial versus arboreal preferences.

Fluctuating environment may have driven human evolution

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 08:09:09 EST

A series of rapid environmental changes in East Africa roughly 2 million years ago may be responsible for driving human evolution, according to researchers at Penn State and Rutgers University.

Fine hands, fists of fury: Our hands evolved for punching, not just dexterity

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 22:31:31 EST

Men whacked punching bags for a new study that suggests human hands evolved not only for the manual dexterity needed to use tools, play a violin or paint a work of art, but so men could make fists and fight.

Tracking the origins of HIV

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:30:30 EST

Human immunodeficiency virus may have affected humans for much longer than is currently believed. Researchers now think that the genomes of an isolated West African human population provide important clues about how the disease has evolved.

Scientists 'surprised' to discover very early ancestors survived on tropical plants, new study suggests

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 20:09:09 EST

Between three million and 3.5 million years ago, the diet of our very early ancestors in central Africa is likely to have consisted mainly of tropical grasses and sedges, new research suggests.

Tracing humanity's African ancestry may mean rewriting 'out of Africa' dates

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 14:23:23 EST

New research may lead to a rethinking of how, when and from where our ancestors left Africa. Explorations in the Iringa region of southern Tanzania yielded fossils and other evidence that records the beginnings of our own species, Homo sapiens. New research may be key to answering questions about early human occupation and the migration out of Africa about 60,000 to 50,000 years ago, which led to modern humans colonizing the globe.

Your Christmas tree and its genome have remained very much the same over the last 100 million years

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 13:25:25 EST

Biologist have shown that the genome of conifers such as spruce, pine, and fir has remained very much the same for over 100 million years. This remarkable genomic stability explains the resemblance between today's conifers and fossils dating back to the days when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.

Africa's Homo sapiens were the first techies

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 10:30:30 EST

The search for the origin of modern human behavior and technological advancement among our ancestors in southern Africa some 70,000 years ago has taken a step closer to firmly establishing Africa, and especially South Africa, as the primary center for the early development of human behavior.

National Geographic unveils new phase of genographic project

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:43:43 EST

The National Geographic Society has announced the next phase of its Genographic Project -- the multiyear global research initiative that uses DNA to map the history of human migration. Building on seven years of global data collection, Genographic shines new light on humanity's collective past, yielding tantalizing clues about humankind's journey across the planet over the past 60,000 years.

Native Americans and Northern Europeans more closely related than previously thought

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:16:16 EST

Using genetic analyses, scientists have discovered that Northern European populations descend from a mixture of two very different ancestral populations, and one of these populations is related to Native Americans.

Handaxes of 1.7 million years ago: 'Trust rather than lust' behind fine details

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 07:57:57 EST

Trust rather than lust is at the heart of the attention to detail and finely made form of handaxes from around 1.7 million years ago, according to a researcher.

Archaeologists identify oldest spear points: Used in hunting half-million years ago

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:15:15 EST

A collaborative study found that human ancestors were making stone-tipped weapons 500,000 years ago at the South African archaeological site of Kathu Pan 1 -- 200,000 years earlier than previously thought.

Archaeologists identify spear tips used in hunting a half-million years ago

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:15:15 EST

Anthropologists have found evidence that human ancestors used stone-tipped weapons for hunting 500,000 years ago – 200,000 years earlier than previously thought. Hafted spear tips are common in Stone Age archaeological sites after 300,000 years ago. This new study shows that they were also used in the early Middle Pleistocene, a period associated with Homo heidelbergensis and the last common ancestor of Neandertals and modern humans.

Massive volcanic eruption puts past climate and people in perspective

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:46:46 EST

The largest volcanic eruption on Earth in the past millions of years took place in Indonesia 74,000 years ago and researchers can now link the colossal eruption with the global climate and the effects on early humans.

New study sheds light on how and when vision evolved

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 15:43:43 EDT

Opsins, the light-sensitive proteins key to vision, may have evolved earlier and undergone fewer genetic changes than previously believed, according to a new study.

Lucy and Selam's species climbed trees: Australopithecus afarensis shoulder blades show partially arboreal lifestyle

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:03:03 EDT

Australopithecus afarensis was an upright walking species, but the question of whether it also spent much of its time in trees has been the subject of much debate. For the first time, scientists have thoroughly examined the two complete shoulder blades of the fossil "Selam." Analyses of these rare bones showed them to be quite apelike, suggesting that this species was adapted to climbing trees in addition to walking bipedally when on the ground.

Grandmas made humans live longer: Chimp lifespan evolves into human longevity, computer simulation shows

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 20:41:41 EDT

Computer simulations provide new mathematical support for the "grandmother hypothesis" -- a famous theory that humans evolved longer adult lifespans than apes because grandmothers helped feed their grandchildren.

Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of ancient New Zealanders

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 16:25:25 EDT

Scientists have sequenced complete mitochondrial genomes for members of what was likely to be one of the first groups of Polynesians to settle New Zealand and have revealed a surprising degree of genetic variation among these pioneering voyagers.