ScienceDaily: Human Evolution News

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.

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.

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.

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.

Neanderthal brains focused on vision and movement leaving less room for social networking

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 09:36:36 EDT

Neanderthal brains were adapted to allow them to see better and maintain larger bodies, according to new research. Although Neanderthals' brains were similar in size to their contemporary modern human counterparts, fresh analysis of fossil data suggests that their brain structure was rather different. Results imply that larger areas of the Neanderthal brain, compared to the modern human brain, were given over to vision and movement and this left less room for the higher level thinking required to form large social groups.

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.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fuller picture of human expansion from Africa

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:54:54 EDT

A comprehensive analysis of the anthropological and genetic history of humans' expansion out of Africa could lead to medical advances.

When leaving your wealth to your sister's sons makes sense

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 16:28:28 EDT

In some human societies, men transfer their wealth to their sister's sons, a practice that puzzles evolutionary biologists. A new study has produced insights into "matrilineal inheritance."

Anthropologist finds evidence of hominin meat eating 1.5 million years ago: Eating meat may have 'made us human'

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 09:35:35 EDT

A skull fragment unearthed in Tanzania shows our ancient ancestors ate meat at least 1.5 million years ago, shedding new light on human evolution.

Genetic mutation may have allowed early humans to migrate throughout Africa

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:01:01 EDT

A genetic mutation that occurred thousands of years ago might be the answer to how early humans were able to move from central Africa and across the continent in what has been called "the great expansion," according to new research.

Skilled hunters 300,000 years ago

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 08:55:55 EDT

Finds from early stone age site in north-central Germany show that human ingenuity is nothing new -- and was probably shared by now-extinct species of humans. Archeologists have found eight extremely well-preserved spears -- an astonishing 300,000 years old, making them the oldest known weapons anywhere. The spears and other artifacts as well as animal remains found at the site demonstrate that their users were highly skilled craftsmen and hunters, well adapted to their environment -- with a capacity for abstract thought and complex planning comparable to our own.

Ancient Denisovan genome: Relationships between Denisovans and present-day humans revealed

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 14:12:12 EDT

Researchers have described the Denisovan genome, illuminating the relationships between Denisovans and present-day humans.

Neandertal's right-handedness verified, hints at language capacity

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 16:08:08 EDT

There are precious few Neandertal skeletons available to science. One of the more complete was discovered in 1957 in France, roughly 900 yards away from the famous Lascaux Cave. That skeleton was dubbed "Regourdou." Then, about two decades ago, researchers examined Regourdou's arm bones and theorized that he had been right-handed.

More sophisticated wiring, not just bigger brain, helped humans evolve beyond chimps, geneticists find

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:47:47 EDT

Human and chimp brains look anatomically similar because both evolved from the same ancestor millions of years ago. But where does the chimp brain end and the human brain begin? A new study pinpoints uniquely human patterns of gene activity in the brain that could shed light on how we evolved differently than our closest relative. These genes' identification could improve understanding of human brain diseases like autism and schizophrenia, as well as learning disorders and addictions.

Dawn of humanity illuminated – 50 years after the Leakeys

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:47:47 EDT

The first systematic, multidisciplinary results to come out of research conducted on the edge of the Serengeti at the rich palaeoanthropological site in the Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania since that produced by Louis and Mary Leakey's team, have recently been published.

Evolutionary increase in size of the human brain explained: Part of a protein linked to rapid change in cognitive ability

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:15:15 EDT

Researchers have found what they believe is the key to understanding why the human brain is larger and more complex than that of other animals. The human brain, with its unequaled cognitive capacity, evolved rapidly and dramatically. Why? research indicates that what drove the evolutionary expansion of the human brain may well be a specific unit within a protein -- called a protein domain -- that is far more numerous in humans than other species.

A GPS in your DNA

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 10:10:10 EDT

Scientists have devised a method for more precisely determining the geographical location of a person's ancestral origins based on a model of genetic traits for every coordinate on the globe. He says that the method also has the potential to reveal new information about the migration patterns of many different human and animal populations.

Research raises doubts about whether modern humans and Neanderthals interbred

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:55:55 EDT

New research raises questions about the theory that modern humans and Neanderthals at some point interbred, known as hybridization. The findings suggest that common ancestry, not hybridization, better explains the average 1-4 per cent DNA that those of European and Asian descent (Eurasians) share with Neanderthals.

Early human ancestors had more variable diet

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:27:27 EDT

New research sheds more light on the diet and home ranges of early hominins belonging to three different genera, notably Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo -- that were discovered at sites such as Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai in the Cradle of Humankind, about 50 kilometers from Johannesburg. Australopithecus existed before the other two genera evolved about 2 million years ago.

New Kenyan fossils shed light on early human evolution

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:27:27 EDT

Exciting new fossils discovered east of Lake Turkana confirm that there were two additional species of our genus -- Homo -- living alongside our direct human ancestral species, Homo erectus, almost two million years ago.

Paddlefish's doubled genome may question theories on limb evolution

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:13:13 EDT

The American paddlefish -- known for its bizarre, protruding snout and eggs harvested for caviar -- duplicated its entire genome about 42 million years ago, according to a new study. This finding may add a new twist to the way scientists study how fins evolved into limbs since the paddlefish is often used as a proxy for a more representative ancestor shared by humans and fishes.

Genomic study of Africa's hunter-gatherers elucidates human variation and ancient interbreeding

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:21:21 EDT

Geneticists have analyzed the fully sequenced genomes of 15 Africans belonging to three different hunter-gatherer groups and decipher some of what these genetic codes have to say about human diversity and evolution.

Whole-genome sequencing of African hunter-gatherers reveals human genetic diversity

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 12:21:21 EDT

Genome sequences of African hunter-gatherers from three different populations reveal insights into how humans have adapted to distinct environments over evolutionary history. By sequencing whole genomes of individuals within these groups, a team of scientists has substantially expanded knowledge about the scope of genetic diversity in humans.

Citizen researchers help unlock European genetic heritage

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 10:55:55 EDT

Citizen researchers are carrying out crucial research into European genetic heritage.

Early human ancestor, Australopithecus sediba, fossils discovered in rock

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 16:27:27 EDT

A large rock containing significant parts of a skeleton of an early human ancestor has just been discovered. The skeleton is believed to be the remains of "Karabo," the type skeleton of Australopithecus sediba, discovered at the Malapa site in the Cradle of Humankind in 2009.