Journal ArticleDOI
Pleistocene Homo sapiens from Middle Awash, Ethiopia
Tim D. White,Berhane Asfaw,David DeGusta,Henry Gilbert,Gary D. Richards,Gen Suwa,F. Clark Howell +6 more
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Fossilized hominid crania from Herto, Middle Awash, Ethiopia are described and provide crucial evidence on the location, timing and contextual circumstances of the emergence of Homo sapiens.Abstract:
The origin of anatomically modern Homo sapiens and the fate of Neanderthals have been fundamental questions in human evolutionary studies for over a century. A key barrier to the resolution of these questions has been the lack of substantial and accurately dated African hominid fossils from between 100,000 and 300,000 years ago. Here we describe fossilized hominid crania from Herto, Middle Awash, Ethiopia, that fill this gap and provide crucial evidence on the location, timing and contextual circumstances of the emergence of Homo sapiens. Radioisotopically dated to between 160,000 and 154,000 years ago, these new fossils predate classic Neanderthals and lack their derived features. The Herto hominids are morphologically and chronologically intermediate between archaic African fossils and later anatomically modern Late Pleistocene humans. They therefore represent the probable immediate ancestors of anatomically modern humans. Their anatomy and antiquity constitute strong evidence of modern-human emergence in Africa.read more
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Neanderthal genomics and the evolution of modern humans
TL;DR: Attempts to obtain genomic sequence from Neanderthal, the closest known relative of modern humans, are discussed and a reconstructed Neanderthal genome sequence could be integrated into human-primate genome comparisons to help reveal the evolutionary genetic events that produced modern humans.
Journal ArticleDOI
The ‘mosaic habitat’ concept in human evolution: past and present
TL;DR: The development of the ‘mosaic habitat’ – loosely defined as a range of different habitat types, such as woodlands, riverine forest and savannah within a limited spatial area – in studies of human evolution over the last 60 years or so is explored.
Journal ArticleDOI
A genetic legacy from archaic Homo.
TL;DR: This example may suggest that the evolution of human cognition depended in part on the genetic legacy of archaic groups such as the Neanderthals, and several genetic loci are candidates for such introgression.
Journal ArticleDOI
Body size, brain size, and sexual dimorphism in Homo naledi from the Dinaledi Chamber.
Heather M. Garvin,Heather M. Garvin,Marina Elliott,Lucas K. Delezene,John Hawks,Steven E. Churchill,Lee R. Berger,Trenton W. Holliday +7 more
TL;DR: The H. naledi bauplan combines features not typically seen in Homo species with those characteristic of H. erectus and more recent Homo species, and appears to have an elongated lower limb.
Journal ArticleDOI
Modern soil phytolith assemblages used as proxies for Paleoscape reconstruction on the south coast of South Africa
Irene Esteban,Jan C. De Vynck,Elzanne Singels,Jan Vlok,Curtis W. Marean,Curtis W. Marean,Richard M. Cowling,Erich C. Fisher,Dan Cabanes,Rosa M. Albert,Rosa M. Albert +10 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a phytolith study of modern surface soil samples from different GCFR vegetation types of the south coast of South Africa is presented, showing that the concentration and morphological distribution are related to the physicochemical properties of soils, the environmental conditions and the characterization of the vegetation for the different study areas.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
Mitochondrial genome variation and the origin of modern humans
TL;DR: The global mtDNA diversity in humans is described based on analyses of the complete mtDNA sequence of 53 humans of diverse origins, providing a concurrent view on human evolution with respect to the age of modern humans.
Journal ArticleDOI
The phylogeography of Y chromosome binary haplotypes and the origins of modern human populations
Peter A. Underhill,Giuseppe Passarino,A. A. Lin,Peidong Shen,Marta Mirazón Lahr,Marta Mirazón Lahr,Robert Foley,Peter J. Oefner,Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza +8 more
TL;DR: A set of unique event polymorphisms associated with the non‐recombining portion of the Y‐chromosome (NRY) addresses this issue by providing evidence concerning successful migrations originating from Africa, which can be interpreted as subsequent colonizations, differentiations and migrations overlaid upon previous population ranges.
Journal ArticleDOI
Australopithecus ramidus, a new species of early hominid from Aramis, Ethiopia
TL;DR: The antiquity and primitive morphology of A. ramidus suggests that it represents a long-sought potential root species for the Hominidae.
Journal ArticleDOI
Out of Africa again and again.
TL;DR: A coherent picture of recent human evolution emerges with two major themes: first is the dominant role that Africa has played in shaping the modern human gene pool through at least two—not one—major expansions after the original range extension of Homo erectus out of Africa, and second is the ubiquity of genetic interchange between human populations.
Book ChapterDOI
Progress and Prospects
TL;DR: Improvement in understanding has led in some cases to better management with improved outcome for the patient, whereas in other areas the way is now clear towards a better prospect for the future.
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