The legacy of Luca Cavalli-Sforza on human evolution

Published: Feb. 13, 2025

Archaeology and the branch of population genetics focusing on human past have historically lived parallel lives, often having complicated encounters when it came to unravelling origins evolution Homo sapiens. These interactions were proven invaluable obtain a deeper more complete understanding our past. At same time, they sometimes uncovered biases misinterpretations, with serious consequences for data, methods and, most importantly, history species. Cavalli-Sforza pioneered real multidisciplinary approach, bridging statistics archaeology, origins, other fields in humanities, inspiring researchers from these blazing trail today’s successful collaborations. His legacy showed that interdisciplinary approaches are possible vital importance, exposed areas still need significant development today.

Language: Английский

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Climate change in Europe between 90 and 50 kyr BP and Neanderthal territorial habitability

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 20(2), P. e0308690 - e0308690

Published: Feb. 26, 2025

After having lived as the dominant human species in Europe for over 200 kyr, Homo neanderthalensis (the Neanderthals) disappeared around 40 kyr BP (Before Present) Higham T (2014). Competition with sapiens , who arrived same time, is often invoked to explain this extinction. Others have argued that climate change may reduced living space of population making its disappearance more rapid. In order test hypothesis we modelled Neanderthals’ ecological niches between 90 and 50 through paleoenvironmental reconstructions Eco-Cultural Niche Modelling. We selected five environmental variables (orographic height, mean annual precipitation, temperature coldest month, carrying capacity friction, see below) from model simulations 5 periods Europe. used Structural Similarity (SSIM) index compare probability maps suitable Neanderthals performed by Maxent. a strong initial first (P1 = 83 BP) second (P2 69 periods, our results show large areas highly Neanderthal occupation persisted across As an increase/stability Neanderthals, question cause decrease or displacement towards southern after climatic remains open.

Language: Английский

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Environmental constraints and diffusion shaped the global transition to food production

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: March 10, 2025

The transition from foraging to plant cultivation represents the most important shift in economic history of early Holocene societies. This process unfolded independently different regions globe, resulting varied assemblages, strategies, dietary practices, and landscape modifications. To investigate drivers this transition, we employed a machine-learning approach. Using Random Survival Forest, analyze comprehensive dataset radiocarbon dates linked first adoption domesticated plants, coupled with environmental predictors. Our findings indicate strong spatial autocorrelation timing agricultural adoption, underscoring role diffusion contact between regions. Region-specific bioclimatic factors emerged as influential: Americas, mean temperature seasonality were critical, while Southwest Asia Europe, seasonal variation precipitation relative held greater importance. These results suggest that facilitated spread practices shaped by local conditions, it was not possible determine set universal drivers. Thus, emergence food production influenced combination cultural transmission, leaving specific determinants for each region's an open question further study.

Language: Английский

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Climate seasonality and predictability during the middle stone age and implications for technological diversification in early Homo sapiens

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: April 4, 2025

Regionalisation is considered to be a hallmark of the Middle Stone Age (MSA) compared Early Age. Yet what drove diversification around shared technological substrate that persisted across Africa for hundreds thousands years remains debated. Non-mutually exclusive hypotheses include region-specific styles in manufacture, social signalling, cultural drift between geographically isolated populations, and diverse environmental adaptations, as well impacts unequal research histories intensities. We explore potential ecological bases behavioural diversity during MSA two well-studied areas: eastern northwestern Africa. utilise set standardised bioclimatic simulations, time series decomposition algorithm, determine nature extent regional differences terms productivity, seasonality predictability at sites through time. Our results highlight that, human occupations Africa, African are associated with colder, drier less productive environments, albeit but wetter more surrounding areas, higher temperature predictable climates millennia. then theoretically consider implications our these regions Late Pleistocene, such investment specific risk mitigation strategies dealing seasonally mobile resources northern localities, toolkits tropical

Language: Английский

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Long‐term hydrologic connectivity on the Australian dryland margins: Evidence from the Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area over the last 60 ky

Journal of Quaternary Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 16, 2025

ABSTRACT The semi‐arid Australian continental inland is increasingly subject to climatic extremes such as drought and flooding. Combined with the exceptionally low topographic relief characteristic of this region, hydroclimatic can have an enormous impact on land surface. Nevertheless our understanding dryland hydrologic connectivity earth‐surface response remains poorly understood largely unquantified. Here we investigate past hydroclimate Willandra Lakes over last 60 ky, integrating sediment‐based chronologies for filling drying multiple basins water‐flux modelling reconstruction palaeoclimate parameters. We quantify threshold inflow volume required fill lake system 2 km 3 . establish that prior 25 ka, permanent lakes persisted protracted periods time in increased catchment precipitation, consistent regional geomorphic indicators wetter conditions. By contrast, Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) oversaw rapid couplets despite lower temperature, increasing evaporation. propose seasonal snow melt from highland headwaters during cold phase, coupled effective runoff due reduced vegetation cover, was responsible large quantities water entering at time.

Language: Английский

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Europe’s lost landscape sculptors: Today’s potential range of the extinct elephant Palaeoloxodon antiquus

Frontiers of Biogeography, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 18

Published: April 23, 2025

The straight-tusked elephant ( Palaeoloxodon antiquus ) was amongst the largest herbivores once engineering European landscape on a continental scale. In combination with glacial-interglacial cycles of Pleistocene, species an integral part control regimes that shaped flora and fauna. With human-facilitated extinction elephant, these landscape-forming processes were lost during last Glacial-Interglacial cycle. Given today’s climate, could elephants still be modern ecosystems in Europe? And if yes, where? Answers to questions can support nature conservation preserving historically adapted regimes. We reconstructed realised niche by allocating novel compilation fossil occurrences either cold or warm stages, based their assignment Marine Isotope Stages. Further, we quantified past potential distribution since its current given climate. Results show have persisted Mediterranean Basin until today climate across Central Western Europe, excluding Alps, as well Mediterranean, is highly suitable for occurrence. Our results that, without human-induced extinctions, fauna would comprise extinct megafauna, acting ecosystem engineers Local rewilding initiatives aim at restoring processes, but potentially cannot achieve lasting ecological effects comparable scales. ). cycle, considering Conserving top-down functions executed Europe may especially promising regions where exist today. Using reference Stages Species Distribution Modelling framework, attempt overcome dating uncertainties inhibiting more specific reconstructions species.

Language: Английский

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Stone point variability reveals spatial, chronological and environmental structuring of eastern African Middle Stone Age populations

Azania Archaeological Research in Africa, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 59(1), P. 111 - 139

Published: Nov. 7, 2023

Stone points are one of the key features used to define African Middle Age (MSA). Regional patterns in their shape and size through time have been thought reflect inter-group interactions networks populations cultural phases within MSA. However, eastern Africa does not distinctive widely applied chrono-stratigraphic point variants that divide its MSA record, which is often described as being highly variable. This paper presents a metric geometric morphometric analysis evaluates potential drivers variation them relation null models isolation by distance, environment. Approximately half variance our sample can be explained spatial, temporal environmental differences, well size, indicating degree demographic continuity sustained transmission. A portion remaining likely represents stylistic differences between assemblages, subject interest archaeological studies. The variable nature may region's refugial positioning continent, with technology flexible adaptive system was dynamically employed across during depending on varying social ecological contexts, resulting appearance both 'generic' 'specific' tool forms at particular times places.

Language: Английский

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Deep biogeographic barriers explain divergent global vertebrate communities

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15(1)

Published: March 28, 2024

Abstract Biogeographic history can lead to variation in biodiversity across regions, but it remains unclear how the degree of biogeographic isolation among communities may differences biodiversity. analyses generally treat regions as discrete units, species assemblages differ much they share, just evolutionary share. Here, we use a continuous measure distance, phylobetadiversity, analyze influence on taxonomic and functional diversity global mammal bird assemblages. On average, is better predicted by environment than isolation, especially for birds. However, mammals deeply isolated are strongly influenced isolation; Australia Madagascar, example, less diverse alone contain unique combinations traits compared other regions. Neotropical bat far more functionally Paleotropical assemblages, reflecting different trajectories that have developed over tens millions years. Our results elucidate long-lasting barriers divergent patterns, against backdrop environmental determinism predominantly structures most world.

Language: Английский

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More is not always better: downscaling climate model outputs from 30 to 5-minute resolution has minimal impact on coherence with Late Quaternary proxies

Published: July 31, 2024

Abstract. Both proxies and models provide key resources to explore how palaeoenvironmental changes may have impacted diverse biotic communities cultural processes. Whilst the gold standard in reconstructing local environment, they only point estimates for a limited number of locations; on other hand, potential afford more extensive standardised geographic coverage. A decision when using model outputs is appropriate resolution adopt; are coarse scale, order several arc degrees, so their usually downscaled higher resolution. Most publicly available time-series been 30 or 60 arc-minutes, but it unclear whether such sufficient, this homogenise environments mask spatial variability that often primary subject analysis. Here, we impact further downscaling from 5 arc-minutes delta method, which uses difference between past present data sets increase simulations, determine what extent captures climatic trends at site-level, through direct comparison with proxy reconstructions. We use output HadCM3 Global Circulation annual temperature, mean temperature warmest quarter, precipitation, evaluated against large empirical dataset pollen-based reconstructions across Northern Hemisphere. Our results demonstrate that, overall, tend broadly similar accounts climate obtained reconstructions, coherence tending decline age. However, our imply very fine scale has minimal no effect pollen records. Optimal therefore likely be highly dependent specific research contexts questions, careful consideration required regarding trade-off highlighting local-scale variation increasing error.

Language: Английский

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Past climate change effects on human evolution

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Sept. 12, 2024

Language: Английский

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