World of Paleoanthropology

“Unknown-Cave of Bones” Documentary- a Review

Update: The reception of this documentary from the public has been great. It’s been awful from scientists. Why? It’s not because they do not wish to see the science being communicated, they, including the journal reviews, feel that this announcement, was rushed, and could possibly damage future research. Why was this done? Various reasons are being given, from the malignant to the innocent. What is plain is that MORE WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE. How this will all affect open science, time will tell. WhT this documentary does NOT do, is tell the science behind the evidence. It’s a show, it’s for entertainment.

Do your own research, and read what other researchers, both on and off the team not in the documentary what they think!

For many, the ever-evolving story of Rising Star is not new but a gift that keeps on giving, revealing new secrets and moments of utter fascination to the world each time Dr. Berger et al. comes out with a new announcement. This month has been no different in that sense, but quite different in what was revealed and, more importantly- how.

Today, July 17th, 2023, Netflix is releasing the next episode in their new series called “Unknown” with an episode titled Cave of Bones, about, you guessed it! The Rising Star expedition, especially in the last few field seasons. This documentary was created because massive announcements were made this month concerning the enigmatic species of Homo naledi. Today we will take a quick trip into Rising Star to discuss this episode and whether or not it is worth your watch. As Dr. Berger has not even seen it yet, I am proud to say that I was allowed an early viewing, and I am very excited about what I saw.

Briefly, let’s review what was announced over the past few months.

Announced in three preliminary papers, with the peer reviews coming out during the past week, we were told some fantastic things. Homo naledi is supposedly responsible for purposefully, and even “ritualistically” interring, burying their dead, in shallow graves deep in the cave system, throughout various chambers. However, even this had been thought of and was not the biggest of the news that was to come. Of course, more work needs to be done to confirm any of this. We also learned that there are potential engravings above the graves and in other locations purportedly made by naledi, showing possible “meaning-making” symbols whose meaning will forever be lost to time. Finally, we now have solid evidence of fire use through the caverns without the issue of losing too much oxygen or any such problems. All of this is fascinating and constitute very bold claims with a fair amount of evidence. To be honest, though, the summary of the reviewers of the papers concluded that there is not sufficient evidence or methodologies used to support these claims,

All of that being said, what it means is that there is a lot more work to do! And you better believe that the work is being lined up, assigned to people, and is getting started!

This season’s expedition just started before my interview with Dr. Berger!

The episode starts with a brief history lesson on Human Evolution and the History of naledi and Rising Star. We meet the team from Doctorates John Hawks, Agustin Fuentes, and of course, Lee Berger and all of the talented, hard-working researchers, archaeologists, and paleoanthropologists under them.

The filming is beautiful, the music is set perfectly, and the mood of the documentary is fitting for a trip deep underground, as well as back in time. The problems and challenges of the cave system are genuinely shown to the public for the first time, the tight squeezes, impossible drops, and unknown passageways. For the first time, as members of the people, we are taken into another world, a subterranean one, where science is being done on levels and with challenges that few outside those who work in Space and the Deep Sea.

With each big announcement, we get to see what was presented to the explorers as they first saw them; we hear their thoughts and opinions on the finds. Combined with the papers, and now the peer reviews, as well as the multitude of media coverage, along, of course, with the work I have been doing trying to figure out what I can about what is going on in that chamber, this is one of the best ways to experience Rising Star that has yet been available for the general populous.

I will be honest; I am not a big fan of Netflix; I think most of their shows are cheap, but I do not like them. They even support trite like Graham Hancock with his series Ancient Apocalypse. Netflix is not looked happily upon by most serious researchers. I do not know the story behind this documentary, how it landed on Netflix, or why, but I am happy it did. The production quality is impressive, the editing perfect, and the storytelling provided by those that we see is stunning.

If you have a Netflix account or access to one, I highly suggest watching this documentary, as if you are a fan of Human Evolution, Archaeology, or exploration, you will want to take advantage of this!

Lee Berger, Homo Naledi, and the Many Questions Surrounding Rising Star!

*** Coming Tonight at 9pm EST!***

On this special episode of “The Story of Us”, I am joined by none other than Prof. Lee R. Berger from the University of Witwatersrand!

We are going to be talking about Homo naledi, of course, and the many challenges and astonishing discoveries that the cave system has thus far revealed.

More than that, however, we are going to be asking Dr. Berger some critical questions that I have heard swirling around the academic corridors. I want Dr. Berger to talk straight to you, the people, and explain why these discoveries are important not only to what it means to be human but also to what it means for the science, and why things were done in the way that they were.

Please enjoy, and of course, remember to Never Stop Exploring and that There is Always More to Learn!

The video will go live at the announced time! You can watch it here or visit my Youtube to find it!

Geometric Signs: A Brief History of Space and Time!

“Geometric Signs: a brief history of space and time.” Pilar wanted to know about the time period of the signs as well as where they are found around the world.

In this first episode, the questions that was asked was – “ What is the time period, and geographical location in which most of the signs were found?”- Pilar

**People are also welcome to ask follow up questions if this answer makes them think of more questions**

Were Humans Eating Each Other Over One and a Half Million Years Ago?

Were Humans Eating Each Other Over One and a Half Million Years Ago?

This past week a new paper came out in “Scientific Reports” by lead author Dr. Briana Pobiner, detailing the possible evidence of early cannibalism, or consumption of meat of some kind, of an early hominin, by another hominin, nearly 1.5 million years ago. It is a fascinating paper that I think people are overthinking, which is being misunderstood by the public, partly thanks to how mass media informs on it. So I would like to take a moment to correct some of the thinking I am seeing so that this paper and its implications are better understood. So, let’s put our paleoanthropology hats on, step back into our time machines, and travel to the African savannahs of modern-day Koobi Fora, Kenya.

At this time during our history, we, like our cousins today, were a part of the African landscape, we were not at the top of the food chain, and in many cases during the Pleistocene, we see our taxa being predated upon by many other carnivores. We have solid evidence that hominins were preyed upon by various big cats and other predators during this time, just as we sometimes find ourselves today. We can tell this in a few ways; one is the direct tooth marks of a predator on the bones of a hominin that is found, often in a den of some sort, among many other bones of the victims of the predators that called that area home, likely for millennia. While we may be at the top of the food chain now, it is relatively new in our history, and we should keep that in mind.

So during this time, we had more than one type of “Human,” and even those less related to us, walking around the Turkana/Koobi Fora area of Kenya 1.45 million years ago, the period to which the fossil we will be talking about comes from. During this period, four known hominins are walking around, on two feet even! Paranthropus boisei, Homo habilis, Homo rudolfensis, and Homo erectus. All very capable hominins, of course, in their ways, all known to be possible stone tool users. So if we were to find a fossil with tool marks, can we be sure who made them? Not, which is partly what makes this new paper so fascinating. Is wondering who made these marks and why, but I think the fascinating thing about this, as you will see, is, in fact, important because those cut marks were found on the leg bone of another hominin.

Is this a case of early Cannibalism? Is that even what is the most crucial factor to consider here? Let’s take a brief moment to review.

1.45 million years ago, during the Pleistocene, a leg bone of an unknown hominin species showed cut marks made from a stone tool, which could have only been either another individual of the same species, or another hominin species, are found on this bone. They showed that the flesh was removed and most likely eaten. We cannot tell whether this individual was hunted down, seen as a scavenged item, or a victim of cannibalism.

While it would be exciting if these were some of the first signs of cannibalism among our kind, I think it would be far more exciting and insightful if this showed that one hominin species was hunting and even eating another hominy species. So not cannibalism, but predation of one hominin species over another. This brings a new idea of how some of our earliest ancestors may have hunted, eaten, and operated. Imagine one group of hominins, whether habilis or erectus; it is essential to think of one of them, following, tracking, and deciding that this creature, this animal that in so many ways seems similar to itself, to eat its flesh. What drives this decision? There are many possibilities, and we need real-time machines to know the truth, but we can research and figure out as much as possible.

Figure 6. Close up photos of three fossil fauna specimens from archaeological surface finds and excavations in the Okote Member of Koobi Fora (Pobiner47), showing similar cut marks to those found on KNM-ER 741. (a) FwJj14B 5097, a bovid size 3 mandible with cut marks on the inferior margin, found in situ (b) FwJj14A 1016- 97, a bovid size 3 radius midshaft with cut marks, found on the surface (c) GaJj14 1056, a large mammal scapula with cut marks along scapular margin, found on the surface. Scale =1 cm.

What I want you all to learn from this paper is that if this is a case of cannibalism. It is one of the earliest signs, then that is what matters to anthropologists, the fact that this might be a “first” of activity in Human behavior, which makes us all so excited! Beyond that, if this is another species of hominin hunting down or scavenging another hominin, I think the potential cultural implications are far more critical to our understanding of what this find may mean.

I encourage you all to read the paper, which is Open-Access and is a pretty easy read, there are some out there, such as the New York Times, that are making claims this is nothing more than clickbait, but that is from a severe lack of understanding on their part, as well as the commenters, of this find, and its implications.

With that, I will leave you to read and find out the special meaning of this find on your own!

Read the paper here:

Are the Ways Hominins are Reconstructed Dishonest?-A look at Scleral Color-Guest Post By Mekhi

Introduction

A common misconception about biological anthropology and human evolution is that ancient hominins are purposefully reconstructed to appear more ‘human-like.’ Many creationist organizations, such as Answers in Genesis, claim that scientists give reconstructions of hominins specific traits, in a dishonest effort to make them look more human, to make them appear as if they evolved.

A common example of this is the color of the sclera. It is often claimed that hominin reconstructions are given white sclera (the whites of the eyes) to make them appear more friendly and human-like. It is said that this is dishonest as they claim white sclera is exclusive to humans, and no apes possess this feature. This however, is untrue.

What is the Sclera?

Sclera are the surface of the outside of the eye (excluding the pupil and iris), making 85% of this portion of the eye. It is composed mostly of water and collagen, and is the main connective tissue of the eye, giving more support to the eye wall.

All humans (except for rare cases, such as melanosis) possess depigmented sclera, making them appear white in color. Most other apes, such as chimpanzees and gorillas, typically have pigmented sclera, making them appear more brown, but this isn’t always the case.

White Sclerae in Nonhuman Apes

White sclerae is indeed a part of the normal variation of other apes. In a chimpanzee population in Kibale National Park, Uganda, 34 out of 250 individuals possessed white sclera, making up roughly 15% of the population. Depending on the species or population, it may be more common. For example, bonobos typically have brighter sclera than chimpanzees, lowland gorillas have brighter sclera than mountain gorillas, and sumatran orangutans have brighter sclera than bornean orangutans.

Just like any other trait, white sclera naturally occur in certain populations of apes, depending on whether the mutation for it is present and positively selected for. In this case, there are several benefits for white sclera.

A male chimpanzee from Chimfunshi, Zambia, possessing white sclera

Benefits of Scleral Depigmentation

Having white sclerae allows for gaze following, being able to see the direction of a conspecifics gaze from far away. This is known as the cooperative eye hypothesis, or the gaze signaling hypothesis. Young children use gaze following to locate certain items and interact with their parents, and adults of both humans and other apes find it easier to follow gazes when the other individuals have brighter sclera. Because humans are such a social species, it would make sense why this would be so beneficial for us. It also explains why it is beneficially selected for when it appears in the gene pool of other ape species.

Along with this, white, brighter sclerae have been shown to make an individual appear more friendly, young, and trustworthy, which is also beneficial for social ape species. It has also been shown that young children prefer to be around other children with brighter sclera.

It has been often considered that darker sclera is beneficial for other apes however, as it conceals their gaze from conspecifics. This is known as the gaze camouflage hypothesis. However, in recent years this idea has become much less common. New studies show that darker sclera does not effectively conceal one’s gaze, and the gaze is still visible up to 10 meters, effectively ruling out this hypothesis.

Did Hominins Have White Sclera?

Hominins are very often reconstructed with white sclera. From everything shown in research on this topic, that is very reasonable. As it is a part of the natural variation of modern nonhuman apes, it is very likely our own ancestors possessed this as well. Considering how close these animals were to us, in behavior, genetics, and morphology, it very well could have been the norm. Though it likely wasn’t seen in every ancient hominin, it was likely very common.

A reconstruction of *Australopithecus afarensis* possessing white sclera

Conclusion

Despite what is often claimed by creationist organizations, many nonhuman apes do indeed possess white sclera. It is a part of their natural genetic variation, and is positively selected for when it appears in a population. This is because it allows for an individual to follow a conspecific’s gaze from far away, and makes individuals appear more friendly and trustworthy.

Because of how closely related and similar extinct hominins, such as Australopithecus, were to modern humans, it is very likely that the majority of individuals had white sclera. It is for this reason that reconstructing hominins with white sclera is not dishonest.

Sources

Henderson, Doug. “Bringing Lucy to Life”. Answers in Genesis, 01-01-13. https://answersingenesis.org/human-evolution/lucy/bringing-lucy-to-life/
Boote, C., Sigal, A. I., Grytz, R., Hua, Y., Nguyen, D. T., Girard, A. J. M. (2020). Scleral structure and biomechanics. Prog Retin Eye Res, 74: 100773. 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2019.100773
Patel, HH. “Anatomy of the Human Eye”. Medical Life Science, 06-07-23. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Anatomy-of-the-Human-Eye.aspx
Belden, Shannon. “Ocular Melenosis”. All About Vision, 09-14-22. https://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/ocular-melanosis/
Clark, R. I., Lee, C. K., Poux, T., Langergraber, E ,K., Mitani, C. J., Watts., D., Reed., J., Sandel, A. A. (2023). White sclera is present in chimpanzees and other mammals. Journal of Human Evolution, 176, 103322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103322
Funnell, Rachael. “Side-Eye May Be More Common Among Primates Than We Realized”. IFL Science, 01-30-23. https://www.iflscience.com/side-eye-may-be-more-common-among-primates-than-we-realized-67312
Wacewicz, S., Perea-García, O. J., Lewandowski, Z., Danel, P. D. (2022). The adaptive significance of human scleral brightness: an experimental study. Scientific Reports, 12, 20261. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24403-2
Kano, F., Kawaguchi, Y., Hanling, W. (2022). Experimental evidence that uniformly white sclera enhances the visibility of eye-gaze direction in humans and chimpanzees. eLife, 11:e74086. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.74086
Tomasello, M., Hare, B., Lehmann, H., Call, J. (2007). Reliance on head versus eyes in the gaze following of great apes and human infants: the cooperative eye hypothesis. Journal of Human Evolution, 52(3), 314-320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2006.10.001
Caspar, R. K., Biggemann, M., Geissmann, T., Begall, S. (2021). Ocular pigmentation in humans, great apes, and humans, and gibbons, is not suggestive communicative functions. Scientific Reports 11 12994. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92348-z
Perea-García, O. J., Kret, E. M., Monteiro, A, Hobaiter, C. (2019). Scleral pigmentation leads to conspicuous, not cryptic, eye morphology in chimpanzees. PNAS, 116(39), 19248-19250. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1911410116
Morgan, Hope. “Scleral Pigmentation”. Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropology, 2023. https://carta.anthropogeny.org/moca/topics/sclera-pigmentation
Perea-García, O. J., Danel, P. D., Monteiro, A. (2021). Diversity in External Eye Morphology: Previously Undescribed Traits and Their Potential Adaptive Value. Symmetry, 13(7), 1270. https://doi.org/10.3390/sym13071270
“Chimps and bonobos may track eye gaze like humans”. Research Impact, 09-04-19. https://news.nus.edu.sg/chimps-and-bonobos-may-track-eye-gaze-like-humans/
Kano, F., Furuichi, T., Hashimoto, C., Krupenye, C., Leinwand, G. J., Hopper, M.,L,., Marin F. C., Otsuka, F., Tajima, T. (2022). What is unique about the human eye? Comparative image analysis on the external eye morphology of human and nonhuman great apes. Evolution and Human Behavior, 43(3), 169-180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2021.12.004
“Australopithecus afarensis”. Smithsonians Institute of Human Origins, 06-30-22. https://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/species/australopithecus-afarensis

Our Human Relatives Butchered and Ate Each Other 1.45 Million Years Ago-Breaking News out of the Smithsonian

Amazing work by one of my mentors, and friend of WOPA, paleo dietary expert, Dr. Briana Pobiner!

While of course this “doesn’t change everything we know” as no one single find shall, the added information, and idea that hominin could have been, or did feed on their fellow hominin, is, in my mind a new thought. Cannibalism sure, but possibly hunting down other species as prey?

Hehe…food for thought.

Click out the image below to see the Smithsonian (where Briana works) reporting in the news.

Dreamer Books – An Ice Age Saga: The Story of Us with E.A Meigs

On this episode of “The Story of Us,” we are doing something a little different and are featuring a book series, a paleo fiction series, just now completed, and its author E.A Meigs. This book’s series is a good mix of wanting something like “Clan of the Cave Bear” but with a great deal more adventure and less of the other stuff. In this series, we see things through the mind of the Neanderthals, close relatives of ours, who went extinct about 40,000 years ago.

Hear a little about her in her own words:

E. A. Meigs is the author of Dreamer Books: An Ice Age Saga, and also a publisher, editor, researcher, illustrator (and much more). She has had a long and varied career, starting out with four years in an afterschool job at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, which launched a life-long passion for science and history. Eventually Meigs went on to other jobs as managing editor of an academic journal and regular columns with a number of online and print publications before she finally founded her own publishing company, Dreamer Literary Productions, LLC. Meigs began writing as soon as she could put words on paper, creating stories inspired by the New England woodlands and seascapes that filled her childhood. Even when working in other fields and when marriage and parenting took up most of her energy, she always remained a writer at heart. More can be learned about E. A. Meigs by visiting her About the Author page at https://dreamerliteraryproductions.com/about-the-author/ and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/e-a-meigs-dreamer-book-series/.

To find where to buy this series, go here- https://dreamerliteraryproductions.com

Cambridge Journal of Human Behavior Issue 2. Vol 1 Call for Submissions

Dear Colleagues, Professors, Advisors, and Administrators,

I hope you are doing well.

This message is for those of you who are in the academic sphere.

If you could please distribute the following message and attached document to members of your department (especially undergraduates), that would be greatly appreciated.

___________________

Cambridge Journal of Human Behaviour: Call for Submissions (Vol. 2, Issue 1)

The Cambridge Journal of Human Behaviour (CJHB) is now calling for submissions! CJHB is an internationally registered, peer-reviewed journal that is interdisciplinary in nature and dedicated to publishing the exceptional work of undergraduates from across the globe.

We are a diamond open access journal, do not charge fees of any sort (subscription, processing, membership, or otherwise), and permit the author to re-publish their work elsewhere.

The deadline for the first issue of Volume 2 is 21st July, 2023. Submissions are always open and can be submitted online via our website: www.cjhumanbehaviour.com

Specific details for submission:

Dissertations, projects, and extended essays welcome

5,000 words maximum

Any topic relating to human behaviour (archaeology, anthropology, psychology, biology, etc.)

Interdisciplinary manuscripts strongly encouraged

All work must have been completed during the course of a student’s undergraduate studies

More detail can be found on our website! For reference, check out our past issues here: https://cjhumanbehaviour.com/publications/.

___________________

Any questions or concerns can be directed to myself Seth Chagi, at cjhumanbehaviour.ba.outreach@gmail.com.

Thank you,

Seth Chagi

Anthropology Outreach Coordinator,

Cambridge Journal of Human Behaviour

New Episode of “The Story of Us” – Naledi Engravings! 10 Am Pacific!

Now that we’ve all seen the headlines about the potential Naledi engravings join Seth and Genevieve as we dig deep into the questions surrounding this new possibility. What do we know so far? How should researchers approach such an extraordinary claim? How can we study these engravings? What is the balance between media and academia? And what are the implications for the paleoanthropology field if these engravings are associated with these small-brained hominins? Definitely, a topic that’s generated lots of opinions and thoughts, but I think we can all agree it’s an exciting time to study human evolution!

ONCE IT IS 10AM, You can click on the image below to take you to the video!