Human Evolution
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Great apes were using touch to reassure and keep the peace six million years before humans evolved – new research
Jake Brooker, Utrecht University and Zanna Clay, Durham University During an eight-month-long research trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia, we studied consolation: the way bonobos and chimpanzees comfort each other after conflicts and distress. But early on, we kept noticing something that didn’t quite fit. The animals were exchanging a lot… Continue reading
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Smaller brains? Fewer friends? An evolutionary biologist asks how AI will change humanity’s future
Rob Brooks What will humans be like generations from now in a world transformed by artificial intelligence (AI)? Plenty of thinkers have applied themselves to questions like this, considering how AI will alter lives – often for better, sometimes for worse. They have conjured dramatic scenarios, like AI-driven extinction of humans (and many other species),… Continue reading
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The whole story of human evolution – from ancient apes via Lucy to us
In pursuit of knowledge, the evolution of humanity ranks with the origins of life and the universe. And yet, except when an exciting find hits the headlines, palaeoanthropology and its related fields have gained far less scientific support and funding – particularly for scientists and institutions based in the African countries where so many landmark… Continue reading
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Understanding Gene Expression in Anthropology
Gene expression refers to the process by which the genetic information stored in DNA is converted into functional products, primarily proteins, that perform various functions within the cell. This process typically involves two main steps: transcription, where the DNA is transcribed into a messenger RNA (mRNA) molecule, and translation, where the mRNA is then translated… Continue reading
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Self-medicating Chimpanzees!
An adult chimpanzee named Suzee was seen medicating the wound of her adolescent son Sia, using insects in the process. This behaviour was found amongst the chimpanzees in Loango National Park in Gabon. The incident was reported by a group of researchers in Current Biology in February 2022 and is considered the first of such… Continue reading
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The evolutionary adaptation of wrinkling of fingers submerged in water.
Have you wondered why your fingers wrinkle when submerged in water? This response of the skin has an evolutionary advantage to the humans. Read this interesting article published by the BBC. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220620-why-humans-evolved-to-have-fingers-that-wrinkle-in-the-bath Feature Photo by Andre Moura: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-person-s-hand-submerged-in-water-2499417/ Continue reading
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Surprising similarities in stone tools of early humans and monkeys
MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT has published an interesting article on similarities between the stone tools used by macaques (a group of old world monkeys) in Thailand and those that were intentionally manufactured by early Hominins discovered in East Africa. (Lower Paleolithic) “The ability to intentionally make sharp stone flakes is seen as a crucial point in the evolution… Continue reading
i think, therefore i am.
Cogito, ergo sum is a Latin philosophical proposition by René Descartes usually translated into English as “I think, therefore I am”, probably the one thing that defines our specie.
More about Kartic Godavarthy here…
Recent Posts
- Footprints, Ghosts, and a Seat at the Table
- Anthropology Current Affairs
- Great apes were using touch to reassure and keep the peace six million years before humans evolved – new research
- Smaller brains? Fewer friends? An evolutionary biologist asks how AI will change humanity’s future
- The whole story of human evolution – from ancient apes via Lucy to us
Kartic Godavarthy 