Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nuno Bicho, Eduardo Esteves
Summary: This study focuses on the Middle and Upper Paleolithic adaptations to the Iberian Atlantic border, considering elements such as intensity and diversity of marine foods, site location, distance to shore, submerged platform, and bathymetry.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Microbiology
Robert M. Bowers
Summary: This article highlights the use of high-depth genome-centric approaches to study the human gut microbiome in the context of industrialized and non-industrialized lifestyles.
NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Daniel E. Lieberman, Steven Worthington, Laura D. Schell, Christine M. Parkent, Orrin Devinsky, Rachel N. Carmody
Summary: The study on tropical hunter-gatherers shows that there is significant variation in their diets, challenging the idea of fixed macronutrient ranges in preagricultural diets. Environmental factors and data collection methods were also found to have an impact on the results.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ashley Smallwood, Randall Haas, Thomas Jennings
Summary: Approximately 9000 years ago at the site of Wilamaya Patjxa in the Andean highlands, both male and female individuals were buried with projectile points, suggesting that large-mammal hunting was a gender neutral activity within that community. A lithic usewear analysis confirmed that the projectile points were indeed used as intended, and also revealed evidence of cutting and hide scraping activities. A new radiocarbon date showed that the male and female individuals were contemporaries, indicating that they existed around the same time between 9.0 and 8.7 cal. ka. These findings support the model of early subsistence practices where both genders participated in hunting large mammals at Wilamaya Patjxa.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Mica B. Jones
Summary: A study on a site in southern Somalia suggests that Late Stone Age foragers used communal nets for hunting, rather than associating specialized hunting with territoriality and Holocene climatic changes. The findings also support the idea of economic variability in Late Pleistocene eastern Africa and push the discussions of social change among foragers to an earlier period.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Anthropology
Melvin Konner, S. Boyd Eaton
Summary: Beginning in 1985, estimates of hunter-gatherer diet and physical activity were presented to combat the impact of the Western lifestyle on chronic degenerative diseases. The Hunter-Gatherer Model has faced controversy and criticism, but this article addresses eight challenges by modifying the model and presents new evidence that supports its effectiveness. Furthermore, official recommendations have aligned with this model, demonstrating the significant contributions of evolutionary anthropology to human health.
EVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Shannon Tushingham, Loukas Barton, Robert L. Bettinger
Summary: The study explores how hunter-gatherers navigate the challenges of salmon scarcity and the risk of protein toxicity for human survival. It suggests that while fats and carbohydrates can help offset protein thresholds, individuals have varying limits on protein consumption. Seeking out richer sources of fat or carbohydrates may provide a solution to circumvent the protein intake ceiling, essential for evolutionary and cultural survival.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Manjusha Chintalapati, Nick Patterson, Priya Moorjani
Summary: Recent studies have shown that admixture has been pervasive throughout human history. In order to infer the timing of admixture, researchers developed the DATES method, which leverages ancestry covariance patterns in a single individual's genome. By analyzing 1100 ancient genomes from Europe and west Asia, the researchers reconstructed the chronology of ancestral population formation and the spread of Neolithic farming and Steppe pastoralist-related ancestry in Europe. The findings provide new insights into the origins and spread of farming and Indo-European languages.
Article
Biology
Joseph Hackman, Karen L. Kramer
Summary: By studying two bands of South American foragers, it is found that the likelihood of giving birth increases with the presence of highly related women, but is not influenced by the presence of coresident women. Measures of closeness and centrality in the female kin network also have no significant effect on reproductive outcomes. Additionally, chances of both births and deaths increase in years when proportionally more women are giving birth. Demographic stochasticity relating to ecological conditions best predicts reproductive outcomes for women.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biology
Abigail E. Page, Emily H. Emmott, Mark Dyble, Dan Smith, Nikhil Chaudhary, Sylvain Viguier, Andrea B. Migliano
Summary: Research shows that allomaternal caregiving is associated with reduced maternal caregiving, with varying substitutive effects, and children-only playgroups can significantly decrease maternal caregiving; although grandmothers are rarely available for caregiving, their presence is linked to decreased maternal caregiving.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Annapoorna Singh, Daulath Singh
Summary: The promotion of healthy diets is a cost-effective strategy for preventing various disorders. The paleolithic diet, which encourages the consumption of wild animal and plant foods, has gained popularity in recent years. This diet is believed to have positive effects on chronic diseases and is associated with the physique of hunter-gatherers.
CUREUS JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Philippe Crombe, Annelies Storme, Yves Perdaen, Hans Vandendriessche
Summary: Hazelnuts were an important food source for hunter-gatherers in Northwestern and Central Europe during the Early to Mid-Holocene. However, in the Scheldt basin in Belgium, the exploitation and consumption of hazelnuts started to decline early, possibly due to the expansion of oak trees. The Mesolithic hunter-gatherers responded to this change by increasing mobility, intensifying the use of other edible plants, and consuming more fish.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erica Corradini, Daniel Gross, Tina Wunderlich, Harald Luebke, Dennis Wilken, Ercan Erkul, Ulrich Schmoelcke, Wolfgang Rabbel
Summary: The shift to the early Holocene in northern Europe influenced the activities and occupation of hunter-gatherers. The study of the ancient lake Duvensee and the use of ground radar mapping and excavations allowed for the reconstruction of the paleoenvironment and the identification of potential dwelling sites. The research also discovered previously unknown islands.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Polly Wiessner, Cindy Hsin-Yee Huang
Summary: Money has different impacts in different cultural contexts. In traditional societies based on gifting and sharing, the introduction of cash leads to a decline in gifting and sharing and an increase in material inequalities. However, the combination of individual autonomy and monetary income allows individuals to freely spend their money, adapt to modern conditions, and pursue new options.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yi Xiao, Yaxu Wang, Haitao Gu, Zhiquan Xu, Yunhao Tang, Hongmei He, Linglong Peng, Ling Xiang
Summary: This study suggests that adherence to a plant-based paleolithic diet and paleolithic-like lifestyle may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. These dietary and lifestyle approaches may work by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin levels. The study also found a stronger inverse association between the lifestyle score and the risk of colorectal cancer.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)