1
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Nicholson PJ. Levantine Rock Art, Honey Collector, c 5500 BCE. Occup Med (Lond) 2024; 74:140-141. [PMID: 38569114 DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqac074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
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2
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Pascual-Garrido A, Carvalho S, Almeida-Warren K. Primate archaeology 3.0. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2024; 183:e24835. [PMID: 37671610 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
The new field of primate archaeology investigates the technological behavior and material record of nonhuman primates, providing valuable comparative data on our understanding of human technological evolution. Yet, paralleling hominin archaeology, the field is largely biased toward the analysis of lithic artifacts. While valuable comparative data have been gained through an examination of extant nonhuman primate tool use and its archaeological record, focusing on this one single aspect provides limited insights. It is therefore necessary to explore to what extent other non-technological activities, such as non-tool aided feeding, traveling, social behaviors or ritual displays, leave traces that could be detected in the archaeological record. Here we propose four new areas of investigation which we believe have been largely overlooked by primate archaeology and that are crucial to uncovering the full archaeological potential of the primate behavioral repertoire, including that of our own: (1) Plant technology; (2) Archaeology beyond technology; (3) Landscape archaeology; and (4) Primate cultural heritage. We discuss each theme in the context of the latest developments and challenges, as well as propose future directions. Developing a more "inclusive" primate archaeology will not only benefit the study of primate evolution in its own right but will aid conservation efforts by increasing our understanding of changes in primate-environment interactions over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Pascual-Garrido
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susana Carvalho
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
- Gorongosa National Park, Sofala, Mozambique
| | - Katarina Almeida-Warren
- Primate Models for Behavioural Evolution Lab, Institute of Human Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and the Evolution of Human Behaviour, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
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3
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Conard NJ, Rots V. Rope making in the Aurignacian of Central Europe more than 35,000 years ago. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadh5217. [PMID: 38295167 PMCID: PMC10830101 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh5217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Evidence for the manufacture and use of fiber technology such as rope and twine is rare in the Paleolithic, despite the widely held view that such artifacts were in regular use during the Pleistocene. On the basis of the discovery of a more than 35,000-year-old perforated baton made from mammoth ivory at Hohle Fels Cave in Ach Valley of southwestern Germany together with experimental studies, we are now able to demonstrate one way people of the early Upper Paleolithic manufactured rope. This work contributes to our understanding of the evolution of technology, cooperative work, and Paleolithic social organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Conard
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Schloss Hohentübingen, University of Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, Schloss Hohentübingen, University of Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Veerle Rots
- F.R.S.-FNRS, TraceoLab, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
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4
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Xue E, Liu L, Wu W, Wang B. Soft Fiber/Textile Actuators: From Design Strategies to Diverse Applications. ACS NANO 2024; 18:89-118. [PMID: 38146868 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Fiber/textile-based actuators have garnered considerable attention due to their distinctive attributes, encompassing higher degrees of freedom, intriguing deformations, and enhanced adaptability to complex structures. Recent studies highlight the development of advanced fibers and textiles, expanding the application scope of fiber/textile-based actuators across diverse emerging fields. Unlike sheet-like soft actuators, fibers/textiles with intricate structures exhibit versatile movements, such as contraction, coiling, bending, and folding, achieved through adjustable strain and stroke. In this review article, we provide a timely and comprehensive overview of fiber/textile actuators, including structures, fabrication methods, actuation principles, and applications. After discussing the hierarchical structure and deformation of the fiber/textile actuator, we discuss various spinning strategies, detailing the merits and drawbacks of each. Next, we present the actuation principles of fiber/fabric actuators, along with common external stimuli. In addition, we provide a summary of the emerging applications of fiber/textile actuators. Concluding with an assessment of existing challenges and future opportunities, this review aims to provide a valuable perspective on the enticing realm of fiber/textile-based actuators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enbo Xue
- School of Electronic Science & Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, P. R. China
| | - Limei Liu
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225127, P. R. China
| | - Wei Wu
- Laboratory of Printable Functional Materials and Printed Electronics, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Binghao Wang
- School of Electronic Science & Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, P. R. China
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5
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Martínez-Sevilla F, Herrero-Otal M, Martín-Seijo M, Santana J, Lozano Rodríguez JA, Maicas Ramos R, Cubas M, Homs A, Martínez Sánchez RM, Bertin I, Barroso Bermejo R, Bueno Ramírez P, de Balbín Behrmann R, Palomo Pérez A, Álvarez-Valero AM, Peña-Chocarro L, Murillo-Barroso M, Fernández-Domínguez E, Altamirano García M, Pardo Martínez R, Iriarte Cela M, Carrasco Rus JL, Alfaro Giner C, Piqué Huerta R. The earliest basketry in southern Europe: Hunter-gatherer and farmer plant-based technology in Cueva de los Murciélagos (Albuñol). SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi3055. [PMID: 37756397 PMCID: PMC10530072 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi3055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Plant material culture can offer unique insights into the ways of life of prehistoric societies; however, its perishable nature has prevented a thorough understanding of its diverse and complex uses. Sites with exceptional preservation of organic materials provide a unique opportunity for further research. The burial site of Cueva de los Murciélagos in southern Iberia, uncovered during 19th-century mining activities, contained the best-preserved hunter-gatherer basketry in southern Europe, together with other unique organic artifacts associated with the first farming communities, such as sandals and a wooden hammer. We present 14 14C dates for the perishable artifacts (N = 76), situating the assemblage between the Early and Middle Holocene (c. 7500 to 4200 cal BCE). Our integrated analysis includes raw material determination and technological and chrono-cultural contextualization of this unique and important set of materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Martínez-Sevilla
- Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Maria Herrero-Otal
- Departament de Prehistòria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - María Martín-Seijo
- Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Jonathan Santana
- Departamento de Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | - José A. Lozano Rodríguez
- Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias (COC), Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO-CSIC), Tenerife, Spain
| | - Ruth Maicas Ramos
- Departamento de Prehistoria, Museo Arqueológico Nacional, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miriam Cubas
- Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | | | | | - Ingrid Bertin
- Departament de Prehistòria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Cultures et Environnements Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen Âge, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
| | - Rosa Barroso Bermejo
- Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Primitiva Bueno Ramírez
- Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Rodrigo de Balbín Behrmann
- Departamento de Historia y Filosofía, Área de Prehistoria, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Antoni Palomo Pérez
- Departament de Prehistòria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | | | - Leonor Peña-Chocarro
- Departamento de Arqueología y Procesos sociales, CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Rubén Pardo Martínez
- Departamento de Análisis Geográfico Regional y Geografía Física, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Mercedes Iriarte Cela
- Departamento de Nanotecnología, Centro Tecnologico y de Investigación SDLE, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Carmen Alfaro Giner
- Departament de Prehistòria, Arqueologia i Història Antiga, Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Raquel Piqué Huerta
- Departament de Prehistòria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
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6
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Kozowyk PRB, Fajardo S, Langejans GHJ. Scaling Palaeolithic tar production processes exponentially increases behavioural complexity. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14709. [PMID: 37679497 PMCID: PMC10485137 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41963-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Technological processes, reconstructed from the archaeological record, are used to study the evolution of behaviour and cognition of Neanderthals and early modern humans. In comparisons, technologies that are more complex infer more complex behaviour and cognition. The manufacture of birch bark tar adhesives is regarded as particularly telling and often features in debates about Neanderthal cognition. One method of tar production, the 'condensation technique', demonstrates a pathway for Neanderthals to have discovered birch bark tar. However, to improve on the relatively low yield, and to turn tar into a perennial innovation, this method likely needed to be scaled up. Yet, it is currently unknown how scaling Palaeolithic technological processes influences their complexity. We used Petri net models and the Extended Cyclomatic Metric to measure system complexity of birch tar production with a single and three concurrent condensation assemblies. Our results show that changing the number of concurrent tar production assemblies substantially increases the measured complexity. This has potential implications on the behavioural and cognitive capacities required by Neanderthals, such as an increase in cooperation or inhibition control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul R B Kozowyk
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Sebastian Fajardo
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Geeske H J Langejans
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CD, Delft, The Netherlands
- Palaeo-Research Institute, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, Gauteng, 2092, South Africa
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Xhauflair H, Jago-on S, Vitales TJ, Manipon D, Amano N, Callado JR, Tandang D, Kerfant C, Choa O, Pawlik A. The invisible plant technology of Prehistoric Southeast Asia: Indirect evidence for basket and rope making at Tabon Cave, Philippines, 39-33,000 years ago. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281415. [PMID: 37390048 PMCID: PMC10313078 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A large part of our material culture is made of organic materials, and this was likely the case also during prehistory. Amongst this prehistoric organic material culture are textiles and cordages, taking advantage of the flexibility and resistance of plant fibres. While in very exceptional cases and under very favourable circumstances, fragments of baskets and cords have survived and were discovered in late Pleistocene and Holocene archaeological sites, these objects are generally not preserved, especially in tropical regions. We report here indirect evidence of basket/tying material making found on stone tools dating to 39-33,000 BP from Tabon Cave, Palawan Philippines. The distribution of use-wear on these artefacts is the same as the distribution observed on experimental tools used to thin fibres, following a technique that is widespread in the region currently. The goal of this activity is to turn hard plant segments into supple strips suitable as tying material or to weave baskets, traps, and even boats. This study shows early evidence of this practice in Southeast Asia and adds to the growing set of discoveries showing that fibre technology was an integral part of late Pleistocene skillset. This paper also provides a new way to identify supple strips of fibres made of tropical plants in the archaeological record, an organic technology that is otherwise most of the time invisible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermine Xhauflair
- School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
- UMR 7194 of the CNRS, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle and Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, Paris, France
| | - Sheldon Jago-on
- National Museum of the Philippines, City of Manila, Philippines
| | | | - Dante Manipon
- School of Archaeology, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
| | - Noel Amano
- Department of Archaeology, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Danilo Tandang
- National Museum of the Philippines, City of Manila, Philippines
| | - Céline Kerfant
- Departament d’Humanitats, Història / Culture and Socio-Ecological Dynamics (CaSEs), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Omar Choa
- UMR 7194 of the CNRS, Département Homme et Environnement, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle and Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, Paris, France
| | - Alfred Pawlik
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, School of Social Sciences, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines
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8
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Homo sapiens and Neanderthals share high cerebral cortex integration into adulthood. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:42-50. [PMID: 36604552 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01933-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
There is controversy around the mechanisms that guided the change in brain shape during the evolution of modern humans. It has long been held that different cortical areas evolved independently from each other to develop their unique functional specializations. However, some recent studies suggest that high integration between different cortical areas could facilitate the emergence of equally extreme, highly specialized brain functions. Here, we analyse the evolution of brain shape in primates using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of endocasts. We aim to determine, firstly, whether modern humans present unique developmental patterns of covariation between brain cortical areas; and secondly, whether hominins experienced unusually high rates of evolution in brain covariation as compared to other primates. On the basis of analyses including modern humans and other extant great apes at different developmental stages, we first demonstrate that, unlike our closest living relatives, Homo sapiens retain high levels of covariation between cortical areas into adulthood. Among the other great apes, high levels of covariation are only found in immature individuals. Secondly, at the macro-evolutionary level, our analysis of 400 endocasts, representing 148 extant primate species and 6 fossil hominins, shows that strong covariation between different areas of the brain in H. sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis evolved under distinctly higher evolutionary rates than in any other primate, suggesting that natural selection favoured a greatly integrated brain in both species. These results hold when extinct species are excluded and allometric effects are accounted for. Our findings demonstrate that high covariation in the brain may have played a critical role in the evolution of unique cognitive capacities and complex behaviours in both modern humans and Neanderthals.
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Britton K, Jimenez EL, Le Corre M, Pederzani S, Daujeard C, Jaouen K, Vettese D, Tütken T, Hublin JJ, Moncel MH. Multi-isotope zooarchaeological investigations at Abri du Maras: The paleoecological and paleoenvironmental context of Neanderthal subsistence strategies in the Rhône Valley during MIS 3. J Hum Evol 2023; 174:103292. [PMID: 36455403 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The exploitation of mid- and large-sized herbivores (ungulates) was central to hominin subsistence across Late Pleistocene Europe. Reconstructing the paleoecology of prey-taxa is key to better understanding procurement strategies, decisions and behaviors, and the isotope analysis of faunal bones and teeth found at archaeological sites represent a powerful means of accessing information about past faunal behaviors. These isotope zooarchaeological approaches also have a near-unique ability to reveal environmental conditions contemporary to the human activities that produced these remains. Here, we present the results of a multi-isotope, multitissue study of ungulate remains from the Middle Paleolithic site of Abri du Maras, southern France, providing new insights into the living landscapes of the Rhône Valley during MIS 3 (level 4.2 = 55 ± 2 to 42 ± 3 ka; level 4.1 = 46 ± 3 to 40 ± 3 ka). Isotope data (carbon, nitrogen) reveal the dietary niches of different ungulate taxa, including the now-extinct giant deer (Megaloceros). Oxygen isotope data are consistent with a mild seasonal climate during level 4.2, where horse (Equus), bison (Bison), and red deer (Cervus elaphus) were exploited year-round. Strontium and sulfur isotope analyses provide new evidence for behavioral plasticity in Late Pleistocene European reindeer (Rangifer) between level 4.2 and level 4.1, indicating a change from the migratory to the sedentary ecotype. In level 4.1, the strong seasonal nature of reindeer exploitation, combined with their nonmigratory behavior, is consistent with a seasonally restricted use of the site by Neanderthals at that time or the preferential hunting of reindeer when in peak physical condition during the autumn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Britton
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, United Kingdom; Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Elodie-Laure Jimenez
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, United Kingdom; Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 Vautier Street, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mael Le Corre
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Pederzani
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Instituto Universitario de Bio-Orgánica Antonio González, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez 2, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Camille Daujeard
- UMR 7194, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Homme et Environnement, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Klervia Jaouen
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, Observatoire Midi Pyrénées, UMR 5563, CNRS, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Delphine Vettese
- UMR 7194, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Homme et Environnement, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France; Universita degli Studi di Ferrara, Dipartimento degli Studi Umanistici, Sezione di Scienze Preistoriche e Antropologiche, Corso Ercole I d'Este 32, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; Grupo de I+D+i EVOADAPTA (Evolución Humana y Adaptaciones Económicas y Ecológicas durante La Prehistoria), Dpto. Ciencias Históricas, Universidad de Cantabria, Av/Los Castros 44, 39005 Santander, Spain
| | - Thomas Tütken
- Arbeitsgruppe für Angewandte und Analytische Paläontologie, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, J.-J. Becherweg 21, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jean-Jacques Hublin
- Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Collège de France, 11, Place Marcelin Berthelot, 74005 Paris, France
| | - Marie-Hélène Moncel
- UMR 7194, Histoire Naturelle de l'Homme Préhistorique (HNHP), CNRS, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Département Homme et Environnement, Institut de Paléontologie Humaine, 1 Rue René Panhard, 75013 Paris, France
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Liu L, Levin MJ, Klimscha F, Rosenberg D. The earliest cotton fibers and Pan-regional contacts in the Near East. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1045554. [PMID: 36570915 PMCID: PMC9772618 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1045554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Fiber technology (cordage and textile) has played a central role in all human societies for thousands of years, and its production, application and exchange have deep roots in prehistory. However, fiber remains have only rarely been observed in prehistoric sites because they tend to decay quickly in normal environmental conditions. To overcome preservation problems of macroscopic remains, we employed microbotanical analysis on soils from anthropogenic sediments in activity areas at Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley, Israel (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal BC), and recovered fiber microremains. This includes at least two types of bast fibers and the earliest evidence of cotton in the Near East, some of which were dyed in various colors. Some of these fibers likely represent the remnants of ancient clothing, fabric containers, cordage, or other belongings. The cotton remains, probably derived from wild species originating in South Asia, predate the oldest known cotton domestication in the Indus Valley by about two millennia. Tel Tsaf played a pivotal role in trans-regional trade and exchange networks in the southern Levant, and the presence of cotton at the site points to possible connections with the Indus Valley as early as 7,200 years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Liu
- Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Stanford Archaeology Center, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Maureece J. Levin
- School of Human Inquiry, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, AR, United States
| | - Florian Klimscha
- Archaeology Division, Department of Research/Collection, Lower Saxony State Museum, Willy-Brandt-Allee 5, Hannover, Germany
| | - Danny Rosenberg
- Laboratory for Ancient Food Processing Technologies (LAFPT), Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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11
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Newton T. Psychology: Where history, culture, and biology meet. THEORY & PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/09593543221131782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This article argues that the same epistemological assumptions cannot be confidently applied in the transition from the biological to the social arenas of psychology, as a consequence of the sociocultural instability resulting from human linguistic and technological flair. To illustrate this contention, reference is made to historicist theses within critical and sociocultural psychology, the work of Ian Hacking and Norbert Elias, the centrality of language and technology to sociocultural instability, and the illustrative issues raised by cultural neuroscience and replication studies.
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12
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New evidence of Neandertal butchery traditions through the marrow extraction in southwestern Europe (MIS 5–3). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271816. [PMID: 35976853 PMCID: PMC9385001 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Long bone breakage for bone marrow recovery is a commonly observed practice in Middle Palaeolithic contexts, regardless of the climatic conditions. While lithic technology is largely used to define cultural patterns in human groups, despite dedicating research by zooarchaeologists, for now butchering techniques rarely allowed the identification of clear traditions, notably for ancient Palaeolithic periods. In this paper, we test the hypothesis of butchery traditions among Neandertal groupsusing the bone assemblages from three sites in southwestern Europe. These sites are located in southeastern France and northern Italy and are dated to the Late Middle Palaeolithic: Abri du Maras (Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 4–3, Ardèche), Saint-Marcel (MIS 3, Ardèche), and Riparo Tagliente (MIS 4–3, Verona). The detection of culturally-induced patterns of bone breakage involves differentiating them from intuitively generated patterns. To tackle this issue, we used a zooarchaeological approach focusing on the percussion marks produced during the bone breakage process. Statistical analyses as the chi-square test of independence were employed to verify if percussion mark locations were randomly distributed, and if these distributions were different from the intuitive ones. For femurs and humeri, our results demonstrate that Neandertal groups occupying the Abri du Maras (levels 4.1 and 4.2) and the Saint-Marcel Cave (levels g and h) sites in France applied butchery traditions to recover yellow marrow. However, the traditions developed at each site were different. On the contrary, in Riparo Tagliente, in Italy, several groups or individuals of a same group did not share the same butchery traditions over time. Regarding the Abri du Maras and Saint Marcel Cave assemblages, our research demonstrates that Neandertal groups applied intense standardized bone breakage, far from the intuitive practice observed experimentally and related to bone density and/or skeletal morphology. These standardized patterns, which are systematic and counter-intuitive, can be interpreted as culturally induced for the Abri du Maras and Saint Marcel Cave. The diversity of Neandertal traditions should be considered by taking into account the butchery, in particular the practice of bone marrow extraction, and not only technological behaviours and types of tool kits.
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13
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Schirber M. How Cotton Fibers Become Yarn. PHYSICS 2022. [DOI: 10.1103/physics.15.27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Seguin A, Crassous J. Twist-Controlled Force Amplification and Spinning Tension Transition in Yarn. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2022; 128:078002. [PMID: 35244412 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.128.078002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Combining experiments and numerical simulations with a mechanical-statistical model of twisted yarns, we discuss the spinning transition between a cohesionless assembly of fibers into a yarn. We show that this transition is continuous but very sharp due to a giant amplification of frictional forces which scales as expθ^{2}, where θ is the twist angle. We demonstrate that this transition is controlled solely by a nondimensional number H involving twist, friction coefficient, and geometric lengths. A critical value of this number H_{c}≃30 can be linked to a locking of the fibers together as the tensile strength is reached. This critical value imposes that yarns must be very slender structures with a given pitch. It also induces the existence of an optimal yarn radius. Predictions of our theory are successfully compared to yarns made from natural cotton fibers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Seguin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, FAST, 91405, Orsay, France
| | - Jérôme Crassous
- Université Rennes, CNRS, IPR (Institut de Physique de Rennes)-UMR 6251, F-35000 Rennes, France
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15
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Lauer G. Language, Childhood, and Fire: How We Learned to Love Sharing Stories. Front Psychol 2022; 12:787203. [PMID: 35153908 PMCID: PMC8828489 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.787203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stories do not fossilize. Thus, exploring tales shared during prehistory, the longest part of human history inevitably becomes speculative. Nevertheless, various attempts have been made to find a more scientifically valid way into our deep human past of storytelling. Following the social brain hypothesis, we suggest including into the theory of human storytelling more fine-grained and evidence-based findings (from archaeology, the cognitive sciences, and evolutionary psychology) about the manifold exaptation and adaptation, genetic changes, and phenotypic plasticity in the deep human past, which all shaped the emergence of storytelling in hominins. We identify three preconditions for humans sharing stories: first, the long evolution of language in the different taxa as one of the preconditions of ostensive signaling; second, the pivotal role of childhood in the evolution of collaborative intentionality; and third, the role of fireside chats in the rise of elaborative (i.e., narrative) sharing of stories. We propose that humans, albeit perhaps no other hominins learned to understand others through sharing stories, not only as intentional agents, but also as mental ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Lauer
- Gutenberg Institute of World Literature and Written Media, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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16
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Rendall D. Aping Language: Historical Perspectives on the Quest for Semantics, Syntax, and Other Rarefied Properties of Human Language in the Communication of Primates and Other Animals. Front Psychol 2021; 12:675172. [PMID: 34366994 PMCID: PMC8345011 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.675172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In 1980, Robert Seyfarth, Dorothy Cheney and Peter Marler published a landmark paper in Science claiming language-like semantic communication in the alarm calls of vervet monkeys. This article and the career research program it spawned for its authors catalyzed countless other studies searching for semantics, and then also syntax and other rarefied properties of language, in the communication systems of non-human primates and other animals. It also helped bolster a parallel tradition of teaching symbolism and syntax in artificial language systems to great apes. Although the search for language rudiments in the communications of primates long predates the vervet alarm call story, it is difficult to overstate the impact of the vervet research, for it fueled field and laboratory research programs for several generations of primatologists and kept busy an equal number of philosophers, linguists, and cognitive scientists debating possible implications for the origins and evolution of language and other vaunted elements of the human condition. Now 40-years on, the original vervet alarm call findings have been revised and claims of semanticity recanted; while other evidence for semantics and syntax in the natural communications of non-humans is sparse and weak. Ultimately, we are forced to conclude that there are simply few substantive precedents in the natural communications of animals for the high-level informational and representational properties of language, nor its complex syntax. This conclusion does not mean primates cannot be taught some version of these elements of language in artificial language systems - in fact, they can. Nor does it mean there is no continuity between the natural communications of animals and humans that could inform the evolution of language - in fact, there is such continuity. It just does not lie in the specialized semantic and syntactic properties of language. In reviewing these matters, I consider why it is that primates do not evince high-level properties of language in their natural communications but why we so readily accepted that they did or should; and what lessons we might draw from that experience. In the process, I also consider why accounts of human-like characteristics in animals can be so irresistibly appealing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew Rendall
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
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17
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18
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Folgerø PO, Johansson C, Stokkedal LH. The Superior Visual Perception Hypothesis: Neuroaesthetics of Cave Art. Behav Sci (Basel) 2021; 11:81. [PMID: 34073168 PMCID: PMC8226463 DOI: 10.3390/bs11060081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cave Art in the Upper Paleolithic presents a boost of creativity and visual thinking. What can explain these savant-like paintings? The normal brain function in modern man rarely supports the creation of highly detailed paintings, particularly the convincing representation of animal movement, without extensive training and access to modern technology. Differences in neuro-signaling and brain anatomy between modern and archaic Homo sapiens could also cause differences in perception. The brain of archaic Homo sapiens could perceive raw detailed information without using pre-established top-down concepts, as opposed to the common understanding of the normal modern non-savant brain driven by top-down control. Some ancient genes preserved in modern humans may be expressed in rare disorders. Researchers have compared Cave Art with art made by people with autism spectrum disorder. We propose that archaic primary consciousness, as opposed to modern secondary consciousness, included a savant-like perception with a superior richness of details compared to modern man. Modern people with high frequencies of Neanderthal genes, have notable anatomical features such as increased skull width in the occipital and parietal visual areas. We hypothesize that the anatomical differences are functional and may allow a different path to visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Olav Folgerø
- Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway;
| | - Christer Johansson
- Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway;
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19
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Grandgeorge P, Baek C, Singh H, Johanns P, Sano TG, Flynn A, Maddocks JH, Reis PM. Mechanics of two filaments in tight orthogonal contact. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2021684118. [PMID: 33876761 PMCID: PMC8054001 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2021684118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Networks of flexible filaments often involve regions of tight contact. Predictively understanding the equilibrium configurations of these systems is challenging due to intricate couplings between topology, geometry, large nonlinear deformations, and friction. Here, we perform an in-depth study of a simple, yet canonical, problem that captures the essence of contact between filaments. In the orthogonal clasp, two filaments are brought into contact, with each centerline lying in one of a pair of orthogonal planes. Our data from X-ray tomography (μCT) and mechanical testing experiments are in excellent agreement with finite element method (FEM) simulations. Despite the apparent simplicity of the physical system, the data exhibit strikingly unintuitive behavior, even when the contact is frictionless. Specifically, we observe a curvilinear diamond-shaped ridge in the contact-pressure field between the two filaments, sometimes with an inner gap. When a relative displacement is imposed between the filaments, friction is activated, and a highly asymmetric pressure field develops. These findings contrast to the classic capstan analysis of a single filament wrapped around a rigid body. Both the μCT and FEM data indicate that the cross-sections of the filaments can deform significantly. Nonetheless, an idealized geometrical theory assuming undeformable tube cross-sections and neglecting elasticity rationalizes our observations qualitatively and highlights the central role of the small, but nonzero, tube radius of the filaments. We believe that our orthogonal clasp analysis provides a building block for future modeling efforts in frictional contact mechanics of more complex filamentary structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Grandgeorge
- Flexible Structures Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Changyeob Baek
- Flexible Structures Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139
| | - Harmeet Singh
- Laboratory for Computation and Visualization in Mathematics and Mechanics, Institute of Mathematics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Paul Johanns
- Flexible Structures Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Tomohiko G Sano
- Flexible Structures Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Alastair Flynn
- Laboratory for Computation and Visualization in Mathematics and Mechanics, Institute of Mathematics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - John H Maddocks
- Laboratory for Computation and Visualization in Mathematics and Mechanics, Institute of Mathematics, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - Pedro M Reis
- Flexible Structures Laboratory, Institute of Mechanical Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland;
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20
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Affiliation(s)
- William C McGrew
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, South Street, Fife, St Andrews, KY16 9AJ, Scotland, UK.
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21
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Sanders D, Grunden A, Dunn RR. A review of clothing microbiology: the history of clothing and the role of microbes in textiles. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20200700. [PMID: 33435848 PMCID: PMC7876606 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have worn clothing for thousands of years, and since its invention, clothing has evolved from its simple utilitarian function for survival to become an integral part of society. While much consideration has been given to the broad environmental impacts of the textile and laundering industries, little is known about the impact wearing clothing has had on the human microbiome, particularly that of the skin, despite our long history with clothing. This review discusses the history of clothing and the evolution of textiles, what is and is not known about microbial persistence on and degradation of various fibres, and what opportunities for the industrial and environmental application of clothing microbiology exist for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deaja Sanders
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Amy Grunden
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Robert R. Dunn
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
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22
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Frayer DW, Radovčić J, Radovčić D. Krapina and the Case for Neandertal Symbolic Behavior. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1086/712088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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23
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Suddendorf T, Kirkland K, Bulley A, Redshaw J, Langley MC. It's in the bag: mobile containers in human evolution and child development. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2020; 2:e48. [PMID: 37588341 PMCID: PMC10427442 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2020.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Mobile containers are a keystone human innovation. Ethnographic data indicate that all human groups use containers such as bags, quivers and baskets, ensuring that individuals have important resources at the ready and are prepared for opportunities and threats before they materialize. Although there is speculation surrounding the invention of carrying devices, the current hard archaeological evidence only reaches back some 100,000 years. The dearth of ancient evidence may reflect not only taphonomic processes, but also a lack of attention to these devices. To begin investigating the origins of carrying devices we focus on exploring the basic cognitive processes involved in mobile container use and report an initial study on young children's understanding and deployment of such devices. We gave 3- to 7-year-old children (N = 106) the opportunity to spontaneously identify and use a basket to increase their own carrying capacity and thereby obtain more resources in the future. Performance improved linearly with age, as did the likelihood of recognizing that adults use mobile carrying devices to increase carrying capacity. We argue that the evolutionary and developmental origins of mobile containers reflect foundational cognitive processes that enable humans to think about their own limits and compensate for them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Suddendorf
- Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia4072, Australia
| | - Kelly Kirkland
- Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia4072, Australia
| | - Adam Bulley
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA02138, USA
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain and Mind Centre, NSW2050, Australia
| | - Jonathan Redshaw
- Centre for Psychology and Evolution, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia4072, Australia
| | - Michelle C. Langley
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan4111, Australia
- Forensics and Archaeology, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan4111, Australia
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24
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Breyl M. Triangulating Neanderthal cognition: A tale of not seeing the forest for the trees. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2020; 12:e1545. [PMID: 32918796 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The inference of Neanderthal cognition, including their cultural and linguistic capabilities, has persisted as a fiercely debated research topic for decades. This lack of consensus is substantially based on inherent uncertainties in reconstructing prehistory out of indirect evidence as well as other methodological limitations. Further factors include systemic difficulties within interdisciplinary discourse, data artifacts, historic research biases, and the sheer scope of the relevant research. Given the degrees of freedom in interpretation ensuing from these complications, any attempt to find approximate answers to the yet unsettled pertinent discourse may not rest on single studies, but instead a careful and comprehensive interdisciplinary synthesis of findings. Triangulating Neanderthals' cognition by considering the plethora of data, diverse perspectives and aforementioned complexities present within the literature constitutes the currently most reliable pathway to tentative conclusions. While some uncertainties remain, such an approach paints the picture of an extensive shared humanity between anatomically modern humans and Neanderthals. This article is categorized under: Cognitive Biology > Evolutionary Roots of Cognition Linguistics > Evolution of Language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Breyl
- Germanistik, Komparatistik, Nordistik, Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich (LMU), Munich, Germany
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25
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Langley MC, Suddendorf T. Mobile containers in human cognitive evolution studies: Understudied and underrepresented. Evol Anthropol 2020; 29:299-309. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.21857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C. Langley
- Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University Brisbane Australia
| | - Thomas Suddendorf
- Centre for Psychology & Evolution, Early Cognitive Development Centre School of Psychology, University of Queensland Brisbane Australia
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26
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On holes and strings: Earliest displays of human adornment in the Middle Palaeolithic. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234924. [PMID: 32640002 PMCID: PMC7343129 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycymeris shell beads found in Middle Palaeolithic sites are understood to be artifacts collected by modern humans for symbolic use. In Misliya Cave, Israel, dated to 240–160 ka BP, Glycymeris shells were found that were neither perforated nor manipulated; nevertheless, transportation to the cave is regarded as symbolic. In about 120 ka BP at Qafzeh Cave, Israel, modern humans collected naturally perforated Glycymeris shells also for symbolic use. Use-wear analyses backed by experiments demonstrate that the Qafzeh shells were suspended on string, thus suggesting that the collection of perforated shells was intentional. The older Misliya shells join a similar finding from South Africa, while the later-dated perforated shells from Qafzeh resemble other assemblages from North Africa and the Levant, also dated to about 120 ka BP. We conclude that between 160 ka BP and 120 ka BP there was a shift from collecting complete valves to perforated ones, which reflects both the desire and the technological ability to suspend shell beads on string to be displayed on the human body.
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Abstract
Until fairly late in the nineteenth century, it was held that the brain was bilaterally symmetrical. With the discovery of left-brain dominance for language, the so-called "laws of symmetry" were revoked, and asymmetry was then seen as critical to the human condition, with the left hemisphere, in particular, assuming superordinate properties. I trace this idea from the early discoveries of the late nineteenth century through the split-brain studies of the 1960s, and beyond. Although the idea has persisted, the evidence has revealed widespread cerebral asymmetries in nonhuman animals, and even language and its asymmetries are increasingly understood to have evolved gradually, rather than in a single speciation event. The left hemisphere nevertheless seemed to take over a role previously taken by other structures, such as the pineal gland and the hippocampus minor, in a determined effort to place humans on a pedestal above all other species.
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