Share http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/mar/09/penis-spines-human-genetics-chimps
srijeda, 9. ožujka 2011.
četvrtak, 3. ožujka 2011.
srijeda, 2. ožujka 2011.
Late Neandertals and the intentional removal of feathers as evidenced from bird bone taphonomy at Fumane Cave 44 ky B.P., Italy
The debate over the cognitive and behavioral capabilities of Neandertals, especially in the period around the first appearance of anatomically modern humans in Europe, is extensive and often based on archaeological records from a handful of pivotal sites. One of these, the Grotte du Renne site at Arcy-sur-Cure, France, provides a range of ornaments and tools usually associated with modern human industries from Châtelperronian levels, along with Neandertal teeth. Another is St. Césaire, where the relation of the Châtelperronian with Neandertals was reinforced by the discovery of a burial. Nevertheless, a new radiocarbon dataset and a reinvestigation of the available data from the first and the second sites, respectively, have challenged the association between human remains and cultural assemblages. These studies, however, provide no direct evidence to invalidate the association and can, at most, be taken as implying that a minority of the symbolic objects from the Grotte du Renne’s Châtelperronian may be intrusive. The Fumane evidence on the ornamental exploitation of the feathers of large raptors and other birds strengthens the contention that the Grotte du Renne’s associations are genuine and adds to the growing body of data that demonstrates the appearance of modern behavior in extinct autochthonous populations of Europe well before the immigration of modern humans. Moreover, the absence of evidence of this kind in the earliest Aurignacian levels at Grotta di Fumane proves that, even before the Uluzzian, Neandertals achieved this level of behavioral complexity independently, and that it was not culturally transmitted or mimicked via incoming modern humans. Last, at least in southern Europe, the backdating of the acquisition of valuable elements of bird plumage opens the door to further perspectives in the exploration of the interactions that led to our extinct relatives manifesting an interest in a form of symbolic behavior.
ponedjeljak, 28. veljače 2011.
Homo sapiens long distance running ability - Benefits over Neanderthals
Long distance running gave us "advantage" over Neanderthals. In this paper I want to show what other "benefits" could it bring to us (Homo sapiens sapiens).
In a recently publishes article in the Journal of Human Evolution (LINK) authors claim that Neandertals, compared to people today, had tall heel bones that put a less energy-efficient spring in their steps while running. Neandertals tall heel bones possibly stabilized their ankles, giving them an advantage over Homo sapiens in walking uphill and jumping, the researchers hypothesize.
n their new investigation, Raichlen’s team calculated rates of oxygen consumption for eight experienced distance runners as they ran on a treadmill for 10 minutes at 16 kilometers per hour (10 miles per hour). On a separate day, an MRI scanner took images of each man’s heels and Achilles tendons.
Heel-bone measurements of 13 fossil Homo sapiens that lived between approximately 30,000 and 100,000 years ago resemble those of today’s runners, the scientists say. On average, the measurements indicate that the ancient humans expended 6.9 percent more energy while running than their counterparts today did — not a substantial difference, according to the researchers.
Analyses of heel bones of six Neandertals from the same time period indicate that these hominids used an average of 11.4 percent more energy while running than modern athletes did, a statistically notable disparity, Raichlen says.
Energy efficiency while running depends far more on a person’s anatomy than on physical training, the researchers say. They used distance runners as a modern comparison group in order to account for any training effects.
As you can see from all of this it's a great step foward better understanding of what eventually caused Neanderthal to "die out" and us to be on the top of the animal world and only hominid specie to survive. But it's just a small fragment of the story we try to uncover. Like what Richard Bradley once said: Keep at it long enough and something is bound to turn up. When we have "enough" facts their meaning will become evident; in otherwords, data precede and lead to theory.
So to follow R. Bradley thought I want to add something to the story. That is work of P. Jones (2005) and some other authors Dietrich and McDaniel (2004) Sands and Sands (2009) and it's implications on the article we talked above.
The uniquely human activity of long-distance running produces enhanced release of endorphins, extending the capacities of such extreme physical activity that was adaptive in flight from predators with the pain-numbing effects, facilitating the ability to continue to flee rather than succumb to pain, muscle cramps, shortness of breath, and so on.
A natural basis for inducing ASC (altered state of consciousness) and mystical experiences derives from endurance running, long-distance running, and ultraruning (Bramble and Lieberman 2004; also see Jones 2005).
Commonly known as the “runner’s high,” it is also associated with features typical of mystical experiences such as positive emotions such as happiness, joy and elation; a sense of inner peacefulness and harmony; a sense of timelessness and cosmic unity; and a connection of oneself with nature and the Universe. The processes by which mystical experiences are induced by running begin with the saturation of the sympathetic-ergotropic system. In addition to the activation produced in many body systems by the running, the prolonged activity forces a kind of meditative breathing in the regular methodic inhalation and exhalation. Physical stress activated by long-distance running provokes the release of the opioid, adrenaline, and noradrenaline neurotransmitters, and elevated body temperatures, oxygen depletion, and chemical and neuronal imbalances that can create unusual state of awareness. Jones placed ultrarunning high in the context of the extreme activation of the ANS (isceral nervous system - controls our internal organs and glands, involuntary movement and actions). Extensive running leads to a saturation of the SNS ( sympathetic nervous system) and associated structures of the hypothalamus and amygdala (particularly the left hemispheric), a “spillover” effect that leads to the simultaneous activation of the PNS and the amygdala and hippocampus areas of the right hemisphere. This simultaneous activation of what are usually separate functions and areas of the brain results in a saturation of brain areas responsible for general orientation and attention, visual integration, emotional processing, and expression of verbal-conceptual phenomena (Jones, 44). This results from a general overload of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and associated structures (hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus) and leads to a cessation of normal attention, emotional processing, and comprehension. This cessation of normal processes produces a sense of ineffability and a disintegration of the self, which is generally experienced as a condition of profound peacefulness (Jones, 44). It is the shutdown of the normal processes of the mind that lead to these special experiences.Sands and Sands (2009) proposed that the selection for long-distance running in Homo subsequently selected for a form of spirituality, a “horizontal awareness,” or biophilia, that operated through existing neurobiological reward systems. The “high” associated with long-distance running situated our ancestors in a dynamic environment within which they felt an intimate connection with nature. They reviewed evidence showing that the neurochemicals released during endurance running are tied into a variety of preexisting reward pathways, including monoamines (serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine), endorphins, and endocannabinoids. There is evidence that running also releases serotonin and dopamine, both of which have positive effects on mood, enhance performance, and elicit our basic reward systems. Dietrich and McDaniel (2004) found that endurance runners have increases in an endocannabinoid, anandamide, a substance that produces psychoactive effects similar to the THC of marijuana, including euphoria, a sense of transcendence, and a sense of contact with the divine. Thus a side effect of the acquisition of the capacity for long-distance running was a variety of mystical experiences and associated pleasurable sensations. This running capacity also provided a physical basis for the ritual capabilities of dance, as well as the expressive capacities of mimesis.
Jones, P. 2005. Ultrarunners and chance encounters with “absolute unitary being.”
Anthropology of Consciousness 15(2): 39–50.
Dietrich, A., and W. McDaniel. 2004. Endocannabinoids and exercise. British Journal of Sports Medicine 38(5): 536–41.
Sands, R., and L. Sands, 2009. Running deep speculations on the evolution of running
and spirituality in Homo. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture
34(4): 552–77
In a recently publishes article in the Journal of Human Evolution (LINK) authors claim that Neandertals, compared to people today, had tall heel bones that put a less energy-efficient spring in their steps while running. Neandertals tall heel bones possibly stabilized their ankles, giving them an advantage over Homo sapiens in walking uphill and jumping, the researchers hypothesize.
n their new investigation, Raichlen’s team calculated rates of oxygen consumption for eight experienced distance runners as they ran on a treadmill for 10 minutes at 16 kilometers per hour (10 miles per hour). On a separate day, an MRI scanner took images of each man’s heels and Achilles tendons.
Heel-bone measurements of 13 fossil Homo sapiens that lived between approximately 30,000 and 100,000 years ago resemble those of today’s runners, the scientists say. On average, the measurements indicate that the ancient humans expended 6.9 percent more energy while running than their counterparts today did — not a substantial difference, according to the researchers.
Analyses of heel bones of six Neandertals from the same time period indicate that these hominids used an average of 11.4 percent more energy while running than modern athletes did, a statistically notable disparity, Raichlen says.
Energy efficiency while running depends far more on a person’s anatomy than on physical training, the researchers say. They used distance runners as a modern comparison group in order to account for any training effects.
As you can see from all of this it's a great step foward better understanding of what eventually caused Neanderthal to "die out" and us to be on the top of the animal world and only hominid specie to survive. But it's just a small fragment of the story we try to uncover. Like what Richard Bradley once said: Keep at it long enough and something is bound to turn up. When we have "enough" facts their meaning will become evident; in otherwords, data precede and lead to theory.
So to follow R. Bradley thought I want to add something to the story. That is work of P. Jones (2005) and some other authors Dietrich and McDaniel (2004) Sands and Sands (2009) and it's implications on the article we talked above.
The uniquely human activity of long-distance running produces enhanced release of endorphins, extending the capacities of such extreme physical activity that was adaptive in flight from predators with the pain-numbing effects, facilitating the ability to continue to flee rather than succumb to pain, muscle cramps, shortness of breath, and so on.
A natural basis for inducing ASC (altered state of consciousness) and mystical experiences derives from endurance running, long-distance running, and ultraruning (Bramble and Lieberman 2004; also see Jones 2005).
Commonly known as the “runner’s high,” it is also associated with features typical of mystical experiences such as positive emotions such as happiness, joy and elation; a sense of inner peacefulness and harmony; a sense of timelessness and cosmic unity; and a connection of oneself with nature and the Universe. The processes by which mystical experiences are induced by running begin with the saturation of the sympathetic-ergotropic system. In addition to the activation produced in many body systems by the running, the prolonged activity forces a kind of meditative breathing in the regular methodic inhalation and exhalation. Physical stress activated by long-distance running provokes the release of the opioid, adrenaline, and noradrenaline neurotransmitters, and elevated body temperatures, oxygen depletion, and chemical and neuronal imbalances that can create unusual state of awareness. Jones placed ultrarunning high in the context of the extreme activation of the ANS (isceral nervous system - controls our internal organs and glands, involuntary movement and actions). Extensive running leads to a saturation of the SNS ( sympathetic nervous system) and associated structures of the hypothalamus and amygdala (particularly the left hemispheric), a “spillover” effect that leads to the simultaneous activation of the PNS and the amygdala and hippocampus areas of the right hemisphere. This simultaneous activation of what are usually separate functions and areas of the brain results in a saturation of brain areas responsible for general orientation and attention, visual integration, emotional processing, and expression of verbal-conceptual phenomena (Jones, 44). This results from a general overload of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems and associated structures (hypothalamus, amygdala, and hippocampus) and leads to a cessation of normal attention, emotional processing, and comprehension. This cessation of normal processes produces a sense of ineffability and a disintegration of the self, which is generally experienced as a condition of profound peacefulness (Jones, 44). It is the shutdown of the normal processes of the mind that lead to these special experiences.Sands and Sands (2009) proposed that the selection for long-distance running in Homo subsequently selected for a form of spirituality, a “horizontal awareness,” or biophilia, that operated through existing neurobiological reward systems. The “high” associated with long-distance running situated our ancestors in a dynamic environment within which they felt an intimate connection with nature. They reviewed evidence showing that the neurochemicals released during endurance running are tied into a variety of preexisting reward pathways, including monoamines (serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine), endorphins, and endocannabinoids. There is evidence that running also releases serotonin and dopamine, both of which have positive effects on mood, enhance performance, and elicit our basic reward systems. Dietrich and McDaniel (2004) found that endurance runners have increases in an endocannabinoid, anandamide, a substance that produces psychoactive effects similar to the THC of marijuana, including euphoria, a sense of transcendence, and a sense of contact with the divine. Thus a side effect of the acquisition of the capacity for long-distance running was a variety of mystical experiences and associated pleasurable sensations. This running capacity also provided a physical basis for the ritual capabilities of dance, as well as the expressive capacities of mimesis.
Jones, P. 2005. Ultrarunners and chance encounters with “absolute unitary being.”
Anthropology of Consciousness 15(2): 39–50.
Dietrich, A., and W. McDaniel. 2004. Endocannabinoids and exercise. British Journal of Sports Medicine 38(5): 536–41.
Sands, R., and L. Sands, 2009. Running deep speculations on the evolution of running
and spirituality in Homo. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture
34(4): 552–77
petak, 25. veljače 2011.
Cognitive archaeology is
Cognitive archaeology is a sub-discipline of archaeology which focuses on the ways that ancient societies thought and the symbolic structures that can be perceived in past material culture.
Cognitive archaeologists often study the role that ideology and differing organizational approaches would have had on ancient peoples. The way that these abstract ideas are manifested through the remains that these peoples have left can be investigated and debated often by drawing inferences and using approaches developed in fields such as semiotics, psychology and the wider sciences.
Humans do not behave under the influence of their senses alone but also through their past experiences such as their upbringing. These experiences contribute to each individual's unique view of the world, a kind of cognitive map that guides them. Groups of people living together tend to develop a shared view of the world and similar cognitive maps which in turn influence their group material culture.
Archaeologists have always tried to imagine what motivated people but early efforts to understand how they thought were unstructured and speculative. Since the rise of processualism these approaches have become more scientific, paying close attention to the Archaeological context of archaeological finds and all possible interpretations. For example, a prehistoric bâton de commandement served an unknown purpose but using cognitive archaeology to interpret it would involve evaluating all its possible functions using clearly defined procedures and comparisons. By applying logic and experimental evidence, the most likely functions can be isolated.
The multiple interpretations of an artifact, archaeological site or symbol are affected by the archaeologist's own experiences and ideas as well as those of the distant cultural tradition that created it. Cave art for example may not have been art in the modern sense at all but perhaps the product of ritual. Similarly, it would likely have described activities that were perfectly obvious to the people who created it but the symbology employed will be different from that used today or at any other time.
Some archaeologists such as Lewis Binford have critiqued cognitive archaeology, stating that it is only people's actions rather than their thoughts that are preserved in the archaeological record. However it can be argued that even this evidence of actions is still the product of human thought and would have been governed by a multitude of experiences and perspectives. Thus one can see Cognitive Archaeology as a development of Processual Archaeology in that the combination of material culture and actions can be further developed into a study of the ideas which drove action and used objects. This method attempts to avoid the pitfalls of Post-Processual Archaeology by retaining the 'scientific' aspects of Processual Archaeology while reaching for the higher social levels of ideas.
Human behaaviour does not fossilise and therefor Cognitive archaeology is a gateway (portal) to the ancient minds.
Like Tim Yates said: "Archaeological data is not limited, only the mind that interpret it"
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