Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology

Hypothesis: A modern human range expansion ~300,000 years ago had a critical role in Neandertal origins

The paper proposes a range expansion of early modern humans into Europe 300,000 years ago contributed to Neandertal origins and identifies genomic loci with recent Neandertal ancestry.

Denisovan introgression left differential selection regimes in Humans and Neanderthals on the SLC30A9 gene

The paper uses ABC and machine learning to determine that the SLC30A9 rs1047626 polymorphism originated in Denisovans, introgressed into Neanderthals, and then into non-African humans, with differential selection pressures in different populations.

Adaptive introgression in Tibetans spans focal and distributed architectures

This study identifies Neanderthal-derived adaptive variation in Tibetans, showing functional convergence in immune and metabolic pathways, beyond the well-known EPAS1 locus.

Climate change, infectious disease, and the spread of microblades across the Qinling-Huaihe line

The paper explores how climate-driven vector-borne diseases may have influenced migration patterns and microblade distribution across the Qinling-Huaihe line during the Upper Paleolithic.

Milankovic cycles and Cultural Evolution as Important Catalysts for Hominin Genetic Diversification

This study uses an agent-based model to show that Milankovitch climate cycles and cultural innovations influenced hominin population structure and genetic diversity over the past 1.9 million years.

Enamel Palaeoproteomics Successfully Distinguishes between Denisovans and European Neandertals

This study uses enamel palaeoproteomics to identify a molecular marker distinguishing Denisovans from Neandertals by analyzing AMBN peptide variants in ancient dental enamel.

A Method to Analyze Low-Quality Archaic Human Genomes and its Application to the Teshik-Tash 1 Neandertal

The paper develops a computational method to analyze low-quality archaic human genomes and applies it to the Teshik-Tash 1 Neandertal, showing genetic similarity to later Western Eurasian Neandertals.

A meta-analysis of ancient and present-day Central Eurasian genome data to revise archaic hominin ancestry

This study analyzes ancient and present-day Central Eurasian genomes to assess archaic hominin introgression, finding stable levels of Neanderthal and Denisovan ancestry over time.

Reconstructing Prehistoric Waterscapes and Human Mobility during MIS 5 in North Africa

This study reconstructs human mobility patterns in North Africa during MIS 5 by analyzing climate-driven hydrological changes and their impact on landscape connectivity.

No signal of a super-archaic origin of the Denisovan AMBN gene, a comment on the protein affinity of Homo erectus and Denisovan enamel proteins.

The paper challenges a model proposing Denisovan AMBN introgression from Homo erectus by showing no signal of super-archaic origin in late Denisovans.

Denisovan leg bones from Taiwan reveal large body size

The paper reports Denisovan leg bones from Taiwan, showing large body size and some modern human-like features, challenging Bergmann's rule and suggesting gene flow or behavioral similarities.

Habitat and feeding ecology of a Denisovan from Late Pleistocene Taiwan

This study analyzes the habitat and diet of a Denisovan from Late Pleistocene Taiwan using radiocarbon dating and stable isotopes, revealing a C4-dominated environment and a diet rich in animal protein.

Archaic ancestry inference in imputed ancient human genomes

This paper investigates using imputation to improve archaic ancestry inference in ancient human genomes, showing that imputed genomes can reliably detect and quantify introgression and identify introgressed segments.

Deciphering complete archaic introgression sequences in modern human genomes

The paper introduces ASMaid, a method to detect archaic introgression sequences in human genomes, revealing more complete and diverse archaic segments than previous methods.

Diverse megamammals exploited by humans, chronology and palaeoecology at Taima-Taima, Late Pleistocene, South America

Bone modification analyses, tooth enamel radiocarbon dates, and dental calculus microfossils indicate that Late Pleistocene humans exploited at least five megaherbivore species at a savannah watering hole in Venezuela.

Revisiting Cucuruchu, a Late Pleistocene site on the Venezuelan Caribbean coast with megafauna and lithic association

The paper revises the assessment of the Cucuruchu archaeological site, identifying megafaunal remains and El Jobo projectiles from the Late Pleistocene in northern Venezuela.

Shared genetic foundation of the DHEAS pathway indicate similar extended childhoods in Neanderthals and modern humans

The paper examines Neanderthal genetic variation in DHEAS biosynthesis genes and finds shared genetic foundations for extended adrenarche between Neanderthals and modern humans.

A global map for introgressed structural variation and selection in humans

Long-read phased assemblies from two Papuans plus 47 HPRC genomes map archaic introgressed structural variants, revealing 11 candidate archaic centromeres and 16 candidate adaptive SVs.

Early development of Neanderthals revealed through virtual microanatomy

This study uses microcomputed tomography to analyze Neanderthal juvenile fossils, revealing similarities in bone growth patterns to modern humans and suggesting possible systemic disorders in tooth development.

The genetic legacy of archaic hominins in Central and Southeast Asia uncovers three distinct Denisovan populations

The paper analyzes archaic ancestry in Central and Southeast Asian populations, revealing three distinct Denisovan admixture events in Southeast Asia.

The Genetic Legacy of Introgression from Two Deeply Divergent Lineages in the Genus Homo

This paper uses genetic data to show that two distinct superarchaic populations contributed to modern human ancestry, with one contributing ~20% to African populations and the other to Eurasian archaics.

Effects of introgressed Neanderthal alleles on present-day brain morphology

The paper examines the effects of Neanderthal introgressed alleles on brain morphology and neuropsychiatric traits using UK Biobank data, identifying associations with specific brain regions and mental health outcomes.

The Neanderthal population history and the introgression landscape inferred from the UK Biobank

The paper uses UK Biobank data to infer Neanderthal population history and introgression patterns, finding divergence times, effective population sizes, and regions of selection.

Mapping the gene regulatory landscape of archaic hominin introgression in modern Papuans

The paper investigates the regulatory effects of Neanderthal and Denisovan introgression in Papuan populations using a massively parallel reporter assay, finding differential activity in immune-related genes.

Earliest Evidence of Elephant Butchery at Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) Reveals the Evolutionary Impact of Early Human Megafaunal Exploitation

Excavation of the 1.78 Ma Emiliano Aguirre Korongo site and landscape surveys across Olduvai Gorge Bed II reveal systematic early Pleistocene hominin butchery and percussive bone breakage of elephants.

Recovering signatures of archaic introgression using ancestral recombination graphs

TRACE identifies archaic ancestry using ancestral recombination graphs from contemporary genomes, revealing ghost admixture and challenging existing interpretations of archaic introgression.

Comparing Neanderthal introgression maps reveals core agreement but substantial heterogeneity

The paper compares Neanderthal introgression maps from 12 algorithms, finding core agreement but substantial heterogeneity, and recommends using multiple maps for robust conclusions.

Tracing Neanderthal ancestry patterns through successive population expansions in Europe

This study uses a simulation framework to analyze how Neanderthal ancestry gradients in Europe were shaped by population expansions and interactions between Neanderthals, hunter-gatherers, and farmers.

Assessing the potential of ancient protein sequences in the study of hominid evolution

This study evaluates how ancient protein sequences can inform hominid evolution, showing they provide limited resolution compared to DNA data but can still offer insights when combined with better modeling.

Tracing the Neanderthal-Modern Human hybrid zone using paleogenomic data

The paper uses paleogenomic data and simulations to identify conditions under which introgression patterns can trace Neanderthal-modern human hybrid zones.