Carta - Center For Academic Research And Training In Anthropogeny (audio)

Arizona State University and University of Utah professor Polly Wiessner addresses intergroup ties between humans, chimpanzees and bonobos and explores some of the possible evolutionary developments that contributed to the human disposition to form mutually supportive external bonds, and then discusses the impact of social ties on coalitionary action; UC San Diego professor Rafael Nuñez discusses the comparative analysis of “quantity” and “number”, and the implications it has for debates about the origins of other human special capacities such as geometry, music, and art; and UC San Diego School of Medicine professor Nissi Varki discusses the incidence of carcinomas, including the rarity of occurrence of common human carcinomas in captive chimpanzees. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37529]

This symposium addresses several important distinctly human characteristics that range from molecules, to metabolism, anatomy, disease, and behavior. Goals include transdisciplinary interactions, improved self-understanding, promotion of ethically sound studies to explain known differences, and the generation of new, potentially unexplored, insights on uniquely-human specializations. Given the interest in understanding our evolution, this symposium will also help to organize how and in what sequence distinctly human physical, mental, social, and cultural features evolved. Such understanding may help explain the origin of our species and how it came to now directly shape the planet, giving rise to the Anthropocene (a proposed geological epoch distinguished by human influence on climate and the environment). Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37447]

Technology is clearly central to human life and evolution but remains hard to define and study. Emory University professor Dietrich Stout discusses an evolutionarily motivated definition of technology that highlights three key features: material production, social collaboration, and cultural reproduction. This perspective has important implications for the way we conceptualize and study the origins and evolution of human technologies. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37385]

Humans and many other species have biologically endowed abilities for discriminating “quantities” to some degree (e.g., subitizing), but only humans, via the distinct capacity of “symbolic reference” exhibit “number” — i.e., exact symbolic quantification. Language, with its symbolic properties although present in all human cultures, is a necessary condition for “number” but it is not a sufficient condition for it. UC San Diego professor Rafael Nuñez discusses the comparative analysis of “quantity” and “number”, and the implications it has for debates about the origins of other human special capacities such as geometry, music, and art. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37386]

Sialic acid-recognizing immunoglobulin-type lectins (Siglecs) are a family of cell surface proteins prominently expressed on immune cells in mammals. Siglec-11 is an example of an inhibitory Siglec. It was the first protein in the brain found to be “human-specific”: non-human primates express Siglec-11 in other tissues but not in the central nervous system. UC San Diego School of Medicine professor Ajit Varki discusses the importance of Siglec-11 and the paired receptor Siglec-16, and how they play significant roles in regulating inflammation, and have several uniquely human features including expression in brain. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37380]

Language is a human cognitive specialization, and as such, is expected to be supported by human neurological specializations. The arcuate fasciculus is a white matter fiber tract that connects Wernicke’s and Broca’s language areas in the human brain, and also connects the homologues of Wernicke’s and Broca’s areas in non-human primate brains. Emory University professor James Rilling discusses the difference of arcuate fasciculus between human and non-human primate brains and how the specialization of speech has helped humans evolve. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37381]

During embryogenesis, the three germ layers (endoderm, ectoderm, mesoderm) differentiate into epithelial and non-epithelial cells, which eventually form differentiated tissues and organs. Abundant data now indicates that we humans are very closely related to other hominids including chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans, the so-called "great apes". UC San Diego School of Medicine professor Nissi Varki discusses the incidence of carcinomas, including the rarity of occurrence of common human carcinomas in captive chimpanzees. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37382]

Diet has played a major role in the evolution of human and non-human primate digestive systems. Phytanic acid is a potentially toxic branched chain fatty acid that can be acquired in humans by ingesting plant and/or animal products. Although it was established that humans cannot derive phytanic acid from chlorophyll and instead normally obtain it only from meat, dairy, and fish products, less was known about the capacity of non-human primates with proportionally larger hindguts to obtain phytanic acid from plant materials. University of Southern California professor Joseph Hacia discusses studies profiling phytanic acid levels in red blood cells obtained from humans and captive non-human primates all on low phytanic acid diets. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37379]

ABO Blood groups represent the first described human molecular polymorphism. The ABO gene encodes variants of a protein (a glycosyltransferase) that produces the short sugar chains on glycoproteins and glycolipids that define the A, B, or O antigens. These antigens are found on red blood cells, plasma glycoproteins, and other cell types in various tissues. Individual humans can have one of four blood types based on the two alleles inherited from both parents at the ABO locus: blood type A, B, AB, or O. UC San Diego professor Pascal Gagneux discusses how recent comparative genome studies have revealed that this polymorphic system is ancient and shared between humans and non-human primates, this despite the fact that none of the great ape species carries all four ABO blood types. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37378]

Humans are unusual in that we depend on shared foods, especially among families and friends and between potential mates. Food sharing occurs between healthy individuals and those that are infirm or elderly. We also differ from other great apes in our early ages at weaning, late ages at maturity, short birth intervals and survivorship decades past menopause. The emergence of these patterns was crucial to early human development. In light of observations among modern East African hunter-gatherers, University of Utah professor James O’Connell evaluates two alternatives. He discusses one hypothesis that focuses on males acquiring big game meat and marrow to provide for mates and offspring. The other hypothesis surrounds how certain kinds of savanna plant food set up the forager interdependence which propelled all aspects of life history change. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 37384]

Discussion session about The Evolution of Human Physical Activity. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 37188]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Herman Pontzer explores the evolution of metabolism, Grazyna Jasienska discusses different effects of activity on women's reproductive health and Ellen Breen explores an evolutionary pathway for high endurance activity. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 37187]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Daniel Lieberman explores how running evolved and David Raichlen explains the effects of physical activity on the brain. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 37185]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Tatum Simonson explains adaptations to altitude and diving, Jandy Hanna explores climbing in human evolution and David Carrier proposes anatomical adaptations for aggression. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 37186]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Daniel Lieberman and Yana Kamberov explore how running and sweating evolved and what it means for Homo sapiens. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 37184]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? David Carrier proposes anatomical adaptations for aggression. A growing body of evidence suggests that the evolutionary roots of much of the aggression, intolerance, and violence that plagues modern societies ultimately lies in the selection that shaped our mating system. Acknowledging and understanding the legacy of male interpersonal and group aggression can help guide policy directed at reducing violence in the future. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 36947]

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Jandy Hanna explores climbing in human evolution. Most primates live and move in the trees, but humans have evolved to move bipedally on the ground. Primates’ arboreal life-style has long been thought to have allowed the evolution of human beings’ unusual form of movement. We know much about how horizontal movement on branches differs in primates relative to most other mammals. But only recently have we begun to learn about how climbing is accomplished by non-human primates, and how such movement may have permitted early human ancestors to move upright. Key findings regarding the biomechanics of climbing, and what these data may mean for understanding human movement and exercise, are discussed. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research a

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Grazyna Jasienska discusses different effects of activity on women's reproductive health. The effects of physical activity on female physiology and health are much more complex than for men. Just like in men, activity is beneficial for many aspects of health, but physically active women also face important physiological trade-offs. Physical activity influences levels of hormones that are crucial for female health – estrogens and progesterone. But how much and in what way these hormones are affected depends not only on the type and intensity of physical activity, but also on other factors, such as the quality of environment that women experienced during their own fetal development and childhood. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research a

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Daniel Lieberman explores how running evolved and its role in human evolution. All animals need to be physically active, but the human lineage clearly underwent selection to be considerably more physically active than our relatively inactive ape ancestors and cousins including chimpanzees and gorillas. Bipedal walking brought many benefits but also rendered hominins slow and awkward, hence vulnerable to predation. With the origins of hunting and gathering in the genus Homo, there was additional selection for endurance running which helped hominins become scavengers and hunters. Today we face a growing epidemic of physical inactivity that increases people’s vulnerability to a wide range of diseases. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Resear

Human physical activities differ significantly from other species. How, when and why did these capabilities evolve? What adaptations underlie them? And how did the evolution of human physical activity affect other key human characteristics that have advanced our species? Herman Pontzer explores the evolution of human metabolism and its role in our evolution and health. From an evolutionary perspective, life is a game of turning energy into offspring. The strategies that species use to acquire energy, in the form of food, and allocate energy to the essential tasks of growth, maintenance, movement, and reproduction, are incredibly diverse and reflect the ecological pressures and opportunities encountered. There is a deep evolutionary history of the human metabolic strategy and our divergence from other apes. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 36951]