About the blog
“EvoAnth” is a shortening of the subject name “Evolutionary Anthropology” which is the study of humans and their evolution. It’s a broad subject that studies our technology, behaviour, beliefs and any other aspect of humanity which has been influenced by our evolutionary heritage. Which is pretty much everything.
This blog is an attempt to spread the knowledge evolutionary anthropology has gained to as many people as possible. After all, everyone evolved.
Schedule
Mistaken Mondays – Posts about
Tuesdays and Thursdays – Articles on news stories or key evoanth topics. Basically me being serious.
Wondering Wednesdays – I answer reader questions. Submit yours here
Friday Factoid – Short posts on fun little news stories or facts from evoanth. By fun I mean “posts sprinkled with lame jokes”
Simian Sundays – A post about something ape/monkey related. After all, we did in fact evolve from filthy monkey-men
About me
I am an masters student at the University of Liverpool at university studying human evolution, hoping to progress onto a PhD some day (if anyone has a funded studentship available please let me know, I am prepared to grovel). I’m too interested in subject for my own good, so have taken every opportunity available to do more evoanth stuff. I volunteer at the local museum, do open days at the university…all sorts.
Yet what motivated me to start this blog wasn’t something that, on the surface, was connected to human evolution. I was giving a presentation to a group of school students about my university. They were apparently interested in biological sciences and so appropriately the presentation was given by university students studying that. And little ol’ me from the archaeology department. Yet I got the most questions. Despite the fact there were undergraduates doing the degree they wanted to do they were asking me questions on the origin of art, development of technology. People are clearly interested in where they came from, yet there are all too few sources providing this information.
So I resolved to start this blog and do my part to spread the information around. And hopefully serve as a bit of an outlet for me so my long-suffering friends won’t have to listen to yet another FUN FACT about how we evolved.
EvoAnth 
We get the picture that human ancestors were, some at least, relatively small and weak, with unimpressive teeth. Obviously these human ancestors had a toolkit of artifacts and behaviors which allowed them to become ancestors. Here is my question. I think no modern apes can throw as hard and accurately as some humans can. Select people make big bucks by throwing hard and accurately, therefore it is likely the anatomical and physiological aspects of hard and accurate throwing are well know. Has any one studied whether any of our ancestors could throw hard and accurately? I can picture a carnivore looking at a group of Australopithecines and thinking, “If I go after them, I will have several 100 MPH, quarter pound rocks bounced off my head.”
I know about some research into whether certain tools would be good for throwing and bits about whether neanderthals could throw well, but nothing specifically on this issue of australopiths throwing random rocks. I’ll look into it, maybe make a post on it at some point in the future
I just wanted to say thank you for posting on EveryMagicalDay. I followed your comments back here and am ecstatic to find a blog I will look forward to reading as much as this!
If you enjoyed the discussion over there might I recommend this post I did earlier which covers pretty much the same ground, although with a slightly different take I hope you find equally as interesting.
https://evoanth.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/the-origin-of-religion/
Oh Thank you. I look forward to reading this.
This is a great blog! I’ve really missed reading about new discoveries from before anatomically modern humans so this is a great and straight-forward digest.
Here you go. Take a look at this and get back to us!
http://psychsciencenotes.blogspot.com/2012/04/did-language-emerge-from-neural-systems.html
Fine motor control is very important to language, but to what extent does it overlap between different parts of the body. If I “evolved” the ability to move my legs with more finesse, would it also improve my ability to control my thumb? Or is controlling different parts distinct in the brain? Or if they are linked, is it because one improves the other or are they symptoms of something else improving both?
All of these questions and more would have to be answered before this research is considered something other than “promising, but only preliminary”
I may discuss it on the blog at a later date
I wonder about handedness. i am right handed, and my right hand can do things for which my left hand has no clue. On the other hand ;-), both hands attended typing class at the same time, and type equally well; maybe the left is a hair better.
Handedness was discussed at HOBET and I was surprised to learn that the dominance of right handedness in the population appears to have been a relatively recent development; within the last 1 my or so.
If I can find the original source for the presentation (hopefully it includes some more info on the development of handedness) it I’ll try and write about it this Wednesday as a “wondering Wednesday” post. Or is there something more specific you were interested in?
Love. This. Blog! I’m so glad you found me! lol
Well I’m glad you like it.
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http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121231161043.htm
Here is a report about tree climbing in modern humans.
Very interesting. Now we just need to dissect one of these climbers and figure out what’s going. Darn ethical objections, getting in the way of mah science.
If you read to the end, you will see that they used noninvasive techniques to study differences between climbers and nonclimbers. You might rethink your comment.
I read there. My scalpel still thirsts for blood.
Over on Greg Laden’s blog he discusses work on throwing and human evolution published by Barbara Issac in 1987. Very interesting!
Do you have a link pretty please?
20th century me, this was the best I could easily find. The little note on are cricketers primitive in the science sections gives a partial reference to the journal and volume. I leave the matter in the hands of a 21st century adapted person.
http://books.google.com/books?id=w8kcb4FHZMMC&pg=PA36&lpg=PA36&dq=Barbara+Issacs+throwing&source=bl&ots=nFJUKtMVag&sig=MTu4FBpd2hw7vQAKSBJQCcLaHLU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=A_TxUMeRKJDy2gXOkIHABg&ved=0CGAQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Barbara%20Issacs%20throwing&f=false
Check out: The Throwing Madonna by William H. Calvin at
http://www.williamcalvin.com/bk2/bk2.htm
It does look intriguing, I may look into that at some point
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130626142710.htm
Here is about the uniquee human throwing ability and possible evolutionary implications.
2 million years ago is before any records of spears, spear points or really anything that could be remotely considered a projectile. Which begs the question, just what were they throwing?
Interesting blog you have here.
Thanks for visiting.
http://6000generations.wordpress.com/2012/11/13/what-genetic-characteristics-are-effectively-being-selected-for-today/
ktwop
It seems that I can no longer access the blog. How do I do that?
I changed the theme the other day, which might cause a bit of trouble. However, I’ve tested it on multiple machines and not had a problem. Could you be more specific?
I think the new theme is great by the way. Clean and calm, plenty of content on show but somehow still not too busy. Good choice!
– James
I’m not particularly happy with the font, but I have no choice in the matter without giving wordpress money.
Also, you’re getting a follow
Font was a real bugbear of mine to start with, especially the size. The theme I’m using now is my second, after near-constant experimentation.
And thanks very much!
It’s always interesting how few people comment on the theme if it’s done well, but everyone expresses an opinion when it’s done badly.
Ok, I figured out to go to home. How does one find older threads?
It’s meant to be infinite, just keep scrolling down and it will keep loading older posts.
The furry Mexican family has a mutated gene on their X chromosomes. Apparently recessive. Having problems with your blog.
What sort of problems?
I can’t post a link, and have had the comment box freeze up on me.
I’ve tested it and not had any problems. If it keeps happening let me know and I’ll get it touch with wordpress
Oh, I’m going to enjoy this! Good man.
Dear Adam,
I am an astronomer, but I’ve always had a soft spot for paleoanthropology as well. I’ve read a few of your posts and I find them very interesting and informative. Thank you for making the effort of popularizing these things, and keep up the good work! I’ll definitively come back to read more of your stuff.
Cheers,
Björn
Thanks for stopping by my blog, Adam, nice to e-meet you!
The e-pleasure is all mine
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