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Cited by 153Pleistocene-Era Hominins and ArchaeologyEvolution and Paleontology StudiesLanguage and cultural evolution

A synthesis of the theories and concepts of early human evolution

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Maslin, Mark A., Shultz, Susanne, Trauth, Martin H.·2015·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
DOI 10.1098/rstb.2014.0064PMC PMC4305165
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Abstract

Current evidence suggests that many of the major events in hominin evolution occurred in East Africa. Hence, over the past two decades, there has been intensive work undertaken to understand African palaeoclimate and tectonics in order to put together a coherent picture of how the environment of Africa has varied over the past 10 Myr. A new consensus is emerging that suggests the unusual geology and climate of East Africa created a complex, environmentally very variable setting. This new understanding of East African climate has led to the pulsed climate variability hypothesis that suggests the long-term drying trend in East Africa was punctuated by episodes of short alternating periods of extreme humidity and aridity which may have driven hominin speciation, encephalization and dispersals out of Africa. This hypothesis is unique as it provides a conceptual framework within which other evolutionary theories can be examined: first, at macro-scale comparing phylogenetic gradualism and punctuated equilibrium ; second, at a more focused level of human evolution comparing allopatric speciation , aridity hypothesis , turnover pulse hypothesis , variability selection hypothesis , Red Queen hypothesis and sympatric speciation based on sexual selection. It is proposed that each one of these mechanisms may have been acting on hominins during these short periods of climate variability, which then produce a range of different traits that led to the emergence of new species. In the case of Homo erectus ( sensu lato ), it is not just brain size that changes but life history (shortened inter-birth intervals, delayed development), body size and dimorphism, shoulder morphology to allow thrown projectiles, adaptation to long-distance running, ecological flexibility and social behaviour. The future of evolutionary research should be to create evidence-based meta-narratives, which encompass multiple mechanisms that select for different traits leading ultimately to speciation.

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Authors
Maslin, M. A., Shultz, S., & Trauth, M. H.
Affiliations
  • University College London (GB)
  • University of Manchester (GB)
  • University of Potsdam (DE)
Corresponding author
Maslin, Mark A.
ORCID
Venue
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Publisher
The Royal Society
Published
2015-03-05
Volume
370
Issue
1663
Pages
20140064
ISSN
  • 0962-8436 (ISSN-L)
  • 1471-2970
DOI
10.1098/rstb.2014.0064
PMC
PMC4305165
OpenAlex
W2138797352
Cited by
153
References
3
Citations by year
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FWCI
58.84
Type
journal article
Language
en
Update notices
correction (2020-09-21)
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • publish.UP (University of Potsdam) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
Keywords
hominin evolution, tectonics, speciation mechanisms, allopatric speciation, sympatric speciation, sexual selection, Red Queen hypothesis, Homo erectus, brain size, life history, body size, sexual dimorphism, long-distance running, dispersal out of Africa, environmental variability
MeSH terms
Africa, Eastern, Climate, Biological Evolution, Geography, Humans, Models, Biological, History, Ancient, Genetic Speciation, Human Migration

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