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Anthropogeny

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Evolution of the Human Genome II

Part of the book series: Evolutionary Studies ((EVOLUS))

Abstract

Anthropogeny, “the study of the origin of humans” is an attempt to use all verifiable facts and ethical scientific methods to explain the origin of the species Homo sapiens. Only a transdisciplinary approach will allow to unravel the singularity that is the appearance of our species, the “planet-altering ape.” Such transdisciplinarity will have to involve fields as varied as linguistics and psychology, biomedicine and neuroscience, physical and chemical sciences, comparative primatology, climate sciences and geology, archeology and paleontology with much support from computer science. Humans present a striking paradox as they combine an obvious mammalian and primate nature with a distinct combination of numerous biological and behavioral traits, making them spectacular outlier among the living world. The time depth of many of the processes that shaped our species represents a formidable obstacle. New fossils, archeological finds, ancient DNA technology, and comparative genomics are providing key new information. Anthropogenists are still facing a staggering list of humbling unknowns about the age of onset of key human innovations. These include but are not restricted to the following: symbolic capacity, personal name or kinship terms, language, home base use, fire use/cooking, pair bonding, awareness of paternal kinship networks, projectile weapon use, composite tool use, fiber use, bodily modifications, and death rituals. The human phenomenon reflects idiosyncratic concatenations of unlikely events. Key factors likely include both opportunities and constraints stemming from massive physical and cultural niche construction by our species that has increasingly taken its evolutionary fate in its own hands.

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Acknowledgements

I thank Ajit Varki for valuable comments on a draft of this chapter.

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  1. Department of Pathology and Anthropology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Pascal Gagneux

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    Naruya Saitou

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Gagneux, P. (2021). Anthropogeny. In: Saitou, N. (eds) Evolution of the Human Genome II. Evolutionary Studies. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-56904-6_1

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