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Implications for the definition of Homo

Posted by fmansfield762 on 17 Feb 2022 at 11:46 GMT

Great paper, thank you. This adds to the evidence that several of the presumed hallmarks of humanity may have existed in an early-mid Miocene ancestor prior to the divergence of the Hominidae:

- Orthograde / vertical postural locomotion (Wading, Kuliukas, 2002)
- Loss of pelage (Kamberov, et al., 2018)
- Increased fat storage (Fini, et al., 2021)
- Possible eccrine gland increase (Kamberov, et al., 2018)
- Tool use (lithic technologies) - perhaps for opening bivalves (this paper)

This all supports Marc Verhaegen’s (et al.) arguments that the first apes (20-15 Ma) were "aquarboreal" - meaning that they lived in the forests but foraged in lakes and swamps, and that many of our presumed "human" features predate the Pan/Homo split.

No competing interests declared.

RE: Implications for the definition of Homo

marc_verhaegen replied to fmansfield762 on 19 Feb 2022 at 00:40 GMT

:-) Thank you very much for this article & the kind comment. For a short introduction to Mio-Pliocene aquarboreal Hominoidea (vertically wading-climbing early apes, possibly in coastal forests along the Tethys Ocean, pongids along the Indian Ocean, hominids along the Red & Med.Seas?), please google "ape human evolution made easy PPT Verhaegen".

No competing interests declared.