Lithics have historically been perceived in terms of 'tools' and 'tool-making'. This perspective,... more Lithics have historically been perceived in terms of 'tools' and 'tool-making'. This perspective, perpetuated by archaeologists and anthropologists alike, cannot be taken for granted and may well represent a fallacy. Since the discovery of chipped-stone artefacts by Boucher de Perthes in Abbeville, France, during the 19th century, the suggestion that many of these items may represent some of the earliest attempts of hominins to produce iconography has been dismissed with contempt. However, parietal rock art prompted by natural features found in caves dated to the Palaeolithic suggests that finding evidence for the production of 'figure-stones' may not be unreasonable. Whilst the proposition that proto-sculptures are evident amongst many European assemblages is often rejected on the grounds of 'seeing images in clouds', pareidolia underpins the identification of all figurative palaeoart. The hypothesis that Middle Palaeolithic lithics do not incorporate iconography is tested with a sample from the Fontmaure occupation site in France. The results suggest the default position adopted by the majority of archaeologists studying lithics , rejecting the incorporation of iconography, is probably incorrect.
Commentary on Right for the Wrong Reasons: Reflections on Modern Human Origins in the post-Neande... more Commentary on Right for the Wrong Reasons: Reflections on Modern Human Origins in the post-Neanderthal, Holliday, Gautney and Friedl. 2014, Current Anthropology.
Although there are many established hypotheses for bipedalism in hominins none satisfactorily exp... more Although there are many established hypotheses for bipedalism in hominins none satisfactorily explain the basis for this development but rather propose different explanations or motives for increasingly sustained periods of bipedal behavior. The proposition here differs by suggesting an ontogenetic basis for extended periods of bipedal locomotion. This theory parsimoniously explains the underlying reason for the establishment of bipedalism by placing this particular adaptation within the context of the neotenous developmental trajectory of hominins. It is proposed that neotenous development and the plasticity this process afforded provided the platform upon which adaptations of the forelimbs supported increasingly refined manipulation. Natural selection for the advantages of increased dexterity likely resulted in further retardation of the hominin lineage by tending toward favouring progressively more neotenous hands. In parallel, increasingly neotenous feet demanded more sustained periods of bipedalism which indirectly conferred further self-selective advantages by freeing the hands for longer periods of time. Morphological evolvability conferred by neoteny may underlie both the evolution of the human hand and the subsequent transition toward obligated bipedal locomotion. Ultimately it was adoption of a bipedal stance which supported the accelerated encephalization maintained over the course of several million years until the fairly recent " self-domestication " of our species rapidly reversed this trend.
Lithics have historically been perceived in terms of 'tools' and 'tool-making'. This perspective,... more Lithics have historically been perceived in terms of 'tools' and 'tool-making'. This perspective, perpetuated by archaeologists and anthropologists alike, cannot be taken for granted and may well represent a fallacy. Since the discovery of chipped-stone artefacts by Boucher de Perthes in Abbeville, France, during the 19th century, the suggestion that many of these items may represent some of the earliest attempts of hominins to produce iconography has been dismissed with contempt. However, parietal rock art prompted by natural features found in caves dated to the Palaeolithic suggests that finding evidence for the production of 'figure-stones' may not be unreasonable. Whilst the proposition that proto-sculptures are evident amongst many European assemblages is often rejected on the grounds of 'seeing images in clouds', pareidolia underpins the identification of all figurative palaeoart. The hypothesis that Middle Palaeolithic lithics do not incorporate iconography is tested with a sample from the Fontmaure occupation site in France. The results suggest the default position adopted by the majority of archaeologists studying lithics , rejecting the incorporation of iconography, is probably incorrect.
Commentary on Right for the Wrong Reasons: Reflections on Modern Human Origins in the post-Neande... more Commentary on Right for the Wrong Reasons: Reflections on Modern Human Origins in the post-Neanderthal, Holliday, Gautney and Friedl. 2014, Current Anthropology.
Although there are many established hypotheses for bipedalism in hominins none satisfactorily exp... more Although there are many established hypotheses for bipedalism in hominins none satisfactorily explain the basis for this development but rather propose different explanations or motives for increasingly sustained periods of bipedal behavior. The proposition here differs by suggesting an ontogenetic basis for extended periods of bipedal locomotion. This theory parsimoniously explains the underlying reason for the establishment of bipedalism by placing this particular adaptation within the context of the neotenous developmental trajectory of hominins. It is proposed that neotenous development and the plasticity this process afforded provided the platform upon which adaptations of the forelimbs supported increasingly refined manipulation. Natural selection for the advantages of increased dexterity likely resulted in further retardation of the hominin lineage by tending toward favouring progressively more neotenous hands. In parallel, increasingly neotenous feet demanded more sustained periods of bipedalism which indirectly conferred further self-selective advantages by freeing the hands for longer periods of time. Morphological evolvability conferred by neoteny may underlie both the evolution of the human hand and the subsequent transition toward obligated bipedal locomotion. Ultimately it was adoption of a bipedal stance which supported the accelerated encephalization maintained over the course of several million years until the fairly recent " self-domestication " of our species rapidly reversed this trend.
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