Human self-selection as a mechanism of human societal evolution: A critique of the cultural selection argument

Natural selection is the main mechanism that drives the evolution of species, including human societies. Under natural selection, human species responds through genetic and cultural adaptations to internal and external selection pressures for survival and reproductive success. However, this theory is ineffective in explaining human societal evolution in the Holocene and a cultural selection argument has been made to remedy the theory. The present article provides a critique of the cultural selection argument and proposes an alternative conception that treats human self-selection as an emergent mechanism of human societal evolution characterized by a new type of selection pressure and a separate fitness criterion. Specifically, the evolution of human societies is divided into two major periods, each driven by a different mode of selection: natural selection acting on genes and cultures for survival and reproductive success prior to the Neolithic Revolution, and human self-selection acting on cultures – and potentially genes as well – for thrival and prosperous living after the Neolithic Revolution. The conditions for the transition from the first mode of selection to the second and the implications of this transition for social research are also discussed.

What is the risk of a deadly adenovirus pandemic?

Many of us had refresher courses in virology, immunology, and epidemiology in 2020, and we were reminded of the fact that Homo sapiens, the wiliest predator on the planet, has been hunting everything that moves for millennia. These repeated interspecies contacts inherently lead to recurrent zoonosis (nonhuman to human) and anthroponosis (human to nonhuman). Given the accelerating changes in our ecosystems since the neolithic revolution, it was not surprising to see a virus that spreads via aerosolization and liquid droplets cause a pandemic in a few months. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic begs the question—which viruses could cause a global threat? In this Opinion, the characteristics that make adenoviruses a risk, which include efficient intra- and interspecies transmission, thermostable particles, persistent/latent infections in diverse hosts, and the ability to readily recombine and escape herd immunity, are discussed.

How Interdisciplinary is Interdisciplinarity? Revisiting the Impact of aDNA Research for the Archaeology of Human Remains

With this paper I propose a reflection on the way interdisciplinarity is framed in reference to the study of archaeological human remains. It is often taken for granted that interdisciplinarity is valuable for archaeology – but why should it be? By taking the case study of the way ancient genomics research is rewriting the ‘Neolithic Revolution’ narratives I show how the use of scientific methodologies in- fluences and biases the kind of work that gets done and the questions that are asked.

The Origin and Maintenance of Tuberculosis is Explained by Its Subclinical Course, the Neolithic Revolution Being the Trigger for Its Devastating Deadly Drift

The origin of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection has recently been dated to the Middle Paleolithic; around 70,000 years before the common era (BCE). At that time Homo sapiens was just another primate living in reduced groups in balance with nature, with discrete growth and a very low-density geographic occupation. Therefore, it is difficult to understand the origin of a highly virulent obligate human pathogen. We have designed a new SEIR model (TBSpectr) that considers tuberculosis (TB) clinical spectrum, by including a protection factor (p). The model fits current accepted growth rates for Middle Paleolithic (0.003%/year) and Neolithic (0,1%/year). The data obtained links the origin of M. tuberculosis ancient lineages in the Middle Paleolithic to the induction of mild TB forms (Sputum negative), thanks to a high p factor that was further enhanced by evolution towards modern lineages. The poor health status linked to the unequal society existing after the Neolithic revolution increased the incidence of more severe forms of TB (Sputum positive). This data supports the origin of TB as a well-tolerated highly persistent infection which could coevolve towards mutualism, shows the difficulty of eradicating it and highlights the imperative of providing better health conditions to humans to avoid its severity.

The Neolithic Revolution in the North cA. 7/6000–2000 bce: Xinglongwa, Xinlei, Yangshao, Hongshan, and Related Cultures(Inequality/Social Complexity) in Neolithic Northern China

This chapter examines major shifts in material culture and social organization across four broad regions of what is today northern China. These include elements such as subsistence, habitation, craft production, mortuary practices, and exchange systems and the insights they provide on topics ranging from the formation of social hierarchies to specialized production to ritual traditions. Drawing on original Chinese publications, this chapter explores similarities and differences between each area during the Early, Middle, and Late Neolithic periods while also outlining specific elements that have been used to define various cultural traditions, such as pottery styles and burial practices. The resulting synthesis provides a snapshot of our current understanding of the Neolithic in northern China and its impact on the development of many aspects of Chinese civilization.

The Neolithic Revolution in the South ca. 7/6000–2000 bce: Majiabang, Hemudu, Daxi, and Songze Cultures

This chapter analyzes the Neolithic revolution in the south from ca. 7/6000–2000 bce. The cultures it discusses include the Majiabang, Hemudu, Daxi, and Songze, primarily located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangzi River Delta. Key phenomena explored in this chapter include rice cultivation; use of the stone plowshare; advanced wood technology; column architecture; surrounding dry trench settlement; high man-made platform altars; advanced crafts of painting, sculpting, and engraving; cosmological double bird symbolization (images of moonlight and sunlight); and other light and fertility symbols (rotating sun symbol with birds).

The Oxford Handbook of Early China

The Oxford Handbook on Early China celebrates the research of multidisciplines ranging from history and archaeology, paleography and textual analysis to art historical and technological material. The coverage in 35 chapters is treated chronologically, beginning with the Neolithic and ending with the Springs and Autumns Period (ca 5000BCE–500BCE). Each chapter innovates in providing the most up-to-date content whether due to new archaeological discoveries or to new methodological approaches. Material is up-to-date and meticulously documented, in dealing with issues such as the origins of new military technical views of Warring States date, the historiography and political thought of the Springs and Autumns Period, new inscriptional data for Western Zhou ritual, the identity of a Shang woman warrior, Middle Shang periodization, the development of iron technology, the Jade Age issue, and the southern Neolithic revolution. This volume brings together a wealth of interdisciplinary data, which will be useful for both novice and expert in the field of Sinological studies.

Measles virus and rinderpest virus divergence dated to the sixth century BCE

Many infectious diseases are thought to have emerged in humans after the Neolithic revolution. Although it is broadly accepted that this also applies to measles, the exact date of emergence for this disease is controversial. We sequenced the genome of a 1912 measles virus and used selection-aware molecular clock modeling to determine the divergence date of measles virus and rinderpest virus. This divergence date represents the earliest possible date for the establishment of measles in human populations. Our analyses show that the measles virus potentially arose as early as the sixth century BCE, possibly coinciding with the rise of large cities.