Chris Stringer : What is Homo sapiens?

The Center for the Dynamics of Social Complexity is happy to announce a series of free webinars for Spring 2021 on Human origins and cultural evolution: Celebrating the 150th anniversary of The Descent of Man.
www.dysoc.org/dom_webinars​
Speaker: Chris Stringer (Human Evolution, Natural History Museum, London, UK)
Date: 11:45 a.m. EST Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Abstract: The species name Homo sapiens has at times been applied to a variety of early humans, including the Neanderthals, and this was still the case when I began my PhD in 1970. However, at about that time, the American anthropologist William Howells started to use the term 'anatomically modern man' to distinguish recent humans and their close relatives in the fossil record from ancient people like the Neanderthals, who did not show all the skeletal characteristics of recent humans. Since then, the updated term 'anatomically modern human' has often been shortened to just 'modern human', and this has usually been synonymised with a more restricted usage of Homo sapiens to exclude people like the Neanderthals. In my talk I will try to disentangle the different usages of 'modern human' and Homo sapiens, when applied to the fossil record and also look briefly at what might make modern humans different behaviourally.

[@philgorman5598]

Fascinating reappraisals of hominins, with the field in a state of flux. Lots to take in.

[@mrt1320]

I'm with Wayne. Thank you for your work mate. I like how your mind works.

[@MuffinHop]

To me as a layman, Chris Stringer and scientist he references sound to make a good case that Sapiens seems to be derived from a different lineage of late Erectus, and separately Neanderthal and Denisovans also evolved from a different lineage of late Erectus. Hope I summed that well.

[@SolaceEasy]

In the end of Doctor Stringer's presentation he seems to be reaching for a new, more limited definition of what makes humans human. He seems to lean toward arguments that what makes Us human is not our morphology but more our behaviors, technologies and social life.

[@garyliu6589]

Modern human vs ancient human

[@waynemcauliffe2362]

Thanks mate

[@terminusest5902]

Dose development of humanoids in Africa have a complex interwoven inheritance?. How will we ever know? How much more evidence do we need?

[@garyliu6589]

Why link ancient human to lucy? Isnt lucy an ape?

[@TheDeadlyDan]

When you look at the two species skeletons next to each other, sapiens and neanderthal, a great many differences in anatomy leap out. Not just the cranium and hip. There are significant differences in the forelimbs. The entire torso is radically different in anatomy. The range of motion in each joint of the arm. It's rather obvious you're looking at two completely different animals. One is an ambush predator, extremely robust and stable, probably at least semi nocturnal, and living in dense forest and underbrush. The other is a gracile runner, with the ability to throw over arm and kill at range on tundra or open savannah. These two evolved in completely different environments. It stands more to reason that sapiens evolved just north of Africa in a coastal or riparian environment, then migrated along the coasts down into Africa. When Toba erupted and bottlenecked our species, that reservoir down in Africa spread back north to re-populate.

[@scottjustscott3730]

WTF? 🤣 Neanderthals were people. They weren't "ambush predators" my guy. They were people who lived a tough life without a doubt but they laughed and cried for the same reasons as us and probably loved one another like we do. I think we may have even held them in high regard for their toughness and tenacity. They cared for their sick and elderly (above thirty probably) and buried their dead.

[@TheDeadlyDan]

@@scottjustscott3730 H.Naledi were people as well, but they weren't ambush predators either. I find it odd you didn't object to my calling H.sapiens a persuit predator, even though we're people too. My commentary wasn't anything to do with sentience nor cognizance, but had everything to do with behavior. People have behaviors, no matter the species. Those behaviors have a great deal to do with the environment those people inhabit. Describing behavior isn't an insult, it's a description.

[@WOTHAN66666]

Its breathing numbers If one "sort" can not keep up, it will be breath OUT...

[@krunoslavregvar477]

Hmmm...

[@arnodrygala965]

What are Homo Sapiens.

[@GaryR55]

The prevalent definition today is anatomically modern humans.

[@patrickmaline4258]

man the wise, self named thank you very much. well, if you must know, i went extinct because of an overinflated sense of self worth. i considered my personal comfort and convenience more important than the general welfare of earth’s inhabitants, one of which it turns out i was. so, any other questions…no?… i guess i’ll be going then… bye…. ☮️

[@dinola3268]

A dog is a dog, a cat is a cat, even they have different colours. It is obvios that a these humans could interbread one with the other. So homo sapiens dont tell us nothing.

[@humansubspecies]

No, we most definitely are not the same species. We are entirely different subspecies. Whites have up to 6% Neanderthal DNA. Asians have Denisovan and Homo erectus. SubS Afros have Australopithecines up to 19% per Durvusala and Sankara Raman

[@personzorz]

Reconsider your information sources

[@joanstone6740]

Out of Africa theory has been debunked up to date theory indicates interbreeding between many different species archaic types

[@user-lu6yg3vk9z]

Out of Africa theory debunked 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@personzorz]

95% of the genetics of everyone on earth is from a population in Africa 70,000 years ago

[@GaryR55]

It's science. Science is neither "settled" nor unchanging. It changes with the discovery of new data. Thus, nothing is "debunked." The term "debunked" is a pejorative meaning the overturning of a falsehood.

[@hm5142]

Exactly. And although significant interbreeding occurred outside Africa, Africa remains the point of origin for all the hominids and human variants as far as we know today. Neanderthals and Denisovans left Africa before Homo Sapiens, and our species interbred outside Africa. That said, we all came from Africa.

[@davidfiler7439]

And they ALL originated in Africa. Proper little liar and racist for the baby jesus no doubt.

[@johnnyllooddte3415]

homo sapiens and homo sapien sapiens are 2 totally different creatures.. one is apelike that died 100,000 years ago..and the other is less than 15,000 year humans.. homo sapiens are hominins and hominnids NOT PREHUMANS

[@jonwizard3989]

WRONG ! ...it is "What ARE homosapiens?". Learn the bloody language...

[@Butchinthewaikato]

Ah, no. "What are HS?" means what are we as individuals, which is not the question Prof. Stringer is answering. "What is HS?" means how do we define ourselves as a species; in what ways are we different from Erectus, Neanderthals, Denisovans, which is the question addressed. And please don't shout.