CARTA - Anthropogeny (Audio)

William Ruddiman of the University of Virginia on how humans took control of climate. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Show ID: 29692]

The evolution of mostly naked skin in the human lineage heralded major changes in the biological and social functions of skin. Nina Jablonski of Pennsylvania State University provides many examples of both in this wonderful presentation. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30211]

This symposium explores evidence bearing on the emergence of our genus, focusing on possible antecedents to Homo, changes in diet and body form as Australopithecus evolved toward Homo, ancient species within the genus, and evolutionary processes likely operating 2.5 - 1.5 million years ago. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30634]

Philip Rightmire and Ajit Varki wrap up the symposium with a questions and answer session and closing remarks. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30646]

In this talk, Herman Pontzer investigates humans’ evolving metabolic strategy and its origins in the fossil record. He discusses the ecological pressures that shaped our genus and the evolutionary origins of obesity and metabolic disease. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30645]

Steven Churchill opens the symposium on Origins of Genus Homo. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30636]

Margaret Schoeninger welcomes you to the symposium on Origins of Genus Homo. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30635]

This symposium explores evidence bearing on the emergence of our genus, focusing on possible antecedents to Homo, changes in diet and body form as Australopithecus evolved toward Homo, ancient species within the genus, and evolutionary processes likely operating 2.5 - 1.5 million years ago. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30633]

This symposium explores evidence bearing on the emergence of our genus, focusing on possible antecedents to Homo, changes in diet and body form as Australopithecus evolved toward Homo, ancient species within the genus, and evolutionary processes likely operating 2.5 - 1.5 million years ago. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30632]

In this presentation UC San Diego’s Rob Knight describes some of the functions of the human skin microbiome, how it and its complex chemical repertoire differ from that of other animals that have been studied, including chimpanzees, dogs, amphibians and reptiles, and what we are starting to learn about how microbiomes evolve into specialized evolutionary niches. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academi...

Steven Leigh (Univ of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) explores the nature of the primate microbiome with the goal of understanding the impacts of microbiomes on human evolution. His results point to important contributions of microbial ecosystems to the evolution of human diet. He also sees implications for human brain evolution through energy and micronutrients that are produced by microbial taxa....

This symposium brings together scientists representing evolutionary biology, genetics, dermatology, anthropology, and physiology to share their knowledge and questions about human skin in an explicitly evolutionary framework. UC San Diego’s Rob Knight begins with a discussion about Ecology and Evolution of the Skin Microbiome, followed by Mark Stoneking on Of Lice and Men: The Molecular Evolution...

In this presentation, James Cleaver of UC San Francisco shares some surprising results from studies of mutagenesis from UV light in two hereditary syndromes -- xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) and Cockayne syndrome (CS) -- which have mutations in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30212]

This symposium brings together scientists representing evolutionary biology, genetics, dermatology, anthropology, and physiology to share their knowledge and questions about human skin in an explicitly evolutionary framework. Mark Shriver begins with a discussion about The Genetics of Skin Pigmentation, followed by Nina Jablonski on Naked, Colorful Skin and Its Role in Human Social Interactions, a...

Elizabeth Hadly of Stanford University delivers a sobering accounting of evidence that forecasts a climatic tipping point and what it may mean to our future. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Show ID: 29694]

This symposium brings together scientists representing evolutionary biology, genetics, dermatology, anthropology, and physiology to share their knowledge and questions about human skin in an explicitly evolutionary framework. UC San Diego’s Richard Gallo begins with a discussion about Skin, a Window into the Evolution of the Human Super-Organism, followed by Michael Sawka on Human Skin: Sweating,...

This talk by Michael Sawka of Georgia Tech examines the role of skin in human thermoregulation as a potentially important evolutionary factor for modern man. Two strong selective factors for survival in early hominins were the ability to forage during peak daily heat when their predators were not a threat, and the capability for persistence hunting (track and pursue prey to cause hyperthermia-indu...

Closing remarks to symposium on human skin in an evolutionary framework. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30219]

In this talk, Chris Kuzawa (Northwestern Uni) argues that human body fat co-evolved not just with the energetically-demanding and vulnerable brain, but also with the cultural strategies that humans use to buffer offspring intake. The human infant’s need for ample baby fat traces to the fact that the main causes of nutritional stress at this age are infections, which force a reliance on onboard ene...

Mark Stoneking of the Max Planck Institute explains in this talk how studying the molecular evolution of the three types of human lice (head louse, body louse, pubic louse) can reflect important developments of human evolution. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30217]

Sarah Millar of the University of Pennsylvania summarizes our current state of knowledge of the molecular events that control hair follicle, mammary gland and sweat gland development. She also highlights major questions still remaining. Using the mammary gland as an example, she discusses how evolutionary pressures may have driven specific changes in molecular pathways to permit organ diversificat...

This presentation by UC San Diego’s Richard Gallo provides an overview of the multiple cell types, both human and microbial, that comprise the human skin super-organism. Understanding their relationship changes how we think about evolution, gene transfer, and the impact of current hygiene and antibiotic therapies. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science...

Mark Shriver of Pennsylvania State University explains in this talk how evolutionary approaches to understanding which genes affect pigmentation can provide important insights into both normal development and pathophysiology. Likewise, genetic and genomic investigations can help illuminate where and when the genes that affect contemporary skin color levels changed and, ultimately, which evolutiona...

Opening remarks to symposium on human skin in an evolutionary framework. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30209]

Welcome remarks to symposium on human skin in an evolutionary framework. Series: "CARTA - Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny" [Science] [Show ID: 30208]