Homo Naledi findings

[Mopi Licinius Crassus]

Lee Berger presented the findings today
Amazing , era defining work about the complexity of Naledi
A hominid with a chimp sized brain had almost modern human levels of behaviour. Clear evidence of complex burials, tool use and abstract art

[ugochaves]

Is it our direct ancestor or another second cousin?

[Mopi Licinius Crassus]

Is it our direct ancestor or another second cousin?

late surviving archaic (lived until around 250,000 years ago) that has v unusual features some fairly modern like brain structure, others v ancient like brain size and skeletal features that are as primitive as Australopithecus
not an ancestor of modern humans, a distant cousin

early modern humans co-existed with them though

[Mopi Licinius Crassus]

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...06.01.543135v1

[Petalpusher]

Is it our direct ancestor or another second cousin?

More the latter, they had both very archaic and more modern homo- traits, something in between Australopithecus and likely Homo Erectus, the more surprising part is they apparently survived alongside our ancestors not that far in the past. Erectus survived in what is now China much more recently than elsewhere, possibly even only 100ky ago in Asia and have interbred with Denisovans.

It could even explain that East Asians are (very) slightly closer to Chimps compared to Europeans, who mostly have Neanderthals ancestry instead, and that Africans have this type ghost archaic admix too, maybe Naledi, a relative or something else.

[ugochaves]

It could even explain that East Asians are (very) slightly closer to Chimps compared to Europeans, who mostly have Neanderthals ancestry instead, and that Africans have this type ghost archaic admix too, maybe Naledi, a relative or something else.

Apparently the ancestors of Asians were much smarter than our ancestors. Today, the IQ of East Asians surpasses the European one. A new kind of people awaits us, and you and I will be fossils.

[Petalpusher]

Apparently the ancestors of Asians were much smarter than our ancestors. Today, the IQ of East Asians surpasses the European one. A new kind of people awaits us, and you and I will be fossils.

By that logic white women would have invented everything in the world as they have higher average IQ than white males, but they also have a very curved distribution (much less idiots but also much less geniuses) like East Asians. There are other elements to consider as well than raw average IQ especially when we are talking single digit differences. ∼100 IQ are useful but kind of useless also for advancements, we would be stuck in very primitive civilizations if that's the maximum intelligence homo sapiens ever produced.

Although none of this contradicts the fact East Eurasians have very slighly more archaic ancestry than West Eurasians (and significantly less than Africans).

[ugochaves]

By that logic white women would have invented everything in the world as they have higher average IQ than white males, but they also have a very curved distribution (much less idiots but also much less geniuses) like East Asians. There are other elements to consider as well than raw average IQ especially when we are talking single digit differences. ∼100 IQ are useful but kind of useless also for advancements, we would be stuck in very primitive civilizations if that's the maximum intelligence homo sapiens ever produced.

Although none of this contradicts the fact East Eurasians have very slighly more archaic ancestry than West Eurasians (and significantly less than Africans).

Agree. Strange, I know Russian writers, American white writers, European writers. As a child, I read a lot of European adventure books. Why are there no Asian writers, why is this not part of human culture? About African writers - so they know how to write at all?

[ugochaves]

By that logic white women would have invented everything in the world as they have higher average IQ than white males, but they also have a very curved distribution (much less idiots but also much less geniuses) like East Asians. There are other elements to consider as well than raw average IQ especially when we are talking single digit differences. ∼100 IQ are useful but kind of useless also for advancements, we would be stuck in very primitive civilizations if that's the maximum intelligence homo sapiens ever produced.

Although none of this contradicts the fact East Eurasians have very slighly more archaic ancestry than West Eurasians (and significantly less than Africans).

Agree. Strange, I know Russian writers, American white writers, European writers. As a child, I read a lot of European adventure books. Why are there no Asian writers, why is this not part of human culture? About African writers - so they know how to write at all?

[Mopi Licinius Crassus]

Lee Berger is starting his presentation now

https://video.ibm.com/channel/peWRBYVQA6v