06.07.2026
New publication: Exploring the evolutionary drivers of encephalization and facial reduction in the genus Homo
New open access paper in Nature Communications by Mark Hubbe and our Spokesperson Katerina Harvati
An increase of brain size as well as a decrease in the size and robustness of facial features are core characterizations of various species of the genus Homo. A new paper published open access in Nature Communications on July 6th by Prof. Dr. Mark Hubbe of the University of Tennessee and HUMAN ORIGINS spokesperson Prof. Dr. Katerina Harvati of the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment (SHEP) has now found that these trends cannot be explained by natural selection.
The study was based on three-dimensional skull measurements of 87 fossils, including early species such as Homo habilis and Homo rudolfensis to Homo erectus and Homo heidelbergensis, up to Neanderthals and modern humans.
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