Search Results (94)

Viribay and colleagues published a meta-analysis called “Effects of Arginine Supplementation on Athletic Performance Based on Energy Metabolism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis” in Nutrients in May of 2020. This meta-analysis sought to quantify the effects of arginine supplementation on aerobic and anaerobic performance outcomes. In the course of conducting this analysis, the researchers made multiple errors that are common among meta-analyses in the field of sports nutrition. This comment discusses how these issues impact the results and interpretation of the paper, and how individuals who are interpreting or conducting sports nutrition meta-analyses in the future can identify or avoid similar errors. Full article

Recent attempts to reconcile the doctrine of original sin with evolutionary theory have sought scientific validation for the historicity of Adam and Eve, particularly through arguments for a single ancestral pair. This paper critically examines such efforts, arguing that they constitute a disguised form of creation science, selectively engaging with evolution to preserve classical Christian anthropology. Through biblical exegesis, theological hermeneutics, and biological research, this study demonstrates that these approaches rest on uncertain scientific and theological premises. Genesis 1–11 is sapiential rather than historical, and genetic evidence biological evidence points to population-oriented emergence of our species. Theological attempts to preserve a literal Adam and Eve rest on an outdated view of revelation as mere information transfer, leading to conceptual confusion and misinterpretation. The pursuit of a historical Adam and Eve as a scientific reality ultimately distorts both theology and science, reducing theology to ideology and fundamentalism while undermining its engagement with mystery and transcendence. Full article

A conundrum in the cognitive, evolutionary, and anthropological study of religion is how to propose descriptions and explanatory models of the structure and functions of supernatural dreaming and its relationship to action imagery, the use of experience, and, importantly, cultural transmission (factors) associated with these representations. Research has long emphasized the important function and significance of dreams and dreaming in beliefs and practices related to religious phenomena. The literature of anthropology and religious studies shows that dreams, dream experiences, and narratives are often associated with religious ideas and practices, both in traditional societies and in the world religions. Indeed, at the very beginning of the anthropological study of human beings, scholars proposed that dreaming is a primary source of religious beliefs and practices. Another facet of this is the recurrent manifestations of divinities, spirits, ancestors, and demons—in short, imagery of various supernatural agents—together with the occasional ritualization of dreams in the waking state. However, we know less about the associated phenomenon of dreams about ritual imagery. The aim of this paper is to elucidate and map dream imagery about rituals, drawing on simulation theories from dream research and prominent models of ritual behavior in the cognitive and evolutionary science of religion (CESR). This theoretical and methodological endeavor is illustrated by examples from dream narratives collected in Nepal before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

Body condition is a standard measure of the individual fitness and health status in many animal species and is typically estimated by calculating the body condition indices (BCIs). The present study used capture/recapture data and the BCIs to test whether the activity (number of times an individual has been recaptured) of adult T. ivanbureschi was related to individual body condition. For three consecutive seasons, we set funnel traps in a temporary pond near Sofia, Bulgaria. A ventral pattern was used for individual identification, and the linear regression of lnMass/lnSVL was used for BCI calculation. The overall recapture rate for the population was 52.52%, with males recaptured more often than females. Activity and estimated population size varied across seasons. Body condition generally decreased towards the end of the aquatic phase in all years, with females consistently maintaining higher BCIs than males. There was no relationship between mean BCI per session and population activity for either sex, but individual BCI scores were correlated with individual activity, and this relationship was independent of both sex and temperature. The results suggest that winter activity may carry energetic costs later in the season and highlight potential sex-based differences in aquatic behavior. Full article

A major reason people surrender their dogs or fail to adopt them from shelters is due to concerns regarding the management of behavioral issues. This makes effective training of everyday obedience behaviors crucial to dog welfare. Here, we test the playful learning hypothesis to examine whether play after a training session increases a dog’s success in learning two basic Canine Good Citizen behaviors: “sit” and “stay”. In two studies, the dogs experienced brief training sessions and then were assigned to either play or rest. The next day, they returned for another brief training session, and we measured any change in the duration that the dogs were able to hold a “sit” and “stay” from the first day. In Experiment 1, the subjects with low baseline levels of ability improved more after playing than those subjects that simply rested after training. However, Experiment 2, which further controlled for exercise and time spent with trainers, and standardized the measure of success across dogs regardless of their initial ability levels, did not replicate the improved performance in response to play after a training session. Overall, we find limited support for the application of the playful learning hypothesis to everyday training and suggest avenues for future research to determine how play might improve training outcomes for pet dogs. Full article

Social etiquette, dress codes and culture-specific architectural features are undoubtedly stylistic conventions. Literature from anthropology, sociology and ecological psychology suggests a coordinative function of such conventions, without, however, offering a theoretical analysis of this function. The best-known philosophical theory of conventions—by David Lewis—does offer a theoretical analysis of the coordinative function of conventions, but stylistic conventions typically fall outside the purview of this theory. The present paper suggests a remedy for this situation by putting to use the notion of ‘correlation devices’, developed as an addition to the Lewisian framework. I argue that stylistic conventions function as markers for social categories without which these categories become cognitively intractable. Given that social categories are a precondition for complex coordinated role-divisions, and given that such role-divisions are a major part of the explanation for our evolutionary success, I argue that it is likely that the psychological proclivities that make us susceptible to stylistic conventions can be explained as the result of group-level selection pressures. Full article

This research investigates U.S. parents’ responses to the rapidly changing, novel environment of the internet, applying evolutionary theory and interdisciplinary methodologies. Novel environments pose potential challenges to existing adaptive strategies, so this research investigates important questions about how parents and children perceive the risks of children’s entry into the virtual world and how they mitigate potential risks. The research focuses on parents of children in middle childhood (children ages 6–12), a significant period in human life history when children start building relationships outside the family. We utilize in-depth interviews (n = 26), cultural domain analysis (n = 32), surveys (n = 199), and participatory co-design (n = 34) to synergize theoretical concepts in evolutionary anthropology with the applied research focus of human–computer interaction. Cultural domain maps and interview results identify and classify perceptions of costs, benefits, and risks, including intrinsic and extrinsic sources of risk and risk tangibility. Survey results further identify platforms and risks of highest priority and confirm parental interest in new kinds of tools for managing the digital experiences of their children. Life history theory informs our approach to the development of parental control software that favors skill building and encourages parent–child discussions supporting child executive function and resilience to risks. Full article

Christian beliefs and values have played an important role in the formulation of modern human rights. However, this influence does not hide the delays and some difficulties that Christian churches have experienced in this area. A cultural evolutionary framework is proposed to make sense of this ambiguity. In this sense, Christian anthropology is presented as both an evolving body of ideas and a wisdom based on empirical experience. Such a model makes it possible to deal better with the issue of human rights, which is subject to evolutionary pressures and seeks to adapt to new challenges and contexts. Christian anthropology, after a conscious interaction with real experiences and challenges, could favour to provide insights and discernment for this development following some minimal criteria, such as avoiding harmful effects, increasing well-being, and becoming a reference for sociality and vitality. Full article

Recent discussions between evolutionary and theological anthropology have intensified, particularly through the work of Michael Tomasello. As a key figure in evolutionary anthropology, Tomasello synthesizes extensive empirical research into an accessible ‘natural history’ of core human abilities. He posits that a unique human trait distinguishing us from our closest relatives is the capacity for “collective intentionality”, a concept he adapts from the philosophy of action. In this article, I show that Tomasello’s insights carry significant implications for philosophical and theological debates. Philosophically, his evolutionary framework invites a new understanding of the mind–brain problem, promoting a non-reductive view of human consciousness which questions the basic metaphysical assumptions of the debate by taking a genealogical perspective. Theologically, his work supports a “practical metaphysics”, suggesting that although morality is autonomous, it can lead to theistic interpretations of human existence. This supports the Kantian idea that religion does not precede morality but that religious views of the world are interpretations of human moral life. At the same time, religion is not just an add-on to morality but an interpretation of a human form of life as such. Both discourses exemplify the importance of a genealogical perspective in philosophy and theology, especially reinforcing the necessity of considering the ‘natural history’ of consciousness, free will or religiosity in anthropology. Full article

Genetic similarity determines the extent to which two genotypes share common genetic material. It can be measured in various ways, such as by comparing DNA sequences, proteins, or other genetic markers. The significance of genetic similarity is multifaceted and encompasses various fields, including evolutionary biology, medicine, forensic science, animal and plant breeding, and anthropology. Genetic similarity is an important concept with wide application across different scientific disciplines. The research material included 21 rapeseed genotypes (ten interspecific Brassicaceae hybrids of F₂ generation and 11 of their parental forms) and 146 alleles obtained using 21 ISSR molecular markers. In the presented study, six measures for calculating genetic similarity were compared: Euclidean, Jaccard, Kulczyński, Sokal and Michener, Nei, and Rogers. Genetic similarity values were estimated between all pairs of examined genotypes using the six measures proposed above. For each genetic similarity measure, the average, minimum, maximum values, and coefficient of variation were calculated. Correlation coefficients between the genetic similarity values obtained from each measure were determined. The obtained genetic similarity coefficients were used for the hierarchical clustering of objects using the unweighted pair group method with an arithmetic mean. A multiple regression model was written for each method, where the independent variables were the remaining methods. For each model, the coefficient of multiple determination was calculated. Genetic similarity values ranged from 0.486 to 0.993 (for the Euclidean method), from 0.157 to 0.986 (for the Jaccard method), from 0.275 to 0.993 (for the Kulczyński method), from 0.272 to 0.993 (for the Nei method), from 0.801 to 1.000 (for the Rogers method) and from 0.486 to 0.993 (for the Sokal and Michener method). The results indicate that the research material was divided into two identical groups using any of the proposed methods despite differences in the values of genetic similarity coefficients. Two of the presented measures of genetic similarity (the Sokal and Michener method and the Euclidean method) were the same. Full article

Dental anthropology provides a deep insight into biological, ecological and cultural aspects associated with human individuality, behaviour and living conditions and the environment. Our study uses a correlation analysis to test the metric relationships between tooth sizes and jaw dimensions and juxtaposes them with biological sex and stature. A sample of n = 100 dental casts was used to record metric dental data including the mesio-distal and bucco-lingual tooth crown diameters and nine upper and lower jaw dimensions. All crown diameters were highly correlated with both stature and biological sex, with the canines exhibiting the highest correlation. The majority of jaw dimensions exhibited similar correlations. Our results suggest that the differences between the sexes in most crown diameters and some jaw dimensions may be related to the stature of the individuals measured. Two groups of closely correlating features emerged among the jaw dimensions, differing in their degree of correlation with crown diameters and with sex. The results and insights obtained are highly relevant for evolutionary biology, dentistry, craniofacial research, bioarchaeology and forensic odontology. Full article

The global microplastic pollution issue, as a result of the indispensable usage of microplastics in building materials, packaged food, medical products and consumer goods, poses significant health problems for the population. These small particles can penetrate intact cell barriers in the intestines and alveoli, thereby entering the bloodstream. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of reduced plastic consumption on blood pressure. Eight adult and healthy participants abstained from consuming commercially produced bottled beverages and restricted their primary fluid intake to tap water. Blood pressure was measured on both sides before, after 14 days and after 28 to 30 days of this partial plastic diet. Women exhibit a significant change in systolic blood pressure on the right arm after 2 and 4 weeks, while the left arm demonstrates no significant changes in blood pressure. On the contrary, in men, systolic blood pressure values on both arms show no significant alterations, attributable to the high variability across the three participants. Moreover, no significant differences in systolic blood pressure were observed when analysing the entire cohort. Significant findings are evident only at the two-week mark for diastolic blood pressure for all participants in both arms. When considering diastolic blood pressure separately for women and men, men again show no significant changes in blood pressure on either arm. However, women exhibit a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure on the left arm after 2 weeks and a statistically significant decline in diastolic blood pressure on the right arm after both 2 and 4 weeks. The results of the study suggest, for the first time, that a reduction in plastic use could potentially lower blood pressure, probably due to the reduced volume of plastic particles in the bloodstream. To confirm this hypothesis, a larger sample of male and female participants must be examined, ideally with the monitoring of plastic concentration in the blood. Full article

In humans, the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) gene is activated by exogenous (e.g., high temperatures, irritating compounds such as capsaicin) and endogenous (e.g., endocannabinoids, inflammatory factors, fatty acid metabolites, low pH) stimuli. It has been shown to be involved in several processes including nociception, thermosensation, and energy homeostasis. In this study, we investigated the association between TRPV1 gene variants, sensory perception (to capsaicin and PROP), and body composition (BMI and bioimpedance variables) in human populations. By comparing sequences deposited in worldwide databases, we identified two haplotype blocks (herein referred to as H1 and H2) that show strong stabilizing selection signals (MAF approaching 0.50, Tajima’s D > +4.5) only in individuals with sub-Saharan African ancestry. We therefore studied the genetic variants of these two regions in 46 volunteers of sub-Saharan descent and 45 Italian volunteers (both sexes). Linear regression analyses showed significant associations between TRPV1 diplotypes and body composition, but not with capsaicin perception. Specifically, in African women carrying the H1-b and H2-b haplotypes, a higher percentage of fat mass and lower extracellular fluid retention was observed, whereas no significant association was found in men. Our results suggest the possible action of sex-driven balancing selection at the non-coding sequences of the TRPV1 gene, with adaptive effects on water balance and lipid deposition. Full article