Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
@ceciliapad.bsky.social
Research Fellow @eegcam.bsky.social & Emmanuel College, Cambridge University 🍃| Former Public Scholars Fellow at Sapiens | Book Review Editor @ishe-society.bsky.social 📚| Editor, Hunter Gatherer Research | 👩🏽💻 https://ceciliapad.github.io/web/
Pinned
Pan-African metapopulation model explains Homo sapiens genetic and morphological evolution
Emerging evidence has challenged the traditional view of a single-region origin for Homo sapiens, suggesting instead that our species arose and diversified across multiple geographically distinct popu...
www.biorxiv.org
🚨NEW PAPER from the @eegcam.bsky.social!🚨I have never been as proud of something as of the work that finally we can share today: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1... - we show how a climatically driven Pan African meta population model explains our species genetic and morphological diversity 🧬💀
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Tuesday evening with Chris Stringer
Everybody welcome LIVE and ZOOM
Everybody welcome LIVE and ZOOM
Please boost community Fediscience!
🌖Tues Nov 11🌗 6:30 pm (London UK)
Chris Stringer
New evidence from China helps to clarify the 'muddle in the middle' of human evolution
LIVE LG11 Lecture Room in Bentham House, 4-8 Endsleigh Gardens, WC1H 0EG
ZOOM ID 952 8554 1412 passcode Wawilak
🌖Tues Nov 11🌗 6:30 pm (London UK)
Chris Stringer
New evidence from China helps to clarify the 'muddle in the middle' of human evolution
LIVE LG11 Lecture Room in Bentham House, 4-8 Endsleigh Gardens, WC1H 0EG
ZOOM ID 952 8554 1412 passcode Wawilak
November 9, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Tuesday evening with Chris Stringer
Everybody welcome LIVE and ZOOM
Everybody welcome LIVE and ZOOM
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
FINALLY we understand why lactase persistance spread!
Effects of ancestry, agriculture, and lactase persistence on the stature of prehistoric Europeans: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol...
Effects of ancestry, agriculture, and lactase persistence on the stature of prehistoric Europeans: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol...
Effects of ancestry, agriculture, and lactase persistence on the stature of prehistoric Europeans
Cox et al. combine polygenic scores and skeletal metrics to show that Neolithic Europeans
were not substantially shorter than earlier or later groups. They also show a strong
gene-environment interact...
www.cell.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:36 PM
FINALLY we understand why lactase persistance spread!
Effects of ancestry, agriculture, and lactase persistence on the stature of prehistoric Europeans: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol...
Effects of ancestry, agriculture, and lactase persistence on the stature of prehistoric Europeans: Current Biology www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
The fitness costs and benefits of hunter-gatherer locomotor engagement | Evolutionary Human Sciences | by George Brill and Mark Dyble. Cambridge Core - www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
The fitness costs and benefits of hunter-gatherer locomotor engagement | Evolutionary Human Sciences | Cambridge Core
The fitness costs and benefits of hunter-gatherer locomotor engagement - Volume 7
www.cambridge.org
November 7, 2025 at 6:05 PM
The fitness costs and benefits of hunter-gatherer locomotor engagement | Evolutionary Human Sciences | by George Brill and Mark Dyble. Cambridge Core - www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Yunxian, el origen de Homo longi y la línea evolutiva denisovanos-sapiens (Esp & Eng)
Yunxian, the origin of Homo longi and the denisovan-sapiens evolutionary line wp.me/p4Bi9E-4W8
Yunxian, the origin of Homo longi and the denisovan-sapiens evolutionary line wp.me/p4Bi9E-4W8
Yunxian, el origen de Homo longi y la línea evolutiva denisovanos-sapiens
[English version below] En la localidad de Yunxian, situada a orillas del río Han en la provincia de Hubei (China central), se han descubierto tres cráneos humanos en sucesivas campañas de 1989, 19…
wp.me
November 6, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Yunxian, el origen de Homo longi y la línea evolutiva denisovanos-sapiens (Esp & Eng)
Yunxian, the origin of Homo longi and the denisovan-sapiens evolutionary line wp.me/p4Bi9E-4W8
Yunxian, the origin of Homo longi and the denisovan-sapiens evolutionary line wp.me/p4Bi9E-4W8
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
great work @dnatimetravel.bsky.social and team!
November 8, 2025 at 3:18 PM
great work @dnatimetravel.bsky.social and team!
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
😁 Very happy about this and looking forward to working with old and new colleagues!!!
We are delighted that three Cambridge Archaeologists have been awarded @erc.europa.eu Synergy Grants; Prof Enrico Crema as co-PI of FORAGER, and Dr Stefania Merlo and Prof Paul Lane as collaborators of the AFRI-CAN Project.
www.arch.cam.ac.uk/news/two-erc...
📸 Xtra Inc. and Rob Marchant
www.arch.cam.ac.uk/news/two-erc...
📸 Xtra Inc. and Rob Marchant
November 6, 2025 at 6:52 PM
😁 Very happy about this and looking forward to working with old and new colleagues!!!
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
🏹🌿Discover how Indigenous Environmental Knowledge is evolving.
Visit the brand-new website of our @erc.europa.eu project #IEK_CHANGE for insights from the Amazon and join the conversation.
Led by our researcher Álvaro Fdez Llamazares
➤ iek-changes.eu
#AmazonResearch #IndigenousKnowledge
Visit the brand-new website of our @erc.europa.eu project #IEK_CHANGE for insights from the Amazon and join the conversation.
Led by our researcher Álvaro Fdez Llamazares
➤ iek-changes.eu
#AmazonResearch #IndigenousKnowledge
November 7, 2025 at 12:33 PM
🏹🌿Discover how Indigenous Environmental Knowledge is evolving.
Visit the brand-new website of our @erc.europa.eu project #IEK_CHANGE for insights from the Amazon and join the conversation.
Led by our researcher Álvaro Fdez Llamazares
➤ iek-changes.eu
#AmazonResearch #IndigenousKnowledge
Visit the brand-new website of our @erc.europa.eu project #IEK_CHANGE for insights from the Amazon and join the conversation.
Led by our researcher Álvaro Fdez Llamazares
➤ iek-changes.eu
#AmazonResearch #IndigenousKnowledge
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Excited to share our latest work on the factors that determine what genes we find (and don't find!) in GWAS and burden tests.
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
How do GWAS and rare variant burden tests rank gene signals?
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
In new work @nature.com with @hakha.bsky.social, @jkpritch.bsky.social, and our wonderful coauthors we find that the key factors are what we call Specificity, Length, and Luck!
🧬🧪🧵
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Specificity, length and luck drive gene rankings in association studies - Nature
Genetic association tests prioritize candidate genes based on different criteria.
www.nature.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Excited to share our latest work on the factors that determine what genes we find (and don't find!) in GWAS and burden tests.
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
We describe a critical concept that we call *specificity*.
Led by Jeff Spence and Hakhamanesh Mostafavi:
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
BehaveAI is live!
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
November 6, 2025 at 10:09 AM
BehaveAI is live!
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
Our biologically inspired video analysis tool sees motion as colour. Track animals or objects, classify their behaviour, and handle complex natural scenes with ease.
Semi-supervised annotation, no GPUs required, user-friendly, free & open source.
Pre-print tinyurl.com/BehaveAI
Thrilled to be joining the @haam-community.bsky.social as Vice Chair 😍. Stay tuned for news on our summer school, radio webinar series and more!
Join our chat: matrix.to#/#haam-commu... for news, discussions or to ask questions to other aDNA researchers!
haam-community.github.io/steering_com...
Join our chat: matrix.to#/#haam-commu... for news, discussions or to ask questions to other aDNA researchers!
haam-community.github.io/steering_com...
Steering Committee · HAAM Community
haam-community.github.io
November 7, 2025 at 6:39 AM
Thrilled to be joining the @haam-community.bsky.social as Vice Chair 😍. Stay tuned for news on our summer school, radio webinar series and more!
Join our chat: matrix.to#/#haam-commu... for news, discussions or to ask questions to other aDNA researchers!
haam-community.github.io/steering_com...
Join our chat: matrix.to#/#haam-commu... for news, discussions or to ask questions to other aDNA researchers!
haam-community.github.io/steering_com...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Ancient DNA studies usually link changes in lifestyle and language in the past to population movements. But not always! A new study in @nature.com reveals a South American ancestry that stayed steady for 8,500 years, despite major cultural and linguistic shifts. @science.org 🏺 🧬
Mystery group lived in central Argentina for millennia, ancient DNA reveals
New study fills major gap in genetic map of ancient human migrations
www.science.org
November 5, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Ancient DNA studies usually link changes in lifestyle and language in the past to population movements. But not always! A new study in @nature.com reveals a South American ancestry that stayed steady for 8,500 years, despite major cultural and linguistic shifts. @science.org 🏺 🧬
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
The backdrop to human evolution: an increasingly erratic climate.
🏺 #paleosky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK9P...
🏺 #paleosky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK9P...
November 5, 2025 at 5:20 PM
The backdrop to human evolution: an increasingly erratic climate.
🏺 #paleosky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK9P...
🏺 #paleosky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK9P...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Another great PhD opportunity: An ERC-funded project on “Children as agents of cultural evolution,” lead by @sheinalew.bsky.social at Durham University. Come do fieldwork with Mayan groups in Belize with her, @dorsaamir.bsky.social, and I! One of three, 3-year PhD positions starting Fall 2026.
Fees and Funding - Durham University
www.durham.ac.uk
October 27, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Another great PhD opportunity: An ERC-funded project on “Children as agents of cultural evolution,” lead by @sheinalew.bsky.social at Durham University. Come do fieldwork with Mayan groups in Belize with her, @dorsaamir.bsky.social, and I! One of three, 3-year PhD positions starting Fall 2026.
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Exciting new discoveries and theories emerging out of China and Eastern Asia about the course of human evolution
This just out in NewScientist. It includes various discussions around bodoensis, juluensis and everything Chibanian… (had no idea they were going to draw my pic for the piece!! 😂😂).
www.newscientist.com/article/2500...
www.newscientist.com/article/2500...
November 4, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Exciting new discoveries and theories emerging out of China and Eastern Asia about the course of human evolution
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Simplistic stories about the dangers of polygamy can be compelling & intuitive, but what is the evidence that monogamous marriage is advantageous for society?
theconversation.com/rethinking-p...
theconversation.com/rethinking-p...
Rethinking polygamy – new research upends conventional thinking about the advantages of monogamous marriage
Simplistic stories about the dangers of polygamy can be compelling and intuitive. But new research suggests some arguments about its harms don’t hold up.
theconversation.com
October 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Simplistic stories about the dangers of polygamy can be compelling & intuitive, but what is the evidence that monogamous marriage is advantageous for society?
theconversation.com/rethinking-p...
theconversation.com/rethinking-p...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Check out the new 'most read' tab at EHS (Evolutionary Human Sciences), currently topped by this paper by @olkcampbell.bsky.social et al on sex ratio and violence against women
Skewed sex ratios correlate with violence against women from spouses, boyfriends and in-laws, but less so for honour-based violence from natal family @olkcampbell.bsky.social Maheen Pracha @ruthmace.bsky.social | Evolutionary Human Sciences | Cambridge Core - www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Skewed sex ratios and violence against women in Pakistan | Evolutionary Human Sciences | Cambridge Core
Skewed sex ratios and violence against women in Pakistan
www.cambridge.org
October 23, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Check out the new 'most read' tab at EHS (Evolutionary Human Sciences), currently topped by this paper by @olkcampbell.bsky.social et al on sex ratio and violence against women
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
Excited to finally have this article out with @robingnelson.blacksky.app. Although we have nominally centered populations as our unit of evolutionary analysis in biological anthropology, we have no coherent understanding of what a population is. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
The Population Problem: Biological Anthropology and the Many Definitions of a Population
Objectives With a focus on variability, biological anthropology has nominally centered the population as a key unit of analysis and node of evolutionary change. In this paper, we examine constructio...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 23, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Excited to finally have this article out with @robingnelson.blacksky.app. Although we have nominally centered populations as our unit of evolutionary analysis in biological anthropology, we have no coherent understanding of what a population is. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
In a new paper led by Jiaqi Yang we trace the distribution of Denisovan introgressed DNA in ancient modern human genomes over time.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
An early East Asian lineage with unexpectedly low Denisovan ancestry
Yang et al. study Denisovan ancestry in ancient and present-day humans. In contrast
to other East Asians, genomic comparisons suggest that the Jomon derived most of their
ancestry from a deep lineage ...
www.cell.com
October 20, 2025 at 7:39 PM
In a new paper led by Jiaqi Yang we trace the distribution of Denisovan introgressed DNA in ancient modern human genomes over time.
www.cell.com/current-biol...
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Came across yesterday this 2022 @aeon.co essay on speciation that I think is fantastic aeon.co/essays/why-e...
Why evolution is not a tree of life but a fuzzy network | Aeon Essays
Classic evolutionary theory holds that species separate over time. But it’s fuzzier than that – now we know they also merge
aeon.co
October 21, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Came across yesterday this 2022 @aeon.co essay on speciation that I think is fantastic aeon.co/essays/why-e...
Next Tuesday at UCL 😊
If you are around @ucl.ac.uk later this month, I’ll be giving a talk on Spatial Population Dynamics and Human Evolution on the 28th 🤩
www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...
www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...
Evolutionary Anthropology seminars
Exploring the evolutionary roots of human behaviour, biology, and culture through interdisciplinary research and debate.
www.ucl.ac.uk
October 20, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Next Tuesday at UCL 😊
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
A sneak peak of our forthcoming article!
Led by Mathew Stewart and @huwgroucutt.bsky.social.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mam...
Led by Mathew Stewart and @huwgroucutt.bsky.social.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mam...
Frontiers | The state of the late Quaternary megafauna extinction debate: a systematic review and analysis
With its origins in the late 18th and early 19th century, the question of what drove the extinction of the late Quaternary megafauna extinctions remains one ...
www.frontiersin.org
September 29, 2025 at 7:39 PM
A sneak peak of our forthcoming article!
Led by Mathew Stewart and @huwgroucutt.bsky.social.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mam...
Led by Mathew Stewart and @huwgroucutt.bsky.social.
www.frontiersin.org/journals/mam...
Great summary of the Paranthropus hand paper and its implications. One key message: should we be paying more attention to gorillas as a model for understanding early hominin movement? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
First known fossil hand of the hominin Paranthropus boisei
Hand bones from a human relative, found in Kenya, reveal features similar to those of living gorillas, complicating the evolutionary history of hand and tool manipulation.
www.nature.com
October 16, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Great summary of the Paranthropus hand paper and its implications. One key message: should we be paying more attention to gorillas as a model for understanding early hominin movement? www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
¿Comían los neandertales carne putrefacta con larvas de mosca y gusanos? (como algunas sociedades de cazadores recientes)
Neanderthals, hypercarnivores, and maggots: Insights from stable nitrogen isotopes www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Neanderthals, hypercarnivores, and maggots: Insights from stable nitrogen isotopes www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Neanderthals, hypercarnivores, and maggots: Insights from stable nitrogen isotopes
Putrefying animal foods laced with maggots should be considered when using isotopes to reconstruct Late Pleistocene hominin diets.
www.science.org
October 16, 2025 at 6:15 AM
¿Comían los neandertales carne putrefacta con larvas de mosca y gusanos? (como algunas sociedades de cazadores recientes)
Neanderthals, hypercarnivores, and maggots: Insights from stable nitrogen isotopes www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Neanderthals, hypercarnivores, and maggots: Insights from stable nitrogen isotopes www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Reposted by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias
My newest for The New Yorker! I wrote about the project, centuries-old and surprisingly successful at times, of recovering lost mythologies that still resonate in modern storytelling.
Patterns recur through various mythologies: floods, tricksters, battles with monsters, creation and apocalypse. Some scholars believe there is a common source—and hope to find it.
The Hunt for the World’s Oldest Story
From thunder gods to serpent slayers, scholars are reconstructing myths that vanished millennia ago. How much further can we go—and what might we find?
www.newyorker.com
October 15, 2025 at 8:52 PM
My newest for The New Yorker! I wrote about the project, centuries-old and surprisingly successful at times, of recovering lost mythologies that still resonate in modern storytelling.