John Hawks
@johnhawks.net
Paleoanthropologist | Chair and Professor of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin–Madison 🧪🏺💀https://www.johnhawks.net
Oops…“Principal components (PC) axes
identified by a PCA are not necessarily the most informative biologically. Nevertheless, paleoanthropologists frequently interpret proximity in PC space as indicative of morphological and thus evolutionary affinity or relatedness”
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
identified by a PCA are not necessarily the most informative biologically. Nevertheless, paleoanthropologists frequently interpret proximity in PC space as indicative of morphological and thus evolutionary affinity or relatedness”
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Principal Components Analysis fails to recover phylogenetic structure in hominins
Objectives Paleoanthropologists often utilize geometric morphometrics and principal components analysis (PCA) to interpret shape variation within the hominin fossil record. It is common practice to in...
www.biorxiv.org
November 8, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Oops…“Principal components (PC) axes
identified by a PCA are not necessarily the most informative biologically. Nevertheless, paleoanthropologists frequently interpret proximity in PC space as indicative of morphological and thus evolutionary affinity or relatedness”
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
identified by a PCA are not necessarily the most informative biologically. Nevertheless, paleoanthropologists frequently interpret proximity in PC space as indicative of morphological and thus evolutionary affinity or relatedness”
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
This is a really informative story from the University of São Paulo about archaeological work seeking traces of Neanderthal-modern human interactions:
“Brazilian scientists travel 40,000 years back to study Neanderthals in Romania”
jornal.usp.br/uspnews/braz...
“Brazilian scientists travel 40,000 years back to study Neanderthals in Romania”
jornal.usp.br/uspnews/braz...
Brazilian scientists travel 40,000 years back to study Neanderthals in Romania
In partnership with Romanian researchers, USP is leading a project to search for traces of ancient Hominins in caves across Transylvania
jornal.usp.br
November 8, 2025 at 2:45 PM
This is a really informative story from the University of São Paulo about archaeological work seeking traces of Neanderthal-modern human interactions:
“Brazilian scientists travel 40,000 years back to study Neanderthals in Romania”
jornal.usp.br/uspnews/braz...
“Brazilian scientists travel 40,000 years back to study Neanderthals in Romania”
jornal.usp.br/uspnews/braz...
James Watson, Co-Discoverer of the Structure of DNA, Is Dead at 97
www.nytimes.com
November 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
A nice story in @science.org this week about the collaboration between archaeologists and Kuikuro people in Brazil, which has been central to uncovering evidence of social complexity in the Amazon region more than 600 years ago.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
To unearth their past, Amazonian people turn to ‘a language white men understand’
A model partnership between archaeologists and the Kuikuro people has helped rewrite the history of early Amazonian societies
www.science.org
November 7, 2025 at 3:27 PM
A nice story in @science.org this week about the collaboration between archaeologists and Kuikuro people in Brazil, which has been central to uncovering evidence of social complexity in the Amazon region more than 600 years ago.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
My personal view is that I am much less likely to submit material to "letters" or "technical comment" sections of scientific journals moving forward.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Letters to scientific journals surge as ‘prolific debutante’ authors likely use AI
New study reinforces worries about “mass production of junk” by unscrupulous scholars aiming to pad their CVs
www.science.org
November 4, 2025 at 10:03 PM
My personal view is that I am much less likely to submit material to "letters" or "technical comment" sections of scientific journals moving forward.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Helping some of the most senior people see the next phase of their work and lives is such an urgent need across society. The challenge in academic life is much the same as in government. Moving to a new project and a new role is even more vital.
“Well, so why don’t you retire?” someone asked. “The member literally looked at us and goes, ‘Well, what would I do?’” nymag.com/intelligence...
November 3, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Helping some of the most senior people see the next phase of their work and lives is such an urgent need across society. The challenge in academic life is much the same as in government. Moving to a new project and a new role is even more vital.
Reposted by John Hawks
I’ve spent many years explaining/defending biorxiv’s “no reviews” policy.
The logic was always that opening Word and opining is a far lower barrier than doing actual research, so noise’d be >> signal and we didn’t want to make subjective quality judgements.
LLMs mean it makes even more sense 1/2
The logic was always that opening Word and opining is a far lower barrier than doing actual research, so noise’d be >> signal and we didn’t want to make subjective quality judgements.
LLMs mean it makes even more sense 1/2
arXiv will no longer accept review articles and position papers unless they have been accepted at a journal or a conference and complete successful peer review.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
This is due to being overwhelmed by a hundreds of AI generated papers a month.
Yet another open submission process killed by LLMs.
Attention Authors: Updated Practice for Review Articles and Position Papers in arXiv CS Category – arXiv blog
blog.arxiv.org
November 2, 2025 at 5:33 PM
I’ve spent many years explaining/defending biorxiv’s “no reviews” policy.
The logic was always that opening Word and opining is a far lower barrier than doing actual research, so noise’d be >> signal and we didn’t want to make subjective quality judgements.
LLMs mean it makes even more sense 1/2
The logic was always that opening Word and opining is a far lower barrier than doing actual research, so noise’d be >> signal and we didn’t want to make subjective quality judgements.
LLMs mean it makes even more sense 1/2
A new post covering some recent work on estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and pregnancy from ancient skeletons. A window has just opened a crack but it’s another fascinating area where the lives of ancient people may be encoded in their bones and teeth.
www.johnhawks.net/p/finding-ho...
www.johnhawks.net/p/finding-ho...
Finding hormone biomarkers in ancient skeletons
The widening horizon of molecular biomarkers from ancient bones and sediments may open new doors to the biology of ancient people.
www.johnhawks.net
November 2, 2025 at 2:38 PM
A new post covering some recent work on estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and pregnancy from ancient skeletons. A window has just opened a crack but it’s another fascinating area where the lives of ancient people may be encoded in their bones and teeth.
www.johnhawks.net/p/finding-ho...
www.johnhawks.net/p/finding-ho...
Reposted by John Hawks
Oh wow! @johnhawks.net has just singled out this study of pregnancy hormones for a special post on his newsletter! "The widening horizon of molecular biomarkers from ancient bones and sediments may open new doors to the biology of ancient people."
"first successful detection of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in bones, teeth and dental calculus, opening a way to identify pregnancy in the archaeological record." phys.org/news/2025-10... #histmed #WomensHealth #MedievalSky
Ancient skeletons yield the first hormonal evidence of reproductive life
University of Sheffield and University College London researchers have made the first successful detection of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone in bones, teeth and dental calculus, opening a wa...
phys.org
November 1, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Oh wow! @johnhawks.net has just singled out this study of pregnancy hormones for a special post on his newsletter! "The widening horizon of molecular biomarkers from ancient bones and sediments may open new doors to the biology of ancient people."
Reposted by John Hawks
A #Halloween #FossilFriday! Here’s a 🧠 brain! Sorta… this is an endocast, where sediment packed into a skull while there was still some soft tissue replacing and molding and casting where the brain was. This particular one is Miocene from Kyrgyzstan and likely horse. Found by @ashpoust.bsky.social
October 31, 2025 at 6:08 PM
A #Halloween #FossilFriday! Here’s a 🧠 brain! Sorta… this is an endocast, where sediment packed into a skull while there was still some soft tissue replacing and molding and casting where the brain was. This particular one is Miocene from Kyrgyzstan and likely horse. Found by @ashpoust.bsky.social
Great day yesterday sharing fossil hominins with more than a hundred sixth-graders here in Madison. I was able to tell them that—even though many are extinct today—our fossil relatives had families, they came from many parts of the world, and they came in all colors that today's people do. #inktober
October 31, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Great day yesterday sharing fossil hominins with more than a hundred sixth-graders here in Madison. I was able to tell them that—even though many are extinct today—our fossil relatives had families, they came from many parts of the world, and they came in all colors that today's people do. #inktober
Reposted by John Hawks
Two Hartebeest molars in a maxilla, from the Last Interglacial of Turkana, Kenya--a time period in which we desperately need more research! #FossilFriday
October 31, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Two Hartebeest molars in a maxilla, from the Last Interglacial of Turkana, Kenya--a time period in which we desperately need more research! #FossilFriday
Love this story about the new analysis of an important Nanotyrannus fossil and resulting conclusions. Why am I never surprised when a long debate in paleontology is ultimately settled by just letting researchers study a fossil that has been hidden from them?
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
New study settles 40-year debate: Nanotyrannus is a new species
“This fossil doesn’t just settle the debate. It flips decades of T. rex research on its head.”…
arstechnica.com
October 30, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Love this story about the new analysis of an important Nanotyrannus fossil and resulting conclusions. Why am I never surprised when a long debate in paleontology is ultimately settled by just letting researchers study a fossil that has been hidden from them?
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
arstechnica.com/science/2025...
Reposted by John Hawks
One of my Virtual Anthropology students is looking at primate endocasts using data from Morphosource, and they found this massive gorilla brain (630 ml) lurking inside a very cresty cranium
Original data here: www.morphosource.org/concern/biol...
Original data here: www.morphosource.org/concern/biol...
October 30, 2025 at 5:28 PM
One of my Virtual Anthropology students is looking at primate endocasts using data from Morphosource, and they found this massive gorilla brain (630 ml) lurking inside a very cresty cranium
Original data here: www.morphosource.org/concern/biol...
Original data here: www.morphosource.org/concern/biol...
The D3444 calvaria was uncovered at Dmanisi, Georgia, in 2002. The individual represented by this cranium lived sometime around 1.77 million years ago, and most scientists attribute the fossil to Homo erectus. The individual had lost nearly all teeth at the time of death. #inktober
October 30, 2025 at 2:38 PM
The D3444 calvaria was uncovered at Dmanisi, Georgia, in 2002. The individual represented by this cranium lived sometime around 1.77 million years ago, and most scientists attribute the fossil to Homo erectus. The individual had lost nearly all teeth at the time of death. #inktober
The skull from near Herto, Ethiopia, BOU-VP-16/1 represents a person who lived sometime between 162,000 and 147,000 years ago. The skull bears two cutmarks on the right parietal and temporal, suggesting that other individuals may have conducted mortuary practices upon his death. #inktober
October 29, 2025 at 9:34 PM
The skull from near Herto, Ethiopia, BOU-VP-16/1 represents a person who lived sometime between 162,000 and 147,000 years ago. The skull bears two cutmarks on the right parietal and temporal, suggesting that other individuals may have conducted mortuary practices upon his death. #inktober
The rockshelter at La Ferrassie in the Dordogne of southern France contained the remains of several Neanderthals. The most complete of the skeletons was La Ferrassie 1, who lived an estimated 70,000 to 50,000 years ago. His body like the others was buried, likely by members of his group. #inktober
October 28, 2025 at 2:11 PM
The rockshelter at La Ferrassie in the Dordogne of southern France contained the remains of several Neanderthals. The most complete of the skeletons was La Ferrassie 1, who lived an estimated 70,000 to 50,000 years ago. His body like the others was buried, likely by members of his group. #inktober
KNM-WT 17000 is one of the most iconic skulls in the hominin fossil record due to its natural manganese staining, rendering it as the Black Skull. At around 2.5 million years old it is one of the first with pronounced large jaw musculature that would characterize big-molared Paranthropus. #inktober
October 27, 2025 at 7:30 PM
KNM-WT 17000 is one of the most iconic skulls in the hominin fossil record due to its natural manganese staining, rendering it as the Black Skull. At around 2.5 million years old it is one of the first with pronounced large jaw musculature that would characterize big-molared Paranthropus. #inktober
The skull known as OH 5 was first uncovered by Mary Leakey in 1959, soon became the type fossil of the species Zinjanthropus boisei. Around 1.75 million years old, I'm sure that this individual would have loved pumpkins if they had existed in Africa at the time. #inktober
October 26, 2025 at 11:04 PM
The skull known as OH 5 was first uncovered by Mary Leakey in 1959, soon became the type fossil of the species Zinjanthropus boisei. Around 1.75 million years old, I'm sure that this individual would have loved pumpkins if they had existed in Africa at the time. #inktober
Great to still have the peak of fall color happening in Wisconsin as I get back from the other side of the planet.
October 26, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Great to still have the peak of fall color happening in Wisconsin as I get back from the other side of the planet.
The fossil sample from Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa, is one of the largest known of human relatives. Sts 71 (left) and StW 505 (right) are close to the extremes of cranial size of fossils from the site that are usually attributed to Australopithecus africanus. #inktober
October 26, 2025 at 12:51 AM
The fossil sample from Sterkfontein Caves, South Africa, is one of the largest known of human relatives. Sts 71 (left) and StW 505 (right) are close to the extremes of cranial size of fossils from the site that are usually attributed to Australopithecus africanus. #inktober
I am interested in this recent work on lead levels in tooth enamel of ancestral hominins and apes (Gigantopithecus!) but I wonder whether the sensitivity of the measurements is now so high that they detect exposures that had no biological effects.
www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
Neanderthals were more susceptible to lead poisoning than humans — which helped us gain an advantage over our cousins, scientists say
Humans and our ancestors have been exposed to lead for 2 million years, but the toxic metal may have actually helped our species to develop language — giving us a key advantage over our Neanderthal co...
www.livescience.com
October 25, 2025 at 11:20 PM
I am interested in this recent work on lead levels in tooth enamel of ancestral hominins and apes (Gigantopithecus!) but I wonder whether the sensitivity of the measurements is now so high that they detect exposures that had no biological effects.
www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
www.livescience.com/archaeology/...
Marcel de Puydt and Max Lohest excavated in the Grotte de Spy, discovering partial skeletons of Neandertals in 1886 including this one, Spy 1. It the first time that Neandertal skeletal remains were recorded in stratigraphic context, keeping associated artifacts and animal bones together. #inktober
October 24, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Marcel de Puydt and Max Lohest excavated in the Grotte de Spy, discovering partial skeletons of Neandertals in 1886 including this one, Spy 1. It the first time that Neandertal skeletal remains were recorded in stratigraphic context, keeping associated artifacts and animal bones together. #inktober
I always love to be out on the Greater Cradle Reserve visiting the Malapa site.
www.johnhawks.net/p/a-visit-to...
www.johnhawks.net/p/a-visit-to...
A visit to Malapa, ancient site of Australopithecus sediba
A drive into the Greater Cradle Nature Reserve with views of a notable fossil hominin site.
www.johnhawks.net
October 23, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I always love to be out on the Greater Cradle Reserve visiting the Malapa site.
www.johnhawks.net/p/a-visit-to...
www.johnhawks.net/p/a-visit-to...
The skull numbered KNM-WT 40000 was first found by Justus Erus in 1999 and is between 3.57 and 3.4 million years old. While broken and distorted, some aspects of its face are different from other contemporary species, leading Meave Leakey and coworkers to name it Kenyanthropus platyops. #inktober
October 23, 2025 at 8:06 PM
The skull numbered KNM-WT 40000 was first found by Justus Erus in 1999 and is between 3.57 and 3.4 million years old. While broken and distorted, some aspects of its face are different from other contemporary species, leading Meave Leakey and coworkers to name it Kenyanthropus platyops. #inktober