E Bruner
Biographic Data
| ID | 18846 |
|---|---|
| NAME | E Bruner |
| GIVEN NAMES | E |
| FAMILY NAME | Bruner |
| SIGNATURE | BRUNER E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6686-4616 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 49 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 405 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 49 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 12 |
Parietal thickness and Homo antecessor: A description of three new fragments from Gran Dolina, Atapuerca, Spain
Figure recognition and visual attention patterns behind the observation of Palaeolithic art
Art visual processing is a complex cognitive process that involves perception, attention and decision-making. The initial stage of this process is characterized by visual exploration through rapid eye movements which can provide insights into attentional patterns and information processing and can be examined using eye-tracking technology. In this study, we employ eye-tracking to investigate visual perception during the observation of Palaeolithi…
The use of shaped stone balls to extract marrow: A matter of skill? Experimental- traceological approach
Technological skills associated with the Paleolithic culture have been explored extensively in recent years, with regard to the production of stone tools. Aspects of skill related to the use of these tools, however, have yet to be comprehensively explored. In this paper, we use a combined experimental-traceological approach to explore aspects of skill in the use of Lower Paleolithic (LP) shaped stone balls (SSBs) as percussion tools for marrow ex…
The Influence of Hand Dimensions on Finger Flexion during Lower Paleolithic Stone Tool Use in a Comfortable Grip
Considering the biomechanical and cognitive aspects involved in tool manipulation, hand size emerges as a critical factor. Males, on average, exhibit greater grip strength attributed to larger hand dimensions. Beyond mere physical factors, cognitive components tied to visuospatial abilities also influence stone tool use. However, the intricate relationship between hand size, grip strength, and ergonomic patterns necessitates further exploration. …
The evolution of the parietal lobes in the genus Homo: The fossil evidence
Lower Paleolithic Shaped Stone Balls—What Is Next? Some Cultural–Cognitive Questions
Shaped stone balls (SSBs) were an integral part of human culture across the Old World for nearly 2 million years. They are one of the oldest implements made and used by humans. In this significant era, which was characterised by biological and cultural transformations, these round implements were a stable hallmark throughout the Lower Paleolithic period and beyond. However, while much research progress has been made in other stone tool categories…
The brain of Homo habilis: Three decades of paleoneurology
Comparative study of manual identification of brain foldings in a living human brain using a proxy-endocast obtained from MRI
The use of virtual endocasts allows investigation of the folding configurations of the cerebral cortex of extinct species. However, is that really possible? Our goal is to help answer this question by qualifying and quantifying the subjective identifications of the foldings on endocasts compared to their real configurations on the brain. We invited 14 paleoneurologists to manually reconstruct the foldings they could recognize in a proxy-endocast …
The role of vision during Lower Palaeolithic tool-making
The Influence of Tool Morphology on Visual Attention During the Interaction with Lower Palaeolithic Stone Tools
Humans are specialized in eye-hand coordination through a complex visuospatial system. When a tool is observed, the motor areas of the brain are activated and, when grasped, it is sensed as a part of the body. One approach to understanding the underlying mechanisms behind this process regards the analysis of visual attention. Vision influences the spatial interaction with tools and plays a crucial role in the perception of an object’s affordances…
Reconstruction and analysis of the DAN5/P1 and BSN12/P1 Gona Early Pleistocene Homo fossils
Does knowledge influence visual attention? A comparative analysis between archaeologists and naïve subjects during the exploration of Lower Palaeolithic tools
The role of experience during the exploration of lithic artefacts can be been investigated through multiple approaches. Knowledge can influence visual perception of the environment, whilst action "affordances" can be processed at the first sight of an object. In this study, we used eye tracking to analyse whether and to what extent archaeological knowledge can influence visuospatial attention whilst interacting with stone tools. Archaeologists we…
Not a matter of shape: The influence of tool characteristics on electrodermal activity in response to haptic exploration of Lower Palaeolithic tools
Electrophysiological reaction is more sensitive to specific physical features of the tool than to its general outline. These features are not particularly different in worked pebbles and handaxes in terms of grasping, but underwent remarkable changes in other technological traditions. That changes associated with behavioral performances can be employed in cognitive archaeology to investigate the relationships between tool sensing and tool use
Evolving Human Brains: Paleoneurology and the Fate of Middle Pleistocene
Visual attention reveals affordances during Lower Palaeolithic stone tool exploration
Hand morphometrics, electrodermal activity, and stone tools haptic perception
OBJECTIVES: Tool use requires integration among sensorial, biomechanical, and cognitive factors. Taking into account the importance of tool use in human evolution, changes associated with the genus Homo are to be expected in all these three aspects. Haptics is based on both tactile and proprioceptive feedbacks, and it is associated with emotional reactions. Previous analyses have suggested a difference between males and females, and during haptic…
Temporal lobe evolution in Javanese Homo erectus and African Homo ergaster: Inferences from the cranial base
Ontogenetic changes of diploic channels in modern humans
OBJECTIVES: The diploic channels are bony passages of veins, running within frontal, parietal, and occipital bones. In this study, we investigate ontogenetic changes of these channels in a sample of nonadult and adult modern humans. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using computed tomography scans of dried crania, we provide quantitative comparisons of lumen size, branch length, volume, and vascular asymmetries, and correlations with age, cranial size, and …
Is the middle cranial fossa a reliable predictor of temporal lobe volume in extant and fossil anthropoids
OBJECTIVES: We investigate the suitability of middle cranial fossa (MCF) size as a proxy for temporal lobe volume (TLV), examining the strength of the association between TLV and MCF metrics and assess the reliability predicting TLV in fossil anthropoids. The temporal lobe of the primate brain is a multimodal association cortex involved in long-term memory, auditory, and visual processing with unique specializations in modern humans for language …
A morphometric comparison of the parietal lobe in modern humans and Neanderthals
Hand grasping and finger flexion during Lower Paleolithic stone tool ergonomic exploration
Electrodermal activity during Lower Paleolithic stone tool handling
OBJECTIVES: Hand coordination is a key feature in primate evolution at both behavioral and cognitive levels. Humans further improved their manual abilities, and their cognitive niche is deeply associated with hand-tool relationships and technological capacity. A main cognitive change is thought to be related to the transition from Oldowan to Acheulean stone tool technology around 1.7 million years ago. In this survey, we test whether distinct Low…
Parietal lobe variation in cercopithecid endocasts
In extant primates, the posterior parietal cortex is involved in visuospatial integration, attention, and eye‐hand coordination, which are crucial functions for foraging and feeding behaviors. Paleoneurology studies brain evolution through the analysis of endocasts, that is molds of the inner surface of the braincase. These may preserve imprints of cortical structures, such as sulci, which might be of interest for locating the boundaries of major…
Cranial vault thickness measurement and distribution: A Study With a Magnetic Calliper
Cranial vault thickness is a widely studied variable in physical anthropology. However, direct physical measurements are difficult to assess in complete skulls, where the endocranial surface is not easily accessible for standard callipers. Computed tomography represents the best alternative, but is expensive and not always available for many field or museum samples. In this study we present a method for the measurement of cranial vault thickness …
Cranial shape variation in adult howler monkeys ( Alouatta seniculus )
Howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) display a distinctive cranial architecture characterized by airorhynchy (or retroflexion of the facial skeleton on the cranial base), a small braincase, and a posteriorly oriented foramen magnum. This configuration has been associated with distinct factors including a high folivory diet, locomotion, and the presence of a specialized vocal tract characterized by large hyoid bone. However, the morphological relations…
Morphological Differences in the Parietal Lobes within the Human Genus: A Neurofunctional Perspective
There have been very few morphological studies regarding brain parietal volumes. This is probably a result of the fact that their boundaries are rather difficult to establish. Functions of the parietal lobes that have already been documented range from visuospatial integration, category recognition, and praxis to orientation, numerical processing, and speech decoding. It has been hypothesized that the parietal lobes have had a major role in the e…
Geometric morphometrics and paleoneurology: Brain shape evolution in the genus Homo
A bivariate approach to the widening of the frontal lobes in the genus Homo
The one-million-year-old Homo cranium from Bouri (Ethiopia): A reconsideration of its H. erectus affinities
Paleoneurology of an "early" Neandertal: Endocranial size, shape, and features of Saccopastore 1
The endocranial anatomy of maba 1
The endocast displays a general archaic morphology, although with some derived features associated with the spatial relationships with the face. A similar admixture was described for other Middle Pleistocene samples, like Sima de los Huesos. Future phylogenetic studies must re-evaluate the facial skeleton to consider whether its features can be considered as related to the Neandertal lineage. Alternatively, they should be interpreted as the resul…
Evolving Human Brains: Paleoneurology and the Fate of Middle Pleistocene
A paleoneurological survey of Homo erectus endocranial metrics
Geometric variation of the frontal squama in the genus homo: Frontal bulging and the origin of modern human morphology
The majority of studies of frontal bone morphology in paleoanthropology have analyzed the frontal squama and the browridge as a single unit, mixing information from different functional elements. Taking into account that the bulging of the frontal bone is often described as a species‐specific trait of Homo sapiens , in this article we analyze variation in the midsagittal profile of the genus Homo , focusing on the frontal squama alone, using land…
Neurocranial evolution in modern humans: The case of Jebel Irhoud 1
Jebel Irhoud 1 represents an almost complete cranium from the North African late Middle Pleistocene. Despite the good preservation of most of its anatomical regions, its phylogenetic position is still uncertain, particularly its relationship to the emergence of the modern human lineage. The present paper supplies a basic morphometric description and comparison of the endocast of Jebel Irhoud 1. The endocast's maximum width is large when compared …
The endocast of the one‐million‐year‐old human cranium from Buia (UA 31), Danakil Eritrea
The endocast of UA 31 shows a general plesiomorphic phenotype, with some individual features (e.g., dolichocephaly and rounded lower parietal areas) which confirm a remarkable degree of morphological variability within the H. erectus/ergaster hypodigm. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:458-468, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
A morphometric comparison of the parietal lobe in modern humans and Neanderthals
A quantitative and descriptive approach to morphological variation of the endocranial base in modern humans
The cranial base is one of the major foci of interest in functional craniology. The evolution and morphogenesis of this structure are still poorly known and rather controversial because of multifactorial influences and polyphasic stages. Endocranial dynamics are associated anteriorly with the upper facial structures, laterally with the mandibular system and midsagittally with brain development. In the present study, we investigated the endocrania…
Landmark‐based shape analysis of the archaic Homo calvarium from Ceprano (Italy)
The Ceprano calvarium represents one of the most important sources of information about both the dynamics of the earliest hominid dispersal toward Europe and the evolution of the genus Homo in the early‐to‐middle Pleistocene. In this paper, the midsagittal vault profile and the 3D frontal bone morphology of Ceprano are investigated comparatively, using landmark coordinates and Procrustes superimposition. In fact, despite the fact that the skull a…
Hand grasping and finger flexion during Lower Paleolithic stone tool ergonomic exploration
The brain of Homo habilis: Three decades of paleoneurology
Quantitative assessment of interproximal wear facet outlines for the association of isolated molars
The determination of the minimum number of individuals can be very challenging, especially in an assemblage of fragmentary bones and isolated teeth. Similarities in tooth morphology, degree of wear, and interproximal wear facets (IPWF) are generally used to associate isolated teeth qualitatively. However, no quantitative method has yet been established for an objective identification and matching of isolated tooth crowns. In this study, we analyz…
The Species Concept as a Cognitive Tool for Biological Anthropology
Taxonomy is caught between the search for the "perfect" theory and an elusive biological variability. The lack of major advances in issues related to how "species" and other taxonomic categories are defined suggests that perhaps we should avoid excessively rigid formalism in this regard. The risk is a separation between elegant but useless theories and confusing applications of the taxonomic tools. Communication is one of the main functions of ta…
A preliminary survey on hand grip and hand-tool morphometrics in three different stone tools
Reconstruction and analysis of the DAN5/P1 and BSN12/P1 Gona Early Pleistocene Homo fossils
Visual attention reveals affordances during Lower Palaeolithic stone tool exploration
The use of shaped stone balls to extract marrow: A matter of skill? Experimental- traceological approach
Technological skills associated with the Paleolithic culture have been explored extensively in recent years, with regard to the production of stone tools. Aspects of skill related to the use of these tools, however, have yet to be comprehensively explored. In this paper, we use a combined experimental-traceological approach to explore aspects of skill in the use of Lower Paleolithic (LP) shaped stone balls (SSBs) as percussion tools for marrow ex…
Does knowledge influence visual attention? A comparative analysis between archaeologists and naïve subjects during the exploration of Lower Palaeolithic tools
The role of experience during the exploration of lithic artefacts can be been investigated through multiple approaches. Knowledge can influence visual perception of the environment, whilst action "affordances" can be processed at the first sight of an object. In this study, we used eye tracking to analyse whether and to what extent archaeological knowledge can influence visuospatial attention whilst interacting with stone tools. Archaeologists we…
Diploic vessels and computed tomography: Segmentation and comparison in modern humans and fossil hominids
OBJECTIVES: The diploic channels appear to be more developed in humans than in nonhuman primates, suggesting they may be relevant in evolutionary biology. This study is aimed at providing a segmentation procedure for diploic channels and CT analysis, a quantitative description of their variation in modern humans, and paleoanthropological case-studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT data were used for the 2D and 3D visualization, rendering, and measure…
The Influence of Tool Morphology on Visual Attention During the Interaction with Lower Palaeolithic Stone Tools
Humans are specialized in eye-hand coordination through a complex visuospatial system. When a tool is observed, the motor areas of the brain are activated and, when grasped, it is sensed as a part of the body. One approach to understanding the underlying mechanisms behind this process regards the analysis of visual attention. Vision influences the spatial interaction with tools and plays a crucial role in the perception of an object’s affordances…
Encephalization and allometric trajectories in the genus Homo: Evidence from the Neandertal and modern lineages
The term “encephalization” is commonly used to describe an enlargement in brain size, considered as either absolute endocranial volumes or relative values in relation to body size. It is widely recognized that a considerable endocranial expansion occurred throughout the evolution of the genus Homo . This article aims to evaluate whether this phenomenon was the outcome of distinct evolutionary lineages, reaching similar brain expansions but throug…
The one-million-year-old Homo cranium from Bouri (Ethiopia): A reconsideration of its H. erectus affinities
Evolution, actuality and species concept: A need for a palaeontological tool
Geometric morphometrics and paleoneurology: Brain shape evolution in the genus Homo
Saccopastore 1: The earliest Neanderthal? A new look at an old cranium
Digital Tools for the Preservation of the Human Fossil Heritage: Ceprano, Saccopastore, and Other Case Studies
Landmark‐based shape analysis of the archaic Homo calvarium from Ceprano (Italy)
The Ceprano calvarium represents one of the most important sources of information about both the dynamics of the earliest hominid dispersal toward Europe and the evolution of the genus Homo in the early‐to‐middle Pleistocene. In this paper, the midsagittal vault profile and the 3D frontal bone morphology of Ceprano are investigated comparatively, using landmark coordinates and Procrustes superimposition. In fact, despite the fact that the skull a…
A quantitative and descriptive approach to morphological variation of the endocranial base in modern humans
The cranial base is one of the major foci of interest in functional craniology. The evolution and morphogenesis of this structure are still poorly known and rather controversial because of multifactorial influences and polyphasic stages. Endocranial dynamics are associated anteriorly with the upper facial structures, laterally with the mandibular system and midsagittally with brain development. In the present study, we investigated the endocrania…
Paleoneurology of an "early" Neandertal: Endocranial size, shape, and features of Saccopastore 1
A bivariate approach to the widening of the frontal lobes in the genus Homo
Morphological Differences in the Parietal Lobes within the Human Genus: A Neurofunctional Perspective
There have been very few morphological studies regarding brain parietal volumes. This is probably a result of the fact that their boundaries are rather difficult to establish. Functions of the parietal lobes that have already been documented range from visuospatial integration, category recognition, and praxis to orientation, numerical processing, and speech decoding. It has been hypothesized that the parietal lobes have had a major role in the e…
The evolution of the meningeal vascular system in the human genus: From brain shape to thermoregulation
Quantitative assessment of interproximal wear facet outlines for the association of isolated molars
The determination of the minimum number of individuals can be very challenging, especially in an assemblage of fragmentary bones and isolated teeth. Similarities in tooth morphology, degree of wear, and interproximal wear facets (IPWF) are generally used to associate isolated teeth qualitatively. However, no quantitative method has yet been established for an objective identification and matching of isolated tooth crowns. In this study, we analyz…
Quantifying patterns of endocranial heat distribution: Brain geometry and thermoregulation
OBJECTIVES: The mechanisms involved in brain thermoregulation are still poorly known, and many disagreements still exist concerning the selective cooling capacity of the brain volume. This issue has also been discussed in human evolution and paleoneurology, speculating on possible changes associated with hominid encephalization. Although the vascular system is supposed to be the main component responsible for thermoregulation, brain geometry also…
The Species Concept as a Cognitive Tool for Biological Anthropology
Taxonomy is caught between the search for the "perfect" theory and an elusive biological variability. The lack of major advances in issues related to how "species" and other taxonomic categories are defined suggests that perhaps we should avoid excessively rigid formalism in this regard. The risk is a separation between elegant but useless theories and confusing applications of the taxonomic tools. Communication is one of the main functions of ta…
Neurocranial evolution in modern humans: The case of Jebel Irhoud 1
Jebel Irhoud 1 represents an almost complete cranium from the North African late Middle Pleistocene. Despite the good preservation of most of its anatomical regions, its phylogenetic position is still uncertain, particularly its relationship to the emergence of the modern human lineage. The present paper supplies a basic morphometric description and comparison of the endocast of Jebel Irhoud 1. The endocast's maximum width is large when compared …
Geometric variation of the frontal squama in the genus homo: Frontal bulging and the origin of modern human morphology
The majority of studies of frontal bone morphology in paleoanthropology have analyzed the frontal squama and the browridge as a single unit, mixing information from different functional elements. Taking into account that the bulging of the frontal bone is often described as a species‐specific trait of Homo sapiens , in this article we analyze variation in the midsagittal profile of the genus Homo , focusing on the frontal squama alone, using land…
Functional Craniology, Human Evolution, and Anatomical Constraints in the Neanderthal Braincase
A paleoneurological survey of Homo erectus endocranial metrics
Extending mind, visuospatial integration, and the evolution of the parietal lobes in the human genus
The endocranial anatomy of maba 1
The endocast displays a general archaic morphology, although with some derived features associated with the spatial relationships with the face. A similar admixture was described for other Middle Pleistocene samples, like Sima de los Huesos. Future phylogenetic studies must re-evaluate the facial skeleton to consider whether its features can be considered as related to the Neandertal lineage. Alternatively, they should be interpreted as the resul…
The endocast of the one‐million‐year‐old human cranium from Buia (UA 31), Danakil Eritrea
The endocast of UA 31 shows a general plesiomorphic phenotype, with some individual features (e.g., dolichocephaly and rounded lower parietal areas) which confirm a remarkable degree of morphological variability within the H. erectus/ergaster hypodigm. Am J Phys Anthropol 160:458-468, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Diploic vessels and computed tomography: Segmentation and comparison in modern humans and fossil hominids
OBJECTIVES: The diploic channels appear to be more developed in humans than in nonhuman primates, suggesting they may be relevant in evolutionary biology. This study is aimed at providing a segmentation procedure for diploic channels and CT analysis, a quantitative description of their variation in modern humans, and paleoanthropological case-studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CT data were used for the 2D and 3D visualization, rendering, and measure…
Cranial shape variation in adult howler monkeys ( Alouatta seniculus )
Howler monkeys (genus Alouatta) display a distinctive cranial architecture characterized by airorhynchy (or retroflexion of the facial skeleton on the cranial base), a small braincase, and a posteriorly oriented foramen magnum. This configuration has been associated with distinct factors including a high folivory diet, locomotion, and the presence of a specialized vocal tract characterized by large hyoid bone. However, the morphological relations…
A preliminary survey on hand grip and hand-tool morphometrics in three different stone tools
Biology (35 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (31 works) · Skull (24 works) · Evolutionary biology (22 works) · Anatomy (21 works) · Morphological variations and asymmetry (20 works) · Paleontology (20 works) · Endocast (19 works) · Evolution and Paleontology Studies (19 works) · Geography (18 works)