AFRIKA
Cultural and linguistic networks of Central African hunter-gatherers have ancient origin
Evolutionary anthropology
IMAGE:
BAYAKA HUNTER-GATHERERS IN CONGO PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS AND DANCING, WHICH HELPS THEM TO SPREAD CULTURAL TRAITS AND SPECIALIZED VOCABULARY BETWEEN DIFFERENT GROUPS.
view moreCREDIT: RODOLPH SCHLAEPFER, UNIVERSITY OF ZURICH
Central Africa has been occupied by hunter-gatherer populations for hundreds of thousands of years, according to recent research based on genetic, archaeological and paleoenvironmental data. However, contemporary hunter-gatherers living in the Congo Basin speak languages that they have acquired from their agricultural neighbors, the Bantu, in recent times. This raises the question which elements of ancient cultural diversity in Central Africa stem from long-term evolution and regional cultural exchange predating agriculture, and which aspects are influenced by interactions with farming communities.
Culture, language and genes co-evolve
An international team of researchers led by Andrea Migliano from the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Zurich (UZH) has discovered previously unknown links between culture, language and genes among different hunter-gatherer populations in Central Africa. “We found that the distribution of musical instruments among hunter-gatherers correlates very strongly with those genetic segments that are of ancient origin. So, these populations were exchanging musical instruments long before there were any agricultural populations in the region,” says Migliano.
The project was developed by Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias, PhD student and first author. The timing of genetic exchanges between populations can be inferred by tracing the origins of specific genome segments. To this end, the researchers assembled genetic data from eleven Central African hunter-gatherer groups and divided their DNA into segments based on the timing of the exchanges: those introduced through introgression or exchange with Bantu populations, those from recent exchanges between hunter-gatherer populations, and those of ancient origin.
Additionally, the team compiled an extensive dataset of musical instruments and foraging tools, along with their names from historical documents and ethnographies. They then compared how the structure of cultural diversity – the similarity between groups in musical instrument and subsistence tool repertoires, based on the presence or absence of similar musical instruments – correlated with genetic diversity at different points in time.
Extensive social networks spanning thousands of kilometers
“It was surprising that, although the different Central African hunter-gatherer groups speak languages from very different families, they share a disproportionate number of words related to music. Therefore, these words can be traced back to a time before the hunter-gatherer populations adopted the languages of their Bantu neighbors,” says anthropologist Andrea Migliano.
The results suggest that extensive interactions among hunter-gatherer groups in the Congo Basin, even those separated by thousands of kilometers, influenced not only their genetic makeup but also their linguistic and cultural traits. These extensive social networks helped maintain a cultural diversity that evolved thousands of years before the arrival of the agriculture in the region. Migliano adds: “The large-scale cultural networking of modern humans has deep roots in the past, at least in Central Africa.”
JOURNAL
Nature Human Behaviour
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Experimental study
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
People
ARTICLE TITLE
Deep history of cultural and linguistic evolution among Central African hunter-gatherers
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
27-May-2024
UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
Scientists at the University of Bristol have discovered that mycelium composites, biobased materials made from fungi and agricultural residues, can have a greater environmental impact than conventional fossil-fuel-based materials due to the high amount of electricity involved in their production.
In the findings, published today in Scientific Reports, the team show that this is further exacerbated in countries like South Africa where fossil fuel is the main source of electricity. This isn’t helped by mycelium composites’ shorter lifespan and the need for multiple replacements over the duration of long-term applications, thereby increasing their overall environmental impact.
Despite this discovery, they also concluded that the overall potential damage on the environment caused by this technology can be mitigated by incorporating alternative energy sources like firewood.
Lead author Stefania Akromah explained: “Mycelium composites are considered a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuel derived materials.
“However, the sustainability of these materials depends on various location-specific factors like resource availability, economic structures, cultural practices, and regulations.
“Our main focus was to determine if producing mycelium composites is sustainable in Africa and to identify which manufacturing processes have the most potential to damage the environment.”
Now team plans to evaluate the environmental impact of mycelium composite technology under various scenarios aimed at reducing the overall footprint, to conduct uncertainty analysis to verify the accuracy of the current results, and to compare the footprint of mycelium composites with other emerging green materials that are or could be used in Africa. Additionally, they are also looking to investigate the economic feasibility and social implications of the technology to provide a comprehensive evaluation of its sustainability.
Stefania continued: “Africa faces heightened vulnerability to climate change impacts owing to its limited financial resources, making it crucial to mitigate these impacts as much as possible.
“This study offers valuable insights that can be used to proactively address the potential impact of this technology on the environment and human health.
“It was interesting to find that even a technology that is generally perceived as sustainable can sometimes have a greater environmental impact than conventional fossil-fuel-based materials. This highlights the importance of life cycle assessment studies and the need to carefully consider all factors, including energy sources and lifespan, when evaluating new materials.”
“Stefania’s work just demonstrates that it’s important, when conducting LCAs, that geographical considerations, and cultural practices, are taken into account, to calculate sustainability. The right decisions can then be made to ensure that manufacturing has as low an impact as possible, while also contributing to local economies and African livelihoods.”, said Professor Steve Eichhorn, Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Composites, Science and Manufacturing (CoSEM) – from which this study was funded.
The research was conducted using a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology following the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards for evaluating the environmental impact of materials or processes.
‘Potential Environmental Impact of Mycelium Composites on African Communities’ by Stefania Akromah, Neha Chandarana, Jemma L. Rowlandson and Stephen J. Eichhorn in Scientific Reports.
JOURNAL
Scientific Reports
METHOD OF RESEARCH
Data/statistical analysis
SUBJECT OF RESEARCH
Not applicable
ARTICLE TITLE
Potential Environmental Impact of Mycelium Composites on African Communities
Rapid urbanization in Africa transforms local food systems and threatens biodiversity
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
Since the early 2000s, Africa’s urban population has more than doubled, reaching over 600 million in 2020. If current growth continues, the urban population is expected to double again by 2050. In Africa, the annual rate of urban area expansion has surpassed the rate of urban population growth. Globally, future urban area expansion is expected to cause significant food production losses, reduce biodiversity, and increase land-use change emissions, jeopardizing human livelihoods and the natural environment.
Typically, recent research on the environmental impact of urban expansion treats it as the conversion of various land covers to urban land, focusing only on the direct effects. In a new study, published in Nature Sustainability, IIASA researchers and their colleagues demonstrate the complexity of expected urbanization and its multiple environmental impacts.
“As Africa is urbanizing the fastest, its food system is also transforming rapidly. This puts a lot of pressure on food security in what is already the most food-insecure region in the world,” notes Koen De Vos, study author and a guest research assistant in the Integrated Biospheres Futures Research Group of the IIASA Biodiversity and Natural Resources Program. “In our study, we consider both direct land-use changes and indirect effects, such as agricultural displacement and dietary shifts associated with urbanization, particularly concerning rice consumption.”
The researchers developed a method to integrate all of this information using the GLOBIOM model, creating an elaborate, complex, and multidimensional study that is unprecedented in its scope. Results show that, contrary to common belief, urban area expansion has a limited impact on food production losses, as agricultural land simply expands elsewhere. At the same time, the impact on natural lands is more significant, as it encompasses not only the direct effects of urban area expansion but also the subsequent displacement of agricultural land.
The most important environmental spillover effects arise from dietary changes, particularly rice consumption. As people eat more rice in African cities, more rice needs to be produced, resulting in greater reliance on imports and local production. Consequently, this leads to an increase in methane emissions, additional loss of natural lands, changes in water usage, and biodiversity loss.
“This result adds to the growing evidence that our diets will be one of the major drivers of planetary health,” explains Marta Kozicka, a study coauthor and IIASA researcher in the Integrated Biospheres Futures Research Group.
In their study, the research team highlights that policymakers should adopt holistic approaches in the decision-making process. Integrating indirect land-use effects and dietary shifts into land-use planning and policymaking is essential to tackle future sustainability challenges.
Reference
De Vos, K., Janssens, C., Jacobs, L., Campforts, B., Boere, E., Kozicka, M., Leclère, D., Havlík, P., Hemerijckx, L.M., Van Rompaey, A., Maertens, M., Govers, G. (2024) African food systems and biodiversity affected by urbanization via dietary shifts rather than area expansion. Nature Sustainability DOI: 10.1038/s41893-024-01362-2
About IIASA:
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) is an international scientific institute that conducts research into the critical issues of global environmental, economic, technological, and social change that we face in the twenty-first century. Our findings provide valuable options to policymakers to shape the future of our changing world. IIASA is independent and funded by prestigious research funding agencies in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.
JOURNAL
Nature Sustainability
ARTICLE TITLE
African food systems and biodiversity affected by urbanization via dietary shifts rather than area expansion
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
30-May-2024
Three years after its launch, AFROSCREEN meets all its objectives, developing effective genomic surveillance to tackle epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa
INSTITUT PASTEUR
The AFROSCREEN project, financed to the tune of €10 million by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), has been working since 2021 to set up or strengthen sequencing platforms and build an operational network for monitoring emerging pathogens in West and Central Africa and Madagascar. With 25 partners in 13 sub-Saharan African countries, AFROSCREEN will improve the detection, characterization and genomic surveillance of emerging pathogens for epidemic preparedness and response. The AFROSCREEN project, coordinated by ANRS Emerging infectious diseases, an autonomous agency of Inserm, as part of a consortium with Institut Pasteur and Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), was launched in July 2021 to respond to the Covid-19 epidemic.
The results are presented at the AFROSCREEN regional symposium on May 29 and 30, 2024 in Dakar, Senegal, in the presence of all scientific, technical and financial partners, as well as CDC Africa and WHO.
Genomic sequencing, a public health tool
Today, genomic sequencing is an essential public health tool for detecting and tracking infectious pathogens with epidemic potential. A better understanding of the genome of pathogens and their genetic evolution can guide the production of diagnostic tests, drugs and vaccines, leading to better control of epidemics at both local and international levels.
The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted the disparities between continents in terms of surveillance and sequencing systems. At the end of October 2021, of the 4.6 million sequences shared on the free and public GISAID tool worldwide, only 49,000 came from the African continent, representing less than 1% of Covid-19 cases diagnosed there.
With this in mind, AFROSCREEN was designed to improve preparedness and response activities at regional level, support decision-makers in defining public health priorities in each partner country, and produce data to feed into the international public health effort.
AFROSCREEN regional symposium: review and prospects of the genomic surveillance network in Africa
On May 29 and 30, 2024, the “AFROSCREEN Regional Symposium: a genomic surveillance network for emerging pathogens” will be held in Dakar, Senegal. The event will bring together partners, CDC Africa and WHO representatives, health authorities from the countries concerned and international funding agencies. The aim of the symposium is to take stock of the project's scientific and technical achievements, and to discuss future prospects for capitalizing on this network.
Three years after its launch, the AFROSCREEN project has made it possible to:
- improve the SARS-CoV-2 detection and sequencing capabilities of the 21 laboratories in the network by providing equipment (sequencers, reagents, laboratory materials). Capacity building in these laboratories has contributed to an increase in the number of sequences deposited on GISAID by countries (around 10,000 sequences deposited);
- training over 150 people in charge of sequencing, analysis and data sharing, including biologists, technicians, data managers, bioinformaticians and staff in charge of surveillance and epidemiological investigations;
- create and run the AFROSCREEN network of partner laboratories, comprising 25 partners in 13 African countries;
- set up, reactivate or support 77 sentinel sites in 11 countries for epidemiological surveys and sample collection, as well as for surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
This network can now be rapidly mobilized in the event of the emergence or re-emergence of pathogens with high epidemic potential beyond SARS-CoV-2: influenza, Mpox, dengue, Lassa, chikungunya, Marburg, etc.
To find out more, and discover country-by-country initiatives, visit the AFROSCREEN project website: AFROSCREEN: Strengthening Sequencing Capacities in Africa
The GISAID open-access platform enables the rapid sharing of data (genetic sequences and virus-related clinical and epidemiological data) on influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
The symposium's program is available here (in French).
