{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.early-modern-human","code":"thing-q115690473","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q115690473/","name":"early modern human","alternateNames":[],"kind":"thing","status":"research-draft","version":"0.1.0-research.1","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Physical world and living systems","entryKind":"thing","plane":"PHY","domain":["PHY.LIV"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"Early modern human is an informal palaeoanthropological designation for early members of Homo sapiens exhibiting a substantially modern anatomical pattern, rather than a separate species or a population defined by a universally agreed date range.","purpose":"Enable an AI agent to recognise and assess evidence attributed to early Homo sapiens, distinguish competing interpretations, and determine justified research or stewardship actions.","scope":{"in":["Operational definitions of early modern human and their relationship to Homo sapiens","Anatomical evidence used to attribute human remains to early Homo sapiens","Chronological, geographical and depositional context of attributed remains","Population relationships and archaeological associations supported by evidence","Preservation, uncertainty and permissible investigation of associated human remains"],"out":["People of the historical Early Modern period solely because they lived during that period","A complete model of Homo sapiens biology across all periods","Other hominin taxa except where needed for comparison or relationship assessment","Archaeological cultures, tools or sites treated as equivalent to biological populations","Present-day racial classifications or claims of evolutionary superiority","Independent management models for museums, excavations and heritage jurisdictions"],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["The attribution concerns early Homo sapiens under a stated palaeoanthropological definition; a historical period label alone does not qualify.","Recognition rests on an assessed combination of anatomical, chronological or biomolecular evidence, with alternatives recorded; no isolated trait is assumed sufficient.","The record distinguishes a specimen, an individual, a population and a classification concept rather than applying their properties interchangeably.","Association with tools or symbolic objects does not by itself establish the maker's biological identity.","Anatomical attribution and claims about behaviour are evaluated separately rather than assuming that one establishes the other."],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"attribution-and-boundaries","name":"Attribution and boundaries","description":"Establishes what early modern human means in the record and what entity receives that attribution.","layers":[{"id":"operational-definition","name":"Operational definition","description":"Makes the intended palaeoanthropological usage explicit.","findings":[{"id":"meaning-of-early-modern-human","name":"Meaning of early modern human","description":"Record the definition being applied, its source and its relationship to the broader Homo sapiens concept.","questions":[{"text":"Which source defines early modern human for this assessment, and what anatomical or chronological criteria does it require?","id":"meaning-of-early-modern-human-q01","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Does the source treat the label as an informal grouping within Homo sapiens or make a different taxonomic claim?","id":"meaning-of-early-modern-human-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"referent-and-alternatives","name":"Referent and alternatives","description":"Separates the object of assessment from competing interpretations.","findings":[{"id":"attribution-target","name":"Attribution target","description":"Record whether the claim concerns particular remains, an individual or a population, together with competing attributions.","questions":[{"text":"Which identified specimens or individuals receive the attribution, and how were commingled remains separated?","id":"attribution-target-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What alternative hominin attribution has been considered, and which observations distinguish it from the preferred interpretation?","id":"attribution-target-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"anatomical-recognition","name":"Anatomical recognition","description":"Connects attribution to preserved cranial, dental and postcranial evidence.","layers":[{"id":"diagnostic-observations","name":"Diagnostic observations","description":"Records the anatomical combination used in recognition.","findings":[{"id":"observed-morphological-pattern","name":"Observed morphological pattern","description":"Assess the preserved evidence for features such as cranial vault form, facial projection, mandibular symphysis form and skeletal proportions without assuming a universal checklist.","questions":[{"text":"Which cranial, mandibular, dental or postcranial observations support the attribution, and which relevant elements are absent?","id":"observed-morphological-pattern-q01","kind":"measurement"},{"text":"Which comparative samples and diagnostic criteria were used to evaluate this combination of features?","id":"observed-morphological-pattern-q02","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"variation-and-reconstruction","name":"Variation and reconstruction","description":"Tests whether apparent differences reflect biology, damage or analytical choices.","findings":[{"id":"limits-of-morphological-inference","name":"Limits of morphological inference","description":"Record the effects of developmental age, estimated sex, pathology, deformation and reconstruction on interpretation.","questions":[{"text":"How could developmental age, sex-related variation or pathology account for the traits used in attribution?","id":"limits-of-morphological-inference-q01","kind":"boundary"},{"text":"Which measurements depend on restored or digitally reconstructed anatomy, and how sensitive is the attribution to those reconstructions?","id":"limits-of-morphological-inference-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]}]},{"id":"time-place-and-populations","name":"Time, place and populations","description":"Locates attributed remains in a dated context and constrains population-level interpretations.","layers":[{"id":"dated-occurrence","name":"Dated occurrence","description":"Establishes where and when the remains can defensibly be placed.","findings":[{"id":"chronological-and-stratigraphic-placement","name":"Chronological and stratigraphic placement","description":"Record dating evidence and contextual integrity separately from the preferred age estimate.","questions":[{"text":"Were the human remains dated directly, or does their age depend on associated material or stratigraphic position?","id":"chronological-and-stratigraphic-placement-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What age interval is supported, and how do dating uncertainty, reworking or intrusive burial affect it?","id":"chronological-and-stratigraphic-placement-q02","kind":"measurement"}]}]},{"id":"population-interpretation","name":"Population interpretation","description":"Evaluates relationships among occurrences without converting geographical proximity into ancestry.","findings":[{"id":"affinity-and-dispersal-evidence","name":"Affinity and dispersal evidence","description":"Separate morphological similarity, biomolecular relationships and inferred movements into distinct claims.","questions":[{"text":"What morphological or authenticated biomolecular evidence supports a proposed population affinity or admixture relationship?","id":"affinity-and-dispersal-evidence-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Does the distribution establish only dated presence, or also support continuity or dispersal after accounting for sampling gaps?","id":"affinity-and-dispersal-evidence-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"lifeways-and-association","name":"Lifeways and association","description":"Assesses ecology and behaviour through evidence whose relationship to the humans is demonstrated.","layers":[{"id":"ecological-context","name":"Ecological context","description":"Relates individuals to reconstructed environments and subsistence evidence.","findings":[{"id":"habitat-and-diet-inference","name":"Habitat and diet inference","description":"Distinguish evidence from human tissues from environmental and faunal proxies.","questions":[{"text":"Which evidence comes directly from the individual, such as dental wear or tissue chemistry, and which comes from the surrounding deposit?","id":"habitat-and-diet-inference-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"What temporal averaging, preservation effects or alternative explanations limit the inferred habitat and diet?","id":"habitat-and-diet-inference-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"archaeological-behaviour","name":"Archaeological behaviour","description":"Tests links between attributed humans and material practices.","findings":[{"id":"makers-and-practices","name":"Makers and practices","description":"Evaluate claims concerning technologies, fire use, burial or symbolic activity independently of anatomical classification.","questions":[{"text":"What contextual evidence connects a proposed practice or artefact assemblage to these humans rather than another occupation?","id":"makers-and-practices-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which specific behaviour is supported, and where would broader claims about cognitive capacity exceed the evidence?","id":"makers-and-practices-q02","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"remains-and-research-actions","name":"Remains and research actions","description":"Connects the physical condition and custody of human remains to justified investigation.","layers":[{"id":"evidence-integrity","name":"Evidence integrity","description":"Tracks preservation and treatment history relevant to further analysis.","findings":[{"id":"analytical-suitability","name":"Analytical suitability","description":"Assess whether existing material can reliably answer a proposed dating, anatomical or biomolecular question.","questions":[{"text":"What excavation, handling, consolidant or sampling history could affect dating results, surface observations or biomolecular authentication?","id":"analytical-suitability-q01","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which proposed analyses remain feasible given completeness, alteration and available unsampled material?","id":"analytical-suitability-q02","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"authorised-investigation","name":"Authorised investigation","description":"Determines whether a specific intervention is justified and permitted.","findings":[{"id":"sampling-and-stewardship-decision","name":"Sampling and stewardship decision","description":"Record the research benefit, material cost, applicable permissions and consultation requirements for the proposed action.","questions":[{"text":"Can existing measurements, scans or archived samples answer the question before additional human material is consumed?","id":"sampling-and-stewardship-decision-q01","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which custodial permissions, legal requirements and relevant community consultation apply to handling, sampling or sharing results from these remains?","id":"sampling-and-stewardship-decision-q02","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"evidence-and-external-alignment","name":"Evidence and external alignment","description":"What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.","layers":[{"id":"reported-evidence","name":"Reported evidence","description":"Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.","findings":[{"id":"evidence-confidence-notes","name":"Check these first","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these check these first hold for the sense of early modern human this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-confidence-notes-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-kinds","name":"Kinds and varieties","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of early modern human this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-kinds-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-identifiers","name":"Identifiers and schemes","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of early modern human this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-identifiers-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-real-world-use","name":"Real-world use","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of early modern human this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-real-world-use-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards","name":"Failure modes and hazards","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of early modern human this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-failure-modes-and-hazards-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-regional-variation","name":"Regional variation","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of early modern human this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-regional-variation-q01","kind":"provenance"}]},{"id":"evidence-neighbours","name":"Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart","description":"Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.","questions":[{"text":"Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of early modern human this model covers, and on what evidence?","id":"evidence-neighbours-q01","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Describe early modern humans and the fossil and genetic evidence about them from current research.","Explain that the term is informal and its boundaries are debated."],"mustNot":["Use early human fossils or traits to rank living populations or support racist claims.","Present contested dates or interpretations as settled.","Assist in trading human fossils or remains outside lawful channels.","Disregard the views of descendant communities about remains from their lands."],"requiresHuman":["Handling, sampling or publishing images of human remains."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Human remains deserve respect, and descendant communities have a stake in how they are treated.","Human evolution has been misused to justify racism."],"affectedParties":["Descendant and Indigenous communities","Researchers","The public"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody: past people; the museums and heritage authorities holding remains answer for them.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.early-modern-human","Wikidata: Q115690473 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115690473)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"required","items":["Operational attribution: Attributed, provisionally attributed, disputed, excluded or unassessed under a named definition","Record referent: Specimen, reconstructed individual, assemblage, population or classification concept","Chronological estimate: Age interval in years with reference convention, dating method, calibration where applicable and uncertainty","Anatomical evidence profile: Element-specific observed traits, measurements, missing observations and reconstructed features","Developmental age: Estimated age interval or developmental stage with method and uncertainty","Estimated biological sex: Method-reported estimate, indeterminate or unassessed, with uncertainty","Contextual association: Links to locality, stratigraphic unit, dated material and associated finds, each with association strength","Preservation and alteration: Element completeness, deformation, surface alteration, conservation treatment and contamination history","Population relationship hypothesis: Proposed affinity, continuity, dispersal or admixture relationship with evidence type and confidence"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"required","items":["Skulls with a high rounded braincase, a small brow ridge and a projecting chin, compared with earlier humans."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["Compare an attribution with its stated criteria and identify evidence that could change it.","Reassess anatomical observations while accounting for development, preservation and reconstruction.","Compare dated occurrences using compatible chronological conventions and explicit uncertainty.","Evaluate whether behavioural or population claims are supported by securely associated evidence.","Identify research that could resolve an uncertainty and check permissions before sampling or handling remains."]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Destructive sampling can damage irreplaceable remains.","Misreported findings can feed pseudoscience and racist claims."]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, issued by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, governs the scientific name Homo sapiens but does not establish early modern human as a separate formal taxon."]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["The term is used in palaeoanthropology and Palaeolithic archaeology when discussing early members of Homo sapiens.","It appears in research, museum interpretation and comparative studies of fossil anatomy, chronology and human dispersal.","Its intended scope must be checked in each source because it has no universally agreed chronological boundary."]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q115690473: early modern human","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115690473","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Early modern human","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_modern_human","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Which source concept underlies this registry entry, and does its intended coverage concern early Homo sapiens globally or a narrower regional usage?","What chronological criteria should this catalogue adopt for early, and should those criteria vary by region or remain source-specific?","Which anatomical combinations and comparative samples best support inclusion of disputed specimens without imposing a rigid evolutionary progression?","Which authoritative taxonomic identifiers should be inherited through the Homo sapiens relationship, and does any separate identifier represent this informal grouping accurately?","Which population and behavioural interpretations remain unresolved because dating, biomolecular preservation or archaeological association is insufficient?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q115690473/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q115690473/spec.json"],"providers":["Codex"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-12T09:23:13Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"missing","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"filled","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{},"score":0.941}}