A fossil cranium from Kenya tells the story of an extinct elephant species
The anatomy of the teeth in the cranium and its bones show that it belongs to an extinct cousin of the living African savanna and forest elephants.
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Ancient antelope teeth offer surprise insights into how early humans lived
By studying antelope fossils, researchers can revisit long-standing questions about how the Cradle of Humankind’s environment evolved through time.
Bone suggests ‘Red Deer Cave people’ a mysterious species of human
A new study is rewriting our understanding of archaic humans and how they may have interacted with early humans.
Did ‘rising star’ shine too bright?
Last week was rather exceptional for human evolution science, even for those of us who are used to the extravagances of media attention that surround the field. We were spoilt with the announcement of…
What the 3.2 million‑year‑old Lucy fossil reveals about nudity and shame
The way Lucy has been depicted in newspapers, textbooks and museums shows how today’s cultural norms influence perceptions of the past.
Our stone tool discovery pushes back the archaeological record by 700,000 years
Stone tools excavated in Kenya date back 3.3 million years – making them about a million years older than the oldest known fossils from our own hominid genus Homo. Who made and used these tools?
We can still see these 5 traces of ancestor species in all human bodies today
If we go far enough back in time, we all share an ancestor. And some of the features found in our bones and bodies today are a testament to that.
Breakthrough shows humans were already standing on their own two feet 7 million years ago
New research shows our oldest ancestors were able to walk as well as evolve in trees.
Saga of ‘the Hobbit’ highlights a science in crisis
To state the obvious: human evolution is not without its drama – and the latest salvo in the ongoing Hobbit, or Homo floresiensis, battle confirms this yet again. The 2004 announcement of Homo floresiensis…
The discovery of fire: initial steps toward anthropogenic climate change
The evidence for a rapid shift in state of the terrestrial atmosphere-ocean system over the last two centuries (see figure 1) requires a deep time perspective, beyond events of the day. Tracing the original…
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