Hominid Hunting

An overview of the Olorgesailie basin landscape, where the archeological site exists that contains stone weapons and tools

To Adapt to a Changing Environment 400,000 Years Ago, Early Humans Developed New Tools and Behaviors

When the East African Rift Valley transformed dramatically, new weapons arose and trade expanded

A replica of Piltdown Man

How to Solve Human Evolution’s Greatest Hoax

The "discovery" turned out to be the biggest hoax in the history of paleoanthropology

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Tree Climbers, Wood Eaters, and More: The Top 10 Human Evolution Discoveries of 2012

This year's hominid finds illuminate the great diversity and adaptability of our ancient relatives

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Top 7 Human Evolution Discoveries From South Africa

The search for humans' most ancient ancestors began in South Africa, where some of paleoanthropology's most iconic fossils have been found

In 1921, a miner found Kabwe 1, also called the Broken Hill Skull.

Four Species of Homo You’ve Never Heard Of, Part II

The history of anthropology is littered with many now-defunct hominid species that no longer have a place on the human family tree

A reconstruction of Homo erectus, the first hominid to reach a modern height.

How Death Played a Role in the Evolution of Human Height

A longer life expectancy might have allowed members of the genus Homo to grow taller than earlier australopithecines, researchers propose

Even Legos can be a gift for human evolution enthusiasts.

A Holiday Gift Guide for the Whole Human Family

An offering of books, bumper stickers, artwork and other knickknacks for the hominid enthusiast on your gift list

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Primate Origins Tied to Rise of Flowering Plants

Scientists argue that grasping hands and feet, good vision and other primate adaptations emerged because the mammals plucked fruits from the ends of tree branches

A partial Homo antecessor skull that was unearthed at the Gran Dolina cave site in the Atapuerca Mountains of Spain.

Homo antecessor: Common Ancestor of Humans and Neanderthals?

A hominid that lived in Europe more than a million years ago might have given rise to Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, some anthropologists say

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The Top Seven Human Evolution Discoveries From Tanzania

Fossil finds from Tanzania in the mid-20th century kicked off East African hominid hunting

The 3.5-million-year-old Australopithecus bahrelghazali from Chad probably ate grass, just like the modern baboons seen here do.

Early Hominids Had a Taste for Grass

Unlike earlier hominids, the 3.5-million-year-old Australopithecus bahrelghazali ate grassland foods

Small stone blades from South Africa dating to 71,000 years ago may be the earliest evidence of bow and arrows.

Early Bow and Arrows Offer Insight Into Origins of Human Intellect

Tiny blades discovered in South Africa suggest early humans had advanced intelligence and modern culture 71,000 years ago

A reconstruction of Lucy, an Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy probably walked much slower than taller members of her species.

Did Lucy Walk Too Slow for Her Taller Group Mates?

Huge variability in Australopithecus afarensis height may have made it difficult for group members to walk together at the same speed

An artist’s reconstruction of Purgatorius, a probable primate ancestor.

Five Early Primates You Should Know

Scientists have identified dozens of early primates, based on teeth, but still have a hard time assessing how these mammals relate to modern primates

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Why Are Humans Primates?

People may seem very different from lemurs, monkeys and apes, but all primates share a few key physical and behavioral characteristics

The 3.3-million-year-old fossils of an Australopithecus afarensis child from Dikika, Ethiopia, suggest the hominid climbed trees. The individual’s right shoulder blade (side view) is visible beneath the skull.

Fossilized Shoulder Reveals Early Hominids Climbed Trees

The shoulder blades of a 3.3-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis child suggest the species spent at least some time in the treetops

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The Mystery of Human Blood Types

The ABO blood group evolved at least 20 million years ago, but scientists still don't understand the purpose of blood types

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Whatever Happened to Kenyanthropus platyops?

Scientists disagree over whether a 3.5-million-year-old skull is a flat-faced species of hominid or just a distorted example of Australopithecus afarensis

This X-ray of a human skull highlights the main nasal cavity (orange) and the sinuses: frontal (pink), ethmoid (yellow), maxillary (green) and sphenoid (purple). Asian apes do not have frontal or ethmoid sinuses.

Clues to Ape (and Human) Evolution Can Be Seen in Sinuses

Would sinus headaches be more bearable if humans had descended from Asian apes instead of African apes?

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The Top Ten Human Evolution Discoveries from Ethiopia

Home to Lucy, Ardi, the oldest stone tools, the first fossils of modern humans and many other discoveries, Ethiopia deserves the title of Cradle of Humankind

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