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Latest about Human Evolution
Science history: Iconic 'Lucy' fossil discovered, transforming our understanding of human evolution — Nov. 24, 1974
On an expedition in the Awash Valley in Ethiopia, two anthropologists uncovered the bones of a 3.2 million-year-old human ancestor. The iconic "Lucy" fossil would reveal much about our species' tangled family tree.
Did Neanderthals have religious beliefs?
Whether Neanderthals had religious beliefs is a subject of ongoing debate.
'Perfectly preserved' Neanderthal skull bones suggest their noses didn't evolve to warm air
An analysis of the only intact Neanderthal inner nose bones known to exist reveals that our ancient cousins' enormous noses did not evolve to withstand harsh climates.
Prehistoric Jomon people in Japan had 'little to no' DNA from the mysterious Denisovans, study finds
The prehistoric Jomon people of Japan had "unexpectedly low" levels of DNA from the Denisovans, our mysterious human relatives.
'The images could be much older': Analysis of rocks shows Neanderthals made art at least 64,000 years ago
Art has sometimes thought to be exclusive to modern humans.
Crimean Stone Age 'crayons' were used by Neanderthals for symbolic drawings, study claims
Scientists have discovered Stone Age "crayons" in Crimea, hinting that Neanderthals may have used them for symbolic drawings or markings. But not everyone agrees.
Differences in red blood cells may have 'hastened the extinction' of our Neanderthal cousins, new study suggests
Gene variants in red blood cell function may have doomed the hybrid babies of Neanderthals and modern humans.
Did Neanderthals eat anything other than meat?
Neanderthals were meat eaters, but new analyses show that their diets included other morsels.
Neanderthals were more susceptible to lead poisoning than humans — which helped us gain an advantage over our cousins, scientists say
Humans and our ancestors have been exposed to lead for 2 million years, but the toxic metal may have actually helped our species to develop language — giving us a key advantage over our Neanderthal cousins, scientists claim.
