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Latest about Human Evolution

Human ancestor 'Lucy' was hairless, new research suggests. Here's why that matters.
By Stacy Keltner published
Lucy is popularly depicted as being hairy, but new evidence suggests she wasn't. The discovery prompts new questions about the history of nudity.

Neanderthals and humans interbred 47,000 years ago for nearly 7,000 years, research suggests
By Charles Q. Choi published
DNA from prehistoric and modern-day people suggests that humans interbred with Neanderthals 47,000 years ago for a period lasting 6,800 years.

Neanderthals could talk — but how sophisticated was their language?
By Steven Mithen published
Neanderthals could talk, but they likely couldn't use or understand metaphors, which compare two unlike things, research suggests.

Why did Homo sapiens emerge in Africa?
By Katherine Irving published
Our human ancestors arose in Africa due to many factors, including climate.

What's the difference between Neanderthals and Homo sapiens?
By Emily Cooke published
Neanderthals are our closest relatives who went extinct around 40,000 years ago. Here's how they differed to us.

130,000-year-old Neanderthal-carved bear bone is symbolic art, study argues
By Soumya Sagar published
The carved bear bone is one of the earliest human-made artifacts with "symbolic culture" unearthed in Europe.

Neanderthal woman's face brought to life in stunning reconstruction
By Emily Cooke published
With her long, brown hair and determined gaze, the new facial reconstruction lets us peek into the world of an archaic human who lived tens of thousands of years ago.

Ancient quarries in Israel reveal where Homo erectus hunted and butchered elephants
By Tom Metcalfe published
Researchers suggest ancient quarry sites in Israel were favored because they were close to elephant migration routes.

'It haunts all our imaginations': Were Neanderthals really like us?
By Ludovic Slimak published
In this adapted extract from The Naked Neanderthal: A New Understanding of the Human Creature, Ludovic Slimak examines how we should view our ancient relatives, the Neanderthals.

'Simply did not work': Mating between Neanderthals and modern humans may have been a product of failed alliances, says archaeologist Ludovic Slimak
By Tia Ghose published
"When two populations are close to one another but they are very distinct — maybe they can have a different language and different traditions, they are in neighboring territories — they are going to exchange their women."
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