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                    <title><![CDATA[ Latest from Live Science in Human-evolution ]]></title>
                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution</link>
        <description><![CDATA[ All the latest human-evolution content from the Live Science team ]]></description>
                                    <lastBuildDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 700-year-old mummy from Bolivia contains earliest confirmed evidence of strep throat bacteria in the Americas ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/americas/700-year-old-mummy-from-bolivia-contains-earliest-confirmed-evidence-of-strep-throat-bacteria-in-the-americas</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A DNA analysis of pathogens from a pre-Hispanic mummy revealed that the bacterium that causes scarlet fever and strep throat was present in the Americas prior to European colonization. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[The Americas]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xFnbxikUBjuXAuGWY8Z638-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[J.G. Estellano/Eurac Research]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The mummy was found in a tomb called a chullpa on the Bolivian Altiplano.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[three brick tombs in the Bolivian desert]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[three brick tombs in the Bolivian desert]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Human evolution didn't slow down; we were just missing the signal': Large DNA study reveals natural selection led to more redheads and less male-pattern baldness ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/human-evolution-didnt-slow-down-we-were-just-missing-the-signal-large-dna-study-reveals-natural-selection-led-to-more-redheads-and-less-male-pattern-baldness</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Over the past 10,000 years, evolution in West Eurasia has been selecting for light skin, red hair and resistance to HIV and leprosy in humans, according to a new study. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:29:02 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:55:58 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wUdSbmHnyTsWK4sS8zmx6G-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Researchers found that natural selection has acted on genes for red hair and male-pattern baldness.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[two redheaded people - a man and a woman - hugging and looking at one another]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[two redheaded people - a man and a woman - hugging and looking at one another]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Homo erectus' tools include stunning geodes and fossils, possibly as a way to connect with the cosmos, study finds ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/homo-erectus-tools-include-stunning-geodes-and-fossils-possibly-as-a-way-to-connect-with-the-cosmos-study-finds</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Homo erectus may have deliberately selected rocks embedded with fossils and crystals to craft their hand axes — possibly to serve as mediators between humans and the cosmos. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:55:41 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:19:41 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sandee Oster ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5tLR5r9t8RSNKwFZjhGo2h-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Courtesy of R. Barkai; CC BY-NC-ND 4.0]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A hand ax shaped around a geological feature unearthed at Sakhnin Valley, in Israel. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A series of brown pointed rocks seen from different angles against a white background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A series of brown pointed rocks seen from different angles against a white background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Human ancestors butchered and ate elephants 1.8 million years ago, helping to fuel their large brains ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/human-ancestors-butchered-and-ate-elephants-18-million-years-ago-helping-to-fuel-their-large-brains</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A professor of anthropology explores how early hominins ate prehistoric elephants to survive. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:19:41 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bG87njeamMvhgAnCbyRmbW-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[ By Geraldshields11 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,&amp;nbsp;, CC BY-SA]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The rotting carcass of an adult African elephant]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A large, gray, wrinkled carcass sits between two trees on a brown, dusty surface.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A large, gray, wrinkled carcass sits between two trees on a brown, dusty surface.]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'They could spend 4 or 5 hours per day underwater': How humans adapted to the most challenging environments ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/they-could-spend-4-or-5-hours-per-day-underwater-how-humans-adapted-to-the-most-challenging-environments</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ In the book "Adaptable," evolutionary anthropologist Herman Pontzer explores human biology and development, and how people have evolved to survive everywhere on Earth. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Herman Pontzer ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VNpW6X2eGCj9HgrMM7EofW-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Whitworth Images via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[People living at high altitudes, like in the Himalayas, have developed traits to help them survive in low-oxygen environments.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Man and yak walking in Himalayas]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Man and yak walking in Himalayas]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Homo habilis is the earliest named human. But is it even human? ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/homo-habilis-is-the-earliest-named-human-but-is-it-even-human</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Between 2 million and 3 million years ago, humans appeared in Africa — but identifying them in the fossil record is turning out to be surprisingly difficult. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Colin Barras ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/435Yz3ieFSMGqN4wTcLQzH-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Peter van Evert via Alamy]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Should our earliest human ancestor be reclassified? Anthropologists are divided.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A close up of a reconstructed skull, missing its lower jaw, against a black background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A close up of a reconstructed skull, missing its lower jaw, against a black background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Major disruption in Neanderthal history': 65,000 years ago, all Neanderthals in Europe died out except for one lineage ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/neanderthals/major-disruption-in-neanderthal-history-65-000-years-ago-all-neanderthals-in-europe-died-out-except-for-one-lineage</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The last Neanderthals to survive in Europe came from a single lineage that survived the worst period of the ice age, ancient DNA reveals. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:02:22 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Charles Q. Choi ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ppt2BppAVpnQAiSqvKFwuf-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Luc Doyon and Dušan Mihailović.]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Pešturina Cave in Serbia, where a Neanderthal tooth that was genetically analyzed in the new study was found.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A view looking from inside a dark cave through an opening where a lush green jungle lies beyond.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A view looking from inside a dark cave through an opening where a lush green jungle lies beyond.]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 2 Neanderthals present at same Siberian cave 10,000 years apart were distant relatives, 110,000-year-old bone reveals ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/neanderthals/2-neanderthals-present-at-same-siberian-cave-10-000-years-apart-were-distant-relatives-110-000-year-old-bone-reveals</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Researchers extracted DNA from a Neanderthal bone fragment found in Russia's Denisova Cave, and the genome is shedding light on how small and isolated their groups were. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 19:41:46 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 22:02:22 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Aristos Georgiou ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/m67LJCThv4ZKv5VSBQEueh-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Diyendo Massilani.]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The 110,000-year-old Neanderthal bone fragment found in Denisova Cave in Russia, from which ancient DNA was extracted.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A close up of a small, cylindrical, yellowish bone with a hollow middle sitting on a shiny surface with a centimeter ruler next to it.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A close up of a small, cylindrical, yellowish bone with a hollow middle sitting on a shiny surface with a centimeter ruler next to it.]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 18 million-year-old fossils of ape found in Africa, but in an unexpected place ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/18-million-year-old-fossils-of-ape-found-in-africa-but-in-an-unexpected-place</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The ancestor of apes was long thought to come from East Africa, but newly discovered fossils in Egypt may prompt a rethink. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:55:54 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Colin Barras ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/e2HbxPEaRhCAbX7wAKZhfJ-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Mauricio Antón]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[An illustration showing a large ape-like creature with brown fur sitting in front of a lush jungle]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[An illustration showing a large ape-like creature with brown fur sitting in front of a lush jungle]]></media:text>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'That's why there's 9 billion of us and not 9 billion of some other primate': Why our ability to adapt is humanity's 'superpower' ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/thats-why-theres-9-billion-of-us-and-not-9-billion-of-some-other-primate-why-our-ability-to-adapt-is-humanitys-superpower</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Live Science spoke with Herman Pontzer, an evolutionary anthropologist and author of the book "Adaptable," about the science of human diversity. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:49:10 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b6QBUgyDCuRSdXwktBzqxH-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[chuvipro via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Pontzer drew insights from his work with the Hadza community in Tanzania throughout &quot;Adaptable&quot;.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Hadza man making an arrow]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Hadza man making an arrow]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Why are humans the only species with a chin?  ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/why-are-humans-the-only-species-with-a-chin</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Potential explanations abound, yet recent research has shed new light on the question. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:02:52 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ amandaeheidt@gmail.com (Amanda Heidt) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Amanda Heidt ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sggaiMLxFBq7BnTjobhSAj-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Catherine Falls Commercial via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Research suggests the chin, a uniquely human feature, may have evolved by chance.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[An image of the bottom half of a man&#039;s face, showing a dark moustache over a white-toothed smile. The man has an earring bar in his left ear and wears a white shirt]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An image of the bottom half of a man&#039;s face, showing a dark moustache over a white-toothed smile. The man has an earring bar in his left ear and wears a white shirt]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Paleolithic humans invented an 'early predecessor to writing' at least 40,000 years ago, carved signs suggest ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/paleolithic-humans-invented-an-early-predecessor-to-writing-at-least-40-000-years-ago-carved-signs-suggest</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A statistical analysis of a series of signs carved into artifacts from around 40,000 years ago suggests humans developed proto-writing in the Stone Age. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:34:39 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JkNv6dwL8vL8YFzrmtKoGX-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Universität Tübingen / Hildegard Jensen, CC BY-SA 4.0]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The mammoth figurine from Vogelherd Cave, approximately 40,000 years old, bears multiple sequences of crosses and dots on its surface.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[side view of a carved mammoth with incised zigzags on it]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[side view of a carved mammoth with incised zigzags on it]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Humans and Neanderthals interbred — but it was mostly male Neanderthals and female humans who coupled up, study finds ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/neanderthals/humans-and-neanderthals-interbred-but-it-was-mostly-male-neanderthals-and-female-humans-who-coupled-up-study-finds</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A preference for pairings between male Neanderthals and female Homo sapiens may answer the question of why there are "Neanderthal deserts" in human chromosomes. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Mon, 02 Mar 2026 17:13:52 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wWN99SCnGejGkViA9SXtm6-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A museum visitor looks at a reconstructed bust of a Neanderthal man.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a light-skinned woman with red hair looks at a bust ofa. Neanderthal man in a museum]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a light-skinned woman with red hair looks at a bust ofa. Neanderthal man in a museum]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Absolute surprise': Homo erectus skulls found in China are almost 1.8 million years old — the oldest evidence of the ancient human relatives in East Asia ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/absolute-surprise-homo-erectus-skulls-found-in-china-are-almost-1-8-million-years-old-the-oldest-evidence-of-the-ancient-human-relatives-in-east-asia</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A new date for Homo erectus skulls found in central China provides new insight into how and when ancient human relatives reached eastern Asia. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:54:13 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RA7HhAU5om2ztTPMLdkRKM-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Photo Credit: Xiaobo Feng and Hua Tu]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The reconstruction of the two original Yunxian &lt;em&gt;Homo erectus&lt;/em&gt; fossils, discovered in 1989 and 1990. There is currently no reconstruction of the third Yunxian skull.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Two reconstructions of archaic human faces based on the two original Yunxian Homo erectus skulls. Below are the original skulls.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Two reconstructions of archaic human faces based on the two original Yunxian Homo erectus skulls. Below are the original skulls.]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Research group claims preeclampsia doomed the Neanderthals, but experts say it's just a 'thought experiment' ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/neanderthals/research-group-claims-preeclampsia-doomed-the-neanderthals-but-experts-say-its-just-a-thought-experiment</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Preeclampsia, a complication of pregnancy that involves high blood pressure, could have led to a decline in Neanderthals' fertility, a new study suggests. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 16:19:11 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 22:57:39 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Xzu95ffHBXjtTQTVFJsDMk-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A team of doctors is suggesting that high blood pressure during pregnancy may have contributed to the decline of Neanderthals.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[reconstruction of a female Neanderthal looking off to the right]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[reconstruction of a female Neanderthal looking off to the right]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ What are ghost lineages, remnants of the past that still exist in our DNA today? ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/what-are-ghost-lineages-remnants-of-the-past-that-still-exist-in-our-dna-today</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Ghost lineages reveal themselves through ancient genes that still exist in living beings today. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:40:45 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tom Metcalfe ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XaGGTH8hVyxGAj6pMBs7jg-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[John Bavaro Fine Art / Science Photo Library]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[This reconstruction is based on the Harbin skull from China. Scientists now recognize the Harbin skull as that of a Denisovan who lived about 146,000 years ago. Genetic analyses show the Denisovans encountered and interbred with the superarchaic human ghost lineage during two distinct periods.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Reconstruction of Homo longi (Denisovan)]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Reconstruction of Homo longi (Denisovan)]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Remote region in Greece has one of the most genetically distinct populations in Europe ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/remote-region-in-greece-has-one-of-the-most-genetically-distinct-populations-in-europe</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A genetic analysis of the Deep Maniots living in Greece's southern Peloponnese region has revealed a close-knit, patriarchal community with roots in the Bronze Age. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 22:29:04 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Wpj6AcxGGKcyc7DNQVXkFh-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The 11th-to-12th-century church of Agios Georgios in the ancient settlement of Ano Poula. The structure showcases the megalithic building tradition of Deep Mani, which is characterized by the use of exceptionally large stone blocks that are laid without mortar.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a building made with stacked stones]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a building made with stacked stones]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ More than 43,000 years ago, Neanderthals spent centuries collecting animal skulls in a cave; but archaeologists aren't sure why ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/more-than-43-000-years-ago-neanderthals-spent-centuries-collecting-animal-skulls-in-a-cave-but-archaeologists-arent-sure-why</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Neanderthals repeatedly returned to the cave to store horned animal skulls, revealing this cultural tradition was transmitted over time. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 16:00:17 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:39:53 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uQ9SMZzKWrRAqG2HqHtB9L-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Baquedano et al. Nature Human Behaviour (2023) CC-BY-4.0]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Neanderthals carefully placed the skulls of steppe bison (a – f), aurochs (g), rhinos (h, i) and red deer (j, k) in a cave in what is now Spain]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[11 skull fragments of horned and antlered large mammals against a black background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[11 skull fragments of horned and antlered large mammals against a black background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 430,000-year-old wooden handheld tools from Greece are the oldest on record — and they predate modern humans ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/430-000-year-old-wooden-handheld-tools-from-greece-are-the-oldest-on-record-and-they-predate-modern-humans</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Archaeologists have found the oldest-known surviving examples of handheld wooden tools. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:13:01 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:31:11 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Owen Jarus ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/s7kiA83ZYMtomm24ovmArX-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Original art by G. Prieto, copyright K. Harvati.]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[An illustration of a Stone Age hunter-gatherer who is making the oldest known wooden handheld tool. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[An artist’s reconstruction of a Marathousa 1 paleo-lithic woman producing a digging stick from a small alder tree trunk with a small stone tool. ]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An artist’s reconstruction of a Marathousa 1 paleo-lithic woman producing a digging stick from a small alder tree trunk with a small stone tool. ]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 160,000-year-old sophisticated stone tools discovered in China may not have been made by Homo sapiens ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/160-000-year-old-sophisticated-stone-tools-discovered-in-china-may-not-have-been-made-by-homo-sapiens</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Archaeologists have found the oldest known evidence of hafted tools in East Asia, and they challenge a previously held assumption about stone tool use. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Wed, 28 Jan 2026 18:04:21 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Owen Jarus ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DpN2UB72PmwyCfBFMMGkBV-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Hulk Yuan, IVPP]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[An illustration of what tool making may have looked like at Xigou around 160,000 years ago.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Artist illustration of Xigou tool-making. We see hands tying a stone point to a stick in front of a river with an elephant and deer.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Artist illustration of Xigou tool-making. We see hands tying a stone point to a stick in front of a river with an elephant and deer.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 480,000-year-old ax sharpener is the oldest known elephant bone tool ever discovered in Europe ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/480-000-year-old-ax-sharpener-is-the-oldest-known-elephant-bone-tool-ever-discovered-in-europe</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The "very rare" find provides an extraordinary glimpse into the ingenuity of early human relatives who lived around half a million years ago. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2026 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:39:58 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Aristos Georgiou ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ijK8j3VaBZcf5rhQC4z57M-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[NHM Photo Unit]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The 480,000-year-old elephant bone tool was discovered at the Boxgrove archaeological site in the United Kingdom.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A slightly trapezoidal tool made from an elephant bone against a black background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A slightly trapezoidal tool made from an elephant bone against a black background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 2.6 million-year-old jaw from extinct 'Nutcracker Man' is found where we didn't expect it ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/2-6-million-year-old-jaw-from-extinct-nutcracker-man-is-found-where-we-didnt-expect-it</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A fossil jaw of a distant human relative was discovered much farther north than previously thought possible, revealing new information about diversity in human evolution. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:51:29 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QBqs9Tgh9CWM8h9A28sc3M-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Alemseged Research Group]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Multiple views of the new &lt;em&gt;Paranthropus&lt;/em&gt; jaw (MLP-3000-1) discovered in Ethiopia (top); comparisons of the new jaw with previously discovered specimens (bottom).&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a series of hominin fossils against a black background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a series of hominin fossils against a black background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ World's oldest known rock art predates modern humans' entrance into Europe — and it was found in an Indonesian cave ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/worlds-oldest-known-rock-art-predates-modern-humans-entrance-into-europe-and-it-was-found-in-an-indonesian-cave</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The hand stencil is more than 1,000 years older than the previous earliest evidence of rock art. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 21 Jan 2026 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:39:58 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZPQTpczJ4AcrdVVASRJZVb-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Maxime Aubert]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The faint outline of a handprint (above the dark bird figure) in the Liang Metanduno cave in Sulawesi is the oldest known rock art in the world. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Faint outline of ancient hand stencil with younger rock art surrounding it]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Faint outline of ancient hand stencil with younger rock art surrounding it]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Human origins quiz: How well do you know the story of humanity? ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/human-origins-quiz-how-well-do-you-know-the-story-of-humanity</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Think you know about our human relatives? Take our quiz to find out — and remember, it's human to make mistakes. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:39:08 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:56:44 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/unVHYnVUYU3Y2WFCT85YeP-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[David Coleman | Have Camera Will Travel via Alamy]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Some hominin species, like Australopithecus afarensis (shown here), survived for around a million years.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Reconstruction of Lucy hominin species]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Reconstruction of Lucy hominin species]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Most complete Homo habilis skeleton ever found dates to more than 2 million years ago and retains 'Lucy'-like features ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/most-complete-homo-habilis-skeleton-ever-found-dates-to-more-than-2-million-years-ago-and-retains-lucy-like-features</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists have revealed the most complete skeleton yet of our 2 million-year-old ancestor Homo habilis. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Thu, 15 Jan 2026 12:37:30 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2buarH7J4BWceVjHbenmq9-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Adapted from Grine, F. E. et al., 2026.]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The bones and teeth of the newly announced &lt;em&gt;Homo habilis&lt;/em&gt; skeleton KNM-ER 64061.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[several upper body fossil bones from archaic Homo habilis on a black background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[several upper body fossil bones from archaic Homo habilis on a black background]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Homo erectus wasn't the first human species to leave Africa 1.8 million years ago, fossils suggest ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/homo-erectus-wasnt-the-first-human-species-to-leave-africa-1-8-million-years-ago-fossils-suggest</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A new analysis of enigmatic skulls from the Republic of Georgia suggest that Homo erectus wasn't the only human species to leave Africa 1.8 million years ago. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 16:48:31 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Mon, 12 Jan 2026 11:17:34 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Charles Q. Choi ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/cBS88cYJwabiXhWn9GeHhL-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Reproductions of ancient skulls found in Dmanisi, Georgia, including a skull (left) of a young woman and the skull and jaw (right) of a male.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Homo georgicus. On the left, reproduction of the skull D2282 probably of a young woman. On the right, reproduction of the skull D2700 and the jaw D2735 corresponding to a male. Lower Pleistocene. Found in Dmanisi (Georgia).]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Homo georgicus. On the left, reproduction of the skull D2282 probably of a young woman. On the right, reproduction of the skull D2700 and the jaw D2735 corresponding to a male. Lower Pleistocene. Found in Dmanisi (Georgia).]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Tiny bump on 7 million-year-old fossil suggests ancient ape walked upright — and might even be a human ancestor ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/tiny-bump-on-7-million-year-old-fossil-suggests-ancient-ape-walked-upright-and-might-even-be-a-human-ancestor</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ The way Sahelanthropus tchadensis moved has long been debated. The discovery of a small bump on the front of the thigh bone is "beyond convincing" evidence this ape was bipedal. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 15:10:14 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:11:23 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jYkVVBVrtc8nvwC8fYU5EM-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Williams et al, Science Advances (2026) CC-BY-4.0]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[&lt;em&gt;Sahelanthropus tchadensis&lt;/em&gt;&#039; (center) knees and hips functioned more like humans&#039; (right) than chimpanzees&#039; (left).]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Chimpanzee skull with ulnar and femur, Sahelanthropus tchadensis skull with ulnar and femur, and human skull with ulnar and femur]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Chimpanzee skull with ulnar and femur, Sahelanthropus tchadensis skull with ulnar and femur, and human skull with ulnar and femur]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Last common ancestor of modern humans and Neanderthals possibly found in Casablanca, Morocco ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/last-common-ancestor-of-modern-humans-and-neanderthals-possibly-found-in-casablanca-morocco</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A collection of bones from Casablanca holds important new clues to the origins of modern humans and Neanderthals. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:22:28 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FHX23QTh6AstT3wHuji4dg-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Philipp Gunz/Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A series of lower jaws from North Africa demonstrates variation among hominin fossils. The jaw on the upper right is from the Thomas Quarry I site in Morocco, newly dated to 773,000 years ago. The one on the upper left is Tighennif 3 from Algeria, from around 700,000 years ago, the lower-left jaw is Jebel Irhoud &lt;em&gt;Homo sapiens&lt;/em&gt; from Morocco, dated to 300,000 years ago; and the lower-right jaw is from a recent modern human.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a series of four lower jawbones from ancient and modern humans against a black background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a series of four lower jawbones from ancient and modern humans against a black background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'More Neanderthal than human': How DNA from our long-lost ancestors affects our health today ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/genetics/more-neanderthal-than-human-how-dna-from-our-long-lost-ancestors-affects-our-health-today</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Neanderthals and humans mated millennia ago, and their legacy lives on in us today. Here's how. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2026 15:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:38:10 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ emily.cooke@futurenet.com (Emily Cooke) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Emily Cooke ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tbHMEnP4AUepNtrEBL9fg3-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Kevin McGivern for Live Science]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Neanderthals and humans interbred at several points in our evolutionary history. The traces of these ancient interactions linger in our genes today.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Illustration of an early modern man embracing a Neanderthal woman. They appear to be in a forest at night. The moonlight is shining through the trees just behind them]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Illustration of an early modern man embracing a Neanderthal woman. They appear to be in a forest at night. The moonlight is shining through the trees just behind them]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 10 things we learned about Neanderthals in 2025 ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/10-things-we-learned-about-neanderthals-in-2025</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Findings about our extinct relatives, the Neanderthals, continue to surprise us, especially those from 2025. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 30 Dec 2025 18:36:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NcVRzvVks9TXChWiY7sBvZ-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[WHPics, Paul Campbell, and Attie Gerber via Getty Images; collage by Marilyn Perkins]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[A series of three skulls, with a neanderthal skull on the left, human in the middle, and australopithecus afarensis on the right]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A series of three skulls, with a neanderthal skull on the left, human in the middle, and australopithecus afarensis on the right]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A series of three skulls, with a neanderthal skull on the left, human in the middle, and australopithecus afarensis on the right]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 1.5 million-year-old Homo erectus face was just reconstructed — and its mix of old and new traits is complicating the picture of human evolution ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/1-5-million-year-old-homo-erectus-face-was-just-reconstructed-and-its-mix-of-old-and-new-traits-is-complicating-the-picture-of-human-evolution</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A never-before-seen Homo erectus face reveals a complex picture of early human evolution. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 15:15:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:38:43 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Skyler Ware ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ArycLz2xgCcNutTAphdD4m-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Karen L. Baab and National Museum of Ethiopia]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Researchers used CT scans to model how this early human&#039;s face might have been shaped.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[two images of a reconstructed homo erectus skull]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[two images of a reconstructed homo erectus skull]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 10 things we learned about our human ancestors in 2025 ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/10-things-we-learned-about-our-human-ancestors-in-2025</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Findings about our human ancestors continue to surprise us, especially those from 2025. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 14:30:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:05:42 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eWrXvahUtQqMZegue8jrEJ-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Lanmas via Alamy]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A skull of &lt;em&gt;Homo floresiensis&lt;/em&gt;, also known as the &quot;hobbit.&quot; ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A photo of a &quot;hobbit&quot; skull against a black background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A photo of a &quot;hobbit&quot; skull against a black background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ We now know much more about how our ancestor 'Lucy' lived —  and died ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/we-now-know-much-more-about-how-our-ancestor-lucy-lived-and-died</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Fifty years after a fossil skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis was unearthed in Ethiopia, we know so much more about how this iconic species lived and died. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 24 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:53:14 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fYQTk5mAC2su3PacAT88fK-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Brigid Slinger]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[An illustration of Lucy]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[An illustration of Lucy]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[An illustration of Lucy]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Biological time capsules': How DNA from cave dirt is revealing clues about early humans and Neanderthals ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/biological-time-capsules-how-dna-from-cave-dirt-is-revealing-clues-about-early-humans-and-neanderthals</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ DNA from soil could soon reveal who lived in ice age caves, research shows. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:30:54 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Gerlinde Bigga ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uSDCZZiY7CM8J5NMkQzxb9-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[GACT]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The team at GACT has been analyzing sediments from Hohle Fels cave in Germany. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Equipment set up to analyze sediments at the cave in Germany.]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Equipment set up to analyze sediments at the cave in Germany.]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Science history: Anthropologist sees the face of the 'Taung Child' — and proves that Africa was the cradle of humanity — Dec. 23, 1924 ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/science-history-anthropologist-sees-the-face-of-the-taung-child-and-proves-that-africa-was-the-cradle-of-humanity-dec-23-1924</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Over a century ago, anthropologist Raymond Dart chipped an ancient skull out of some rock from an ancient quarry — and revealed the face of an ancient human relative. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Wed, 24 Dec 2025 00:43:49 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tia Ghose ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9UCFS2Nb2oN4MamsekuP7B-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[By Didier Descouens - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The Taung Child skull was unearthed in what is now South Africa in 1924. It helped redefine our human family tree.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Photo of the found skull against a black background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Photo of the found skull against a black background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Scientists claim 'Lucy' may not be our direct ancestor after all, stoking fierce debate ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/scientists-claim-lucy-may-not-be-our-direct-ancestor-after-all-stoking-fierce-debate</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Recent fossil finds could mean that "Lucy" wasn't our direct ancestor, some scientists say. Others strongly disagree. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 17:04:21 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:25:00 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/343X9cvkii594Nrj5vgwXL-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Jose A. Bernat Bacete via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Many different ancient human relatives lived at the same, but that makes it tricky to know which one humans descended from. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Four early human relative skulls]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Four early human relative skulls]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'It is the most exciting discovery in my 40-year career': Archaeologists uncover evidence that Neanderthals made fire 400,000 years ago in England ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/it-is-the-most-exciting-discovery-in-my-40-year-career-archaeologists-uncover-evidence-that-neanderthals-made-fire-400-000-years-ago-in-england</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Archaeologists have found the earliest evidence yet of fire technology — and it was created by Neanderthals in England more than 400,000 years ago. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:28:17 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7BgyFWMWPPBfLuBtASUDyZ-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Craig Williams/The Trustees of the British Museum]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[An artist&#039;s impression of making sparks from pyrite and flint.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[artistic drawing of a Neanderthal using a piece of pyrite and flint to make sparks]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[artistic drawing of a Neanderthal using a piece of pyrite and flint to make sparks]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ The 'hobbits' may have died out when drought forced them to compete with modern humans, new research suggests ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/the-hobbits-may-have-died-out-when-drought-forced-them-to-compete-with-modern-humans-new-research-suggests</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ A reduction in rainfall may have played a sizable role in the extinction of Homo floresiensis, the archaic human species nicknamed the "hobbit," a new study finds. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 19 Dec 2025 20:09:38 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Owen Jarus ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eWrXvahUtQqMZegue8jrEJ-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Lanmas via Alamy]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A skull of &lt;em&gt;Homo floresiensis&lt;/em&gt;, also known as the &quot;hobbit.&quot; ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A photo of a &quot;hobbit&quot; skull missing a few teeth against a black background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A photo of a &quot;hobbit&quot; skull missing a few teeth against a black background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Intelligence comes at a price, and for many species, the benefits just aren't worth it': A neuroscientist's take on how human intellect evolved ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/health/neuroscience/intelligence-comes-at-a-price-and-for-many-species-the-benefits-just-arent-worth-it-a-neuroscientists-take-on-how-human-intellect-evolved</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ In his book "One Hand Clapping," Nikolay Kukushkin explores explanations for how consciousness evolved, and ultimately, what makes us human. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 11:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:53:05 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Nikolay Kukushkin ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/q2ic5quy5D38QuqqVNgS6K-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The social brain hypothesis suggests that primates&#039; complex social groups necessitated the evolution of a powerful cortex. ]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[photo of people shown from above, walking over asphalt decorated with an image of a human brain]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[photo of people shown from above, walking over asphalt decorated with an image of a human brain]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'An extreme end of human genetic variation': Ancient humans were isolated in southern Africa for nearly 100,000 years, and their genetics are stunningly different ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/an-extreme-end-of-human-genetic-variation-ancient-humans-were-isolated-in-southern-africa-for-nearly-100-000-years-and-their-genetics-are-stunningly-different</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Ancient genomes from southern Africa show that people evolved in isolation for upward of 100,000 years. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2025 16:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:33:52 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nEgQWBkyDdZkxehZbJ7XtC-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Mattias Jakobsson]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Mandible of Matjes River 1 woman, who lived 7,900 years ago in southern Africa.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a human mandible missing several teeth against a peach-colored background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a human mandible missing several teeth against a peach-colored background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Modern humans arrived in Australia 60,000 years ago and may have interbred with archaic humans such as 'hobbits' ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/modern-humans-arrived-in-australia-60-000-years-ago-and-may-have-interbred-with-archaic-humans-such-as-hobbits</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ New genetic research shows that DNA and archaeological evidence align with the "long chronology" of the peopling of Australia. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 28 Nov 2025 19:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:04:30 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PtV2G28BW35mFoq4AuBq9N-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Helen Farr and Erich Fisher]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A map of Sunda, Sahul and the Western Pacific, with arrows showing potential north and south migration routes suggested by genetic analysis.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a map of Sundaland showing possible migration routes of early humans into Sahul]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a map of Sundaland showing possible migration routes of early humans into Sahul]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Are humans still evolving? An anthropologist breaks it down. ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/are-humans-still-evolving-an-anthropologist-breaks-it-down</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ We are indeed still evolving, though it can be hard to tell because it happens over generations and often involves things you can't see, such as what foods different people are able to digest. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Fri, 28 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Michael A. Little ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iAgRZRQovCx2nUXNF5F7ZA-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[OLIVIER MORIN via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[One man wearing traditional white Inuit clothes and another man wearing yellow overalls eat seal liver on the Arctic]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[One man wearing traditional white Inuit clothes and another man wearing yellow overalls eat seal liver on the Arctic]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[One man wearing traditional white Inuit clothes and another man wearing yellow overalls eat seal liver on the Arctic]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ A fossilized foot found 15 years ago belonged to enigmatic human relative that lived alongside Lucy, scientists say ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/a-fossilized-foot-found-15-years-ago-belonged-to-enigmatic-human-relative-that-lived-alongside-lucy-scientists-say</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Freshly unearthed jaw bones and teeth that were found close to a previously discovered foot suggest human relatives tried several ways of walking before honing in on one strategy. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 17:13:39 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:04:12 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/msuT3HpyasRT3LYdckm6FP-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Yohannes Haile-Selassie, Arizona State University]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The Burtele foot (left) and the foot embedded in an outline of a gorilla foot.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[On the left are eight foot bones and on the right are the same foot bones over an outline of a gorilla foot]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[On the left are eight foot bones and on the right are the same foot bones over an outline of a gorilla foot]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Neanderthals cannibalized 'outsider' women and children 45,000 years ago at cave in Belgium ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/neanderthals-cannibalized-outsider-women-and-children-45-000-years-ago-at-cave-in-belgium</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Fragmented Neanderthal bones discovered in a cave in Belgium show that one group cannibalized the women and children of another group. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:01:05 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:37:15 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Cgwfntx3HjoLuq7rX7MhZk-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Study author Hélène Rougier displays the butchered Neanderthal bones in a 2016 image.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a woman stands in front of a table full of bones with a human skeleton in the background]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a woman stands in front of a table full of bones with a human skeleton in the background]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Science history: Iconic 'Lucy' fossil discovered, transforming our understanding of human evolution — Nov. 24, 1974 ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/science-history-iconic-lucy-fossil-discovered-transforming-our-understanding-of-human-evolution-nov-24-1974</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ 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. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 24 Nov 2025 07:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Tia Ghose ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2StKjLopujbANRPZgrWHyP-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Dave Einsel / Stringer via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    <media:description><![CDATA[A rendering of Lucy]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A rendering of Lucy]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A rendering of Lucy]]></media:title>
                                                    </media:content>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Did Neanderthals have religious beliefs? ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/did-neanderthals-have-religious-beliefs</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Whether Neanderthals had religious beliefs is a subject of ongoing debate. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 20:21:06 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Neanderthals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Owen Jarus ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7eWiNyzUZTkAK48E3aqxbn-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Is it possible that Neanderthals — whose skull and reconstruction we see here — had religious beliefs?]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A facial reconstruction from a Neanderthal skull, next to the skull itself]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A facial reconstruction from a Neanderthal skull, next to the skull itself]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Kissing goes back 21 million years, to the common ancestor of humans and other large apes, study finds ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/kissing-goes-back-21-million-years-to-the-common-ancestor-of-humans-and-other-large-apes-study-finds</link>
                                                                            <description>
                            <![CDATA[ Scientists traced kissing back to a primate ancestor that lived around 21 million years ago. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 11:32:30 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 13:46:13 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Primates]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Animals]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Land Mammals]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Clarissa Brincat ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/94atsUpAJkycjGKs6WsEbk-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Andreas Last via Getty Images]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Kissing may have started around 21 million years ago, a new modeling study finds.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a photo of an ape pressing its lips to another ape&#039;s cheek in a kiss-like behavior]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a photo of an ape pressing its lips to another ape&#039;s cheek in a kiss-like behavior]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'Perfectly preserved' Neanderthal skull bones suggest their noses didn't evolve to warm air ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/perfectly-preserved-neanderthal-skull-bones-suggest-their-noses-didnt-evolve-to-warm-air</link>
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                            <![CDATA[ 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. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2025 22:35:34 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 18 Nov 2025 16:39:17 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                <author><![CDATA[ kkillgrove@livescience.com (Kristina Killgrove) ]]></author>                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kristina Killgrove ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EEAWGP5Wdjfmo7VyLWcoCG-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Constantino Buzi/IPHES-CERCA]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[A Neanderthal skull was discovered in a cave in Altamura, Italy, in 1993.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[a neandertal skull in a cave]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[a neandertal skull in a cave]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ Prehistoric Jomon people in Japan had 'little to no' DNA from the mysterious Denisovans, study finds ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/prehistoric-jomon-people-in-japan-had-little-to-no-dna-from-the-mysterious-denisovans-study-finds</link>
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                            <![CDATA[ The prehistoric Jomon people of Japan had "unexpectedly low" levels of DNA from the Denisovans, our mysterious human relatives. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:48:23 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Tue, 11 Nov 2025 23:53:02 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Sophie Berdugo ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/png" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8rTzmjaDHDazwPUFG2pFPB-1280-80.png">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[Fu et al, Cell (2025) CC-by-4.0]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[The 146,000-year-old cranium of an individual with Denisovan mitochondrial DNA discovered in northeastern China.]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[Denisovan cranium with jaw bone missing]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[Denisovan cranium with jaw bone missing]]></media:title>
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                                                            <title><![CDATA[ 'The images could be much older': Analysis of rocks shows Neanderthals made art at least 64,000 years ago ]]></title>
                                                                                                                                                                                                <link>https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/human-evolution/the-images-could-be-much-older-analysis-of-rocks-shows-neanderthals-made-art-at-least-64-000-years-ago</link>
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                            <![CDATA[ Art has sometimes thought to be exclusive to modern humans. ]]>
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                                                                        <pubDate>Sat, 08 Nov 2025 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate>                                                                                                                                <updated>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 12:25:58 +0000</updated>
                                                                                                                                            <category><![CDATA[Human Evolution]]></category>
                                                    <category><![CDATA[Archaeology]]></category>
                                                                                                                    <dc:creator><![CDATA[ Paul Pettitt ]]></dc:creator>                                                                                                    <media:content type="image/jpeg" url="https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qZdXC5h9Dv3AohH58aHTp5-1280-80.jpg">
                                                            <media:credit><![CDATA[WH Pics via Shutterstock]]></media:credit>
                                                                                                                                                                        <media:description><![CDATA[Neanderthal handprints in a replica of Maltravieso Cave, Spain]]></media:description>                                                            <media:text><![CDATA[A photograph of Neanderthal handprints on a cave wall]]></media:text>
                                <media:title type="plain"><![CDATA[A photograph of Neanderthal handprints on a cave wall]]></media:title>
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