Smithsonian's Human Origins Program

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Wondering about our cover photo? These 4 skulls represent 4 species of early human, all found in East Africa (northern Kenya), which overlapped in time. While we are the only species of human left on earth, our family tree was once diverse. The skulls are (from left to right):

KNM-ER 1813, Homo habilis, about 1.9 million years old
KNM-ER 3733, Homo erectus, about 1.8 million years old
KNM-ER 1470, Homo rudolfensis, about 1.9 million years old
KNM-ER 406, Paranthropus boisei, about 1.7 million years old

This week's Friday fun reading is a recently posted guide to ๐˜ˆ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ด species by University of Wisconsin-Madison...
09/29/2023

This week's Friday fun reading is a recently posted guide to ๐˜ˆ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ด species by University of Wisconsin-Madison's John Hawks!

These ancient human relatives include the first species with evidence of upright walking and running like humans. They represent more than a third of our evolutionary history.

We're excited to hear about a new human evolution exhibit at the Iziko Museums of South Africa called HUMANITY, which op...
09/28/2023

We're excited to hear about a new human evolution exhibit at the Iziko Museums of South Africa called HUMANITY, which opened today, and reimagines the story of human evolution as centered on the diversity of humans today and how we came to be that way.

Iziko Museums of South Africa, in collaboration with the Human Evolution Research Institute at the University of Cape Town (UCT), will host a new exhibition entitled, HUMANITY.

Following on our post from yesterday - more cool trackways research in southern Africa! A team led by Kunstgeschichte (F...
09/28/2023

Following on our post from yesterday - more cool trackways research in southern Africa! A team led by Kunstgeschichte (Friedrich-Alexander-Universitรคt Erlangen-Nรผrnberg)'s Andreas Pastoors recently presented evidence that during the Later Stone Age in what is now Namibia, rock artists imbued so much detail into their engravings of human and animal prints that current-day Indigenous trackers could identify which animals' prints they were depicting, as well as the animals' general age and s*x.

During the Later Stone Age in what is now Namibia, rock artists imbued so much detail into their engravings of human and animal prints that current-day Indigenous trackers could identify which animals' prints they were depicting, as well as the animals' general age and s*x. Andreas Pastoors of Fried...

A team led by Nelson Mandela University's Charles Helm recently described evidence from at least three tracksites on the...
09/27/2023

A team led by Nelson Mandela University's Charles Helm recently described evidence from at least three tracksites on the South African Cape south coast suggesting that that humans may have worn footwear while traversing dune surfaces there during the Middle Stone Age.

Trackway findings support the notion of southern Africa being one region where human cognitive and practical ability developed a very long time ago.

Yesterday was National Family Day! A group of over 200 ๐˜ˆ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด fossils from over a dozen individuals ...
09/26/2023

Yesterday was National Family Day! A group of over 200 ๐˜ˆ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ง๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด fossils from over a dozen individuals found in 1975 at the site of AL-333 at Hadar, Ethiopia, and dated to ~3.2 million years ago, are nicknamed "the First Family". Learn more about this early human species on our website:

Australopithecus afarensis Behavior Primate Behavior Footprints Stone Tools Getting Food Carrying & Storing Hearths & Shelters Burial Recording Information Making Clothing Art & Music Human Fossils Species Fossils Mystery Skull Interactive Shanidar 3 - Neanderthal Skeleton 3D Collection Artifacts Fo...

Itโ€™s National Cooking Day! The ability to cook fundamentally altered ancestral diets and may have contributed to increas...
09/25/2023

Itโ€™s National Cooking Day! The ability to cook fundamentally altered ancestral diets and may have contributed to increases in brain size in human evolution. Cooking makes food easier to digest and allows access to more nutrients. Cooking with fire may go back to 1 million years ago, but could have potentially started even earlier.

Tools & Food Walking Upright Tools & Food Bodies Brains Social Life Language & Symbols Humans Change the World Human Characteristics: Tools & Foods Some non-human primates occasionally use tools. So how are humans different? Watch this video to find out. NOTE: This video is silent. New Tools, New Fo...

This week's Friday fun reading celebrates Hobbit Day today! The small-statured, large-footed ๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ง๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด got its n...
09/22/2023

This week's Friday fun reading celebrates Hobbit Day today! The small-statured, large-footed ๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ง๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด got its nickname "the Hobbit" from its resemblance to the creatures from J. R. R. Tolkien's novels.

Homo floresiensis Behavior Primate Behavior Footprints Stone Tools Getting Food Carrying & Storing Hearths & Shelters Burial Recording Information Making Clothing Art & Music Human Fossils Species Fossils Mystery Skull Interactive Shanidar 3 - Neanderthal Skeleton 3D Collection Artifacts Fossils Pri...

An exciting find published yesterday: a team led by University of Liverpool's Lawrence Barham presented their discoverie...
09/21/2023

An exciting find published yesterday: a team led by University of Liverpool's Lawrence Barham presented their discoveries of modified wood from Kalambo Falls in Zambia dated to at least 476,000 years ago. These include the earliest-known example of a hominin-crafted wooden structure and a collection of wooden tools.

Ancient hand-crafted wooden structures excavated in Zambia.

A recent study by Duke University's Herman Pontzer looked at patterns of obesity in 40 species of nonhuman primates, and...
09/20/2023

A recent study by Duke University's Herman Pontzer looked at patterns of obesity in 40 species of nonhuman primates, and found that they can put on too much weight just as easily as humans can, regardless of diet, habitat, or genetic differences - all they need is extra food. This contradicts the idea that our species is prone to obesity because our ancestors evolved "thrifty genes" making us incredibly efficient at storing calories to get through tough times.

Contrary to some theories, our species didnโ€™t evolve to gain weight more easily than other apes and monkeys, study finds

A recent study led by Dartmouth's Luke Fannin concluded that apes and early humans likely evolved free-moving shoulders ...
09/19/2023

A recent study led by Dartmouth's Luke Fannin concluded that apes and early humans likely evolved free-moving shoulders and flexible elbows to slow their descent from trees as gravity pulled on their heavier bodies.

The rotating shoulders and extending elbows that allow humans to reach for a high shelf or toss a ball with friends may have first evolved as a natural braking system for our primate ancestors who simply needed to get out of trees without dying.

A new 3D analysis led by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Antoine Muller suggests that these 1.4 million year old ro...
09/18/2023

A new 3D analysis led by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Antoine Muller suggests that these 1.4 million year old rounded stones called spheroids from โ€˜Ubeidiya, Israel, were intentionally made by early humans.

New 3D analysis suggests 1.4-million-year-old objects were intentionally made

This week's Friday fun reading is a nod to the 20th anniversary of the discovery of ๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ง๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด earlier this month...
09/15/2023

This week's Friday fun reading is a nod to the 20th anniversary of the discovery of ๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ง๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด earlier this month.

The explosive discovery of a tiny, enigmatic hominin in an Indonesian cave in 2003 captivated the world. Now, 20 years later, scientists are still struggling to understand the hobbitโ€™s place in the human family tree.

A recent study led by Universidad Complutense de Madrid's Raquel Asiain revisited La Pasiega, Spain's cave's rock art us...
09/14/2023

A recent study led by Universidad Complutense de Madrid's Raquel Asiain revisited La Pasiega, Spain's cave's rock art using new digital stereoscopic recording methods and identified previously unnoticed animal figures within the cave art.

Research led by Complutense University, Madrid, has discovered an array of ancient cave paintings hidden among previously described cave art. In a paper, "Animals hidden in plain sight: stereoscopic recording of Paleolithic rock art at La Pasiega cave, Cantabria," published in Antiquity, the team fi...

A recent study led by UP Diliman's Hermine Xhauflair of damage on 39,000 year old stone tools from Tabon Cave, Phillipin...
09/13/2023

A recent study led by UP Diliman's Hermine Xhauflair of damage on 39,000 year old stone tools from Tabon Cave, Phillipines, indicates indirect evidence of basket/tying material making - suggesting that fiber technology was was an integral part of late Pleistocene skillset in Southeast Asia.

Studying tools found in Tabon Cave, archaeologists found traces that indicate plants were used as crafting components.

This past Sunday was Grandparent's Day! The relationship between human grandparents and grandchildren is rarely seen in ...
09/12/2023

This past Sunday was Grandparent's Day! The relationship between human grandparents and grandchildren is rarely seen in other animals. The "Grandmother hypothesis" for the existence of menopause kin humans posits that the assistance in care and nourishment that grandmothers gave to their grandchildren enabled mothers to have more children, so women who lived long enough to provide this grandmotherly support would have more surviving grandchildren who carried their genes for longevity.

Scientists debate the evolutionary benefits of menopause

A recent genetic study on the remains of 30 people who lived during the Iron or Bronze Age in Sardinia, Tunisia and main...
09/11/2023

A recent genetic study on the remains of 30 people who lived during the Iron or Bronze Age in Sardinia, Tunisia and mainland Italy conducted by an international team of anthropologists, archaeologists and geneticists led by Stanford University's Jonathan Pritchard and University of Vienna's Ron Pinhasi learned more about the migration patterns of people living around the Mediterranean Sea during the Iron and Bronze ages. They found evidence of widespread migration around the Mediterranean, suggesting strong ties between distant people.

An international team of anthropologists, archaeologists and geneticists has learned more about the migration patterns of people living around the Mediterranean Sea during the Iron and Bronze ages. In their study, reported in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, the group conducted genetic sequen...

This week's Friday fun reading is a recent SAPIENS article about how the discovery of a human skull and jawbone at Tam P...
09/08/2023

This week's Friday fun reading is a recent SAPIENS article about how the discovery of a human skull and jawbone at Tam Pร  Ling in Laos helps push back the timing of modern humansโ€™ migration into Southeast Asia.

Researchers explain how a skull and jawbone from a Laos cave helps push back the timing of modern humansโ€™ migration into Southeast Asia.

We're excited to kick off our fall HOT (Human Origins Today) Topic free online events on Thursday, September 21 from 11:...
09/07/2023

We're excited to kick off our fall HOT (Human Origins Today) Topic free online events on Thursday, September 21 from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm ET with Texas A&M University's Heather Thakar discussing the domestication of maize! Preregistration required.

HOT (Human Origins Today) Topic - From ancient teosinte to modern corn: the domestication of plants and people [ONLINE] Acknowledgments Events Human Origins Program Team Broader Social Impacts Committee What We Do Members & Member Resources Members Thoughts on Science, Religion & Human Origins (vide...

Do the grammars of languages tend to evolve simpler when spoken by larger societies of strangers with many non-native sp...
09/06/2023

Do the grammars of languages tend to evolve simpler when spoken by larger societies of strangers with many non-native speakers? A recent study led by Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology's Olena Shcherbakova says no, and shows that changes in grammatical complexity are not shaped by social environments.

A new study shows that changes in grammatical complexity are not shaped by social environments

Our ๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด and ๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด reconstructions in particular want you to know that this past Saturda...
09/05/2023

Our ๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด and ๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ช๐˜ฅ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ด reconstructions in particular want you to know that this past Saturday, September 2nd, was World Beard Day. ๐Ÿง”

Reconstructed Faces Slideshows Bronze Statues Reconstructed Faces Videos Audio Reconstructed faces from the "What Does It Mean To Be Human?" exhibit. Paranthropus boisei, male. Reconstruction based on OH 5 and KNM-ER 406 by John Gurche Australopithecus africanus. Reconstruction based on STS 5 by Joh...

This week's Friday fun reading is a great recent overview of Neanderthals by archaeologist Rebecca Wragg Sykes.
09/01/2023

This week's Friday fun reading is a great recent overview of Neanderthals by archaeologist Rebecca Wragg Sykes.

Neanderthals are an extinct lineage of hominins that emerged around 400,000 years ago and died off around 40,000 years ago. They are the closest known human relatives and interbred with Homo sapiens.

A recent study led by Chinese Academy of Sciences's Xiujie Wu and Wu Liu suggests that 300,000 year old fossil remains f...
08/31/2023

A recent study led by Chinese Academy of Sciences's Xiujie Wu and Wu Liu suggests that 300,000 year old fossil remains found at Hualongdong, China, may belong to a yet unknown human lineage

A team of paleontologists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, working with colleagues from Xi'an Jiaotong University, the University of York, the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Research Center on Human Evolution, has found evidence of a previously unknown human lineage. I...

A recent experimental archaeology study led by Kent State University's Michelle Bebber found that the use of atlatls (sp...
08/30/2023

A recent experimental archaeology study led by Kent State University's Michelle Bebber found that the use of atlatls (spear throwers) equalizes female and male projectile weapon velocity while hunting, supporting women's potential active role as prehistoric hunters.

A new study led by archaeologist Michelle Bebber, Ph.D., an assistant professor in Kent State University's Department of Anthropology, has demonstrated that the atlatl (i.e., spear thrower) functions as an "equalizer," a finding which supports women's potential active role as prehistoric hunters.

A recent detailed genetic study led by Fudan University's Ke Wang and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology...
08/29/2023

A recent detailed genetic study led by Fudan University's Ke Wang and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology's Johannes Krause of ร–tzi, the 5,300 year old 'Iceman' found high in the Alps, determined that he had dark eyes, skin pigmentation darker than that commonly seen among modern inhabitants of Greece or Sicily, was going bald, and was descended from farmers who migrated from Anatolia, an area that is now part of Turkey.

Genetic analysis shows that ร–tzi was descended from farmers who migrated from an area that is now part of Turkey

A team led by Universitรฉ de Toulouse's Arthur Gicqueau and Universitรฉ de Bordeaux's Bruno Maureille recently determined ...
08/28/2023

A team led by Universitรฉ de Toulouse's Arthur Gicqueau and Universitรฉ de Bordeaux's Bruno Maureille recently determined that part of a fossil pelvis (hip bone) from Grotte du Renne cave in Arcy-sur-Cure, France, may have belonged to an early lineage of modern humans, ๐˜๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ด๐˜ข๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ด, one subtly different from present-day modern humans - suggesting that a group often thought of as solely Neanderthals in Europe may have consisted of Neanderthals and modern humans living together.

Fossil found in France is not quite modern human and not quite Neanderthal.

It's National Hair Loss Awareness month! Modern humans have 'lost' a lot of body hair compared with earlier human specie...
08/25/2023

It's National Hair Loss Awareness month! Modern humans have 'lost' a lot of body hair compared with earlier human species and other primates. In this week's Friday fun reading, find out about some of the possible explanations why in this Smithsonian Magazine article:

We are the naked apes of the world, having shed most of our body hair long ago

08/24/2023

This Saturday is National Dog Day! How did this species come to be known as "human's best friend"? Check out our videos from past HOT (Human Origins Today) Topic programs with Dr. Audrey Lin on 5/15/21 https://ow.ly/E7xK50PB3T6 and Dr. Angela Perri on 5/18/23 https://ow.ly/whcC50PB3SX to learn more about our long history with dog domestication!

A recent study led by Marshall University's F. Robin O'Keefe of the remains of animals trapped long ago in the La Brea t...
08/23/2023

A recent study led by Marshall University's F. Robin O'Keefe of the remains of animals trapped long ago in the La Brea tar pits in whatโ€™s now Los Angeles, California, concluded that warming, drying climate plus humansโ€™ hunting and burning of the landscape led to large fires that precipitated the end-Pleistocene megafauna die-offs there around 13,000 years ago - and forever changed the ecosystem there.

Rapid drying combined with human-made fires changed Southern California forever, killing off ancient bison, dire wolves and five other megafauna species there.

A recent high-quality redo of the genome of ร–tzi the Iceman, who died ~5,300 years ago in the Italian Alps, led by Eurac...
08/21/2023

A recent high-quality redo of the genome of ร–tzi the Iceman, who died ~5,300 years ago in the Italian Alps, led by Eurac Research's Albert Zink and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology's Johannes Krause suggests he probably had male-pattern baldness, much darker skin than previously thought, and Antatolian-farmer ancestry.

Improved DNA analysis updates thinking on alpine mummyโ€™s skin colour, ancestry and more.

This week's Friday fun reading celebrates International Orangutan Day tomorrow! From genomics to physiology to behavior,...
08/18/2023

This week's Friday fun reading celebrates International Orangutan Day tomorrow! From genomics to physiology to behavior, studies of these great apes can give us insight into the evolutionary history of primates - and our own lineage. Read more about these close evolutionary cousins of ours from the Smithsonianโ€™s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute:

Orangutans are the largest arboreal mammals and the most socially solitary of the great apes. All three orangutan species โ€” Bornean, Sumatran and the newly discovered Tapanuli โ€” are critically endangered, primarily due to habitat loss.

A new study led by Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology's Wolfgang Haak combined genetic, archaeological a...
08/17/2023

A new study led by Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology's Wolfgang Haak combined genetic, archaeological and social anthropological methods to analyze the remains of more than 100 dead individuals buried between 4850 and 4500 B.C.E. at the Gurgy โ€œLes Noisatsโ€ cemetery in central France. They found that women older than a certain age left their family and place of birth to reside with their reproductive partner elsewhere, while the men stayed near their biological family.

New archaeological finds offer a glimpse of family life 6,500 years ago

Check out this recent Big Think video featuring primatologist Frans de Waal who inadvertently popularized the term "alph...
08/16/2023

Check out this recent Big Think video featuring primatologist Frans de Waal who inadvertently popularized the term "alpha male." Now, heโ€™s debunking common stereotypes to explain what an "alpha male" really is โ€” empathetic and protective.

Primatologist Frans de Waal inadvertently popularized the term โ€˜alpha male.โ€™ Now, heโ€™s debunking common stereotypes to explain what an โ€˜alpha maleโ€™ really is โ€“ empathetic and protective.

In a recent study led by Christian-Albrechts-Universitรคt zu Kiel's Daniel Unterweger, a research team has examined ancie...
08/15/2023

In a recent study led by Christian-Albrechts-Universitรคt zu Kiel's Daniel Unterweger, a research team has examined ancient and modern ๐˜ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ช๐˜ข ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ด (plague) genomes ranging from the Neolithic to the modern pandemic and found that it took up new genetic elements that increased the virulence of the pathogen.

The origins of the plague go back to the Neolithic Age, with the oldest findings of the causative pathogen Yersinia pestis coming from human bones around 5,000 years old. In the history of the plague, the late antique Justinianic plague from the sixth century and the so-called Black Death of the lat...

Yesterday was International Left Handers Day! Being left-handed is rare in the human fossil record, as it is today; stud...
08/14/2023

Yesterday was International Left Handers Day! Being left-handed is rare in the human fossil record, as it is today; studies of handedness show a preference for the right hand extending far back in our evolutionary lineage. Researchers can study ancient handedness by examining marks left on teeth during oral processing - essentially when using the mouth as a third hand.

Scientists have discovered one of the earliest examples of handedness in an ancient human

This week's Friday fun reading is about a recent study led by UCSF's Alex Pollen which focused on gene function to help ...
08/11/2023

This week's Friday fun reading is about a recent study led by UCSF's Alex Pollen which focused on gene function to help identify genetic changes that made us human - and may provide unique clues into how humans and chimps have evolved, including how humans became able to grow comparatively large brains.

Humans split away from our closest animal relatives, chimpanzees, and formed our own branch on the evolutionary tree about seven million years ago. In the time sinceโ€”brief, from an evolutionary perspectiveโ€”our ancestors evolved the traits that make us human, including a much bigger brain than ch...

A recent study led by Universitรฉ de Bordeaux's Maรฏtรฉ Rivollat and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology's W...
08/10/2023

A recent study led by Universitรฉ de Bordeaux's Maรฏtรฉ Rivollat and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology's Wolfgang Haak used ancient genomics to build the largest-ever genealogy of a prehistoric family, providing a snapshot of life in an early farming community dating to about 6,500 years ago in France.

Unprecedented genealogical tree reveals details of prehistoric social relationships.

It's National Book Lovers Day! Check out some of our recommended reading material on human evolution here: https://human...
08/09/2023

It's National Book Lovers Day! Check out some of our recommended reading material on human evolution here: https://humanorigins.si.edu/education/recommended-books.

Recommended Books Introduction to Human Evolution Lesson Plans For College Students Fun Facts Human Origins Glossary Teaching Evolution through Human Examples Frequently Asked Questions Recommended Books Mystery Skull Interactive When scientists discover a fossil skull, they compare it to skulls tha...

Today is International Cat Day! Some evidence points to our domestication of cats as far back as 9,000 years ago, while ...
08/08/2023

Today is International Cat Day! Some evidence points to our domestication of cats as far back as 9,000 years ago, while some researchers argue cats still aren't truly domesticated. You can read about some of our history with cats and the genomic insights into domesticity in this Smithsonian Magazine post:

There is little genetic difference between a tabby and a wild cat, so scientists think the house cat is only domestic when it wants to be

08/07/2023

Yesterday was National Friendship Day! Social relationships have played an important role in human evolution. Strong, lasting bonds help us navigate the complexities of human society. Learn more about the evolution of human social interactions on our website here: https://humanorigins.si.edu/human-characteristics/social-life

This week's Friday fun reading is about field research currently being conducted in Tanzania by Arizona State University...
08/04/2023

This week's Friday fun reading is about field research currently being conducted in Tanzania by Arizona State University anthropologist Kathryn Ranhorn. She studies human behavior and social lives primarily through understanding stone tool use - and she prioritizes cultivating relationships with the people who live near the sites where she works and whose lives can be most impacted by her team's research.

Thereโ€™s a place in Tanzania called Kondoa thatโ€™s known for its ancient rock paintings that cover a granite cliff. The district overlooks the Maasai Steppe โ€” a semiarid grassland where giraffes, zebras and wildebeest roam freely. It's a place where anthropologist Kathryn Ranhorn is conducting r...

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This week's Friday Fun reading post is about great ape sign language - and whether our evolutionary cousins understand it the way we humans do. https://bigthink.com/life/ape-sign-language/
Why do contemporary humans eat so much meat? Our own Briana Pobiner provides an evolutionary perspective on this topic in this recent DW News article. https://www.dw.com/en/why-do-humans-eat-so-much-meat/a-60735141
A team led by University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Jam Simek recently used 3D photogrammetry to uncover the largest cave art discovered in North America: intricate etchings of humanlike figures and a serpent, carved by Native Americans deep in a cave in northern Alabama more than 1000 years ago. https://www.science.org/content/article/largest-native-american-cave-art-revealed-3d-scans
A pair of ancient DNA studies, including one of the largest assemblages of ancient human genomes yet published, recently homed in on the identity of the hunter-gatherers who settled down and began farming in the Middle East sometime before 12,000 years ago. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01322-w
A team led by Emory University's John Lindo and Universidad de la Repรบblica's Gonzalo Figueiro sequenced the first whole genome sequences of the ancient people of Uruguay, which provided a genetic snapshot of Indigenous populations of the region before the arrival of Europeans. https://phys.org/news/2022-05-ancient-dna-insights-lost-indigenous.html
This week's Friday fun reading is on a more serious topic: the flagship journal of the American Association of Biological Anthropologists, the American Journal of Biological Anthropology, recently announced that any submissions to the journal would need to comply with ethical requirements for human remains used in the research. Read more in this Popular Science article on how the "decision is part of an ongoing conversation within the field of bioanthropologyโ€”a discipline that uses biological tools like genetics to study human life throughout historyโ€”to redefine its responsibilities to both its subjects and their descendants". https://www.popsci.com/science/anthropology-human-remains-guidelines/
Read about recent research on what studies of ancient DNA from 34 Late Stone Age human burials across Africa by Yale University's Jessica Thompson and colleagues tells us about ancient human population dynamics during this time. https://yalealumnimagazine.com/articles/5492-messages-from-the-dead
Why do humans sleep less than other primates? An essay in Knowable Magazine outlines competing hypotheses. https://knowablemagazine.org/article/society/2022/why-people-sleep-less-than-primate-relatives
A recent study of animal tools and bones from Brooker Island in Papua New Guinea led by The Australian National University's Ben Shaw shed new light on the peopling of the Pacific - one of the most significant migrations in human history, beginning three millennia ago. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/23/new-clues-shed-light-on-pivotal-moment-in-the-great-pacific-migration
A recent study led by University of Padova's Luca Pagani analyzed Eurasian Paleolithic DNA evidence to help understand the population dynamics that followed the successful migration of our species out of Africa before population differentiation in other parts of Eurasia and Oceania. https://www.nature.com/articles/d43978-022-00053-w
This week's Friday fun reading is a more serious piece in SAPIENS by University of Colorado Denver's Jaime Hodgkins and Yale University's Jessica Thompson: "Impossible Choices at the Crossroads of Motherhood and Fieldwork", calling for family-friendly work cultures. https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/motherhood-and-fieldwork/
We're excited to announce our final free online Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History HOT Topic event of this season, which will take place on Thursday May 19 from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm ET! Penn State's Nina Jablonski will talk about how human skin color has evolved, and why it matters - the role this adaptation plays in our health and well-being. Pre-registration required. https://naturalhistory.si.edu/events/evolution-skin-tones-reflection-human-adaptation-and-health
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