A massive, well-preserved skull discovered in China in the 1930s belongs to a new species called Homo longi, researchers report, but experts remain skeptical about the evidence.

Impressions that ancient brains left in fossilized skulls reveal that the first human ancestors to migrate out of Africa had much more primitive brains than previously thought.

A new analysis of the hand of the 4.4-million-year-old partial skeleton of Ardipithecus ramidus indicates that the human ancestor may have climbed and swung through trees like chimpanzees do.

Neanderthal DNA surprises in modern humans, the first blood test for Alzheimer’s, a discovery of new human salivary glands, and, oh yeah, a pandemic

An isotopic analysis of eggshell beads dating back more than 30,000 years indicates that they helped build networks that stretched for hundreds of kilometers.

The crania of individuals who lived in the Yucatán Peninsula during the late Pleistocene show a high degree of anatomical diversity among them, and their skull shapes differ from that of other North American populations of the time.

A new analysis of more than 2,500 human genomes indicates that modern Eurasians who acquired Neanderthal DNA during past interbreeding migrated back to Africa and spread those sequences.

Microbial species that are commonly associated with oral diseases in modern humans are unreliable proxies for determining tooth health status in ancient samples, a new study finds.

Archaeologists find ring-shaped objects made from grains at a site in Austria thought to date back to 960 BCE.

Thirteen hominin bones found in a cave are so unique that archaeologists have determined they stem from a distinct hominin species, although others question whether the researchers have enough evidence.

Agriculture and other land uses can distort the levels of an earth mineral marker used to map the origins and movements of ancient humans and animals, a new study finds.

Scientists work to help relocate colleagues who lost everything.

Analyses of more than 300 ancient human genomes show that Hepatitis B virus has infected humans for at least 4,500 years and has much older origins than modern viral genomes would suggest.

Researchers find impressions left by a human some 13,000 years ago in British Columbia.

Researchers find that modern human populations carry distinct sets of genes from the extinct hominin species.

A new study counters the popular theory that after Mount Toba blew its top 74,000 years ago, humans almost went extinct.

The animal pictures and hand stencils were made in caves in Spain thousands of years before Homo sapiens arrived in Europe.

“Cheddar Man” had dark hair and blue eyes, a sequencing analysis suggests.

The genome of an infant who lived in Alaska thousands of years ago represents a previously unknown group of humans called Ancient Beringians, who share a common lineage with other Native Americans.