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Svante Pääbo with a skeleton
Svante Pääbo Awarded Nobel for Paleogenomics
The geneticist’s accomplishments include sequencing Neanderthal DNA and leading the project that identified a new species of hominin, the Denisovans.
Svante Pääbo Awarded Nobel for Paleogenomics
Svante Pääbo Awarded Nobel for Paleogenomics

The geneticist’s accomplishments include sequencing Neanderthal DNA and leading the project that identified a new species of hominin, the Denisovans.

The geneticist’s accomplishments include sequencing Neanderthal DNA and leading the project that identified a new species of hominin, the Denisovans.

hominin evolution

Illustration of a human and Neanderthal skull side by side.
Mutation Linked to Difference Between Human and Neanderthal Brains
Dan Robitzski | Sep 9, 2022 | 5 min read
A single amino acid substitution in a protein causes increased neuron production in the frontal lobes of humans compared to Neanderthals—a tiny difference that could have given our species a cognitive edge, researchers say.
Woman with buns and blue sweater chewing gum, smiling, and stretching it out of her mouth.
The Energetic Cost of Chewing May Have Shaped Hominin Evolution
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Aug 17, 2022 | 4 min read
The simple act of chewing gum can raise the body’s metabolic rate by as much as 15 percent, a study finds.
Yves Coppens gives a speech at a lectern
Paleontologist and “Lucy” Codiscoverer Yves Coppens Dies at 87
Lisa Winter | Jul 11, 2022 | 2 min read
Coppens, alongside Donald Johanson and Maurice Taieb, found a 3.2-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis fossil in the 1970s.
Between Ape and Human book cover
Book Excerpt from Between Ape and Human
Gregory Forth | Apr 18, 2022 | 8 min read
In Chapter 7, “More Remarkable Encounters,” author Gregory Forth relays a story told to him by Tegu, a Lio man who says he found and disposed of a dead organism that might fit the description of an "ape-man."
Between Ape and Human book cover
Opinion: Another Species of Hominin May Still Be Alive
Gregory Forth | Apr 18, 2022 | 4 min read
Do members of Homo floresiensis still inhabit the Indonesian island where their fossils helped identify a new human species fewer than 20 years ago?
man in suit
Paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey Dies at Age 77
Chloe Tenn | Jan 3, 2022 | 3 min read
The Kenyan fossil finder is known for his discoveries of various Stone Age artifacts and ancient human skulls and skeletons.
A young Maurice Taieb looks at a fossil.
Maurice Taieb, Geologist Who Discovered “Lucy” Site, Dies at 86
Lisa Winter | Aug 27, 2021 | 2 min read
Taieb recognized the potential importance of the Hadar Formation, where remains of the hominin Australopithecus afarensis were found only a few years later.
3 by 5 grid of black and white photos of indigenous Filipino portraits
Indigenous Filipino Group Has Highest Known Denisovan Ancestry
Annie Melchor | Aug 13, 2021 | 3 min read
Researchers found the relatively high proportion of DNA from a hominin cousin—nearly 5 percent—when they scanned more than 1,000 genomes from 118 distinct ethnic groups.
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An artist's depiction of a new species of Homo, H. longi
“Dragon Man” May Replace Neanderthal as Our Closest Relative
Amanda Heidt | Jun 25, 2021 | 8 min read
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.
Y Chromosome from Early Modern Humans Replaced Neanderthal Y
Jef Akst | Sep 24, 2020 | 5 min read
A selective advantage may have led the modern human Y chromosome to sweep through the Neanderthal population after it was introduced via interbreeding more than 100,000 years ago.
Genetics Steps In to Help Tell the Story of Human Origins
Katarina Zimmer | Sep 1, 2020 | 10+ min read
Africa’s sparse fossil record alone cannot reveal our species’ evolutionary history.
Infographic: Meet Your Ancient Ancestors and Relatives in Africa
Katarina Zimmer | Sep 1, 2020 | 7 min read
Modern human genomes and bones left behind from ancient hominins in Africa tell a complex story about the origins of our species.
artifacts homo sapiens ancient hominin neanderthal bulgaria cave
45,000-Year-Old Human Remains Found in Bulgarian Cave
Jef Akst | May 12, 2020 | 2 min read
A tooth and six bone fragments are the oldest confirmed Homo sapiens fossils in Europe.
Image of the Day: Ancient Dental Enamel
Amy Schleunes | Apr 3, 2020 | 1 min read
An analysis of fossilized teeth sheds light on the evolutionary relationships between Pleistocene hominins.
a readout showing genetic sequences
Remnants of Extinct Hominin Species Found in West African Genomes
Shawna Williams | Feb 13, 2020 | 2 min read
A study points to the existence of an ancient human relative that interbred with Homo sapiens.
Homo sapiens Might Not Be Responsible for Neanderthal Demise
Catherine Offord | Nov 29, 2019 | 2 min read
Researchers’ simulations suggest that small population sizes and inbreeding made Neanderthal populations vulnerable to chance fluctuations in population size.
Ape Fossils Shed New Light on Evolution of Bipedalism
Catherine Offord | Nov 7, 2019 | 2 min read
The 12-million-year-old bones of a previously unknown species named Danuvius guggenmosi challenge the prevailing view about when and where our ancestors first started walking upright.
Neanderthal DNA in Modern Human Genomes Is Not Silent
Jef Akst | Sep 1, 2019 | 10+ min read
From skin color to immunity, human biology is linked to our archaic ancestry.
Exploding Stars Probably Didn’t Spur Hominins to Walk Upright
Ashley Yeager | Sep 1, 2019 | 3 min read
The astronomical idea doesn’t align well with the fossil record, anthropologists argue, but the origins of bipedalism are still difficult to determine.
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