Sharp drops in global temperatures helped seal the fate of three extinct hominin species, including our close relatives, the Neanderthals, according to thousands of archaeological specimens and a model of past climate conditions.

Africa’s sparse fossil record alone cannot reveal our species’ evolutionary history.

Modern human genomes and bones left behind from ancient hominins in Africa tell a complex story about the origins of our species.

Researchers’ simulations suggest that small population sizes and inbreeding made Neanderthal populations vulnerable to chance fluctuations in population size.

The finding overturns the idea that the insect’s first victims were bats and reveals that certain species started targeting humans as a side snack, not as a main meal.

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.

Modern humans retain DNA sequences from Neanderthals related to fighting off RNA-based viruses.

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

The find is estimated to be at least 177,000 years old.