Erin Wayman

Erin Wayman

 

Erin Wayman is a science and human evolution blogger for Hominid Hunting. She has M.As in biological anthropology and science writing.

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Neanderthals Weren’t Stone Age Rodeo Riders?

Neanderthal injuries are often compared to those of rodeo riders, but these cowboys may not be the best guide to our cousins' trauma

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The Clovis Weren’t the First Americans

Projectile points found in Oregon provide more evidence that people arrived in the New World before the Clovis culture

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Sahelanthropus tchadensis: Ten Years After the Disocvery

A decade ago, scientists unearthed what may be the oldest hominid ever found

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Were the Hobbits’ Ancestors Sailors?

The forefathers of Homo floresiensis reached Flores either by sailing to the island or being accidently washed out to sea by a tsunami, scientists say

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Spend Your Fourth of July Hominid Hunting

Celebrate Independence Day with a trip to one of America's many archaeological parks

The dental plaque on Australopithecus sediba teeth reveals the species ate wood or bark.

Australopithecus Sediba: The Wood-Eating Hominid

For the first time, researchers have discovered that a hominid dined on wood or bark

Cave art evolved in Europe 40,000 years ago. Archaeologists reasoned the art was a sign that humans could use symbols to represent their world and themselves.

When Did the Human Mind Evolve to What It is Today?

Archaeologists are finding signs of surprisingly sophisticated behavior in the ancient fossil record

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The Paradox of the Nutcracker Man

Researchers have assumed Paranthropus boisei used its giant teeth to crack open nuts, but conflicting evidence suggests the hominid ate more like a cow

Hamadryas baboons live in complex, multilevel societies. A pair of anthropologists say Homo erectus did, too.

Why Homo erectus Lived Like a Baboon

A harsh environment might have led Homo erectus to evolve complex societies similar to those of desert-dwelling hamadryas baboons

An analysis of virus fossils suggests Denisovans, not humans, were Neanderthals' closest relatives.

Virus “Fossils” Reveal Neanderthals’ Kin

Genetic remnants of an ancient infection indicate the mysterious Denisovans, not humans, are Neanderthals' closest cousins

Mary and Louis Leakey

Louis Leakey: The Father of Hominid Hunting

Louis Leakey popularized the study of human evolution and sparked the search for human ancestors in Africa

Pigs were domesticated in several different regions of the world.

Old McHominid’s Farm

Where and when did humans domesticate dogs, pigs, cows and other animals?

Some fossil evidence indicates the common ancestor of gorillas (shown), chimpanzees and humans came from Europe.

Did Africa’s Apes Come From Europe?

Fossil evidence hints that the common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees and humans evolved in Europe

An artist's depiction of Afrotarsius (upper left) and other early primates from Africa

Out of Asia: How Monkey and Ape Ancestors Colonized Africa

A new fossil discovery suggests that anthropoid ancestors originated in Asia and then rafted across the ocean to Africa

Sometimes sleeping on the ground is cooler and more comfortable for chimpanzees.

Chimpanzees Sleep in Trees to Escape the Humidity

Making nests in trees keeps chimps comfortable and safe from nighttime predators

The entrance to Shanidar Cave in northern Iraq

Human Evolution Discoveries in Iraq

Fossils from the Shanidar Cave provide insights on health, violence and death rituals among Neanderthals

This skull from the Petralona Cave is one of the few hominid fossils found in Greece that date to the Middle Pleistocene.

Where Are Greece’s Missing Hominids?

Given its location and climate, Greece should be filled with hominid bones and stone tools

Someone painted this rhinoceros on a wall in France's Chauvet Cave about 30,000 years ago.

The Top Four Candidates for Europe’s Oldest Work of Art

The discovery of 37,000-year-old cave art showing female genitalia adds to the list of contenders

Adult male orangutans have large cheek pads and a big throat pouch, but it can take decades to develop such traits.

Why Some Orangutans Never Want to Grow Up

Some males take decades to fully mature; this arrested development can improve their odds of mating success

A grandmother in Ethiopia carries her grandchild.

Grandmothers Reduce Incidence of Breast Cancer?

By helping raise their grandchildren, grandmothers might have influenced the spread of certain genes, a new study suggests

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