An abalone shell recovered from Blombos Cave and a grindstone covered in red ochre.

The Earliest Known Artist’s Studio

The discovery of a 100,000-year-old art studio in Africa hints at when modern human behavior emerged

The Taung Child was killed by an eagle about three million years ago.

How Africa Became the Cradle of Humankind

A fossil discovery in 1924 revolutionized the search for human ancestors, leading scientists to Africa

Skeletons of Australopithecus sediba (left and right) compared to Lucy (center), or Australopithecus afarensis

Welcome to Hominid Hunting

Smithsonian's newest blog tracks the latest developments in the field of human evolution

Australopithecus sediba had a hand built for making stone tools

Fossil Finds Complicate Search for Human Ancestor

A new analysis of a 2-million-year-old hominid shows that it had an intriguing mix of australopithecine and Homo-like traits

Kanzi the bonobo is quite the musician

Six Talking Apes

“Talking” apes are not just the stuff of science fiction; scientists have taught many apes to use some semblance of language

Still from Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Chimp Movies

Project Nim and Rise of the Planet of the Apes are very different movies, but both question the ethics of chimpanzee research

In her new book, Founding Gardeners, London-based historian Andrea Wulf argues that the founders' love of gardening and farming shaped their vision of America.

Founding Fathers, Great Gardeners

In her new book, Andrea Wulf argues that the founding fathers' love of gardening shaped their vision of America

A stuffed solenodon in a museum
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Solenodons: No Bark But Plenty of Venomous Bite

Solenodons are unusual predators; they are among the few venomous mammals

The space shuttle Atlantis, ready for liftoff.

Quirkiest Space Shuttle Science

As the space shuttle program ends, a salute to some of its most surprising studies

Scientists are still trying to figure out why primates have excellent vision.

Snake-Spotting Theory Brings Primate Vision into Focus

Do camouflaged predators explain why monkeys, apes and other primates evolved superior eyesight?

Before wastewater is treated, scientists can look for traces of illegal drugs.

Sewage Epidemiology Not Just a Pipe Dream

Scientists are beginning to analyze sewage to track the use of illegal drugs

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