Human Evolution

The museum has generated controversy over gentrification of Rio de Janeiro ahead of the 2016 Olympics.

Imagining an Alarming Future at Brazil's Museum of Tomorrow

The ambitious museum looks at where humankind is headed—and asks how they'll live in a post-climate-change world

The fossil skull of the human ancestor Australopithecus africanus, which had more robust teeth and jaws than modern humans.

A Taste for Raw Meat May Have Helped Shape Human Evolution

Stone tools might have let our ancestors more easily chew and digest meat, which in turn may have changed our teeth and jaws

Comparison of a Neanderthal skull (left) and a human skull (right) with a 55,000-year-old fragment from a possible human-Neanderthal hybrid.

Humans May Have Had Romantic Rendezvous With Neanderthals 100,000 Years Ago

New DNA evidence suggests that ancient humans got busy with our stocky Neanderthal cousins much earlier than previously thought

A Chin-Stroking Mystery: Why Are Humans the Only Animals With Chins?

It's an evolutionary conundrum, and scientists are still divided over the answer

Cats May Have Been Domesticated Twice

But only one ended up as the house cat

This ancient skull has a terrible tale to tell.

An Ancient, Brutal Massacre May Be the Earliest Evidence of War

Even nomadic hunter-gatherers engaged in deliberate mass killings 10,000 years ago

Stone-age cave paintings from the Chauvet cave.

Chauvet Cave Paintings Could Depict a 37,000-Year-Old Volcanic Eruption

Mysterious paintings in the “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” led researchers to new evidence of ancient volcanic activity

Wooly mammoths would have been challenging but desirable prey for early humans.

Humans Were in the Arctic 10,000 Years Earlier Than Thought

Distinctive cut marks on a Siberian mammoth represent the first known evidence of human hunters this far north

Thank Neanderthals for Your Immune System

Genes inherited from our ancient cousins may have helped fight off disease

A researcher examines the mummified hand of Ötzi the Iceman.

The Iceman's Stomach Bugs Offer Clues to Ancient Human Migration

DNA analysis of the mummy's pathogens may reveal when and how Ötzi's people came to the Italian Alps

Dr. Maxime Aubert, archeologist and geochemist, uses his headlamp to examine the cave art at Leang Lompoa in Maros, Indonesia.

A Journey to the Oldest Cave Paintings in the World

The discovery in a remote part of Indonesia has scholars rethinking the origins of art—and of humanity

Say hello to your faithful friend Demodex folliculorum.

Your Hair Mites Are So Loyal Their DNA Reflects Your Ancestry

Mite DNA could hold clues to ancient human migrations and future skin health

Finally There’s a Scientific Theory for Why Some Words are Funny

The science behind Dr. Seuss

A close-up of what might be one of the oldest depictions of a human dwelling.

Does This Carving Depict a Paleolithic Campsite?

A chunk of stone may be marked with one of the oldest drawings of a human campsite

Europeans Only Started Digesting Dairy 4,000 Years Ago

They can enjoy that cheese thanks to ancient nomadic herders

Skeletal cast of "Lucy."

Lucy the Australopithecus Turns 41 (Plus 3.2 Million Years)

Lucy gets a Google Doodle for the anniversary of her discovery

The first Denisovan tooth that was discovered in 2008

DNA from a Huge Tooth Confirms a New Ancient Cousin

The Denisovans may have co-existed and interbred with Neanderthals and Homo sapiens

When a walk in the park is your worst nightmare.

Why Do Humans Have Allergies? Parasite Infections May Be the Trigger

Protein analysis suggests that antibodies that evolved to fight parasites might be turning their focus to otherwise harmless agents

Fossilized Teeth Reveal Humans Were in Asia Long Before Europe

Early humans might have been more inclined to roam than scientists previously thought

Hunter-Gatherers Sleep Little and Get Up Early

Our ancestors probably didn’t need nine hours of sleep either

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