Mysterious Jawbone Found at an Antique Shop in Taiwan Belonged to a Male Denisovan, Scientists Say
The fossil, called Penghu 1, is one of the few known pieces of physical evidence from the Denisovans, extinct relatives of modern humans. It suggests the species lived in diverse environments
7,000-Year-Old Skeletons From the ‘Green Sahara’ Reveal a Mysterious Human Lineage
Researchers recently sequenced the genomes of two naturally mummified women found in Libya
Could This Prehistoric Burial Site Have Influenced the Construction of Stonehenge?
Researchers say that Flagstones, a large circular enclosure in southern England, dates to around 3200 B.C.E.—which means it predates Stonehenge by several hundred years
Researchers Unearth Oldest Known Human Facial Bones Ever Found in Western Europe
The upper jawbone and partial cheek bone represent a mysterious unknown species that lived in present-day Spain between 1.1 million and 1.4 million years ago, according to a new study
These Tracks Reveal Evidence of 22,000-Year-Old Wheelbarrows—But Without the Wheels
The drag marks and footprints were discovered in present-day New Mexico. Researchers say they’re some of the earliest known examples of transport vehicles
Humans May Have Lived in Tropical Rainforests Much Earlier Than Scientists Previously Thought, Study Finds
New research suggests that humans inhabited the rainforests of West Africa roughly 150,000 years ago, providing new insights into our ancestors’ ability to adapt to challenging environments
See Stunning Illustrations of Prehistoric Life From One of the Most Renowned Paleoartists in the World
A new book highlights the beautiful work of Jay Matternes, an accomplished artist who drew everything from mammoths to early humans
Butchered Human Remains Found in a Polish Cave Suggest These Prehistoric People Cannibalized Their Enemies
The bones and skulls were found strewn among animal remains, a burial that was meant to humiliate a conquered rival even after defeat
The Search to Find the Remains of Homo Erectus in a Vanishing Landscape
A paleontologist journeys through Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago in search of our earliest ancestors, and uncovers how environmental devastation has erased much of the region’s history
For Chimpanzees, Peeing May Be Contagious—Just Like Yawning Is for Humans, Study Finds
Scientists suggest captive chimpanzees engage in ‘socially contagious urination’—that is, when one primate starts peeing, others quickly follow suit
Homo Erectus Thrived in a Desert, Study Finds, Suggesting the Early Humans Could Adapt to Extreme Environments
New research suggests modern humans aren’t the only hominin species capable of “ecological flexibility”
From Chimps Eating Medicinal Plants to Footprints Tracking Our Early Relatives, Here Are the Most Significant Human Evolution Discoveries of 2024
Smithsonian paleoanthropologists explore how the year brought us closer to understanding ancient human relatives and origins
Researchers Track Down When Neanderthals and Early Modern Humans Interbred Using Ancient Genomes
Two studies came to a similar conclusion, highlighting a single, sustained event of mixing DNA. The findings could impact our understanding of when modern humans reached regions like East Asia and Australia
A Mysterious Boulder Carved to Look Like a Tortoise Shell May Offer Evidence of the Middle East’s Earliest Ritual Ceremonies
The 35,000-year-old rock was found in Manot Cave, which was inhabited by both prehistoric humans and Neanderthals
An Ice Age Infant’s Bones Reveal Early Americans Ate Woolly Mammoths as a Protein Staple
New research examines chemical signatures to determine the diet of a prehistoric boy and his mother, suggesting the Clovis people relied on mammoths for a large portion of their menu
A Little Boy Found a Strange Stone on the Beach. Archaeologists Told Him It Was a Neanderthal’s Hand Ax
The artifact is now on display at a museum in southern England. Experts say the find is “so rare that most qualified archaeologists would never find one themselves”
Footprints Reveal Two Early Human Species Walked the Same Lakeshore in Kenya 1.5 Million Years Ago
A new, “mind-blowing” discovery reveals evidence that Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei stepped at the same site within days—or hours—of each other
What ‘Lucy,’ One of the World’s Most Important Fossils, Has Taught Scientists in the 50 Years Since Her Discovery
The famous early human is still providing lessons to anthropologists about prehistoric Earth and its inhabitants
These Fossil Teeth From an 11-Year-Old Reveal Clues to Why Humans Developed an Unusually Long Childhood
Roughly 1.77-million-year-old teeth show that slow development in hominids may have had an earlier start than previously thought, according to a new study
Fossils Shed New Light on Small ‘Hobbit-Like’ Humans That Lived on a Remote Island
Two teeth and a small adult arm bone found in Indonesia suggest the ancestors of Homo floresiensis were even shorter than scientists previously thought
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