‘Deep inside, something told me I had found the earliest human ancestor; I went numb’ – Yohannes Haile-Selassie on his lifetime quest to discover ancient humanity

On the 50th anniversary of the discovery of ancient hominin Lucy, a leading Ethiopian scientist on why we need to ‘decolonise’ paleo research – and what it’s like to find the oldest human ancestor.

Mike Herd, Investigations Editor, Insights • conversation
Nov. 21, 2024 • ~23 min

How Neanderthal language differed from modern human – they probably didn’t use metaphors

The two human species had many similarities but their communication would have been different.

Steven Mithen, Professor of Early Prehistory, University of Reading • conversation
May 20, 2024 • ~10 min

Everyday life and its variability influenced human evolution at least as much as rare activities like big-game hunting

Some anthropologists question how much rare activities like big-game hunting could have affected how our species evolved. Instead they’re looking at daily activities like carrying water or firewood.

Cara Wall-Scheffler, Professor and Chair of Biology at Seattle Pacific University and Affiliate Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Washington • conversation
May 8, 2024 • ~9 min

How long did Neanderthals and modern humans co-exist in Europe? Evidence is growing it may have been at least 10,000 years

A new discovery is shedding more light on the overlap between the two species of human, despite the challenges of exploring this distant time

Rick Schulting, Professor of Scientific and Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Oxford • conversation
Feb. 6, 2024 • ~9 min

Why do people have wisdom teeth?

Two dental experts explain that these furthest-back molars may be a not-so-necessary leftover from early human evolution.

Seth M. Weinberg, Professor of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences and Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh • conversation
Dec. 11, 2023 • ~6 min

Forget ‘Man the Hunter’ – physiological and archaeological evidence rewrites assumptions about a gendered division of labor in prehistoric times

Female bodies have an advantage in endurance ability that means Paleolithic women likely hunted game, not just gathered plants. The story is written in living and ancient human bodies.

Cara Ocobock, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Notre Dame • conversation
Nov. 17, 2023 • ~12 min

Discovery of half-a-million-year-old wooden structure shows we're wrong to underestimate our ancient relatives

Experts speculated that very early humans worked wood, but previously didn’t have the evidence.

Shadreck Chirikure, Prof of Archaeological Science & British Academy Global Professor, University of Oxford • conversation
Oct. 6, 2023 • ~7 min

Humans were using fire in Europe 50,000 years earlier than we thought – new research

Signs of controlled fire use from Spain are at least 50,000 years older than previous evidence.

Clayton Magill, Assistant Professor, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University • conversation
May 19, 2023 • ~8 min

Evolution is making us treat AI like a human, and we need to kick the habit

When you stop treating AI as another human, you’ll get on with it better.

Neil Saunders, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, University of Greenwich • conversation
May 16, 2023 • ~7 min

AI: evolution is making us treat it like a human, and we need to kick the habit

When you stop treating AI as another human, you’ll get on with it better.

Neil Saunders, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, University of Greenwich • conversation
May 16, 2023 • ~7 min

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