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Evolution

Why is it that hominoids have experienced tail loss, while other primates have not? Source: v_blinov / Adobe Stock

25-Million-Year-Old DNA Explains Why Humans and Apes Don’t Have Tails

While many primate species have tails, humans and their ape cousins do not. For many years scientists have debated the reasons for this curious tail loss variation, trying to understand the reasons...
Representative image of the impact of ancient retrovirus on evolution. Source: alexkich / Adobe Stock

Brain’s Evolutionary Explosion Linked to Ancient Retrovirus Infection

A new study has unraveled a mystery that is key to understanding the course of human and animal evolution. A team of genetic researchers from Altos Labs at the Cambridge Institute of Science in the...
AI representation of a Neanderthal man surveying the landscape. Source: Dr_Microbe/Adobe Stock

15 Leaps Forward in Our Understanding of Human Evolution in 2023

2023 could likely be viewed as a coming-of-age story for our Neanderthal cousins, as they further shed their brutish image, revealing themselves as skilled hunters and surprising artisans. We learned...
When reindeer ruminate, aka chew, they are actually catching up on their sleep, claims new study. Source: Leo Rescia / Current Biology / Furrer et al.

Scientists Discover A Reindeer Superpower - Ruminating is a Naturally Restful Sleep Hack!

Throughout history, reindeer have woven themselves into the fabric of Arctic society, mythology and folklore. Reindeer have also found their way into popular culture, prominently featuring in the...
Representational image of human teeth used to analyze details about Native American migration. Source: ia_64 / Adobe Stock

Study of Ancient Teeth Shows Single Native American Migration from Asia

The analysis of human teeth recovered during archaeological excavations has remained a standard means of investigating ancient migration patterns for the last five decades. In fact, this tried-and-...
Representative image of a Neanderthal man. Source: sam / Adobe Stock

Do Morning People Have Neanderthals to Thank for Being Early Risers?

Are you a morning person? You might have Neanderthals to thank for that! In a revelatory study, scientists have unearthed a fascinating genetic link between modern humans and our Neanderthal...
Three-quarter and frontal views of Homo neledi skull from Lesedi Chamber, South Africa. Source: Hawks, J et al/Elife Sciences

Controversial Claims About Homo Naledi Are Stirring Up Evolution Research

Mike W. Morley et al. / The Conversation In June, researchers led by paleoanthropologist Lee Berger published sensational claims about an extinct human species called Homo naledi online and in the...
Representational image of Neanderthals by a fire. Source: Jeff Whyte / Adobe Stock

Reevaluating Neanderthals: Are They Actually the Same Species as Us?

Neanderthals have been recognized as a species distinct from modern humans for quite some time. But if a trio of researchers from universities in Portugal, Italy and Spain get their way, this...
Portrait of Neanderthal man. Source: iridescentstreet / Adobe Stock.

Evolutionary Genetics and the Neanderthal Inside Us (Video)

Utilizing advanced techniques, scientists have delved into the genetic code of our Neanderthal ancestors. Extracting DNA from 400,000-year-old Neanderthal bones in Spain, they've achieved a high-...
Dartmouth researchers report that apes and early humans evolved more flexible shoulders and elbows than monkeys, shown here, to safely get out of trees. Source: Luke Fannin, Dartmouth College/ Royal Society Open Science

"Downclimbing" is the Overlooked Key to Human Evolution, Says Study

One of the watershed moments in the evolution of ‘human’ or ‘ Homo ’ history is when the first hominids descended from the trees to achieve bipedal locomotion ( Homo erectus ), causing a separation...
Archaeologists in Turkey, have unearthed a partial cranium of a female, challenging the story of the origins of our human ancestors. Source: Sevim-Erol, A., Begun, D.R., Sözer, Ç.S. et al/CC BY 4.0)

Oldest Human Ancestors May Have Evolved Nine Million Years Ago in Turkey

Modern humans first left Africa and migrated to Eurasia between 60,000 and 100,000 years ago . But a fossilized skeleton with surprisingly human-like characteristics found in central Turkey suggests...
Human ancestors overlooking a bleak, ice-covered landscape. Source: Dr_Microbe / Adobe Stock

Near-Extinction of Our Human Ancestors Revealed by Genetic Research

Approximately one million years ago, the Earth was populated by a few hundred thousand or so ancient human ancestors. But about 900,000 years ago there was a sudden and dramatic crash in this...
Representation of an Australopithecus family. The evolution of human birth takes us back to Australopithecus afarensis like “Lucy” that may have required some help in childbirth. Source:  Andrii/Adobe Stock

The Evolution of Human Birth: An Incredible Story a Million Years in the Making

Australopithecus afarensis, a human ancestor could have given birth in a way that combines the childbirth practices of chimpanzees and human beings a team of scientists have claimed. They reported...
A comparison of great ape and human skeletons in genetic move to bipedalism. Source: Alexander Potapov/ Adobe Stock

New Study Sheds Light on Genetic Human Skeletal Changes that Led to Bipedalism

Researchers have conducted a groundbreaking study using imaging data from over 30,000 participants in the UK Biobank to gain insights into the genetic basis of human skeletal proportions and their...
Human evolution

A Crash Course In Human Evolution (Video)

Human evolution spans millions of years, shaping our species into what we are today. Our closest relatives, chimpanzees, share similarities with us, yet distinct differences exist. Around seven...
Top image: Homo erectus reconstruction. Source: AlienCat/Adobe Stock

Homo Erectus: Why Did the Most Successful Early Human Go Extinct? (Video)

Homo erectus , the remarkably successful early human species, emerged around two million years ago in Africa. With a brain size of 900 to 1000 cubic centimeters, Homo erectus showcased the first...
Vestigial muscle in forearm. Source: YouTube Screenshot / Vox.

Proof of Evolution You Can Find on Your Body (Video)

The human body reveals compelling evidence of evolution . By examining its intricacies, we uncover remnants of our animal ancestors . One such example is the palmaris longus, a vestigial muscle in...
Neanderthal engravings in Gorham’s Cave, Gibraltar. Credit: Stewart Finlayson, courtesy of  Gibraltar Museum.

Gorham’s Cave: Did Neanderthals Create Art? (Video)

The enigmatic past of Neanderthals has long intrigued researchers, raising questions about their cognitive abilities and creative expressions. Nestled within the depths of Gorham's Cave , just off...
The hand of a person with Viking’s disease, a.k.a. Dupuytren’s contracture, a condition of the hand that can cause some of a person’s fingers to become permanently bent at an angle. Source: Artwell / Adobe Stock

‘Viking’s Disease’ Hand Condition Traced Back to Ancestral Neanderthals

Researchers have discovered a link between Neanderthal genetic material and an unusual health disorder that affects modern humans. The disorder in question is Dupuytren’s disease, a.k.a. Viking’s...
Neanderthals. Source: Mikolaj Niemczewski / Adobe Stock.

What Really Killed the Neanderthals? (Video)

Unraveling the mystery behind the Neanderthals' extinction has captivated scientists for decades. In the fascinating world of paleoanthropology , theories abound, shedding light on the fate of our...
Preview, Hopi, Creation Myths, Evolution, Climate Change, Aztecs, Flood, Feather Serpent, Quetzalcoatl, Tawa, Mega-Disasters, Sipapu, Grand Canyon, Spider Grandmother

Hopi Oral Traditions Of Creation Parallel Evolutionary Adaptation To Climate Change

Various spiritual traditions hold different views of how the Earth and humankind came to exist. There is the Christian view, mentioned in the Bible, Gospels not included in the Bible, and other...
Methuselah is the oldest named individual tree on Earth and is located in the White Mountains of California. Source: Yen Chao / CC BY-ND 2.0

The Oldest Living Tree on Earth is Older Than the Egyptian Pyramids

Visitors from around the world flock to visit the famed 4,500-year-old Great Pyramid of Giza , now remembered as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world . But hidden high in California’s White...
Neolithic revolution. Source: de Art / Adobe Stock.

The Neolithic Revolution: A Journey of Triumphs and Tribulations (Video)

The Neolithic era was a time of profound transformation , where humanity witnessed remarkable changes that both elevated and challenged their existence. With the advent of agriculture , civilizations...
The faces of a Neanderthal family. Source: Rawf8 / Adobe Stock.

The Art of Reconstructing the Faces of Ancient Humans (Video)

Imagine being able to step back in time and witness the early ancestors of the human race. While a time machine may not yet exist, art has the power to transport us to different eras and provide a...

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