Bipedal Movement by Ancestors Reconfirmed in 3D Models
Researchers analyzed the likelihood of bipedal movement in hominin ancestors using muscle reconstruction technology.
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Proof of Evolution Is in Your DNA
Another great video from our friend Dr. Joe Hanson and the team behind the video series It’s Okay to Be Smart, brought to you by PBS Digital Studios. This time, we’re looking at the proof of evolution that’s embedded right there in our DNA. According to Dr. Hanson, “Humans are special, and we got that way thanks to evolution and natural selection. The proof is right there in our bodies! From anatomy to genes, here are some stories of how you got to be the way you are.” Evolution of…
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Supernova: Exploding Stars and Life on Earth
Can exploding stars dozens of light years away affect life on earth? Learn how a supernova can affect the earth, from organisms ozone.
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Neoteny: Why Disney Princesses Look Like Babies
Neoteny, Evolution, and Disney Our friend Dr. Joe Hanson from It’s Okay to Be Smart (PBS Digital Studios) goes full science nerd on neoteny, Disney princesses, and evolution. I noticed something weird about Disney Princesses lately. Naturally, I had to examine it through the lens of science. The answer led me to new knowledge about human development, the domestication and taming of animals, and why we find things cute in the first place. You’ll never look at cartoons the same way again. –Joe Hanson, PhD [tweetthis]It’s time to go full…
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Ancient Teeth Raise Questions about Human Origin
The ancient teeth of a human ancestor are unlike anything ever found in Europe or Asia.
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Modern Humans, Meet Your Denisovan Ancestors
Do you have Denisovan DNA? New research suggests that some present-day humans derive more of their ancestry from Denisovans than from Neanderthals.
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Prehistoric Stone Tools with Animal Residue
About 2.8 million years ago, early humans probably survived on a diet of plants. As the human brain expanded, however, it craved richer nourishment, namely animal fat and meat. Lacking claws and sharp teeth, early humans developed the skills and prehistoric stone tools necessary to hunt large animals and cut the fat and meat from the carcasses. Recently, this rare fossil shed new light on early human evolution. Long before that, our oldest known primate ancestors lived in trees and may have looked like this. Also, prehistoric human settlements have…
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Fossil Sheds Light on Early Human Evolution
The discovery of a fossilized lower jaw bone in Ethiopia has pushed back evidence of the human genus — Homo — to 2.8 million years ago. The find predates all previously unearthed fossils of the Homo lineage by approximately 400,000 years. For decades, scientists have been searching in Africa for fossils documenting the earliest phases of the Homo lineage. However, specimens recovered from between 3 and 2.5 million years ago have been frustratingly few and often in poor condition. As a result, there has been little agreement on when the…
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