Human Evolution
Shame is one of our most positive social tools — until it goes too far
Shame is a powerful tool that must be used with care.
How climate shaped 2 million years of human evolution
The simulation gave researchers some of the first concrete data linking climate change to human evolution and speciation.
How psychopathy might be an evolutionary adaptation
Instead of a mental illness, some research suggests that psychopathy — in moderation — is a reasonable life strategy.
Mysterious “population hub” was a starting point for ancient human migration
Archaic humans ventured into Eurasia in waves, not always successfully. They may have started their journey in North Africa or West Asia.
Homo sapiens is #9. Who were the eight other human species?
There were at least eight other human species, some of whom existed for far longer than we have. Who were they?
Clovis debunked: America’s first settlers did not take the ice-free corridor
The "Clovis First" hypothesis for human settlement of North and South America has just been debunked. Where do we go from here?
Malaria resistance shows that mutations are not always random
Mutations that confer malaria resistance occur more frequently in people who live in regions where the disease is endemic.
I put a camera on a monkey. Here’s how it shook my understanding of humanity
Awe is a powerful force, a fact that is both exciting and terrifying.
Outrage! Our minds and morals did not evolve to cope with social media
Outrage is a useful emotion that helped our ancient ancestors survive. Today, it leaves us feeling angry, tired, powerless, and miserable.
Future evolution: from looks to brains and personality, how will humans change in the next 10,000 years?
Discussions of human evolution are usually backward looking, as if the greatest triumphs and challenges were in the distant past.
How thinking emerged on Earth, from bacteria to the human mind
The human brain is only the latest chapter in the ancient story of thinking on Earth.
Clues to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder hidden in the dark genome
The dark genome makes up 98% of human DNA. Scientists are just beginning to understand its role in cognitive disorders.
Ancient DNA helps reveal social changes in Africa 50,000 years ago that shaped the human story
As always, aDNA research raises as many questions as answers.
Tribalism and an urgency to act: what Ukraine and climate change have in common
The paradox of tribalism is that humans need a sense of belonging to be healthy and happy, but too much tribalism is deadly. We are one tribe.
New research suggests modern humans lived in Europe 10,000 years earlier than previously thought
Was this a moment when humans interbred with Neanderthals?
How the theory of evolution sparked bizarre ideas about human origins in the North
After it became clear that the world wasn't 6,000 years old, some proposed that northern peoples had emerged independently from others.
Out of Africa: Not just once, but many times
A new analysis of an ancient hominin fossil sheds light on the "Out of Africa" dispersal events that occurred more than one million years ago.
Life’s stages are changing – we need new terms and new ideas to describe how adults develop and grow
Ages 30 to 45 are now “the rush hour of life.”
Identified: the oldest known remains of modern humans in Africa
Dating of volcanic ash suggests the remains are at least 230,000 years old.
Beauty bias: We tend to think pretty people are morally superior
Beautiful people really know how to catch a break.
Dawn of Everything: What if the arc of history isn’t inevitable?
We are generally taught that there is an arc of history — an inevitable path of progress that leads to modern society. Maybe it isn't true.
Black or white? Ancient Egyptian race mystery now solved
A study describes how researchers conducted the first successful DNA sequencing on ancient Egyptian mummies.
How a handful of prehistoric geniuses launched humanity’s technological revolution
Many key inventions were unique: one-offs.
Would we still see ourselves as “human” if other hominin species hadn’t gone extinct?
It’s all well and good to discuss how our humanity evolved – but what even is humanity?
Laetoli tracks: Are footprints alone enough to identify a new species of ancient human?
Bears, chimps, or humans? A track of five poorly preserved footsteps at Laetoli has puzzled paleontologists for decades. Now, a research paper from Nature claims to have solved the mystery.
Why most modern humans possess Neanderthal DNA
Today, every Homo species is extinct besides humans. But one of our close evolutionary relatives still lives on in our DNA.
Genetic GPS system of animal development explains why limbs grow from torsos and not heads
An evolutionary biologist explains why you probably won't grow a tail.
The “Eureka myth”: Why big ideas don’t form in a single moment
Society-changing ideas form through a three-stage process, argues author Michael Bhaskar.
Homo naledi: Archaeologists recover the fragmented skull of an elusive species of ancient human
Fittingly, the skull was found in the Rising Star cave of South Africa, itself located at a site known to UNESCO as the Cradle of Mankind.
How dinosaurs evolved into birds
Although many dinosaurs never left the ground, they still possessed the basic structural framework for flight.