Declining fertility rates may explain Neanderthal extinction, suggests new model
A new hypothesis for Neanderthal extinction supported by population modelling is put forward in a new study by Anna Degioanni from Aix Marseille Université, France and colleagues, published May 29, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.
Research reveals the link between primate knuckles and hand use
Research carried out by the University of Kent has found differences between the knuckle joints of primates that will enable a better understanding of ancient human hand use.
New archaeological findings change the map of Iberian Neanderthal cultures
Before the Neanderthals disappeared, about 30,000 years ago, the Chatelperronian culture was created, featured by the creation of knives and spear tips.
Red Sea stone tool find hints at hominins’ possible route out of Africa
Africa is the birthplace of humanity. From the time of our lineage’s split from the chimpanzee line around 7 million years ago, the continent...
Tibetan plateau first occupied by middle Pleistocene Denisovans
The Tibetan Plateau, as Earth's "Third Pole," was reported to be first occupied by modern humans probably armed with blade technology as early as 40 ka BP.
Cannibalism was profitable for Homo antecessor
Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), have just published a study in the Journal of Human Evolution in which they analyze the cannibalistic behavior of the populations at Atapuerca one million years ago, whose results make it clear that anthropophagy was a profitable strategy for Homo antecessor.
First hominins on the Tibetan Plateau were Denisovans
Denisovans - an extinct sister group of Neandertals - were discovered in 2010, when a research team led by Svante Pääbo from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA) sequenced the genome of a fossil finger bone found at Denisova Cave in Russia and showed that it belonged to a hominin group that was genetically distinct from Neandertals.
Human ancestors were ‘grounded,’ new analysis shows
African apes adapted to living on the ground, a finding that indicates human evolved from an ancestor not limited to tree or other elevated habitats.
Middle Pleistocene human skull reveals variation and continuity in early Asian humans
Pleistocene human skull found in southeastern China, revealing the variation and continuity in early Asian humans.
A Neanderthal tooth discovered in Serbia reveals human migration history
In 2015, our Serbian-Canadian archaeological research team was working at a cave site named Pešturina, in Eastern Serbia, where we had found thousands of stone tools and animal bones.
Need for social skills helped shape modern human face
The modern human face is distinctively different to that of our near relatives and now researchers believe its evolution may have been partly driven by our need for good social skills.
New species of early human found in the Philippines
An international team of researchers have uncovered the remains of a new species of human in the Philippines, proving the region played a key role in hominin evolutionary history.
Neandertals and early modern humans probably had very similar diets
A new international study indicates that Neandertals and early modern humans probably had very similar diets, contradicting the assumption that Neandertals died out because their diet was insufficiently varied.
New findings shed light on origin of upright walking in human ancestors
The oldest distinguishing feature between humans and our ape cousins is our ability to walk on two legs - a trait known as bipedalism.
Neanderthals walked upright just like the humans of today
Neanderthals are often depicted as having straight spines and poor posture. However, these prehistoric humans were more similar to us than many assume.
