homo sapiens

Quirks and Quarks18:53Unearthing a small-brained hominid species that challenges human exceptionalismIn 2013 renowned paleoanthropologist Lee Berger sent a couple of cave explorers into a cave system in South Africa to see what they could find. Little did he know they’d return with photos of fossilised hominid remains that would upend everything we thought we knew about what makes us special. He and his colleagues discovered an entirely new species of ancient human relatives, called Homo naledi, that lived a few hundred…

If you’re irritated by the morning people in your life, you might have Neanderthals to blame for their existence, at least a little bit. New research suggests that our hominin relatives possessed genetic variations that predisposed them to waking up early and that they passed on these genes to our Homo sapiens ancestors through interbreeding. The study also found evidence that some people today still carry that genetic legacy with them.Google’s AI Isn’t a Gimmick, It’s the Future | AI UnlockedNeanderthals (Homo…

It’s now consensus that Neanderthals were complex, social cousins of Homo sapiens that disappeared from the Earth around 40,000 years ago. But our lost relatives just became more complex, with the discovery of ancient cave engravings in France that appear to be their handiwork.Stay in Your Seats, It's Gonna Be a Bumpy Flight | Extreme EarthThe engravings sit in La Roche-Cotard, a cave about 12 miles (20 kilometers) west of Tours. The figures—which are comprised of parallel lines made by fingers dragged across the cave…

A team of paleoanthropologists has discovered evidence that the extinct human relative Homo naledi not only intentionally buried their dead, but also used symbols, perhaps for mortuary reasons.Rare Polar Bear Attack in Canada | Extreme EarthThe evidence—found in the extensive Rising Star cave system in South Africa where the species was first identified 10 years ago—precedes the oldest known ceremonial burials of Homo sapiens by 100,000 years. Of course, older deliberate burials by Homo sapiens could well be discovered in…

Researchers have identified a gene that is associated with taller noses in humans and found it likely comes from Neanderthals, an extinct hominin group intimately related to our own species.The Painted Skeletons of ÇatalhöyükNeanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) died off around 40,000 years ago, making them the most recent hominin species to go extinct. But, in a way, they are still around, since most humans today are walking around with Neanderthal DNA. Lots of interbreeding between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals may have…

Hundreds of stone artifacts and 54,000-year-old human teeth have been found in a rock shelter in the south of France, pushing back evidence for Homo sapiens wielding the bow and arrow in Europe by 10,000 years.The shelter—Grotte Mandrin, near the Rhône River valley—has yielded 852 artifacts, including cut stone points, blades, and flakes, which indicate to researchers that projectile weapons were being used by ancient humans there. The team’s study is published today in Science Advances, and it builds on a paper published…

Cut marks on the heel bone of a male straight-tusked elephant, which was about 50 years old when it died.Photo: Wil Roebroeks, Leiden UniversityHistorical finds of elephant remains alongside stone tools have long prompted speculation among researchers that early humans or other hominin species may have relied on the massive mammals for food.Now, a team of researchers has determined that Neanderthals in Europe were taking down elephants and methodically butchering them, yielding food stores that would have lasted…

The Alcobaça site in Brazil, where skeletal remains were discovered.Photo: Henry Lavalle, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco and Ana Nascimento, Universidade Federal Rural de PernambucoScientists investigating the genomes of ancient South Americans have made a surprising discovery: the presence of DNA from Neanderthals and Denisovans, two species of humans that are now extinct. The findings complicate our understanding of ancient South Americans and their ancestries.01:25Randall Park's Favorite SuperheroesMonday…

A team of paleoanthropologists have unearthed a human fossil that is estimated to be around 1.4 million years old. The fossil was found at the Sima del Elefante archaeological site in Spain during excavations on June 30. The fossil contains fragments of a human skull and is said to be the oldest ever found in Europe, according to Atapuerca Foundation.The discovery was made at the TE7 level of the Sima del Elefante cave site. Edgar Tellez, a doctoral student at the National Center for Research on Human Evolution, first…