1 February 2023
The extinct straight-tusked elephant was even larger than modern African elephants, making it unclear if Neanderthal hunters could take one down, but a newly analysed trove of bones suggests it was possible
24 November 2021
A tooth from a Neanderthal child who lived 120,000 years ago suggests that our cousin species began cutting their baby teeth at 4 months – earlier than for the average modern human
26 March 2020
The fossilised remains of the food found in one of the few remaining coastal Neanderthal sites in Europe show they ate plenty of seafood, fish and nuts
30 October 2018
The Neanderthal rib cage was about the same size as ours but a different shape, which suggests the extinct humans could take in more air with each breath
26 September 2018
Our extinct Neanderthal cousins had big bulky hands that look clumsy, but their bones reveal that they could hold objects in the same way we hold pens
15 March 2018
The genes of extinct hominins called Denisovans live on in people from China and Papua New Guinea, suggesting two instances of cross-species breeding
7 July 2017
Genetic analysis shows a tooth from the Denisova cave in Siberia is only the fourth specimen from elusive early humans who lived alongside Neanderthals
4 July 2017
Analysis of DNA from a fossilised Neanderthal bone suggests modern human ancestors entered Europe and interbred with locals more than 219,000 years ago
9 May 2017
This is one of the greatest fossil finds of the 21st century say its discoverers, who also provide a date for when this enigmatic species lived
3 May 2017
Confused by the flood of news about ancient humans? Here’s the low-down on what new discoveries are revealing about the complicated story of our ancestors
