14 March 2023
It has long been unclear how ancient people built a city of wood in the New Mexico desert far from any forests. By trying prehistoric building techniques themselves, archaeologists are working it out
9 February 2023
Stone tools discovered in Kenya are the oldest Oldowan-type implements found, dating back at least 2.6 million years, and they may have been made by our relative Paranthropus
24 August 2022
An analysis of thigh and forearm bones from Sahelanthropus tchadensis suggests the early hominin was mainly bipedal, but the claim is controversial
1 August 2022
An analysis of fossils suggests changes in the shape of the braincase during human evolution were linked to alterations in the face, rather than changes in the brain itself
27 July 2022
This evolution bestseller is full of ironic humour, sharp insights and affectionate acknowledgement of human flaws – and ends up as a celebration of curiosity
6 April 2022
A new wave of archaeological investigations is reconstructing intimate details of our ancestors' lives from fossilised footprints. They give us glimpses of everything from parent-child relationships to the thrill of a giant sloth hunt
11 January 2022
Cut marks on animal bones suggest ancient hominins butchered them for their meat, and that they were first on the scene instead of having to scavenge from carnivores like big cats
24 June 2021
A partial skull and jawbone from Israel belong to a previously unknown hominin group, who may have been the ancestors of the Neanderthals – and who interacted with our species
31 March 2021
Humans living 100,000 years ago in what is now the Kalahari desert spent time collecting crystals, challenging the idea that human behaviours like symbolism emerged along coasts
16 December 2020
Watching TV and staring at flickering flames produce similar physiological effects, offering intriguing clues to the enduring power of entertainment – and the origins of sociability
