human origins
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Scientists Say New Research Tracing The Origin Of Modern Humans To Botswana Is Deeply Flawed
A new paper claiming that modern humans originated in northern Botswana some 200,000 years ago is being criticised by experts, who say the researchers relied on unproven and outdated techniques while also excluding competing lines of evidence. Alarmingly, the paper is also being criticised for its colonial undertones.
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Archaeologists Are Learning More About Who And What Lived In This Famous Siberian Cave
For thousands of years, Siberia’s Denisova Cave was home to various bands of Neanderthals, Denisovans and modern humans. But as new research shows, animals occupied this cave more frequently than not, showcasing the pains, perils, and complexities of paleolithic life.
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Incredible Fossil Discovery Finally Puts A Face On An Elusive Early Hominin
The discovery of a nearly intact skull in Ethiopia is the first to show the facial characteristics of a critically important species linked to early hominin evolution. At the same time, the 3.8-million-year-old fossil is further complicating our understanding of Australopithecus — the genus that likely gave rise to humans.
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New Analysis Debunks Controversial Claim About The Origin Of Humanity
Humans evolved from a group of ape-like hominins known as Australopithecine, but scientists aren’t such which species is our direct ancestor. A new statistical analysis has found it highly unlikely that one particular candidate, Australopithecus sediba, is ancestral to humans—a finding that could finally end this long-standing debate.