Topic description and stories

A cast of the skull of Homo Heidelbergensis, one of the hominin species analysed in the latest study.

Interspecies competition led to even more forms of ancient human 鈥 defying evolutionary trends in vertebrates

17 Apr 2024

Competition between species played a major role in the rise and fall of hominins, and produced a 鈥渂izarre鈥 evolutionary pattern for the Homo lineage.

Read more
A cross-section of the polygonal muscle modelling approach, guided by muscle scarring and MRI data.

First hominin muscle reconstruction shows 3.2 million-year-old 鈥楲ucy鈥 could stand as erect as we can

14 Jun 2023

Digital modelling of legendary fossil鈥檚 soft tissue suggests Australopithecus afarensis had powerful leg and pelvic muscles suited to tree dwelling...

Read more
Femoral head bones of different hominin species. From top to bottom: Australopithecus afarensis (4-3 million years; ~40 kg, 130 cm); Homo ergaster (1.9-1.4 million years; 55-60 kg; ~165 cm); Neanderthal (200.000-30.000 years; ~70 kg; ~163 cm).

Height and weight evolved at different speeds in the bodies of our ancestors

08 Nov 2017

探花直播largest study to date of body sizes over millions of years finds a 鈥減ulse and stasis鈥 pattern to hominin evolution, with surges of growth in...

Read more

A chimpanzee moving bipedally during the study.

One step for early hominins: Study reveals why our ancestors switched to bipedal power

20 Mar 2012

Our earliest ancestors may have started walking on two limbs instead of four in a bid to monopolise resources and to carry as much food as possible...

Read more