SCIENCE Two lower jawbones point to East Africa as the birthplace of our evolutionary lineage. One jaw is a new discovery, while one was discovered by the Leakey family 50 years ago. (Nat Geo News) Read our interviews with Meave and Louise Leakey to understand the evolving life of a paleoanthropologist. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. … Continue reading Scientists Identify Oldest Human Fossil
SCIENCE Compared with other primates and our early human ancestors, we modern humans have skeletons that are relatively lightweight—and scientists say that basically may be because we got lazy. (NPR) Watch our video on the Hadza, the last hunter-gatherer communities on Earth. Discussion Ideas The NPR article says that scientists were studying the bones of different primates, including humans. Besides humans, can you name some … Continue reading When Humans Quit Hunting And Gathering, Their Bones Got Wimpy
SCIENCE A zigzag engraving on an ancient mussel’s shell may transform scientific understanding of what has long been considered a defining human capacity: artistic creativity. (Nat Geo News) Use our resources to better understand “What Makes Us Human.” Teachers, scroll down for a short list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. Discussion Ideas The Nat Geo News article quotes one paleoanthropologist as saying the … Continue reading Artistry on the Half-Shell?
SCIENCE A 1.8 million-year-old skull has rekindled debate over the identity of humanity’s ancient ancestors. (National Geographic News) Use our resources to better understand hominins and the human family tree. Discussion Ideas Read our terrific GeoStory “Hominin History,” which briefly outlines different hominin species, from S. tchadensis to H. sapiens sapiens. The authors of the new study profiled in the Nat Geo News article suggest that … Continue reading Scientists Debate Species of Ancient Humans Unearthed in Georgia
This Geography Awareness Week, My Wonderful World has been highlighting the many facets of Africa to celebrate its uniquely diverse geography and people. However, our relationship with Africa begins much further back in history, at the origins of humanity millions of years ago. Fossil and genetic evidence suggests that human history began in the valleys of Ethiopia, called the Cradle of Humanity. Here, paleo-anthropologists discovered … Continue reading Africa and Human Origins
