Neanderthal pelvises challenge a long-held idea about childbirth and walking
For decades, scientists have used the human pelvis to study a basic question about our evolution: how did…
Neanderthal gene inherited by modern humans linked to greater muscle mass
A gene inherited from Neanderthals tens of thousands of years ago is linked to greater muscle mass in…
Neanderthal Gene Still Shapes Muscle and Jaws in Some Living Humans
Neanderthals vanished roughly 42,000 years ago, but a piece of their biology appears to be quietly at work…
Scientists Found DNA from Not One, but Two ‘Ghost Species’ Hiding in Our Genetic Code
Here’s what you’ll learn when you read this story: UC Berkeley researchers created a framework designed to identify…
Scientists Find Traces of Two Unknown Archaic Hominins in Human DNA
New research led by the University of California, Berkeley reveals that beyond Neanderthals and Denisovans, humans interbred with…
224,000-Year-Old Homo Skull Fragment Adds New Mystery to Human Origins
A fossilized skull fragment of Homo sp. unearthed in central Spain offers paleoanthropologists a fresh window into the…
Largest Denisovan DNA study reveals ancient genes still active in Oceanian populations
Ancient DNA inherited from Denisovans, an extinct group of human relatives, still influences the biology of people living…
China scientists argue that harsh settings, not warm climates, drive early human creativity
Archaeologists in central China have directly challenged the long-held belief that humanity’s earliest ancestors reached their creative peak…
Scientists May Have Finally Solved Why Humans Are Right-Handed
Humans are overwhelmingly right-handed, but scientists have long struggled to explain why no other primate species shows anything…
Scientists May Have Finally Figured Out Why Most People Are Right-Handed
Around 90% of people—across cultures and throughout recorded history—are right-handed. That fact may seem ordinary, yet it remains…
Why Don’t Humans Hibernate? An Evolutionary Biologist Explains
You may not know that our ancestors hibernated during the winter months. Why did we evolve out of…
Neanderthal Babies Were Apparently Built Different and Reached Toddler Size in Only Six Months
AI-generated illustration of a Neanderthal toddler. Credit: ZME Science. When scientists examined the incredibly well-preserved skeleton of a…