Hi, I'm John Hawks.
I'm a paleoanthropologist, exploring the ancient world of humans and fossil human relatives.
I write about the science of human origins, and how our ancient past can help make sense of today's world.
You can follow my writing here, or subscribe to have articles sent when they are published. Keep checking in for more changes.
All the hominins made tools
A study of associations between stone tool evidence and fossil hominin remains shows that a wide range of species made stone artifacts.
Ghostbusters of human origins
Humans tend to mix and interact with each other. Geneticists are once again starting to take that seriously, changing their view of our origins.
What color were Neandertals?
Even with whole genomes, scientists can't say very precisely what pattern of skin, hair, and eye pigmentation was in ancient populations like the Neandertals.
When did our ancestors start looking up to the stars?
Changes in the sky have been important to peoples throughout the world. That connection may go back much further than our species.
What is the ‘braided stream’ analogy for human evolution?
A discussion of the way that reticulation has manifested across human evolution, with reference to an essay by Clive Finlayson.
How do hominin fossils get their numbers?
Numbers for fossils, like AL 288-1, are nowhere near as iconic as names like “Lucy”, but have an important place in the study of paleoanthropology.
How Homo naledi got into the Dinaledi Chamber
New research from Dirk van Rooyen gives the most detailed look ever at the entry path into the deepest parts of the Rising Star cave system.
Tinshemet Cave and modern-Neandertal cultural interactions
New work at a site of similar age to Skhūl and Qafzeh suggests cultural sharing among groups of different biological ancestry.
Research highlight: Burials by Homo naledi
After two years of intense reviews and revision, the work on burial evidence from this ancient hominin finds acceptance.
Lactase and the Neandertals
New research shows that a common gene variant that may explain some lactase persistence in East Asia is introgressed from Neandertals.
A look at the Sima del Elefante face
When the global timeline passed one million years ago, more than half the span of hominin presence in Eurasia had already passed by. The earliest archaeological evidence in Eurasia is more than two million years old—found in places like Shangchen, China, and the Dawqara Formation of Jordan. Just this
Plant-eating and meat-eating in Australopithecus
A new approach to sampling nitrogen-15 in tooth enamel opens a window into the diets of early hominins.
Gathering the Ancestors
The largest exhibition of hominin fossils in history brought together science, the public, and geopolitics at the height of the Cold War.
Pounding starches on Jordan's ancient banks
New research highlights starch grains from many kinds of plants that were processed by pounding tools at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov.
Ancient travois use by some of the earliest Americans
At White Sands National Park 22,000 years ago, impressive footprint evidence is now joined by a technology for transit.
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