John Hawks

U.S. federal support for human origins research may be over

The field is generating more new discoveries than ever, but significant setbacks for students and many researchers.

Apr 10 • John Hawks

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March 2026

Ancient handaxes made from geodes

New work describes exceptional artifacts from the Sakhnin valley of Israel.

Mar 31 • John Hawks

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Looking into a Neanderthal gallery at La Roche-Cotard

An enigmatic “mask” comes from outside a cave filled with Neanderthal markings.

Mar 21 • John Hawks

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Did Levallois tools make Neanderthals human?

Evaluating a recent hypothesis from the geneticist David Reich, focusing on range expansion from Africa.

Mar 15 • John Hawks

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A look at the Neanderthal deep cave structures from Bruniquel

Ten years after describing the site, new work details ancient access to the cave.

Mar 9 • John Hawks

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Genomes from tombs of the Golden Horde, and the Y chromosome of Genghis Khan

Research led by my PhD student looks at the connections of medieval mausoleums in Kazakhstan.

Mar 6 • John Hawks

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February 2026

Matrilineal networks may be the key to understanding Neanderthal mixture

A new study focusing on the X chromosome finds repeated maternal dispersal bias in Neanderthal and modern evolution.

Feb 28 • John Hawks

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How Sahelanthropus tchadensis moved

Not quite like a hominin, but with extended hip posture similar to Ardipithecus ramidus

Feb 22 • John Hawks

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Complex fiber and wood technologies of the first Great Basin peoples

From Cougar Mountain Cave and Paisley Caves, Oregon, come remarkably preserved examples of perishable materials.

Feb 15 • John Hawks

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A Neanderthal time capsule from Grotta Guattari

Excavations of a new chamber reveal an ancient floor with more than a dozen new Neanderthal fossil remains.

Feb 8 • John Hawks

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What the heck are chins for?

A human characteristic that remains an enduring evolutionary enigma.

Feb 4 • John Hawks

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January 2026

Tracing the wave of Neanderthal-modern interactions

A rapid expansion of modern people ran into Neanderthals and mixed with them nearly to the ends of their range.

Jan 27 • John Hawks

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