Australopithecus afarensis
Guide to Sahelanthropus, Orrorin and Ardipithecus
These fossil species between 8 million and 4.4 million years old include some of the earliest members of the hominin lineage.
![Ardipithecus hand skeleton next to a human hand X-ray image](/content/images/size/w1460/2023/10/ardipithecus-hand-human-x-ray-hand-composite-1.jpg)
Guide to Australopithecus species
These ancient human relatives include the first species with evidence of upright walking and running like humans. They represent more than a third of our evolutionary history.
![Five fossil skulls in three-quarter view looking toward the right](/content/images/size/w1460/2023/09/australopithecus-skulls-montage.jpg)
The real story of myosin, jaw muscles, and ancient brains
The provocative idea that our genus arose with a deactivated muscle gene turned out to be wrong.
![Bonobo and gorilla head and neck, showing ecorché muscles on the left side of each](/content/images/size/w1460/2023/08/bonobo-gorilla-head-muscles-visible-ape-data-left-oblique.png)
Fossil profile: AL 400-1 mandible and the curving line of human evolution
Australopithecus afarensis was an early member of the hominin lineage, but it was not intermediate between humans and living great apes in all ways.
![AL 400-1 mandible with information](/content/images/size/w1460/2022/02/al-400-1-mandible-artcard-2021.png)
New footprints from Laetoli shed light on how the science has changed in 40 years
New trails expand our knowledge of body size and behavior of some of the earliest known bipedal hominins.
![Photo of footprints from Laetoli](/content/images/size/w1460/2022/01/masao-footprints-elife.jpg)
Presentation on species concepts and the hominin fossil record
On a visit to Charles Darwin's home, I share some perspectives on how paleoanthropologists think about species.
![John Hawks seen talking in front of a wooded background with a sandy pathway](/content/images/size/w1460/2022/11/johnhawks-sandwalk-video-still.jpg)