history of paleoanthropology
Human evolution research has existed for more than 150 years, and the ideas of past scientists continue to shape our concepts and practices today.
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.
The circumstances of the Taung discovery
The textbook story of the fossil leaves out a wider context in which scientists interpreted the first evidence of Australopithecus.
A look at the Maba hominin skull
Found in 1958, the skull is one of a handful of fossil hominins from southern China that may be connected with the Denisovans.
A look at the fossil skull from Steinheim
The skull provides some of the best evidence for the ancestral population of Neandertals, and had a tumultuous history in the decades after its discovery.
A sad end for the Journal of Human Evolution
A joint statement announces the resignation of the entire editorial board, while disclosing for the first time the use of AI in article production.
Did scientists miss a fake Neandertal for 25 years?
An investigation claims dozens of cases of misdated bones in Rheinland-Pfalz, including the purported Ochtendung Neandertal.
“Lucy”, superstar of evolution, at fifty
Today's science has broadened enormously since the 1970s but the iconic fossil still has an important place in understanding our ancient past.
What do we know about the ancestry of Homo erectus?
A creation interest group takes a quote from me, and I look back at a classic paper.
A remembrance of Frans de Waal
Among many highlights of this primatologist's work, he maintained that humans are not unique or separated from other primates.
Secrets within the teeth of the first Homo fossils
New studies of the enamel-dentin junction show that early members of our genus may have been less distinctive than we think
Lecture: Opening new frontiers in human origins
At a memorial for Richard Leakey, I shared some ideas about where technology and new discoveries will take paleoanthropology over the next decade.
Why anthropologists rejected the aquatic ape theory
Human ancestors did not evolve in an aquatic environment. But they did make use of coastal and shoreline resources where they were abundant.
Kabwe: A famous fossil unearthed amid the human costs of mining
Mining led to the skull's discovery, destroyed its context, and left a century-long legacy of lead poisoning.
Research highlight: Taking human origins research into the next decade
Notes on the recent history of paleoanthropology from my Distinguished Lecture for the General Anthropology Division of the American Anthropological Association
Research highlight: Looking at what Darwin knew about primate relationships
I provide a context for Darwin's ideas about human and primate relationships and update Descent of Man with today's knowledge.
There are no “anatomically modern” elephants. Why do we treat humans differently?
A quote from Phillip Tobias illustrates the strange way that we talk about human variation compared to other species.
Denisovan traits bring up the old problem of understanding morphological continuity
A paper by Shara Bailey and coworkers suggests that three-rooted lower molars are diagnostic of population mixture from Denisovans.
A mid-century observer wrote about hybridization and Neandertals
A quote from Loren Eiseley, one of the best known writers about anthropology and human origins.
A critical look at the idea of Australopithecus prometheus
A historical perspective on a species name that was associated with fossils from Makapansgat, South Africa.
How many students in paleoanthropology can see casts of Australopithecus afarensis?
The real problem with a lack of data access is that 50 years of the fossil record is invisible to many students in the field.
Scientists doubted the Piltdown hoax from the beginning. What can they teach us?
For nearly forty years between the Piltdown discovery and exposure as a deliberate hoax, many scientists never believed the story.
Castmaking and early data dissemination in paleoanthropology
The earliest form of data dissemination was the distribution of high fidelity copies of fossils.
Should there be a new genus to contain Homo habilis?
A perspective article by Bernard Wood reviews the history of Homo habilis and suggests that the species should go its own way.
My reactions on the publication of the first draft Neandertal genome
Publication of the first draft of a Neandertal genome reveals that these ancient humans are among the ancestors of people living today.
Return of the “amazing” Boskops
Bringing some scientific reality to an excerpt from a book that tries to revive the myth of an ancient, large-brained race of humans.
The “amazing” Boskops
A book tries to revive the myth of a large-brained ancient race in southern Africa. It was wrong in 1958 and remains wrong today.
How the PhyloCode would change names in human evolution
A detailed post on a taxonomic proposal, with consideration of the idea that humans and our fossil relatives should be hominins instead of hominids.