Blog articles
Did Homo erectus get herpes from chimpanzees?
New research suggests that herpes simplex virus 2 may have invaded ancient humans from chimpanzees sometime after 1.6 million years ago.
Interview with Dr. Agustín Fuentes about primate cooperation and human origins
In this video I talk with the well-known primatologists about the ways that apes and monkeys can illuminate behaviors in our ancestors.
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.
Have Sahelanthropus and Orrorin been written out of existence?
A big argument about the so-called savanna theory comes with a surprising claim about the earliest possible hominin fossils.
Chimpanzee communities are hundreds of years old
Reviewing a 2014 study by Kevin Langergraber and coworkers looking at the Y chromosome variation within chimpanzee groups.
The Kebara 2 hyoid speaks for itself, but is it a Neandertal?
An analysis of the internal bone distribution of the Kebara 2 hyoid bone shows a pattern of forces similar to speakers of modern languages.
Seven things about evolution
A quick look at the basics of biological evolution, and what sets it apart from other processes of change.
David Attenborough says humans have stopped evolving. He's wrong
The famous documentarian has some strong views about the potential of our species, but he overlooks the diversity of environments we have created.
The FoxP2 protein sequence from Neandertals and Denisovans is shared by many people today
A study of sequence variation shows a possible selected change among living people, but many still have a form shared with Neandertals and Denisovans.
New findings from the Denisova 3 genome at high coverage
Sequencing work by Matthias Meyer and coworkers highlights the demography of ancient Denisovans and genes that may make today's people different from them.
