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LATEST ARTICLES ( 510 )

• Cannibalism Drove the Neanderthals Extinct?

  Neanderthals were very similar to us, making their extinction a mystery. What advantage did we have over them that allowed us to survive? However, new research... Read more

  Posted on 10 March 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Did Neanderthals Use Chemistry to Help Start Fires?

  Neanderthals had a deep understanding of the natural world. They could skilfully craft raw materials into excellent tools. But just how much could they alter... Read more

  Posted on 08 March 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Peer-reviewed Research Finds Evidence of “Creator”

  

  A group of researchers recently examined the human hand. They found it so well suited to everyday tasks that they concluded it has " the proper design by the... Read more

  Posted on 07 March 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Hunter-gatherer Hunters Are Actually Great at Their Job

  For most of human (pre)history we were hunter-gatherers. As the name suggests, this is a society where some people are hunters whilst others go and gather plant... Read more

  Posted on 01 March 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Analysis Confirms Creationists Use Fallacies

  Creationism is demonstrably wrong yet disturbing popular. A new analysis has confirmed it's also riddled with fallacies. It's clear that to tackle this topic... Read more

  Posted on 29 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Bone Thickness Confirms Hobbit is a Separate Species

  The hobbit ( Homo floresiensis) is very small - as it's name suggests - which is odd for a species of human. It also has traits seen in hominins millions of... Read more

  Posted on 25 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Do Chimps Have Imagination?

  It's that time of the week where I answer questions from you lovely folks. Today's topic is chimpanzee imagination, which comes from Shibin. They wanted to... Read more

  Posted on 24 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• More Evidence God “evolved” to Make Us Co-operate

  Most cultures have a belief in a god (or gods), but only a few believing in a "law giving" god. However, whilst there are relatively few groups with a "king"... Read more

  Posted on 23 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Cut Marks Indicate Pre-human Migration out of Africa

  The human family evolved in Africa, but left that continent several times. The earliest of these is dated to ~2 million years ago and associated with the first... Read more

  Posted on 18 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• “New” Australopithecus Sediba Diet Indicates Hominin Conflict

  Two million years ago was a crucial time for our family. Several different lineages began to emerge, including the one that ultimately became us. But were... Read more

  Posted on 16 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Why Do Humans Smile?

  

  Every human smiles. And everyone knows exactly what a smile means. This universality makes many people think that smiling evolved. But why? What was the... Read more

  Posted on 11 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Studies on Migrants Reveals TV Makes People WEIRD

  Evolutionary psychology tries to identify parts of our psychology that have evolved. Exactly like the name suggests. However, this endeavour is hampered by the... Read more

  Posted on 09 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Creationist Exploits Woman’s Death to Push Agenda

  Sometimes I think I've seen all creationism has to offer. That I've heard all the arguments and seen all the deplorable tactics. But just when I think I might... Read more

  Posted on 08 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Humans Could Have Driven Neanderthals Extinct, Even If They Were as Smart as Us

  There is fairly intensive debate over just how similar humans and Neanderthals are. And whether that could explain why they went extinct. They were our closest... Read more

  Posted on 04 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Was Prehistoric Tool Use in the Genes?

  Our ancestors have been making stone tools for millions of years. They were probably using organic tools for millions more. This sort of technology helped them... Read more

  Posted on 02 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Can Human Evolution Kill Creationism?

  The belief that the earth was recently created by God remains a persistent thorn in the side of science. Although no researchers take it seriously, there is... Read more

  Posted on 01 February 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• How Similar Were Neanderthals and Humans?

  We lived alongside Neanderthals for thousands of years. But whilst we kept on living, they ultimately went extinct. For years researchers speculated about... Read more

  Posted on 28 January 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Top Human Evolution Discoveries Expected in 2016

  It's Wednesday which means I answer questions from my lovely readers. Or this time, I respond to requests for speculation. Someone wants to know what my top... Read more

  Posted on 27 January 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Why Did People Go out of Africa?

  Humans evolved in Africa around 200,000 years ago. But we didn't hang around. By 100,000 years ago we had begun spreading throughout the world. This journey... Read more

  Posted on 26 January 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE

• Creationist Goes to Museum, Ignores Most of What They See

  The Natural History Museum in London contains the best human evolution exhibit in the UK. Except for the one in Liverpool I helped put together, of course. Sadl... Read more

  Posted on 25 January 2016 BIOLOGY, SCIENCE