Tag: Paleoanthropology
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Seven-Million-Year-Old Ape Could Be Earliest Human Ancestor: A New Look at Sahelanthropus tchadensis
Rethinking Our Origins: A Seven-Million-Year-Old Ancestor In a discovery that could upend long-held timelines of human evolution, scientists are reevaluating the status of Sahelanthropus tchadensis as the earliest known ancestor of humans. The fossil, dating to about seven million years ago, suggests that upright walking may have emerged far earlier than previously believed, potentially two…
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Neanderthal Cannibalism: Evidence Suggests Babies Were Among Victims
Scientists Revisit Tales of Neanderthal Cannibalism New research into Neanderthal behavior has sparked renewed interest in one of humanity’s oldest and most controversial practices: cannibalism. A study focusing on remains found in a Belgian cave points to a disturbing pattern, with the evidence suggesting that the victims included children and young women. While involving complex…
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How 2025 Tipped the Scales in Understanding Human Evolution’s Greatest Mystery
Unraveling a 60,000-Year-Old Puzzle For years, researchers have clung to a single fragment of evidence that reshaped our understanding of human evolution: a pinkie finger bone about 60,000 years old. The 2009‑2010 discovery, followed by groundbreaking DNA analysis in 2010, sparked a scientific debate that would dominate paleoanthropology for more than a decade. Was this…
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New Insight Into Early Human Migration Uncovered by MWU Research Team
Groundbreaking Discovery Sheds Light on Early Human Migration An international research collaboration led by Midwestern University (MWU) faculty researcher Karen Baab, Ph.D., is transforming our understanding of how early humans spread across continents. The team analyzed a remarkably preserved fossil face dated to about 1.5 million years ago, offering valuable clues about anatomy, mobility, and…
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New Insight Into Early Human Migration Unearthed by MWU Research Team
Groundbreaking fossil sheds light on early human movement A collaborative international study led by Karen Baab, Ph.D., a renowned faculty researcher in the Department of Anatomy at Midwestern University, has unveiled a compelling new insight into how early humans migrated out of Africa and across ancient landscapes. The team analyzed an exceptionally well-preserved 1.5-million-year-old fossil…
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Early Human Migration: MWU Researcher Reveals Insight
New Insight Into Early Human Migration An international research effort led by Midwestern University faculty member Karen Baab, Ph.D., Professor of Anatomy at the College of Graduate Studies, Glendale Campus, is shedding new light on how and when early humans moved across continents. By studying a remarkably preserved 1.5-million-year-old fossil face, the team is testing…
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Lucy: The Fossil That Redrew the Timeline of Human Evolution
Introduction: A Moment That Changed Anthropology On November 24, 1974, two anthropologists made a discovery in the Hadar region of Ethiopia that would change the course of human history. A glint in a gully revealed a remarkably complete ancient skeleton — a finding that would spark decades of study and debate about where we come…
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Lucy fossil discovery reshapes human evolution history (Nov 24, 1974)
The Day Hadar Gave Up a New Chapter in Human Evolution On November 24, 1974, two anthropologists at Hadar, Ethiopia, unearthed a fossil that would redefine our understanding of early human ancestors. What started as a glint in a gully became one of the most celebrated discoveries in paleoanthropology: the nearly complete skeleton of a…
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Lucy: How the 1974 Australopithecus afarensis Find Rewrote Human Evolution
Introduction: A Serendipitous Find in Hadar In the arid landscapes of Hadar, Ethiopia, a routine excavation in November 1974 yielded one of the most influential discoveries in paleoanthropology. What began as a glint in a gully became the fossil of a young Australopithecus afarensis, a specimen that would illuminate a pivotal chapter in human evolution…
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45,000-Year-Old DNA Links Neanderthals Across Eurasia: A New Migration Picture
Introduction: A startling DNA link from Crimea In a groundbreaking study, researchers uncovered a 45,000-year-old DNA fragment from a Neanderthal bone fragment found in Crimea. What makes this discovery remarkable is not just the age but the surprising genomic connection it reveals. The DNA shows ties between Neanderthals from the Crimean region and those living…