For most of the 20th century, the model of human origins was a tree: with the trunk dividing into branches, and then twigs. Each species of human relative (hominin) was a neat, single branch.

Scientists may have stumbled upon a hidden civilisation at the bottom of the ocean after they discovered the skull of Homo erectus, an ancient human ancestor. The skull was preserved beneath layers of ...

A prehistoric human known as Homo erectus was the first of our forerunners to leave Africa, crossing continents and ultimately roaming the planet for almost 2 million years. But with scarce genetic ...

Humanity’s ancestry has grown far clearer thanks to our ability to obtain ancient DNA. We now know that, as humans left Africa, they interbred with the groups they met there, Neanderthals and ...

Homo sapiens might have been the dominant species on the planet for millennia, but it wasn't always that way. When the first Homo sapiens emerged around 300,000 years ago, our ancestors were just one ...

Replica of the Sangiran 17 Homo erectus cranium from Java. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or ...