More and more archaeological finds reveal a complex picture of how and when people first arrived in North America.

Homo sapiens is currently the only member of the genus Homo alive. There’s only one species of human—but it wasn’t always so.

An archaeologist explores human athletic paleobiology to explain how our prowess in sport has deep roots in evolution.

Across time and around the world, many ancient monuments were built as calendars to track the sun’s journey.

A Neanderthal expert weighs in on a new theory that proposes a swap in the planet’s poles triggered a climate catastrophe that killed off our evolutionary cousins.

The Human Genome Project first published the modern human genome 20 years ago, and the Neanderthal genome was sequenced a little more than a decade ago. What do these maps mean for our understanding of humanity?

An archaeologist considers the history and biology of what defines a taste of home.

Not just for trampoline jumpers and sweater wearers, static electricity is helping archaeologists illuminate the behavior of our ancient cousins.

Tiny particles called “microremains” that get trapped in dental plaque tell a story of long ago diets and ecosystems.

Anthropologists often study people who have died. Can the field provide context and comfort during a pandemic?

Take a tour of the Neanderthal body that pinpoints clues about ancient life gleaned from ancient bones.

Skeletal remains show signs of flat ear tubes and bony growths that suggest Neanderthal ears were plagued by bacteria.

The Neanderthal leg proportions and tendons, along with their genes, made our ancient cousins designed for short bursts of speed.

With whom did Neanderthals mate? In some cases, inbreeding looks likely.

Neanderthals’ tooth enamel, torsos, and even fossilized poop reveal that they ate much more than meat.

Stone tools and skeletons suggest that Neanderthals were mostly right-handed.

The third installment of our head-to-toe tour of the Neanderthal body tackles how our close ancestors might have sounded.

This installment of our head-to-toe tour of the Neanderthal body tackles hominin smarts.

The Neanderthal body has stories to tell about the life and times of our ancient hominin cousins.

From medieval villages in Transylvania to war-torn countries in South America and North Africa, evidence of human endurance and strength is everywhere—even in the midst of devastation.

Complex toolmaking strategies were the heart of survival on San Nicolas Island.

Scientists are taking an unusual approach to studying how Native Alaskans lived and hunted thousands of years ago—and how they may have adapted to climate change.

The outhouse of a 19th-century Boston brothel might not be the first place you’d think to look for revealing clues about the past—but maybe it should be.

A study of rats on Flores, once home to Homo floresiensis , reveals new ideas about the diminutive hominin species affectionately termed the “hobbit.”

The human birthing process is more difficult than that of any other primate. One researcher is using bones and computers to figure out why—and what to do about it.