When Did Sex Become Fun?

Sexual reproduction has been around for 2 billion years. But when did sex for pleasure arise? And how much did penises have to do with it?

Iconic Fossil Assigned Probable Cause of Death: A Big Fall

An intriguing new study adds cred to the theory that Lucy and her relatives spent some of their time in trees.

The Man Who Was Mistaken for a Homo Sapiens in a Hat

There are pros and cons to any relationship, but what are the risks and benefits of mating … with another species?

What Can Vampire Bats Teach Us About Friendship?

Friendship is complicated. But bats and their companions may offer us a window into how humans form—and keep—relationships.

New Discovery Expands the Hobbit Family Tree

Fossil finds are challenging our understanding of the diminutive hominins discovered in Indonesia in 2003.

Labor Pains and Helpless Infants: Eve or Evolution? (Part 2)

Anthropologists often use an idea called the “obstetrical dilemma” to explain why humans have helpless infants, but there is mounting evidence that this explanation is insufficient. Part II.

The Birth of the “Neanderthals”

Library archives reveal the Gibraltar skull’s role in the discovery of our sister species.

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh … and Hominins?

Researchers seeking to discover the truth about human origins are turning to animal hybrids for insights. What they’ve found may lead to more questions than answers.

Racial Realities

How can biological race not be real, but continue to have real consequences, every day, for all of us? Race is an idea invented by people. 

Why We Must Talk About Race

An anthropologist from urban Los Angeles looks at how science, history, religion, power, and politics colluded to create the illusion of race.