Smithsonian paleoanthropologists explore how the year brought us closer to understanding ancient human relatives and origins Ryan McRae and Briana Pobiner A young chimpanzee looks on during an outing ...

Discover the latest news, features and articles about the origin of the human species and what makes us different from our ...

Scientists find genetic mutation, millions of years ago. Oct. 12, 2011 — -- About three million years ago human predecessors embarked on a new course that would forever alter the evolution of our ...

The fossil record of our ape ancestors in Africa is almost nonexistent for a period of about 8 or 9 million years. This long gap lasted from about 16.5 million to 7 to 9 million years ago, during the ...

Scientists have found evidence suggesting that kissing dates back up to 21 million years and that our ape ancestors and Neanderthals likely locked lips, research published Wednesday said. Kissing has ...

Researchers have discovered new insights into the human heart's structure, revealing its evolutionary history. This study enhances understanding of heart development and its implications for treating ...

Comprehensive reference genomes have now been assembled for six ape species: siamang (a Southeast Asian gibbon), Sumatran orangutan, Bornean orangutan, gorilla, bonobo, and chimpanzee. Areas of their ...

A new study that examines how kissing evolved suggests that ape ancestors and early humans, like Neanderthals, probably locked lips with their friends and sexual partners. The behavior may date back ...

Mammals, from the mighty blue whale to the tiny shrew, inhabit nearly every corner of our planet. Their remarkable adaptability to different environments has long fascinated scientists, with each ...

When you learned about the history of human evolution in school, there's a good chance you were shown one all-too-familiar image. That picture probably showed a conga line of human-like creatures, ...