Bonobo communication similar to that of human infants, suggests new study
Researchers from the University of Birmingham (UK) and the University of Neuchatel (Switzerland) have found that wild bonobos, our closest…
Key element of human language discovered in Australian bird
Stringing together meaningless sounds to create meaningful signals was previously thought to be the preserve of humans alone, but a…
Male genetic diversity strangled by wealth and power
Genetic researchers have discovered an extremely dramatic decline in male genetic diversity between 4,000 and 8,000 years ago, while in…
Flores’ “hobbit” not a new human species, say detractors
Back in 2004, the excavation of unusual skeletal remains in Liang Bua cave on the island of Flores yielded what…
Did feminization create modern humans?
Duke University anthropologists have been measuring more than 1,400 ancient and modern skulls, leading them to theorize that modern humans…
African music preferred by chimps
Chimpanzees like to listen to the different rhythms of music from Africa and India, but prefer silence to music from…
Singing primates and tweeting birds: Uncovering human language’s deep origins
By re-examining contemporary human language, MIT researchers believe they can uncover how human communication could have evolved from the systems…
Human face evolved to be punched
A controversial new paper from the University of Utah contends that human faces have evolved over time to minimize injury…
Hunting humans imitate honeybees
Working with the Hadza tribe in Africa, researchers have found that human hunter-gatherers follow the same mathematical pattern in their…
Loved-up bonobos stay young longer
Bonobos and chimpanzees are closely related but bonobos lack of aggression, playfulness, and strong familial ties make them very different…
Human longevity linked to loss of species
In a fascinating new study, human life expectancy – which is rarely included in analyses of human impacts on the…
Population growth makes wildlife conservation pointless, concludes new report
A growing human population will inevitably crowd out mammals and birds and has the potential to threaten hundreds of species…
Torturous terrain behind human bipedal evolution?
Archaeologists at the University of York say challenging terrain could have been the driving force behind our earliest ancestors leaving…
New analysis pokes holes in biodiversity’s supposed link to human disease
The vast majority of new, emerging or re-emerging human diseases are caused by pathogens from animals, according to the World…
Evolution to blame for modern-day health problems?
The subtle but relentless pressures of human evolution could explain the rise of disorders such as autism, autoimmune diseases, and…
Game theory shows why you can’t hurry love
English boffins have developed a mathematical model of the mating game to help explain why courtship is often protracted. The…
Ancient diaspora was a manly affair
According to current theory, modern humans left Africa around 60,000 years ago in a migration that spread the human population…
Slimy Future Predicted For World’s Oceans
Habitat destruction, overfishing, ocean warming, increased acidification and massive nutrient runoff are combining to turn Earth’s oceans into simplistic ecosystems…
Spread Of Human Virus In Chimps Confirmed
Building on earlier work that found evidence of human viruses in deceased chimpanzees, a new study by Virginia Tech researchers…
Primatologists Snap Rare Gorilla Nookie Pic
Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society and Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology have released the first known photographs of…
Human Genome “Far More Complex Than Anyone Imagined,” Lament Researchers
It looks like it may be back to the drawing board for many of the new gene therapy treatments being…
Human Diaspora May Have Occurred Later Than Previously Thought
Modern humans spread out of Africa up to 50,000 years later than previously thought, say anthropologists. Three new studies in…
Human Brain Evolution Slows To A Crawl
The human brain underwent explosive growth after we split from our chimp cousins, but the pace of evolutionary change among…
New Discovery Doubles Age Of First Human Rituals
An archaeological discovery made in Africa looks set to change our understanding of when humans began conducting rituals. Previous digs…
Homo Sapiens Brow-Beaten By Neanderthals
We modern-day humans think that we’re pretty damn good looking compared to our brow-ridged, potato nosed Neanderthal relatives, but new…
Novel Robot Will Be “Dynamic And Graceful,” Says Prof
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have put together a new type of robot – dubbed “Ballbot” – that balances and…
Global Warming Behind Early Primate Diaspora?
Exactly what prompted early primates to travel between continents 55 million years ago has perplexed scientists for years. And there…
Adolescence Lasts Into Twenties
Just when does an adolescent transform into a mature, responsible adult? Some parents who are still cooking, washing and picking…
Key Points In Brain Evolution Identified
A research team from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, led by Bruce T. Lahn, has uncovered some fascinating genetic pointers…