Top Human Origins Discoveries of 2021

2021 was a big year in science! Fossil discoveries introduced new relatives to our family tree, new findings added fascinating twists to the human story, and breakthroughs in research methods opened new worlds to explore. In this episode, five scientists discuss their favorite human origins discoveries of 2021.

Click here for a transcript of this episode.

Our guests:

Scott A. Williams, New York University
Jessica Thompson, Yale University
Giulia Gallo, University of California at Davis
Fernando Villanea, University of Colorado at Boulder
Erin Kane, Boston University

Read more about their top discoveries:

Dragon Man

Late Middle Pleistocene Harbin cranium represents a new Homo species 

Stunning ‘Dragon Man' skull may be an elusive Denisovan—or a new species of human

'Dragon man' claimed as new species of ancient human but doubts remain 

SedaDNA

Unearthing Neanderthal population history using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA from cave sediments

Bacho Kiro

Initial Upper Palaeolithic humans in Europe had recent Neanderthal ancestry

Early Homo sapiens groups in Europe faced subarctic climates

Like Neanderthals, Early Humans Endured a Frigid Europe

White Sands footprints

Evidence of humans in North America during the Last Glacial Maximum

Ancient Footprints Push Back Date of Human Arrival in the Americas

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