Introduction: Homo floresiensis, a strange species of hominin from the Indonesian island of Flores, has had its origins debated since its first descriptions in 2004. Some new fossils, discovered in 2013 but just now described, have added some new insight on the topic of where this species came from. The fossils, consisting of 2 teethContinue reading “On the Origins of Homo floresiensis-New Fossils and New Implications”
Author Archives: Mekhi
Understanding the ‘Muddle in the Middle’ Part 2-Hominins in Asia and Confusion in China-Guest Post by Mekhi
Introduction During the Pleistocene epoch, the world was full of human species, all throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia, and eventually, North America. Human species were interacting with, living with, and even breeding with each other. Some had vast continent-wide homes, while some migrated far away into new unexplored lands, such as obscure islands in IndonesiaContinue reading “Understanding the ‘Muddle in the Middle’ Part 2-Hominins in Asia and Confusion in China-Guest Post by Mekhi”
Predation Upon Hominins-Who Ate Our Ancestors?-Guest Post By Mekhi
Introduction The natural world is very often seen as dark and violent, a ‘dog-eat-dog world’. Though this isn’t always an accurate representation of nature, it isn’t entirely false either. Predatory animals will hunt and eat whatever they need to survive, to the extent of what they can hunt. We humans often like to think thatContinue reading “Predation Upon Hominins-Who Ate Our Ancestors?-Guest Post By Mekhi”
Baby Faces-How Neoteny Affected Our Evolution-Guest Post by Mekhi
Introduction Throughout the history of our evolution, there have been many different things that have shaped us into the animals we are today. From mutations to selection pressures, there are many aspects of our story that are crucial for why we are the way that we are, both behaviorally and physically. This article is aboutContinue reading “Baby Faces-How Neoteny Affected Our Evolution-Guest Post by Mekhi”
Happy Darwin Day!-Guest Post by Mekhi
Introduction One of the most important, if not the most important concepts in modern biology is evolution. The idea that organisms change with time and are all related back to a common ancestor was revolutionary, and important for understanding pretty much every aspect of biology. The history of the theory of evolution was long andContinue reading “Happy Darwin Day!-Guest Post by Mekhi”
Implications for Human Evolution From Lice-Guest Post by Mekhi
Introduction In the field of anthropology, scientists will look at anything if it can give clues about the story of our evolution. Fossils and genetics of ancient hominins are the most commonly studied things when researching paleoanthropology, but oftentimes, evidence can be found in small, unexpected things. One such thing, surprisingly, is lice. The 3Continue reading “Implications for Human Evolution From Lice-Guest Post by Mekhi”
Happy 99th Year Anniversary Taung Child! -Guest post by Mekhi
Introduction November 28th, 1924, exactly 99 years ago from today, a very significant hominin skull was unearthed near Taung, South Africa. On this day, a team of quarry workers uncovered the first described member of what would later be a very well represented hominin genus. This genus would be the genus Australopithecus, and the skullContinue reading “Happy 99th Year Anniversary Taung Child! -Guest post by Mekhi”
Happy 49th Year Anniversary Lucy!-Guest Post by Mekhi
Introduction November 24th, 1974, exactly 49 years ago today, the world of paleoanthropology was changed forever. On this day, Donald Joahanson and his team discovered perhaps the most famous specimen of our evolutionary lineage, Lucy. Lucy’s fame comes from the fact that she was the first of her species (Australopithecus afarensis), not because she’s theContinue reading “Happy 49th Year Anniversary Lucy!-Guest Post by Mekhi”
When did Homo erectus first leave Africa?-Guest post by Mekhi
Introduction It is commonly thought that Homo erectus was the first human species to leave our home continent of Africa. Though there is some evidence of earlier migrations accomplished by other species, it is clear that Homo erectus was the first species to accomplish mass migrations throughout Eurasia. Homo erectus fossils have been uncovered fromContinue reading “When did Homo erectus first leave Africa?-Guest post by Mekhi”
Understanding the ‘Muddle in the Middle’-Hominins from the Pleistocene-Guest Post by Mekhi
Introduction Throughout the history of our evolution, few times have confused anthropologists more than the middle to late Pleistocene epoch. This time, from about 1 million years ago to 10,000 years ago, saw the emergence of our own species, along with our closest relatives, Neanderthals and the Denisovans. Sites from throughout Africa and into EuropeContinue reading “Understanding the ‘Muddle in the Middle’-Hominins from the Pleistocene-Guest Post by Mekhi”
World of Paleoanthropology 