Here shall be the home to our newly branded series, “The Story of Us” where we share the stories of people working in and around the field of Anthropology and STEM Education!
We hope to share a wide range of experience and knowledge here.
If you or someone you know is interested in participating in an interview please have them email me at worldofpaleoanthropology@gmail.com with an appropriate subject and we will get together and see what we can do.
Please, alot has come together to provide these insider previews, appreciate them for what they are and may you learn something you did not know before!
*NEW*
I am proud to announce that we have a subscription. based podcast to enjoy not only the episodes here, in podcast form, but also exclusives as well! For $1.99 a month, or $10.00 a year, you can support myself in my pursuit of Science Education and Communication!
Check it out on Apple Podcasts:

Seth
Project Director
Episodes:
- Meeting Dr. Lee Berger!
Today’s guest, is Prof. Dr. Lee Berger, famous for his discoveries of Au. sediba and H. naledi.
A leader in the world of open access education, Lee is pushing the boundaries with his discoveries and the way he educates the world about them.
Please excuse any audio quality issues. You can find a companion explaining what is said here.
If you or someone you know would liked to be interviewed, either live or on paper contact us today and let us know!
2. Rising Star, Underground Astronauts and the Hunters!
In this interview we meet up with members of the famous Underground Astronauts team, Lindsay Hunter and her Husband Rick Hunter, a caver whom we shall discuss later, and we talk about Homo naledi, the cave system in which they were found and oh just so much more!
3. KINDRED: Lets talk Neanderthals!
Join us as we interview Rebecca Wragg Sykes, author of the upcoming book “KINDRED”, we dive deep into Neanderthal life and culture and even discuss how similar Jean Auel’s books are to real life!
4. Dr. Lee Berger A Chat!
Join Seth as he chats with his favorite anthropologist, the very humble and well known Lee Berger!
5. Genetics, Homo Naledi, and Neanderthals with John Hawks!
Join Seth and Professor John Hawks as they discuss the challenges that anthropologists face in the modern-day world, and how they can change and face them.
6. Homo Naledi and Sediba come Home!-A chat with Keneiloe Molopyane
Join us on this very special chat with Keneiloe Molopyane curator of the Maropeng Meusam in South Africa, and member of the original Rising Star caving team, Keneiloe is an experienced archaeologist and anthropologist.
7. Biology, Anthropology and Open Access with John Mead!
Today on the show we interview special guest John Mead, a middle school biology teacher who has been very involved in the scene of science and anthropology in education for decades.
8. Interview with Zandile, what’s it like working with fossils?
Join us as we meet up with South African Paleoanthropologist Zandile Ndaba and talk about her work in the field, including her work with Lee Berger, Malapa, Rising Star, and now the new 105 site.
9. Chat with Professor James Cole
Join us in our latest interview with anthropologist James Cole, and explore his work involving early hominind culture and evolution, ranging from canabalism to ritual burial.
10. Dr. Fuentes, a wonderful chat about Human Origins!
Join us today as we interview and have a chat with the wonderful Dr. Fuentes, go back in time with us as we explore the beginnings of humanity, all the way up to today and the way we view “race” and species.
11. Drimolen and Stephanie Baker!
Joins us as we meet with Stephanie Baker, the person in charge of the Drimolen site and its very awesome recent discoveries!
12. First Steps with Jeremy DeSilva!
Today we join special guest Prof. Jeremy DeSilva, author of “First Steps: How Upright Walking Made Us Human”, and man behind “A Most Interesting Problem: What Darwin’s Descent of Man Got Right and Wrong about Human Evolution”, a prolific author and all around great guy, join us as we chat with him!
13. Race, Sex, and Gender: It’s Time We had a Talk
There is a consistent and persistent misunderstanding of many things in todays day and age. And that’s ok because there are a lot of things going on in this big, wide and wonderful world of ours.
14. Chris Stringer and World of Paleoanthropology!
Hello fellow enthusiasts, students, professors, and more! Join us today for an amazing talk on Neanderthals and so much more! Listen to one of the world’s leading experts on Neanderthals for the past 40 years!
15. Human Compassion with Roberto Sáez!!!
Join us today as we have a great conversation with Roberto Sáez, a prolific paleoanthropologist from Madrid, Spain.
16. Dr. Marina Elliott and Seth have a Chat About Homo naledi and Rising Star!
Join us on this episode of World of Paleoanthropology to hear the amazing tale and story of Dr. Marina Elliott, and her amazing story and involvement with the 2013 Rising Star Expedition which led to the discussion and naming of a new Hominid species, H. naledi!
17. Dragon Man with Chris Stringer and Seth Chagi!
Today, Seth and Chris Stringer, friend of the show, discuss something that is very new on the Paleoanthropological scene that you may have heard of recently!
18. Archaeology with Prof. Andrew Kinkella. My former Archaeology 101 Professor!
Today I was joined by one of my former professors, my Archaeology 101 teacher in fact, who is partially responsible for my love, passion, and dedication to this field.
19. A Discussion on Hominins with Prof. Jeff Mckee!
Join Seth in the World of Paleoanthropology as he gets a notoriously famous Paleoanthropologist on the show.
20. Neanderthals, The World Before Us, Seth and Prof.Tom Higham
Hello and Welcome to the World of Paleoanthropology! Today we have a wonderful, and very exciting guest ( I mean don’t we always?) with an amazing new book out! “The World Before Us”.
21. Becca Peixotto! An interview with an Underground Astronauts!
This time on the show we have another awesome guest, Becca Peixotto! One of the original Underground Astronauts called into service by Dr, Lee Berger in 2013, she has had a wild ride ever since!
22. Dr. Lee Berger-Child from the Darkness
Provided by Wits University Media for education and promotion of this work. I do not own any of the rights to this video.
23. A (very) Short History of Life on Earth, an Interview with Dr. Henry Gee!
Join Dr. Henry Gee and myself as we discuss his upcoming book! We have a great time, and invite you to join us!
24. Harbin Skull With Chris Stringer!!!
I do not own the rights to this video, and am just sharing it in good faith in the hope of spreading science communication and education!
25. Hominin Cranial Reconstruction!
Join us on this episode as we chat with Ryan and Gabriel about a new method of Hominin reconstruction based on new methods and techniques that they are developing! This is an awesome episode! Don’t miss it!
26. Meeting Homo habilis!
Join us on our second morphology comparison video, where we meet H.habilis, the first in the Homo lineage, a very fascinating species that led the way to you and I directly. Small, and ape-like, habilis is truly a creature to behold. Learn all about the specimen KNM-ER 1813 today!
27. New Analysis of the Laetoli Footprints with Dr. Ellie McNutt!
Join us on this exciting episode as we break down one of the latest and most exciting papers in the field over the last month! Join Seth and Dr. Ellison McNutt as they discuss the new paper that she is the lead author on, about new discoveries at the Tanzanian site of Laetoli, discovered first int he 70’s by Mary Leakey.
28. Our very first Symposium! And on Neanderthals no less! Join the discussion!
After months of planning, we are very excited to announce and premiere our very fist symposium! Dr. Chris Stringer, Dr. Rebecca Wragg Sykes, and Dr. Tom Higham join me on the show as we answer your questions about Neanderthals! Be sure not to miss it!
29. A Child Out of the Darkness of Rising Star…Leti with Dr. Juliet Brophy!
On this episode, we join Dr. Brophy, a member of Lee Berger’s team who has been working on the sediba and naledi discoveries. Her specialty is dentition, which is great as that is some of the most prolific parts of Leti that we have! Join us and learn all about this naledi child, a find of the century! Once again!
30. The Future of Paleoanthropology and the current field with Dr. Carol Ward
Today we join Dr. Carol V. Ward who is a Professor studying human origins and the functions of the human body from a biological level. She has worked in Africa, and plans to go back as soon as the pandemic is over! Come and join us on this episode to hear all of what we talk about!
31. Chimpanzees and Conservation with Dr, Craig Stanford
Join author, primatologist, and anthropologist Dr. Craig Stanford as we discuss the plight of the chimpanzee, and just what we can do about it. Personal friend of Dr. Jane Goodall, Craig is a professor at University Southern California, and has traveled and lived all throughout the world.
32. “Discovering Us” with Evan Hardingham
On this episode of “The Story of Us” we have the delight and honor of hosting Evan Hadingham, author, archaeologist, and Lead Science Editor for PBS NOVA. He has worked all over the world, and with many famous Anthropologists, in close tandem with The Leakey Foundation, he has produced a beautiful new book you should all be interested in! Check it out!
33. Welcome to Dr. Briana Pobiner of the Smithsonian!
On this episode of “The Story of Us” I am excited to introduce you all to someone I have been meaning to get on the show for a while! A fellow science communicator and kindred soul in wanting to spread Paleoanthropology to all those who are interested, join myself as I interview the creator of the Hall of Human Origins at the Smithsonian!
34. Race, Monogamy and other Lies they Told You, a chat with Dr. Agustin Fuentes!
Join Dr. Agustin Fuentes from Princeton and I as we discuss the rerelease of his new book, why it is so important in today’s modern world, and why you should pick up this book as soon as possible and give it a thorough, and well informed read. Take a listen to our chat, I am sure you will enjoy it, learn something new, and most of all; I can tell you to pick up this book!
35. Neanderthals; Did they Bury their dead?
On this episode of The Story of Us, we host Dr Emma Pomeroy, a Paleoanthropologist out of Cambridge, who is currently excavating the well known Neanderthals site of Shandihar Cave in Iraq, or the Levant. The site is famous for the possibility of evidence for ritual burial. There are many questions to be asked here, and many answers to be found. Catch this episode if you want to know what a Neanderthal might have done with their dead, and even why!
36. Paleogenetics, what can we learn from the genes of the ancient past?
Join Dr. Todd DIsotell and I as we discuss the intricacies of the paleogenetic world. How closely related to apes are we actually? When did we split from the apes? Who was our last common ancestor? As an anthropological researcher, who do not want to be interviewed by? Join us to find the answers to these questions and so much more!
37. A Chat with Dr. Marc Kissel!
Join us on this episode as we talk to Dr. Marc Kissel, a former graduate student of Dr. John Hawks and now a teacher himself; he is a fantastic guy to listen to, and has some great stories to tell about how he got to where he is, and what he has planned next! So enjoy, like and subscribe, and be sure to stay tuned for the next episode!
38. Dr. Per Alberg and the Trachilos Footprints
Join us on this episode of The Story of Us as we talk to vertebrate paleontologist Dr. Per Alberg from the University of Uppsala as we discuss a controversial topic, are these hominin footprints? Are they the first signs of bipedalism that we have found? Watch to learn more, and do your own research, and make up your own minds!
39. Human-Perspectives on our Evolution with World Experts with Sergio Almécija!
On this most recent episode of The Story of Us, we chat with a newly published author, Dr. Sergio Almécija, who has created a unique book that enlightens readers about the inner thoughts of researchers in the field.
40. Survival Archaeology with Dr. John Shea!
From lithic and survival expert Professor John Shea, learn why we need to completely reevaluate the way we look at and study stone tools. Learn the difference between “who” and “how” questions when it comes to Paleoanthropology and why it is important to understand when one is more appropriate over another! It was an amazing conversation!
41. Human Skin Pigmentation with Dr. Nina Jablonski
In this episode, we host famed anthropologist and primatologist Dr. Nina Jablonski. On this episode, learn why science communication can lead to a better, more peaceful and educated society, as well as hear how huge issues such as race and racism are tackled scientifically in the 21st century.
42. Ice Age Rock Art, Neanderthals and more with Genevieve von Petzinger!
Hello everyone, it’s great to have you back on my channel! Today, I am excited to introduce you to our special guest, Genevieve von Petzinger. She is a renowned paleoanthropologist and the author of the captivating book, “First Signs: How Ancient Symbols Shaped Humanity”. In this book, she delves into the fascinating origins and meanings of the geometric symbols that were created and painted on cave walls by our ancestors across the globe. Genevieve also shares her amazing journey of exploration to some of the most remote and intriguing sites on Earth. During our conversation, we discussed her book, her research, and the valuable insights that these ancient symbols can offer us about our past and ourselves. I hope you found this interview as intriguing as I did, and please remember to like, comment, and subscribe for more fascinating content. Thank you for tuning in!