The Hall of Human Origins offers a welcoming place to explore one of the most exciting areas of science, the study of human evolution. Despite strong public interest in the science, however, many people find this topic troubling when viewed from a religious perspective. Representatives of diverse religious communities encourage a larger, more respectful understanding of both the scientific evidence and religious belief.
What's Hot in Human Origins?
April 12, 2013
August 16, 2012
June 28, 2012
June 15, 2012
Events
June 20, 2013 - 12:00pm - 2:00pm
June 28, 2013 - 3:00pm - 4:00pm
July 18, 2013 - 12:00pm - 2:00pm
July 26, 2013 - 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Featured Research
Human Evolution:
Religious Perspectives
Human Evolution: Religious Perspectives
Fun Facts
Why do we get goose bumps?
The body hair of all mammals automatically stands up when cold, creating a fluffy layer of warmth. When we’re cold, the muscles around the hair follicles contract – a reflex left over from when our ancestors had long body hair. But since we don’t have much body hair, all we see are the goose bumps on our skin.
The short-haired human!
While other primates are furry, human skin is exposed to the elements. It’s not that we’re ‘naked’ – our hair is just really short over much of our bodies. In the warm places where our ancestors lived, evaporation of sweat from exposed skin was a great benefit in cooling our entire bodies. Our brain runs so ‘hot’, in fact, that sweating and cooling proved vital for evolving our big brain.
What Does It Mean To Be Human?
Other responses
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- Megan, Arizona
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- Kamal, Nepal
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- mio, md
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- bobbie Coverman, Austin, Texas
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- David, London
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- Kerridwyn Schanck, Oregon
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- Marina Mitchell, Roosevelt High School Portland Oregon
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- Gail, Alexandria VA
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- L.j., Washington
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- Nick Simerly, Duck River, Tennessee
Visit the Exhibit
Virtual Dig
Teachers Forum
Are you interested in joining a discussion forum exclusively for educators involved in teaching human evolution? We encourage you to participate in our Teachers Forum and share your insights, questions, best practices, and experiences with other like-minded educators.
