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Human Origins Exhibit Entrance

What Does It Mean To Be Human?

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Being human means contributing to society through art, history, philosophy, etc. It means existing in the human world

- emily, new york

To be human means to use your brain, love, talk, socialize as well as share life and soul with other people.

- VKAMEG, MIDDLE SCHOOL OF PLAINVILLE, PLAINVILLE, CT

To be human means to be a part of this world and stand out. Show something that this world has never seen before.

- Madiha, Virginia, United States of America.

El ser humano es un conjunto físico de presencia en persona, lo que podemos ver, pero también es el sentimiento de vivir, de ser alguien, de ser la vida pero también de ser la nada, ser uno con el mundo y con nosotros mismo.

- SEBASTIAN CASTRO, PROGRAMA DE ENFERMERIA 101- 2024, COLOMBIA, UNIVERSIDAD DE CUNDINAMARCA SECCIONAL GIRARDOT

To function in society and take care of ourselves

- Leah, Kentucky

To be human is to be able to laugh at life’s shortcomings and weep at life's failings and still be able to balance on both feet.

- chris, earth

Being human is relationships-w/one another (social), w/ God (spiritual) and rest of Creation (regal). John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

- Jennifer, Okla/Germany

To be human is to connect and bond. As social animals, being alone is really not an option for us. We all have the need to share what we love with people, and hope that they love us in return.

- Karter, Virginia

To be human is to simultaneously be possessive of progress and regression; to transcend limits us, and to learn from what we've lost.

- Joshua J. Washburn, Raleigh, North Carolina

Being human means you have the ability to make the world we live in whatever you want it to be.

- J. Ransom, Huntsville, Al

To be Human is to be made up of a particular combination of protons, neutrons, and electrons.

- Randyl, Almonte, Ontario

To be human is to belive that everyone has a purpose in life, to have a religion, or not. To form deep emotional bonds with one another, whether it be intense love or intense hate. To be human is to ask ourselves what does our life mean, and then ponder.

- Patricia Marquez, Alexandria, VA

Featured Research

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image of Homo floresiensis; LB1, skeleton

'Hobbits' on Flores, Indonesia

New digs and geological dating in Liang Bua Cave, Indonesia, show that Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the “hobbit” for its small size, became extinct around 50,000 years ago – tens of thousands of years earlier than originally thought.

For Teachers

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AP Biology Curriculum Materials

Are you an AP Biology teacher? Click here for freely downloadable curriculum materials aligned to the AP learning objectives that use human case studies to teach core evolutionary principles and a resource to help teachers create a comfortable and supportive classroom environment for teaching evolution.

Lesson Plans

Comparison of Human and Chimp Chromosomes (Grades 9-12)

Investigating Common Descent: Formulating Explanations and Models (Grades 9-12)

Human Evolution: Religious Perspectives

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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.

Featured Media

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Rock or stone tool

How To Tell a Rock from a Stone Tool

How can you tell if a rock is actually an early stone tool? Watch this video to find out.

Video Thumbnail of Rick Potts from "Designing the Exhibition"

Designing the Exhibition

This video takes you behind-the-scenes into the process of designing and building the Smithsonian's Hall of Human Origins.

Fun Facts

What does gut got to do with it?

The proportions of our bodies are a product of millions of years of evolution, including our stomachs! Our ancestor Homo erectus evolved a narrower ribcage and pelvis, shorter large intestines, and longer small intestines. This made the early human gut smaller and it decreased the time it took to digest food! The shorter gut allows for more energy to be diverted from the intestines to other important organs of the body, such as the brain.