What Does It Mean To Be Human?

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human is a member of the Homo sapiens species, characterized by their highly developed brain and cognitive abilities. Humans are social beings, capable of complex emotions, thoughts, and communication. They have a unique combination of physical features.

- Armawn, Louisville, Kentucky

I believe to be human is to have a soul, something that separates us from the rest of creation. A soul is something that makes us, us.

- Katie, Michigan

Human genetics all are different but we all have the same insides why is that?

- Ezar, San Marcos

To be human means to be made in God's image, to be able to reason, to have personality, to communicate with language, to have a soul that will live eternally.

- Joann, USA

To be human is to share in a quest for a rational understanding of our origins.

- Jim Mauch, Cudahy, WI

Significa haber sido humanizado por otros humanos que te hayan enseñado lo mejor de ser humano: el amor, la compasión, la risa, el arte.

- Guadalupe Cruz, México

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- kaleb, North Dakota

To have reason, thought, and the ability to learn and memorize information.

- Remington, Belleville

A human is a living breathing thing that has a mind, a body, a soul and a spirt

- Scarlett, NZ

human means to have the ability to communicate using words, making mistakes, discovering all that is around you, traveling the globe.

- Sarel Ortiz-Munoz, Dallas,tx

To be a human is to accept vulnerability and love. It is about the willingness to help people and to know that everyone has their flaws.

- Reed S, Louisville, KY

Being a human is having a body, soul, and mind that is created in the image of God, living, and experiencing different circumstances.

- Katheryn, South Carolina

Visit the Exhibit

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Human Origins Exhibit Entrance

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

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.