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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program

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  • Human Evolution Research
    • Climate and Human Evolution
      • Climate Effects on Human Evolution
      • Survival of the Adaptable
      • Human Evolution Timeline Interactive
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      • Kanam, Kenya
      • Kanjera, Kenya
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      • Olorgesailie, Kenya
      • Evolution of Human Innovation
      • Adventures in the Rift Valley: Interactive
    • Asian Research Projects
      • 'Hobbits' on Flores, Indonesia
      • Earliest Humans in China
      • Bose, China
    • Anthropocene: The Age of Humans
    • Fossil Forensics: Interactive
    • What's Hot in Human Origins?
    • Digital Archive of Ungulate and Carnivore Dentition
  • Human Evolution Evidence
    • Behavior
      • Primate Behavior
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What's Hot in Human Origins?

View Human Origins News >>
Homo ergaster skull on black background.
2 hours 1 minute ago
Human Origins at SI
@HumanOrigins
RT @TracyKivell: The new Department of Human Origins, MPI-EVA in Leipzig is looking for new PhD students interested in functional morphology, brain/cranial evolution, origins of tool production or living ape behaviour. Please apply here: https://t.co/Z0VG6xFLLA Deadline April 30th!
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Homo ergaster skull on black background.
47 minutes 30 seconds ago
Human Origins at SI
@HumanOrigins
RT @johnhawks: One of the earliest-known and most important sites for Neandertals is Krapina, Croatia. New evidence from dental cementum is revealing new details about their lives and deaths. It may help address a mystery about why others put their bones there. https://t.co/OAToMFEgrI https://t.co/e16YrNW6GX
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Homo ergaster skull on black background.
2 days 20 hours ago
Human Origins at SI
@HumanOrigins
RT @JenniferRaff: I might have forgotten to tweet this when it came out a couple months ago: my Smithsonian talk! https://t.co/1JqHExlFHp" target="_blank">https://t.co/1JqHExlFHp
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What Does It Mean To Be Human?

Submit Your Answer or Explore Others >>
humans are different from AI because they dont have the same traits as us they cant do the things we do and they dont have emotions like we do.

- micheal, indiana

Hi dear!
Bitcoin raised over 50000$ and seting new price records every day. Ethereum has already grown to $ 1800! The launch of futures trading in Ethereum will push the price up to $ 10,000 and higher! Hurry up to make money on the upcoming growth of t

- Bitmybitbro, USA

Being human means making mistakes...and learning from them.

- Brian Estarella, Lancaster california

To be Human one must have fully developed and fully felt all of their five senses, with zero Denial of any aspect of their life.

- Kenny, Seattle ,Wa

Being human is to have the ability to turn sounds into open ended communication, unlike animals we have languages. We also have ethics, we can turn our memories into mental time travel. Humans are more flexible and can cooperate in larger groups.

- Zoha and Noor, Aitchison college kahore5

To be human is to be curious of all and niothing in the same time

- benja, france

to be "human" is to have feelings for others and care for who you love

- Kendall, Des Moines,Iowa

To be a Human is to be the result of a 4 billion year evolutionary battle and being the descendant of an unbroken chain of winners.

- Arham Ghauri, Illionois

To have the ability to act on something other than instinct and choosing to do so.

- Caitlin, California

It means to be better than everyone by trying your best and being better than other life forms

- Muhamamad, Johannesburg

If dogs like you and come up to you wagging their tails to be petted, then you are human. :)

- RJE, Potomac, MD

To be a human means to be a homonid with humans rights..

- Popop, Chennai, India

Visit the Exhibit

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Human Origins Exhibit Entrance

Featured Research

View more Human Evolution Research >>
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

More Resources >>

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

View all Multimedia >>
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

Why do paleoanthropologists love Lucy?

In 1974, paleoanthropologist Dr. Donald Johanson discovered a 3.2 million-year-old skeleton with both ape-like and human-like qualities in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Known scientifically as Australopithecus afarensis, in the Ethiopian language of Amharic she is called “Dinkenesh”, which means “you are beautiful”. In English, we call her “Lucy”. So why do we love Lucy so much? It’s because we see signs of humanity in her, such as a body built for walking upright on two legs, just like us!

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Page Last Updated: July 21, 2022
  • Human Evolution Research
    • Climate and Human Evolution
      • Climate Effects on Human Evolution
      • Survival of the Adaptable
      • Human Evolution Timeline Interactive
    • East African Research Projects
      • Olorgesailie Field Blog
        • 2011 Olorgesailie Dispatches
        • 2004 Olorgesailie Dispatches
        • 1999 Olorgesailie Dispatches
      • Olorgesailie Drilling Project
      • Kanam, Kenya
      • Kanjera, Kenya
      • Ol Pejeta, Kenya
      • Olorgesailie, Kenya
      • Evolution of Human Innovation
      • Adventures in the Rift Valley: Interactive
    • Asian Research Projects
      • 'Hobbits' on Flores, Indonesia
      • Earliest Humans in China
      • Bose, China
    • Anthropocene: The Age of Humans
    • Fossil Forensics: Interactive
    • What's Hot in Human Origins?
    • Digital Archive of Ungulate and Carnivore Dentition
      • Instructions
      • Carnivore Dentition
      • Ungulate Dentition
  • Human Evolution Evidence
    • Behavior
      • Primate Behavior
      • Footprints
        • Footprints from Koobi Fora, Kenya
        • Laetoli Footprint Trails
        • Footprints from Engare Sero, Tanzania
      • Stone Tools
        • Early Stone Age Tools
          • Hammerstone from Majuangou, China
          • Handaxe and Tektites from Bose, China
          • Handaxe from Europe
          • Handaxe from India
          • Oldowan Tools from Lokalalei, Kenya
          • Olduvai Chopper
          • Stone Tools from Majuangou, China
        • Middle Stone Age Tools
        • Later Stone Age Tools
          • Burin from Laugerie Haute & Basse, Dordogne, France
          • La Madeleine, Dordogne, France
      • Getting Food
        • Bone Tools
        • Butchered Animal Bones from Gona, Ethiopia
        • Katanda Bone Harpoon Point
        • Oldest Wooden Spear
        • Punctured Horse Shoulder Blade
        • Stone Sickle Blades
        • Projectile Point
      • Carrying & Storing
        • Oldest Pottery
        • Pottery Fragment
      • Hearths & Shelters
        • Fire-Altered Stone Tools
        • Terra Amata Shelter
      • Burial
        • Qafzeh: Oldest Intentional Burial
      • Recording Information
        • Assyrian Cylinder Seal
        • Blombos Ocher Plaque
        • Ishango Bone
      • Making Clothing
        • Bone Awls
        • Bone and Ivory Needles
      • Art & Music
        • Figurines
          • Carved Ivory Running Lion
          • Female torso in ivory
          • Ivory Horse Figurine
          • Ivory Horse Sculpture
          • Lady of Brassempouy
          • Lion-Man Figurine
          • Willendorf Venus
        • Jewelry
          • Ancient Shell Beads
          • Carved Bone Disc
          • Cro-Magnon Shell Bead Necklace
          • Oldest Known Shell Beads
        • Musical Instruments
          • Ancient Flute
        • Rock Art
          • Ancient Pigments
          • Apollo 11 Plaque
        • Other Decorated Objects
          • Carved antler baton with horses
          • Geometric incised bone rectangle
          • Tata Plaque
    • Human Fossils
      • Species
      • Fossils
      • Mystery Skull Interactive
      • Shanidar 3 - Neanderthal Skeleton
    • 3D Collection
      • Artifacts
        • Bison Figurine
        • Carved Horse-Head Bead
        • Carved Ivory Mammoth
        • Cuneiform Clay Tablet
        • Fired Clay Bison
        • Fired Clay Venus from Dolni Vestonice
        • Lespugue Venus
      • Fossils
      • Primates
    • Genetics
      • One Species, Living Worldwide
      • Human Skin Color Variation
      • Ancient DNA and Neanderthals
    • Dating
    • Human Evolution Timeline Interactive
    • Human Family Tree
    • Snapshots in Time
      • Swartkrans, South Africa
      • Olorgesailie, Kenya
      • Shanidar, Iraq
  • Human Characteristics
    • Walking Upright
    • Tools & Food
    • Bodies
    • Brains
    • Social Life
    • Language & Symbols
    • Humans Change the World
  • Education
    • Introduction to Human Evolution
    • Lesson Plans
      • Nuts and bolts classification: Arbitrary or not? (Grades 6-8)
      • Comparison of Human and Chimp Chromosomes (Grades 9-12)
      • Hominid Cranial Comparison: The "Skulls" Lab (Grades 9-12)
      • Investigating Common Descent: Formulating Explanations and Models (Grades 9-12)
      • Fossil and Migration Patterns in Early Hominids (Grades 9-12)
    • For College Students
    • Fun Facts
      • Why do we get goose bumps?
      • Chickens, chimpanzees, and you - what do they have in common?
      • Grandparents are unique to humans
      • How strong are we?
      • Humans are handy!
      • Humans: the running ape
      • Our big hungry brain!
      • Our eyes say it!
      • The early human tool kit
      • The short-haired human!
      • The “Nutcracker”
      • What can lice tell us about human evolution?
      • What does gut got to do with it?
      • Why do paleoanthropologists love Lucy?
      • Why do we have wisdom teeth?
    • Human Origins Glossary
    • Teaching Evolution through Human Examples
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Recommended Books
  • Exhibit
    • Exhibit Floorplan
      • Exhibit Floorplan Interactive
      • Print Floorplan PDF
    • Reconstructions of Early Humans
    • Human Origins Traveling Exhibit
      • Chesterfield County Public Library
      • Orange County Library
      • Andover Public Library
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      • Oelwein Public Library
      • Cedar City Public Library
      • Milpitas Library; Milpitas, CA
      • Spokane County Library
      • Cottage Grove Public Library
      • Pueblo City-County Library
      • Springfield-Greene County Library
      • Peoria Public Library
      • Orion Township Public Library
      • Skokie Public Library
      • Wyckoff Free Public Library
      • Tompkins County Public Library
      • Otis Library
      • Fletcher Free Library
      • Bangor Public Library
    • Exhibit Field Trip Guide
  • About Us
    • Acknowledgments
    • Events
    • Human Origins Program Team
    • Broader Social Impacts Committee
      • What We Do
      • Members & Member Resources
        • Connie Bertka
        • Jim Miller
        • Francisca Cho (Emeritus)
        • Elliot Dorff
        • David Haberman
        • Betty Holley
        • Nancy Howell
        • Fred Edwords (Emeritus)
        • Randy Isaac (Emeritus)
        • Wes McCoy
        • Lee Meadows
        • Mustansir Mir
        • Peter F. Ryan
        • Jamie L. Jensen
        • Mary Evelyn Tucker
        • Wentzel van Huyssteen (Emeritus)
        • Joe Watkins (Emeritus)
        • Tom Weinandy (Emeritus)
        • David Orenstein
        • Michael Tenneson
      • Members Thoughts on Science, Religion & Human Origins (video)
      • Science, Religion, Evolution and Creationism: Primer
      • BSIC Public Event Videos and Audio
        • The Evolution of Religious Belief: Seeking Deep Evolutionary Roots
        • Laboring for Science, Laboring for Souls:  Obstacles and Approaches to Teaching and Learning Evolution in the Southeastern United States
        • Public Event : Religious Audiences and the Topic of Evolution: Lessons from the Classroom (video)
        • Evolution and the Anthropocene: Science, Religion, and the Human Future
        • Imagining the Human Future: Ethics for the Anthropocene
        • Human Evolution and Religion: Questions and Conversations from the Hall of Human Origins
        • I Came from Where? Approaching the Science of Human Origins from Religious Perspectives
        • Religious Perspectives on the Science of Human Origins
    • Become Involved
      • Submit Your Response to "What Does It Mean To Be Human?"
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Submit Question
    • Products
      • "Shaping Humanity: How Science, Art, and Imagination Help Us Understand Our Origins" (book by John Gurche)
      • What Does It Mean To Be Human? (book by Richard Potts and Chris Sloan)
    • For Press
  • Multimedia
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      • Bronze Statues
      • Reconstructed Faces
    • Videos
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  • FAQ
  • Support Our Work