An ancient, distant human cousin from southern Africa called Paranthropus robustus has for the first time revealed molecular clues to its evolutionary status. Protein sequences preserved in four ...

Ancient DNA is often fragmented and contaminated. It preserves best in cool environments, not the extreme temperature swings of the world’s largest hot desert.

Protein evidence reveals hidden variation in P. robustus. The species may be more complex than once believed. For close to a ...

The oldest known Egyptian DNA sample, from a man who lived between 4,500 to 4,800 years ago, offers new insights into the potential ancestry of those who belonged to the enduring civilization.

Tracks from two humanlike species crossing paths in ancient Africa shed light on the tale of our specialized locomotion An aerial photo of researchers standing near excavated trackways in Kenya.

Ten Exceptional Ancient Elephants, From Small Swimming Creatures to Shovel-Tusked Beasts A wide variety of the exotic animals evolved on Earth over the past 60 million years ...

Over 15 years of fossil excavations in Tanzania and Zambia have revealed a vivid portrait of life before Earth s most ...

Ancient African Communities Living 1,800 Miles Away From Each Other Making Identical Beads Was ‘No Coincidence’ The impulse to connect, communicate, and express identity is as old as humanity ...

But a novel technique is allowing us to peer back further than DNA's expiration date in Africa, to answer long-standing ...