Science and Culture Today Discovering Design in Nature
Topic

human origins

AustralopithecussedibaFundortMalapa
Photo: Australopithecus, by Neanderthal-Museum, Mettmann, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Physicist Overstates the “Gradual” Nature of Human Origins in the Fossil Record

We’ve gone back and forth with Dr. Barr many times in the past. Mainstream paleoanthropologists acknowledge that the origin of humans is sudden and abrupt. Read More ›
Toumai-MCN4129
Photo credit: GuillaumeG, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Luskin on Error Versus Deception in Human Origins Discussions

How do you separate the facts from the narrative? That can be challenging these days, and the realm of science is no exception. Read More ›
SahelanthropustchadensiscraniumrightsideintheMuse
Photo credit: Soul Train, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Supposed Human Ancestor Falls Victim to Research Politics

Casey Luskin describes a culture of silence in paleoanthropology driven by competition, prestige, and political pressure. Read More ›
Em-Homoerectusmodel-1
Photo: Homo erectus, by Emőke Dénes, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Gulf Between Ape-Like and Human Grows Wider

This trend supports the traditional view that humans were uniquely designed rather than evolving willy-nilly from ape-like ancestors. Read More ›
HomoerectusreconstructionNaturalHistoryMuseumLondon
Phot credti: Werner Ustorf], CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Paper Defends Spoken Language in Homo erectus

The first thing that comes to mind in the context of intellectual capabilities is brain size. Read More ›
Casablanca
Photo credit: © Hamza Mehimdate, Programme Préhistoire de Casablanca.

Teeth, Jawbones, and Vertebrae Fuel Overblown Media Claims of a “Missing Link”

So we’re talking about fossils that are very humanlike, if not essentially completely human. Read More ›
SahelanthropustchadensisIMG2949
Photo credit: Rama, CC BY-SA 3.0 FR <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/fr/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons.

“Competition and Politics” Complicate Debate Over Sahelanthropus tchadensis

It seemed like lots of people wanted to forget about the femur, because years went by and nothing was published about the bone. Read More ›
SahelanthropustchadensiscraniumleftsideintheMuse
Photo credit: Soul Train, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

New Paper Fails to Settle Debate Over Bipedalism in Sahelanthropus tchadensis

Many have called this fossil a human ancestor that lived at about 7 million years ago, around the time of our supposed most recent common ancestor with chimps. Read More ›
Pterosaur
Photo: Ludodactylus sibbicki, by G. Bechly 2008.

No. 4 Story for 2025: Farewell to Günter Bechly

I told Richard Sternberg a story from own experience. I learned about more than paleontology from Bechly. Read More ›
Homo_neanderthalensis,_The_Natural_History_Museum_Vienna,_20210730_1225_1278
Photo credit: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Perhaps Neanderthals Never Truly Went Extinct

A critical part of the original tale of the Neanderthals is that, because they were stupid, we smarter, more evolved modern humans finished them off. Read More ›

© Discovery Institute