Neanderthal

Many silhouetted figures depicting the evolution of man

Where does language come from?

Science

Humans are the only creatures on Earth that can choke on their own food. Yes, that’s right. Why would humans have evolved such potentially fatal architecture? Some experts say the reason is speech. This week on the podcast, we explore several theories about where language comes from.

A modern human skull (left) and a Neanderthal skull (right) at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History.

Neanderthals went extinct, but many of us still carry around fragments of their DNA

Science
Human and Neanderthal skulls

Neanderthals and modern humans co-existed in Europe for several thousand years

Science

Right to be forgotten? Google has a backup plan

Global Scan
Gurche - Shanidar

A scientist-artist recreates human ancestors by studying their bones

Environment

Scientist discover evidence of Neanderthals being responsible for early cave paintings

Environment

No one has given the Neanderthals much credit for being intelligent and creative. In fact, they’ve always been thought of as humans’ younger, dumber cousins. But new evidence suggests they may have been more creative than once thought.

The World

Who Were the Ancient Artists in Spain’s El Castillo Cave?

Arts, Culture & Media

Scientists have discovered cave art in Spain that dates back at least 40,000 years – around the time, or even before, modern humans arrived in Europe. The researchers suspect the ancient artists may have been our more primitive cousins, the Neanderthals.

The World

Prehistoric Wisdom Tooth Reveals New Branch of Human Family Tree

Arts, Culture & Media

Thanks to a broken finger bone and wisdom tooth found in a Siberian cave, scientists have discovered a new branch in the hominid family tree. Known as the Denisovans, they are cousins to Neanderthals; lived in Asia from roughly 400,000 to 50,000 years ago; and interbred with the ancestors of today’s inhabitants of New Guinea.

The World

Caveman love, caveman thought

Arts, Culture & Media

Recent research on neandertals suggests that, despite our beliefs that we were superior to them, we may, in fact, be them – at least in part. Kate Wong explains the new findings, and shares her thoughts on bringing neandertals back from extinction.