Sahelanthropus tchadensis

We begin our exploration into hominin history with an introduction to what is arguably the oldest hominin fossil yet found.  Does Sahelanthropus tchadensis represent our earliest hominin ancestor or is it something else?  Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find...

Hominins or Hominids

When talking about our ancient anscestors the question often comes up over how we refer to them.  Are they hominins or hominids?  It’s a good question and it depends on how it is being used and what “hominid” branch is being discussed.   Over the...

Walk This Way

When did our ancestors decsend from the trees and walk on two legs instead of four?  How exactly did bipedalism develop?  We have some ideas but that’s all they are – ideas.  We may never know, but we can certainly have some fun hypothesizing! Evolution...

Return of the Naledi

Our study of the Homo Naledi continues to surprise us.  In December 2022, Professor Lee Berger announced yet another insight into the mystery surrounding the presence of the Naledi in the Rising Star Cave System. Evolution Talk is also a book! You can find links to...

A Spandrel in the Works

In 1979 Stephen Jay Gould and genetecist Richard C. Lewontin presented the paper “The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme”.  What do spandrels have to do with evolution and biology?  Sometimes, things are...