The Quest for Human Origins

Humans present a striking paradox; combining an obvious primate nature with distinct behavioral traits makes them notable outliers among species. Our understanding of human origins is limited by our meager knowledge of the appearance of key human innovations, including use of language, fire, projectile weapons, composite tools and death rituals. However, new fossils, archeological finds, ancient DNA technology and comparative genomics are providing new information. Humans result from a succession of unlikely events. Key factors likely reflect the ecological niches our species have constructed which have allowed us to increasingly take our evolutionary fate into our own hands.