Lee Berger’s New Hominid Is a Non-Starter
October 18, 2019
How many times can you shake up a family tree before the family concept becomes a myth?
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Brain of Homo Naledi Estimated
May 16, 2018
The intriguing hominid fossils from a South African cave make news again. This time, the discoverer and a team of anthropologists learn more about the brains of these creatures. Were they people? In 2013, the world was shocked to hear of bones of Homo deep within the Rising Star Cave system in South Africa. Bones […]
Everything Scientists Assumed About Human Evolution Needs a Major Rethink
September 21, 2017
In short, the paleoanthropology field is a confusing mess.
Homo naledi Is Young
May 10, 2017
The media are abuzz with disappointment that this cache of bones in South Africa is too young to be a missing link. Homo naledi is one of the most astonishing “hominin” fossil finds in recent years, on par with the “hobbits” (Homo floresiensis) of Indonesia. Debates have gone wild since Lee Berger announced hundreds of […]
Are Hobbits Human?
April 25, 2017
Are the little people of Indonesia and South Africa just small versions of us? Wherever they came from, and whatever they were doing in the caves in which they were found, they don't fit evolutionary expectations.
Early Man Stories Evolve
December 11, 2011
Early man evolved, evolutionary scientists assure us. But it's not clear what is evolving more: our ancestors, or the tales told about them.
Media Respond Predictably to Latest Ape-Man
September 8, 2011
A new law of nature has been revealed: the Law of Predictable Media Reactions to Missing Link Announcements. Once again, the science news media have gone ape over the latest bone story emerging from the paleoanthropology industry. In keeping with tradition, reporters are saying this will “rewrite the steps of our evolution.” And once again, a contender gets his 15 minutes of fame, showered in media hype. If the LPMR law holds, we can expect to see his claim discredited when the next contender gets his or her turn.