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Department of Human Origins

Director: Prof. Dr. Tracy L. Kivell

The Department of Human Origins combines new fossil and archaeological discoveries with an interdisciplinary approach to reconstructing how our fossil relatives interacted with their past environments. Our goal is to uncover the emergence and evolution of the human lineage through fieldwork and analysis, studying the fossils of our early relatives and those of African apes. We aim to reconstruct the key behaviours that define humans by integrating high-resolution imaging, quantitative analyses of anatomy, experimental biomechanics and study of living primates. 

News

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Ancient teeth suggest Homo naledi fossils in a cave may all be female

Human Origins

New protein analysis adds to the mystery of how these bones ended up deep underground

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Leonardo Iasi and Rhianna Drummond-Clarke receive the Otto Hahn Medal

Human OriginsEvolutionary Genetics

Each year, the Max Planck Society recognises young researchers for their exceptional scientific achievements…

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Swartkrans Paranthropus and Sterkfontein Australopithecus had different locomotor repertoires

Human Origins

Paranthropus robustus from southern Africa combined upright walking and more frequent climbing than the older 

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