Bridget Alex
Articles written specifically for the GLP or the articles that are reposted from other sources (sometimes in modified form) with permission list the source as Genetic Literacy Project. Excerpted articles list the original media outlet as the source. Excerpts are posted under guidelines for Fair Use and Creative Commons for educational nonprofits (501c3). The GLP’s Fair Use policy for posting excerpts and using images is explained here.
Athletic evolution: Comparing modern athletes to ancestral warriors
Scholars have long argued that Neanderthal weapons were too hefty to hurl and, therefore, had to be thrust directly into ...
Human brains have been shrinking since the Stone Age. We don’t know why
It’s something of a well-known secret among anthropologists: Based on measurements of skulls, the average brain volume of Homo sapiens ...
How the evolution of our ability to run marathons ‘made us human’
Let’s call it the “running made us human” hypothesis: According to some scientists, distance running was key to our ancestors’ ...
Evolutionary riddle: Why humans have breasts?
Over the years, researchers have proposed a number of explanations for human breasts. Some claimed evolution favored “pendulous” breasts — as scientists ...
Were Neanderthals doomed by their inbreeding?
Mounting evidence suggests Neanderthals also had a habit of inbreeding, or conceiving with close relatives. Several studies have now reported ...
Ancient African DNA reveals insights before slavery, colonialism
[B]ones between 5,000 and 15,000 years old — surrounding the start of the Holocene, our current geologic epoch — can ...
Why does human skin color have so much variation?
Human skin color reflects an evolutionary balancing act tens of thousands of years in the making. There’s a convincing explanation ...
Did Neanderthals have their own language?
Did Neanderthals have language? Before trying to answer that, I should admit my bias: I’m team Neanderthal. As an anthropologist ...
DNA of God: Did humans evolve a need for religion?
[H]ow does evolution explain religion? Leading scholars propose a two-phase hypothesis (here, here): First, our ancestors evolved certain mental abilities, useful ...
Molecular clocks rewriting the story of human evolution
Analyzing DNA from present-day and ancient genomes provides a complementary approach for dating evolutionary events. By comparing DNA sequences, geneticists ...
