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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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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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Inside the ankle: bone structure reveals how primates move

Human Origins

New study links internal bone architecture and joint shape to locomotion in humans, apes, and monkeys

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“Nutcracker Man” ventured further and wider than first thought

Human Origins

The discovery of a Paranthropus fossil that dates back 2.6 million years changes our understanding of early…

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