Jump directly to main navigation Jump directly to content Jump to sub navigation
MPI-EVA_Human_Origins.jpg

Department of Human Origins

Director: 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

2024-07-09_Sahelanthropus.jpg

What about bipedalism in Sahelanthropus?

Human Origins

No evidence in Sahelanthropus postcranial remains supporting habitual bipedalism

more
OH7_mandible.png

Dental morphology in Homo habilis and its implications for the evolution of early Homo

Human Origins

Researchers examined the internal structure of Homo habilis teeth, and found that most are remarkably similar…

more
A_DSC1656-V-2.jpg

Exploring Human Origins

Human Origins

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, welcomes Tracy Kivell as new Director

more