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FAQ Support Our Work Search Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History The Smithsonian Institution’s Human Origins ProgramHuman Evolution Research Climate and Human Evolution Climate Effects on Human Evolution Survival of the Adaptable Human Evolution Timeline Interactive East African Research Projects Olorgesailie Field Blog Olorgesailie Drilling Project Kanam, Kenya Kanjera, Kenya Ol Pejeta, Kenya Olorgesailie, Kenya Evolution of Human Innovation Adventures in the Rift Valley: Interactive Asian Research Projects ’Hobbits’ on Flores, Indonesia Earliest Humans in China Bose, China Anthropocene: The Age of Humans Fossil Forensics: Interactive What’s Hot in Human Origins? Digital Archive of Ungulate and Carnivore Dentition Human Evolution Evidence Behavior Primate Behavior Footprints Stone Tools Getting Food Carrying & Storing Hearths & Shelters Burial Recording Information Making Clothing Art & Music Human Fossils Species Fossils Mystery Skull Interactive Shanidar 3 - Neanderthal Skeleton 3D Collection Artifacts Fossils Primates Genetics One Species, Living Worldwide Human Skin Color Variation Ancient DNA and Neanderthals Dating Human Evolution Timeline Interactive Human Family Tree Snapshots in Time Human Characteristics Walking Upright Tools & Food Bodies Brains Social Life Language & Symbols Humans Change the World Education Introduction to Human Evolution Lesson Plans For College Students Fun Facts Human Origins Glossary Teaching Evolution through Human Examples Frequently Asked Questions Recommended Books Exhibit Exhibit Floorplan Exhibit Floorplan Interactive Print Floorplan PDF Reconstructions of Early Humans Human Origins Traveling Exhibit Human Origins Do it Yourself Exhibit Exhibit Field Trip GuideAcknowledgments Events Human Origins Program Team Broader Social Impacts Committee What We Do Members & Member Resources Members Thoughts on Science, Religion & Human Origins (video) Science, Religion, Evolution and Creationism: Primer BSIC Public Event Videos and Audio Become Involved Products For Press Multimedia Slideshows Videos Audio Menu Anthropocene: The Age of Humans Interactive Timeline Digital Collection Adventures in the Rift Valley Support Our Work Hall of Human Origins Visit the Exhibit More ResourcesWhat Does It Mean To Be Human? Submit Your Answer or Explore OthersTo be a human is to be special, to be part of centuries history that has long since passed. - Anonymous, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic I think being human means to have a sense of right and wrong - stephen, south carolina To know that we know nothing, yet yearn to know everything. - Sandy Emery, Lewistown, MT To overcome struggles, to explore new lands, and to find our place in this world. - Hannah Voorhees, Durham, North Carolina To be human means to feel emotion, to believe in what is larger than us, to make bonds with those around us, to make our dreams reality. - Zach, Philadelphia, PA To be a moral rational agent. To be of the species Homo sapiens sapiens. To have empathy towards the human species. - Brian, California El ser humano es un conjunto físico de presencia en persona, lo que podemos ver, pero también es el sentimiento de vivir, de ser alguien, de ser la vida pero también de ser la nada, ser uno con el mundo y con nosotros mismo. - SEBASTIAN CASTRO, PROGRAMA DE ENFERMERIA 101- 2024, COLOMBIA, UNIVERSIDAD DE CUNDINAMARCA SECCIONAL GIRARDOT Being human involves the unique ability of reasoning and applying judgement that considers the whole human emotion, considerably empathy. - Thomas, Wilmington, De Humans can speak different languages and humans were born at the top of the food chain. Humans also have most of their hair on the top of their head. They also were born with royalty and houses - Eero Grisier, Truckee, California to learn by making mistakes due to emotions and in some ocassions repeating them, until you get it right. - david constable v., Panama city, Panama Hi dear! Bitcoin raised over 50000$ and seting new price records every day. Ethereum has already grown to $ 1800! The launch of futures trading in Ethereum will push the price up to $ 10,000 and higher! Hurry up to make money on the upcoming growth of t - Bitmybitbro, USA being able to communicate and make things because we are special animals can’t make things - hannah, brentwood, TN Featured Research View more Human Evolution Research’Hobbits’ on Flores, Indonesia New digs and geological dating in Liang Bua Cave, Indonesia, show that Homo floresiensis, nicknamed the hobbit” for its small size, became extinct around 50,000 years ago – tens of thousands of years earlier than originally thought. For Teachers More ResourcesAP Biology Curriculum Materials Are you an AP Biology teacher? Click here for freely downloadable curriculum materials aligned to the AP learning objectives that use human case studies to teach core evolutionary principles and a resource to help teachers create a comfortable and supportive classroom environment for teaching evolution. Lesson Plans Comparison of Human and Chimp Chromosomes (Grades 9-12) Investigating Common Descent: Formulating Explanations and Models (Grades 9-12) Human Evolution: Religious Perspectives More ResourcesThe Hall of Human Origins offers a welcoming place to explore one of the most exciting areas of science, the study of human evolution. Despite strong public interest in the science, however, many people find this topic troubling when viewed from a religious perspective. Representatives of diverse religious communities encourage a larger, more respectful understanding of both the scientific evidence and religious belief. Featured Media View all MultimediaHow To Tell a Rock from a Stone Tool How can you tell if a rock is actually an early stone tool? Watch this video to find out. Designing the Exhibition This video takes you behind-the-scenes into the process of designing and building the Smithsonian’s Hall of Human Origins. Fun Facts Humans are handy! Fingernails help apes, monkeys, and other primates scratch things, peel fruit, pick away the outer layers of other edibles, and perform a variety of other tasks with their fingers. Does this sound familiar? That’s because humans are primates, too! We retain this feature because of our connection with our primate relatives. © Copyright Smithsonian Institution For Press Privacy Terms of Use About the Human Origins Initiative Contact Us Human Evolution Research Climate and Human Evolution Climate Effects on Human Evolution Survival of the Adaptable Human Evolution Timeline Interactive East African Research Projects Olorgesailie Field Blog 2011 Olorgesailie Dispatches 2004 Olorgesailie Dispatches 1999 Olorgesailie Dispatches Olorgesailie Drilling Project Kanam, Kenya Kanjera, Kenya Ol Pejeta, Kenya Olorgesailie, Kenya Evolution of Human Innovation Adventures in the Rift Valley: Interactive Asian Research Projects ’Hobbits’ on Flores, Indonesia Earliest Humans in China Bose, China Anthropocene: The Age of Humans Fossil Forensics: Interactive What’s Hot in Human Origins? Digital Archive of Ungulate and Carnivore Dentition Instructions Carnivore Dentition Ungulate Dentition Human Evolution Evidence Behavior Primate Behavior Footprints Footprints from Koobi Fora, Kenya Laetoli Footprint Trails Footprints from Engare Sero, Tanzania Stone Tools Early Stone Age Tools Hammerstone from Majuangou, China Handaxe and Tektites from Bose, China Handaxe from Europe Handaxe from India Oldowan Tools from Lokalalei, Kenya Olduvai Chopper Stone Tools from Majuangou, China Middle Stone Age Tools Later Stone Age Tools Burin from Laugerie Haute & Basse, Dordogne, France La Madeleine, Dordogne, France Getting Food Bone Tools Butchered Animal Bones from Gona, Ethiopia Katanda Bone Harpoon Point Oldest Wooden Spear Punctured Horse Shoulder Blade Stone Sickle Blades Projectile Point Carrying & Storing Oldest Pottery Pottery Fragment Hearths & Shelters Fire-Altered Stone Tools Terra Amata Shelter Burial Qafzeh: Oldest...