People visit exhibits inside the Smithsonian Hall of Human Origins, Thursday, July 20, 2023, at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
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Neanderthals
A Neanderthal skeleton on display in 2018 at the Musee de l'Homme in Paris. Researchers extracted DNA from bones found in Russia to learn more about how their communities were organized. Stephane de Sakutin/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
A giant kauri tree grows in Waipoua Forest in Northland, New Zealand. Trees like this one that fell long ago and were preserved for thousands of years are helping researchers discern fluctuations in the Earth's magnetic poles. Kim Westerskov/Getty Images hide caption
Ancient Trees Show When The Earth's Magnetic Field Last Flipped Out
Close-up of modern flax cordage showing twisted fiber construction. S. Deryck hide caption
Neanderthals are believed to have relied on dangerous close range hunting techniques, using non-projectile weapons like the thrusting spears depicted in this artist's rendition. Gleiver Prieto & Katerina Harvati hide caption
Picture shows what scientists say are Neanderthal cave-paintings inside the Andalusian cave of Ardales, on March 1, 2018. The cave-paintings, found in three caves in Spain, were created between 43,000 and 65,000 years ago, at least 20,000 years before modern humans are believed to have arrived in Europe. AFP/Getty Images hide caption
Left: Dirk Hoffmann and Alistair Pike sample calcite from a calcite crust on top of the red scalariform sign in La Pasiega.Right: Drawing of Panel 78 in La Pasiega by Breuil et al.(1913). The red scalariform (ladder) symbol has a minimum age of 64,000 years but it is unclear if the animals and other symbols were painted later. J. Zilhão (left) / Breuil et al. (1913)/Science Advances hide caption
An employee of the Natural History Museum in London peeks at a model of a Neanderthal male in his 20s on display for a 2014 exhibition. Will Oliver/PA Images via Getty Images hide caption
The skull of La Ferrassie Neanderthal, from France. Jacquelyn Martin/AP hide caption
Some Plaque To Build A Theory On: Did Humans And Neanderthals Kiss?
A new study of the dental plaques of three Neanderthals reveals surprising facts about their lives, including what they ate, the diseases that ailed them and how they self-medicated (and smooched). (Above) An illustration of Neanderthals in Spain shows them preparing to eat plants and mushrooms. Courtesy of Abel Grau/Comunicación CSIC hide caption
Some Neanderthals Were Vegetarian — And They Likely Kissed Our Human Ancestors
Researchers found numerous ring-like structures inside France's Bruniquel Cave. They believe they were built by Neanderthals some 176,000 years ago. Etienne FABRE - SSAC hide caption
Dr. Omry Barzilai of the Israel Antiquities Authority holds an ancient skull found inside a cave near the northern Israeli city of Nahariya. Dan Balilty/AP hide caption
Researcher Svante Pääbo, was able to extract a complete genome from this ancient human leg bone. Bence Viola/Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology hide caption