Tag Archives: first people

One of the largest explosions in world history could have wiped out humans. Scientists say how some survive

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news about fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more. About 74,000 years ago, Sumatra’s Mount Toba experienced a supereruption, one of the largest eruptions in Earth history, potentially leading to a major disruption in the world’s climate. Some scientists suspect that the volcanic winter… Read More »

Supervolcano eruption may have facilitated humanity’s exodus from Africa, new study suggests

People have been talking for much longer than we initially thought

New research has pinpointed the likely time when humans first began speaking in prehistory. Analysis by British archaeologist Steven Mithen suggests that early humans first developed primitive language about 1.6 million years ago, somewhere in eastern or southern Africa. “Humanity’s development of speech was undoubtedly the key to enabling much of later physical and cultural… Read More »

‘Intellectually inferior’ humans caused Neanderthals to go extinct, new book claims

Exhibition of a Neanderthal man at the Neanderthal Museum in Croatia.REUTERS/Nikola Solic What caused the Neanderthals to go extinct is one of the greatest mysteries in human history. A new book, “The Naked Neanderthal,” says humans were the real cause, thanks to their superior weapons. Author Ludovic Slimak thinks humans had less creativity and intelligence… Read More »

What a 45,000-year-old bone pit reveals about our earliest human ancestors

Researchers have discovered a pit of bones in a cave beneath a medieval German castle that could reveal the secrets of early humans. The remains buried in layers of soil in the collapsed cave contained genetic material from 13 bones belonging to cave bears, hyenas and early humans who died about 45,000 years ago. The… Read More »