How Climate Crafted Humanity (Or Did It?) ~ Jessica Thompson
On Humans is back from the break! To mark the summer heat, here is a two-part series on how climate has shaped the human story. In next week's episodes, we will explore the role of water and weather in the origins of European colonialism. But today, we start by crawling deeper into the past: to the origins of humanity itself.In this episode, Yale professor Jessica Thompson helps us navigate one of the most influential ideas in human evolution: that an ancient climate change pushed our ancestors out of the jungle, onto the savanna, and eventually toward big brains, meat-eating, and tool use.This is a captivating story. It has been mentioned many times on the show. But do the details hold up?What follows is a sweeping account of human origins, which nuances — but does not reject — the grand arc explored in The Origins of Humankind series. This is a story about a climate that has never remained steady. It serves as a poignant reminder of the weather's power to shape human destiny. But it’s also a story about human resilience and our capacity, from the very beginning, to defy the iron laws of ecology. Enjoy!Thoughts about the episode? Share them at OnHumans.Substack.com. You'll also find a bunch of links to dig deeper. SUPPORT THE SHOWYou can pledge your support at Patreon.com/OnHumansMENTIONED SCHOLARSRichard Wrangham (guest in summer 2023) Sarah Blaffer Hrdy (guest in Spring 2024)KEYWORDS Human evolution | Human origins | Paleoanthropology | Human biology | Climate change | Miocene | Pleistocene | Brain evolution | Brain energetics | Deep history | Anthropology | Archaeology | Austrolopithecins | Genus homo | Bipedalism | Evolution of apes | Missing link | Tsetse flies |
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An Essential Difference? Males, Females, and the Spaces In Between ~ Augustín Fuentes
Binary thinking is out of fashion. But what about biological sex?Whatever we might say about diversity and fluidity, the ideas of “male” and “female” seem essential in biology. I’ve taught the subject. I’ve drawn bees and flowers, with arrows from anthers to ovaries. I’ve used the terms “dad cell” and “mother cell” while doing so. I don’t know how I could have done it any differently.And maybe that’s just fine. Human sex cells are binary: sperm and egg. But here’s the twist: humans aren’t sex cells. Humans are animals. And animals aren’t so easily grouped. XY chromosomes don’t always produce a penis. And when we turn to hormones, brains, and behaviours, the picture gets even messier.Or so argues Princeton Professor Agustín Fuentes, a leading expert on human biology. His new book, Sex Is a Spectrum, came out this week. It makes the case that biology no longer supports a sharp separation between the male and the female. I approached this topic with a mix of curiosity and scepticism. And while I'm still unsure of what to make of the conclusion, I do not regret the conversation one bit. We had a great chat, ranging from hermaphroditic worms to sex-changing fish, and from gender stereotypes to intersex humans. At times, I pushed back. But I learned a lot throughout the conversation. I hope you do, too.Thoughts about Fuentes’s argument? Or my takes? Share them at onhumans.substack.com. You'll also find more links to dig deeper.Support the show: patreon.com/onhumansMENTIONSAgustín Fuentes: Sex is a Spectrum; Creative Spark; Race, Monogamy, and Other Lies They Told YouYuval Noah Harari: Sapiens, A Brief History of HumankindJared Diamond: Guns, Germs, and Steel Steven Pinker: How the Mind WorksSara Blaffer Hrdy: Father Time (see episode in April 2023)KEYWORDS Biological sex | gametes | chromosomes | intersex | hermaphrodite | sex determination | sexual dimorphism | sex-changing fish | clownfish biology | evolutionary biology | human evolution | Agustín Fuentes | anthropology of sex | reproductive biology | nonbinary biology | developmental biology | sex differences | male and female | sex in animals | sex in humans | genetics of sex | human biology | science of sex | sex vs gender | c. elegans sex | 5-alpha-reductase type 2 deficiency (5α-R2D) | PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) |
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The Rest is History: From the Origins of Farming to the Dawn of Modernity ~ Johannes Krause
And so it ends! In the final episode of The Origins of Humankind, we explore the aftermath of the story so far—the story of how one peculiar species, Homo sapiens, evolved, spread, and outlived its relatives.Guiding us through this final chapter is Johannes Krause once again. Together, we uncover the emerging picture of the global spread of farming, pastoralism, and other key ingredients of modernity. Along the way, we explore some of the central questions of history—from the origins of inequality to the surprisingly pivotal role played by the peoples of the Eurasian steppe. (Yes, Mongols will make an appearance! But the story of the steppe goes much deeper...)As always, we end with my guest’s reflections on humanity.Enjoy!LINKSMore material: OnHumans.Substack.com/OriginsSupport the show: Patreon.com/OnHumansFree lectures on human origins: CARTAKrause's books: A Short History of Humanity; Hubris: The Rise and Fall of HumanityABOUT THE SERIESThe Origins of Humankind is produced by On Humans and UC San Diego's Centre for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA). Other guests include Chris Stringer, Dean Falk, and Tim Coulson. KEYWORDSAnthropology | Biology | Human evolution | Human origins | Homo sapiens | Agriculture | Ancient DNA | Climate changes | Pleistocene | Holocene | Archaeology | Neolithic | Yamnaya | Bell Beakers | Proto Indo-Europeans | Ötzi Ice Man | Gunpowder Empires | Bantu-expansion | Austranesian expansion | Sami poeple | Y-chromosome bottleneck |
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A Human Like No Other: The Rise of Homo Sapiens ~ Johannes Krause
The time has come: This is where our story truly begins.In Episode 4 of The Origins of Humankind, we finally turn the spotlight on Homo sapiens. Guiding us through this journey is Johannes Krause, director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology and a pioneer of one of the greatest scientific revolutions of our time: the science of ancient DNA.This ability to extract DNA from fossils has transformed our understanding of the human past—giving us tools to tell a genuinely global history of our species. In this episode, we use the magic of ancient DNA to explore the world our species was born into: a weird, wild Ice Age planet teeming with other human species, from Flores Hobbits to Neanderthal Giants. We touch on big questions, such as:How did Homo sapiens spread around the world?Why were our ancestors so successful? How did climate changes shape their story?What was palaeolithic life like?What happened to the Neanderthals? (Be prepared for a plot twist!)We end at the dawn of the Holocene—the warm, wet period that would give rise to farming, cities, and everything we call “history.” That’s the story we’ll tackle in the final episode of The Origins of Humankind. Stay tuned. And enjoy this episode!LINKSMore material: OnHumans.Substack.com/OriginsSupport the show: Patreon.com/OnHumansFree lectures on human origins: CARTAKrause's books: A Short History of Humanity; Hubris: The Rise and Fall of HumanityABOUT THE SERIESThe Origins of Humankind is produced by On Humans and UC San Diego's Centre for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA). Other guests include Chris Stringer, Dean Falk, and Tim Coulson. KEYWORDSAnthropology | Biology | Human evolution | Human origins | Homo Erectus | Australopithecines | Brain evolution | Paleoneurology | Hominins | DNA | Homo sapiens | Climate changes | Pleistocene | Cognitive evolution | Cognitive archaeology | Stone tools | Palaeolithic | Neanderthals | Homo floresiensis | Denisovans | Homo longi | Sima de los Huesos | Gravettian | Cannibalism | Aurignacian | Svante Pääbo |
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What Is a Human? The New Science of the Genus Homo ~ Chris Stringer
Things are about to get personal... In episode 3 of The Origins of Humankind, we zoom into the birth and spread of humanity itself. Our guide is the iconic Chris Stringer, one of the most influential paleoanthropologists alive. Together, we trace the origins of our genus and the emergence of Homo sapiens as the last surviving human species. While doing this, we meet many oddities, such as rhino hunting along the River Thames, but we also explore some of the biggest questions in human evolution:What is a human?Why did we evolve big brains?Why do we have such long childhoods?Is Homo sapiens truly unique — or just one human among many?As always, we finish with my guest's reflections on humanity.MORE LINKSMore material: OnHumans.Substack.com/OriginsSupport the show: Patreon.com/OnHumansFree lectures on human origins: CARTAStringer's books: Lone Survivors; Our Human StoryWHAT'S NEXT#4-5: The Story of Sapiens, in Two PartsThe series finishes with two episodes on the story of Homo sapiens, using the magic of ancient DNA to tell a genuinely global history of our species.Key question: How did migrations shape the human story? Why are we the only humans left? And how did humans spread worldwide, first as hunters and gatherers, then as farmers and shepherds?Your guide: Johannes Krause was the first scholar to discover a new species of humans by DNA alone. Co-author of Hubris, and A Short History of Humanity, he is now the Director of the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology.When: March 16th & 23rd, 2025KEYWORDSAnthropology | Biology | Human evolution | Human origins | Homo Erectus | Australopithecines | Brain evolution | Paleoneurology | Hominins | Cave art | Homo sapiens | Climate changes | Pleistocene | Cognitive evolution | Cognitive archaeology | Stone tools | Palaeolithic | Neanderthals | Alloparenting | Expensive tissue -hypothesis | Radiator theory | Brain growth | Palaeoanthropology |
Where do we come from? What brings us together? Why do we love? Why do we destroy?
On Humans features conversations with leading scholars about human nature, human condition, and the human journey. From the origins of war to the psychology of love, each topic brings fresh insights into perennial questions about our self-understanding.
Support: Patreon.com/OnHumans
Articles: OnHumans.Substack.com
Focus areas: Anthropology, Psychology, Archaeology, Philosophy, Big History
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