Where do we come from? How did we get here? What kind of creature are we?

The science of human origins has made great progress in answering these timeless questions. From carbon isotopes to ancient DNA extraction, we now have unprecedented tools to explore our past. But with all this detail, it’s easy to miss the forest from the trees.

To fill this gap, On Humans has partnered with CARTA — a UC San Diego-based research unit on human origins. Together, we have designed a five-episode journey to dig deep into the new science of the origins of humankind.

Together, these episodes explore the emerging science of how we became the puzzling and wonderful creatures we are today.

The series begins tomorrow. Subscribe now free episode and written summaries at:

Onhumans.Substack.com/Origins

SERIES OVERVIEW

#1 The Big Picture

The series begins with a sweeping take on the history of life on Earth, from the origin of life to the rise of humans.

• Key questions: What is life? Who were our ancestors during the dinosaurs? What led to the rise of primates? And what kind of a primate are we?

• Your guide: Tim Coulson is the Head of the Department of Biology at the University of Oxford. He recently released a breathtaking overview of the history of life and the universe titled A Universal History of Us.

• When: March 25th

#2 An Unusual Ape
In episode two, we follow the first steps on the human line, exploring how abandoning life in the trees paved the way for many of our human oddities.

• Key questions: Why was upright posture so important? What did it do to parents and children? When did the brains of our ancestors start to show human oddities?

• Your guide: Dean Falk, a leading expert on brain evolution at the University of Florida. She recently published a book titled A Botanic Age, looking at human evolution behind the Stone Age.

• When: April 2nd

  
  

#3 What Is a Human?

The stage has been set. The third episode tackles human evolution head-on, focusing on the new scientific discoveries about the genus Homo.

• Key questions: What is a human? Why did we evolve? And how do modern humans differ from Neanderthals or other extinct humans?

• Your guide: Chris Stringer is an iconic figure in the field, best known for his groundbreaking work towards the widely accepted Out of Africa -theory of human evolution. His career at London’s Natural History Museum stretches across five decades.

• When: April 9th

  
  

#4-5: The Story of Sapiens (In Two Parts)
The 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: In 2010, Johannes Krause became the first person to discover a new species of humans by DNA alone. Co-author of Hubris, and A Short History of Humanity, he is the Director of the Max Planck Institute of Evolutionary Anthropology.

• When: March 16th & 23rd

SUBSCRIBE

⁠Onhumans.Substack.com/Origins⁠