Within evolutionary anthropology, a persistent yet pervasive question is that of the traits of the LCA. The LCA is the last common ancestor shared by the humans, or the Homo genus, and chimpanzees and bonobos, otherwise known as the Pan genus. Learning about the LCA can inform us of what it really means to be human. What traits are unique to the hominin lineage? And how did these traits contribute to the success of our species?

Izzy Rycroft, a third year Human Scientist at St Hugh’s College, discusses these questions and more with Thomas Püschel, a Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at University of Oxford.

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