Human Evolution and the Discovery of Human Antiquity: The Fossil Record

"'Lucy is approximately 3.5 million years old. She is the oldest, most complete, best-preserved skeleton of any erect-walking human ancestor that has ever been found.'"

            - Donald Johanson, Lucy: the Beginnings of Humankind

"The end of Piltdown man is the end of the most troubled chapter in human palaeontology."

-J. S. Weiner, The Piltdown Forgery

The Linda Hall Library Catalog contains a number of titles on the significance of the fossil record and its impact on our understanding of human evolution. Search for a fossil of particular interest, such as the famous Australopithecus afarensis, "Lucy," or read about the archaeological evidence thus far. In the Linda Hall Library History of Science Collection, follow the earliest ideas about the relationship between human bones and  those of our closest ape relatives by such famous naturalists as Thomas Huxley, and explore the Linda Hall Library Databases for the newest publicaitons in this fascinating field of study.

From the impact of prehistoric climates to the evolution of human behavior, the Smithsonian's Website and the Exhibit on Human Origins offer an intriguing, interactive look at human evolution. View the acclaimed reconstructions of human ancestors by John Gurche, who spoke about his work at the Linda Hall Library in May of 2014, and explore links for current research, scientific evidence, and human characteristics to learn some of the answers to the question that defines this field: What Makes Us Human?