(a species of owlet moth (Noctuid)) Some caterpillars, after they emerge from their egg, can increase their weight by 25,000 times.

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Human origins

We humans have been so successful in spreading across the world and changing our habitat to suit ourselves that it is sometimes easy to forget that we are animals too. But how did we separate from the other great apes, and where did modern humans first evolve? Find out the answers to these intriguing questions and much more with our collection of articles and webcasts covering the Museum’s extensive work in this fascinating field. 

  • Piltdown man fossil
    Piltdown man

    Can you study the Piltdown Man fossil and avoid being fooled by the hoax that fooled scientists in 1912 for forty years?

  • A chimp
    Chimps and Humans - 99.4% (video)

    How did humans first come about? Chris Stringer discusses the 'Out of Africa' theory and modern human variation across the world.

  • Animal bones
    From bodies to bones and back again (video)

    What stories can animal bones tell us about our ancestors? Join archaeologist Robert Symmons to find out.

  • Human origins and fossils
    Human origins (video)

    Museum palaeontologist Chris Stringer discusses new fossil human finds in Ethiopia – are they early modern humans?

  • Making BBC video Walking with cavemen
    Making Walking with Cavemen (video)

    Walking with Cavemen producers talk about how they worked with Museum palaeontologists to reconstruct the lives of our ancestors.

  • Evolution of modern humans
    The evolution of modern humans

    How did humans first come about? Chris Stringer discusses the 'Out of Africa' theory and modern human variation across the world.

  • Tools used in the occupation of Britain
    The ancient human occupation of Britain

    When did humans first arrive in Britain and how did they live? Find out this projects discoveries and future aims.

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