We aren’t the only human species to have migrated out of Africa. In fact, our cousins have done it already, albeit to a lesser degree. The first time occurred just after the time our ancestors’ brains grew significantly and when we mastered the art of fire and was carried out by a species called HomoContinue reading “Out of Africa”
Australopithecus – before Man
Last time we left off with Ardipithecus ramidus, the first bipedal ape, around 4.4 million years ago. Let’s fast-forward a bit to Ethiopia, 3.3 million years ago, where a 4 foot tall, apelike creature walks the savanna. The Australopithecus afarensis is the most famous species in its genus, known for having one of the mostContinue reading “Australopithecus – before Man”
The Last Common Ancestor
In the last blog post I mentioned Sahelanthropus, who was potentially the first creature more human than ape. That leads us to a question that has had scientists scratching their heads for decades: What was the last common ancestor of us and chimps? Or, put more simply, what was the last species to evolve thatContinue reading “The Last Common Ancestor”
The First Apes and their branches
Humans are arguably the most successful species on the planet, with over 8 billion individuals on every continent on this planet, and by definition that means apes are the most successful family of animals ever. People often confuse “apes” with monkeys. Apes don’t have tails, apes are larger, apes are smarter, etc. However, just likeContinue reading “The First Apes and their branches”
Africa’s New Ocean and why humans are a thing
Yesterday there was a news that scientists are now saying that a new ocean is slowly forming in Africa and in a few thousand years Africa will be completely split in half, changing the shape of the world as we know it. The surprise here, though, is not that our ancestral cradle is being cleavedContinue reading “Africa’s New Ocean and why humans are a thing”
Our first steps Down Under and beyond
Australia is one of the most isolated and weirdest continents that humans have ever settled. Like, literally everything is just programmed to kill you. Name the biggest shark, largest venomous snake, most venomous snake, most venomous marine animal, a kickboxing freak of nature, and then we have koalas. While they look cuddly, a koala’s screamContinue reading “Our first steps Down Under and beyond”
Man v. Snake – the longest blood feud in history
Most people know the story of how Satan deceived Eve into eating the forbidden fruit of Eden in the Bible, and those people will also know that in order to do that, he takes the form of a serpent, or a snake. A lot of cultures fear and worship snakes, such as the Mayan Quetzalcoatl,Continue reading “Man v. Snake – the longest blood feud in history”
Man’s best friend… or lucrative businessman?
Dogs are man’s best friend. Or, that’s what people say. I don’t know if dogs see us like that ’cause even though we feed and house and cuddle them, we also act like crackheads and do crazy stuff to them; and I can’t imagine what that does to an animal’s self-esteem. I mean, bro, IContinue reading “Man’s best friend… or lucrative businessman?”
Are we naturally violent and bloodthirsty?
Ever since Darwin’s theory that humans evolved from “lesser” beings like monkeys and apes was reluctantly accepted by the scientific community, everyone from archeologists to psychologists have argued about whether we have it in ourselves to be peaceful, or whether or not war is a natural state of humanity. Darwin himself thought that humans wereContinue reading “Are we naturally violent and bloodthirsty?”
The Rise and Fall of the MC Cave Dweller – What makes a game scary?
Most Minecraft players will have heard about the “Cave Dweller” since this year began. This mod (short for Minecraft modification) was created by Youtuber Gargin with an aim to make the sandbox game much more terrifying. Unmodded, or normal Minecraft, for those who don’t know, is a sandbox game based on breaking and building blocks,Continue reading “The Rise and Fall of the MC Cave Dweller – What makes a game scary?”
Anay Ganesh 