Overview

The search for human ancestors and origins made great strides in the second half of the twentieth century. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century few actual fossils were known, it was thought that there were only a few types of archaic (early) people, and the age of those fossils was in dispute. Today, sophisticated dating techniques and DNA analysis have been brought to bear upon the question of age. Also, far more fossil material has been found showing that the Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons were not alone. The evidence proves that there were many early hominids (human-like creatures). Paleoanthropologists (those scientists who study ancient humans) agree that the cradle of mankind was not Central Asia, as was once thought, but Africa—an idea that suggests we are all of African descent regardless of our skin color. While more is...