How Do We Know Who Our Human Ancestors Were?

Recently scientists announced the discovery of yet another human-like ancestor, but how do we determine if they belong to the genus homo?


Read More:
New Human-like Species Discovered in South Africa
“The discovery of 15 partial skeletons is the largest single discovery of its type in Africa. The researchers claim that the discovery will change ideas about our human ancestors.”

Human Family Tree
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[King_Chimera]

These are facts, if it offends you, why are you watching a *science* channel?
Science is based on facts not faith, any modern science claims is usually backed up by evidence, *evolution is a fact*, *"* bu..but the "theory" of evolution *"*, go back to school a *scientific theory* is not the same as the regular use of the word theory in english, a *scientific theory* is an educated guesss back up by *mountains* of evidence, it doesn't matter what you believe, faith doesn't change the facts of the universe

[matty]

People seem to forget that animals evolve like languages. Romans didn't go to bed speaking Latin and then wake up speaking Italian. It takes place over a large period of time and eventually minor changes result in new species/languages

[EPmessi]

I'm getting sick of the amount of people in America that don't believe in evolution.

[iancifuentes]

does anybody think time is going by faster

[culobandoolo]

Maybe our appendix was used to process religion and that's why it's obsolete.

[nuclearmaster]

Can we all agree that creationists should be banned from YouTube comments?

[BlackkCobra]

I thought you were gonna say "are they human… or are they dancers".

[AceKite]

Maybe in 100, 000 years, humans will evolve into elite warriors with tails and will be referred to as Saiyans.

[frozeneternity]

The fossils are going to be on display for about a month at Maropeng, which is about 30 mins away from where I stay. Making plans to go check the exhibit out :)

[mani]

Year is 20023, humas have evolved to have elongated arms to replace the need for selfie sticks

[ShawnRavenfire]

Something I always wondered about carbon dating.  What keeps the elements from decaying before they end up in the rocks?  I mean, if a carbon-14 atom is created inside a star, and then gets blasted out by a supernova and eventually becomes part of earth's ecosystem, then why don't all the fossils show up as five or six billion years old?  Why do they just seem to date back to when the animal or person died?

[KeepCalmAndCarrieOn]

Dat "The Killers" reference at the beginning doe.

[leonardovale]

DNews, I have a question: Why do we feel a pain SPECIFICALLY in the chest area when our feelings are hurt?

Thank you, and would you guys upvote? I think it would be a cool subject. :)

[SSMWRX]

Questions: How can you say these are our ancestors from couple to few fossils? I mean if there was really these "ancestors" wouldn't we able to find these fossils every where? Why would it be so mysterious to find them and suddenly call these our "ancestors"?

[algore]

In my experience, creationists don't understand evolution well enough to attack it. One of them told me, "I don't understand what a bunch of finch beaks have anything to do with evolution." 9 times/10, They don't even understand the basics, and worse they don't want to learn!

[cortster]

2:58 Ants do this as well. They move their dead to a certain chamber. Granted, this is because dead ants being everywhere is a health hazard, but if ants can do it then any animals can do it as well. Maybe we just treated dead bodies as health hazards and that is where us burying our dead came to be?

[Sleepy.Time.]

they must of tasted good because we ate most of our ancestors

[bronzenrule]

Correction: 2:39 "The hand can be either flat like ours or curved like apes'". Humans are scientifically classified as apes also.

[thenthpartyboy]

I didn't see one Creationist comment, and yet I see all these Atheist zealots talking shit about how zealous Creationists are. How about you guys just address it when it comes up, instead of attacking people that aren't even there.

[HellSpawnRulerOfHell]

4:02 I thought he was going to say "gives us a greater appreciation for Intel".
:) lol