Inside a human cell's mitochondria--the tiny organelles that provide energy--there is a small and unique chromosome. This loop of DNA is passed from mother to child in every generation and provides an intriguing source of information about mankind's past. Geneticists are using that information in an attempt to determine exactly when the "mother" of all humans lived.

What do the oldest European artworks and the domestication of animals have in common? A Penn State University paleoanthropologist suggested that they are evidence of a unique connection with animals that profoundly shaped the evolutionary development of early man.

Do chimpanzees have their own culture? If so, some researchers would connect their behaviors to aspects of human culture, which they believe supports an evolutionary relationship. But current developments shed doubt on that idea.

Humans don’t need to learn the ability to move to a rhythm, according to a new study. They are born with it. Two researchers from Finland and the United Kingdom wanted to find out how soon in life people begin to dance to rhythms. They were surprised to find that babies as young as five months old match body motion to music.

Evolution holds that mankind emerged from “primitive” primates about 3.5 million years ago. Afterward, man continued to add habits and features that distinguished him from his humble predecessors, resulting fairly recently in what are considered modern humans. However, new artifact finds have not corroborated this naturalistic story.