Homo sapiens
An ancient stone tool unearthed at the excavation site near Kenya's Lake Turkana. It's not just the shape and sharp edges that suggest it was deliberately crafted, the researchers say, but also the dozens of stone flakes next to it that were part of the same kit. MPK-WTAP hide caption
Our popular image of Homo erectus as the proto-guy who whose human-like traits all emerged at once needs overhauling, some anthropologists say. Sylvain Entressangle/Science Source hide caption
Blaine Badick walks through floodwaters with her dogs in Hoboken, N.J., on Wednesday. Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
A piece of red ochre with a deliberately engraved design is pictured here at Cape Town's Iziko/South African Museum in 2002. The piece was discovered in Blombos Cave near Stilbaai, about 300 kilometers from Cape Town. Anna Ziemenski/AFP/Getty Images hide caption