The evolution of man

Mother of man

One fossil discovery has transformed views of how we became human. But why is Lucy so important to human evolution?
BBC News: Evolution's human and chimp twist

Food for thought

Three million years ago, the Earth's climate was changing, with devastating consequences for the African landscape - and for our ancestors.

Leaving home

But by 2 million years ago, a new species of Homo appeared - the first species we would truly recognise as human.

The first Europeans

Homo heidelbergensis was developing a complex mind - once this boundary had been reached, there was no turning back.

Ice people

Neanderthals' stocky bodies were adapted to withstand the extreme cold of the Ice Age. So why did they die out?
BBC News: Neanderthals' 'last rock refuge'

The new batch

Human beings are phenomenally successful animals. But our species, Homo sapiens, once came close to outright extinction.