The age of a fossil is one of the most important details to know when studying the evolutionary history of life on Earth. It is how scientists place a fossil into context and develop a greater understanding of how, and when, that organisms lived. Without the age of a fossil, we would never know how old the famous hominin, “Lucy,” was or the age of the oldest stone tools. These discoveries are essential for understanding what makes us human. But, how does a scientist know exactly how old a fossil is? https://becominghuman.org/pathways-to-discovery/adaptation-to-a-changeable-planet/dating-and-geology/ (fb)

A changing climate affected human evolution during the past seven million years. How did the climate change? What plants and animals were living during each period? What did our human ancestors and animas eat and how did their diets change? How did that affect the growth patterns of teeth, skulls, skeletal composition, and ultimately, the development of individuals of these ancestors? Explore more about Adaptations to a Changing Climate. (fb)