The Conversation - Footprints from 1.5 million years ago

+ changing the world with small acts of kindness and social connection ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Human beings are the only hominins walking around Earth today. But in the distant past there were many branches on the hominin family tree. And in some times and places more than one hominin species made use of the same landscape.

A discovery reported this week by an international team of scientists pinpoints one such moment in time. Team members Anna K. Behrensmeyer, Kevin Hatala and Purity Kiura describe recently excavated hominin footprints in Kenya that date back approximately 1.5 million years. Amazingly, they write, the tracks record “two different kinds of hominins … on the same lakeshore, within hours to a few days of each other, possibly even within minutes!”

Records like this one are especially exciting for scientists because they “provide evidence for hominin behavior and locomotion that scientists cannot learn from fossilized bones,” the authors write.

This week we also liked stories on how presidents claim mandates, why the Department of Education has long been a target for dismantling, and some ethical frameworks for thinking about AI and copyright.

[ The latest news on philanthropy and nonprofits. Sign up for our weekly Giving Today newsletter. ]

Maggie Villiger

Senior Science + Technology Editor

Excavating the new trackway site, with footprints from hominins, birds and other animals visible in foreground. Neil Roach

Fossilized footprints reveal 2 extinct hominin species living side by side 1.5 million years ago

Anna K. Behrensmeyer, Smithsonian Institution; Kevin Hatala, Chatham University; Purity Kiura, National Museums of Kenya

Ancient fossil footprints are the first evidence of two different hominin species − Homo erectus and Paranthropus boisei − living in the same place at the same time.

Strengthening relationships strengthens communities, which influences societies. Charles Gullung/The Image Bank via Getty Images

An upward spiral – how small acts of kindness and connection really can change the world, according to psychology research

Liza M. Hinchey, Wayne State University

A psychologist and human connection researcher explains how individual acts of kindness and connection can have a real impact on global change when these acts are collective.

Officials from countries around the world met in Baku, Azerbaijan, for COP29 in November 2024. UN Climate Change via Flickr

UN climate negotiations end on shaky geopolitical ground, but I see reasons for hope

Shannon Gibson, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

National leaders may be struggling to agree, but businesses see the economic benefits of clean energy, states are cutting emissions, and people everywhere are more cognizant of their actions.

The Conversation News Quiz 🧠

 
 
 
 

Older messages

How Native Americans built their democracies

Friday, November 29, 2024

+ fast fashion is an environmental disaster ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

How the Pilgrims differed from the Puritans

Thursday, November 28, 2024

+ how to avoid awkwardness at Thanksgiving table ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Who gains from Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire?

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

+ how to get more seniors on bikes ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Sending gratitude and thanks

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

The Conversation community keeps us going ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Parenting an 'emerging adult'

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

+ this class takes you straight to hell – and back ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

You Might Also Like

Wednesday Briefing: A brief martial law in South Korea

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Plus, become a gladiator for a day. View in browser|nytimes.com Ad Morning Briefing: Asia Pacific Edition December 4, 2024 Author Headshot By Gaya Gupta Good morning. We're covering a short-lived

Steal Away

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

How to Shoplift in 90 Seconds ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Andy Jassy delivers big AI announcement at AWS re:Invent 

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Seattle sushi restaurant reopens following TikTok critique controversy ADVERTISEMENT GeekWire SPONSOR MESSAGE: Improve focus and memory with Thinkie: For a limited time, save $50 on Thinkie plus get

I’m nervous. We’re falling short.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

We're approaching our make-or-break Giving Tuesday fundraising deadline. You don't usually hear from me, but my name is Michael Sherrard, and I'm the person at The Intercept in charge of

Today is Giving Tuesday, check out a great opportunity to give back...

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

On this Giving Tuesday, we're sharing an urgent message from our partner, World Concern. ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌

☕ Nothing but blue skies

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Inside Bluesky's rapid growth—and what new features are on the horizon. December 03, 2024 Marketing Brew Presented By Delta It's Tuesday, and the official Oxford word of the year is “brain rot.

☕ On the plus side

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

The benefits of photo-reviews from plus-sized shoppers. December 03, 2024 Retail Brew Presented By National Retail Federation It's Tuesday, and Black Friday weekend is officially over. Shipping

The Hunter Biden pardon.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Plus, we catch you up on everything we missed. The Hunter Biden pardon. Plus, we catch you up on everything we missed. By Isaac Saul • 3 Dec 2024 View in browser View in browser President Biden and son

Gift of the Day: Our Favorite Sateen Sheets That Won't Make Them ‘Sweat to Death’

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Brooklinen's giving 27 percent off just for Strategist readers. The Strategist Gifts Every product is independently selected by editors. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an

Dark Puzzle

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Against The Dark Forest // Black Hole Puzzle Dark Puzzle By Kaamya Sharma • 3 Dec 2024 View in browser View in browser Against The Dark Forest Erin Kissane | Wreckage/Salvage | 29th November 2024 | U