In the world of scientific publication, the covers of Nature and
Science are highly coveted real estate. Last week’s cover of
Nature featured a discovery by the Academy’s very own Zeray
Alemseged, curator of anthropology. Over the past decade,
Alemseged and an international team of scientists have explored
the harsh Ethiopian desert for evidence left by our early human
ancestors. Below, you’ll find a link to a Science in Action
video that describes their most recent, and very exciting,
discovery: the oldest evidence of tool use (and meat-eating) by
human ancestors ever found, which shatters the previous record
by almost one million years. It’s fascinating when you think
about how the computer screen you’re reading this on is simply a
continuation of the tool use habit that started 3.4 million
years ago. What modern-day tools couldn’t you live without?
Leave your comments below. And if you’re curious about the other
traits that make humans and our relatives extreme, stop by the
Extreme Mammals exhibit at the A