Human Origins

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the evolution of the human species. Where did we come from - we being Homo Sapiens? Let’s not go back to the Big Bang or in search of Genesis, but sift through the evidence from biology, palaeontology, climatology and anthropology.The story of human evolution is one that stretches back over five million years, and during that time there are reckoned to have been between fifteen and twenty species of hominid to have walked this planet. From the earliest (Genus) Australopithecus (Species) Anamensis through times when there have been several divergent pre-human species existing at once, we have now arrived at a period unique in the history of the earth when a sole human species, Homo Sapiens, is in evidence right across the globe.

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Guests

• Leslie Aiello No other episodes
  Professor of Biological Anthropology, University College, London
• Robert Foley No other episodes
  Evolutionary Ecologist, Writer and Lecturer in Biological Anthropology at Cambridge University
• Mark Roberts No other episodes
  Field Archaeologist, Project Leader of Boxgrove excavation and the discoverer of 'Boxgrove Man'

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Programme ID: p00546rl

Episode page: bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00546rl

Auto-category: 569 (Human evolution)

Hello (First sentence from this episode)

Hello. The story of human evolution is one that stretches back over about 5 million years, and during that time there are reckoned to have been between 15 and 20 species of hominid, and they've walked this planet.