Before We Were Alone
Why Were the Humans of Flores So Small?
An adult arm bone from Mata Menge helps test why Homo floresiensis was so small. Separate fossil measurements, island dwarfism and uncertain ancestry.
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Before We Were Alone
Follow the evidence for how early humans lived, survived, and shared the world with other human species.
Our species was not always the only human kind on Earth. Before We Were Alone explores Neanderthals, Denisovans, Homo erectus, and our own ancestors through the traces they left: fossils, tools, hearths, and ancient DNA.
The questions begin with daily life. How did people find food, make tools, keep warm, or adapt to a changing landscape? Each explanation distinguishes what the evidence shows from what researchers infer. AI-assisted visual reconstructions help picture these worlds; they are illustrations, and uncertain appearances, behaviors, or settings remain uncertain.
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Watch or read the explanation.
Each page includes the original video, a short answer, key points, chapters, and sources.
Before We Were Alone
How DNA Identified a Neanderthal Father and Daughter
Nuclear DNA connected two Chagyrskaya Neanderthals; different mitochondrial lineages clarified their relationship. See what the evidence can establish.
Before We Were Alone
How Neanderthals Survived Winter Beyond the Fire
Worked hides, butchered bones, and uneven fire traces show how Neanderthals faced cold conditions in southwestern France—and what remains uncertain.