Origin Stories

The Leakey Foundation
Origin Stories

Explore human evolution one story at a time. This award-winning show blends storytelling with science that will change your understanding of who we are.

  1. Custodian of the Ancestors

    27 FEB

    Custodian of the Ancestors

    What is it like to be responsible for the safekeeping of the ancestors of everyone in the world? In this episode, we travel to the National Museum of Ethiopia to see our most famous fossil relative – Lucy – and meet Yared Assefa, the person who takes care of her and all of our Ethiopian fossil ancestors and relatives.  If you love fossils, you won't want to miss this episode! Special thanks Thanks to Yared Assefa, Dr. Berhane Asfaw, and Dr. Mulugeta Feseha, who hosted The Leakey Foundation at the National Museum of Ethiopia. Quadruple your impact! Support the show! Your donation will be quadruple-matched! Leave a note and let us know if you'd like a shoutout on the next episode. Click here to donate! ---> https://leakeyfoundation.donorsupport.co/page/originstories Links to learn more President Obama's speech to the African Union Lucy: A marvelous specimen Top ten human evolution discoveries in Ethiopia Rare 3.8 million-year-old fossil skull recasts origins of iconic Lucy  Ethiopia is top choice for the cradle of Homo sapiens The Leakey Foundation Origin Stories is a project of The Leakey Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and outreach. Funding provided by the Foundation has made many of the fossil hominin discoveries in Ethiopia possible. In addition, Our Baldwin Fellowship program has been building scientific capacity in Ethiopia and other countries since 1978. We also have a new program called the Francis H. Brown African Scholarship Fund that provides up to $25,000 for East African students or early career researchers in botany and geology. Learn about all of our grant programs at leakeyfoundation.org/grants Lunch Break Science Lunch Break Science is The Leakey Foundation's online series featuring short talks and interviews with Leakey Foundation grantees. Feed your brain with Lunch Break Science every third Thursday at 11 am Pacific on Facebook, YouTube, and leakeyfoundation.org/live. Credits Host and Producer: Meredith Johnson Editor: Audrey Quinn Theme Music: Henry Nagle Additional Music: Lee Rosevere "Tech Toys" and music from Blue Dot Sessions. Sponsors Origin Stories is made possible by support from Jeanne Newman, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund, and donors like you!

    33 min
  2. A Brief History of Bling

    31 JAN

    A Brief History of Bling

    Travel through 50,000 years of human history following clues hidden inside beads made from ostrich eggshells. In this episode, researchers Jennifer Miller and Yiming Wang share how these tiny artifacts reveal a sweeping story of ancient social networks, cultural connections, and human adaptability. Support the show Help us make more episodes! All tax-deductible donations to Origin Stories will be quadruple-matched! >>>> Please click here to make a one-time or monthly donation.  Guests Dr. Jennifer Miller Dr. Yiming Wang Links to learn more Ostrich eggshell beads reveal 50,000-year-old social network in Africa (open access) An ancient social safety net in Africa was built on beads Are these snail shells the world's oldest known beads? Zambezi basin (Wikipedia) Paleoclimatology info and interactive paleoclimate map (National Centers for Environmental Education Sponsors and credits This episode was generously sponsored by Leakey Foundation Fellow Eddie Kislinger in honor of his wife, jewelry designer Cathy Waterman. Her designs are inspired by nature and influenced by her study of and connection with ancient human history. We are grateful to them for making this episode possible. Additional support comes from Jeanne Newman, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund, and our listener-supporters. Origin Stories is produced by Ray Pang. Our editor is Audrey Quinn. Theme music by Henry Nagle. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Lee Roservere.

    27 min
  3. Top Human Origins Discoveries of 2023

    27/12/2023

    Top Human Origins Discoveries of 2023

    2023 was another exciting year in human origins research! Fossil discoveries and long-term primate studies expanded our understanding of what makes us human. In this episode, four Leakey Foundation scientists shared their favorite human evolution discoveries from the past year. Help us make more episodes! All tax-deductible donations to Origin Stories will be quadruple-matched! >>>> Please click here to make a one-time or monthly donation.  Guests Briana Pobiner Emma Finestone Nasser Malit  Risa Luther Links to learn more Top 13 Discoveries in Human Evolution, 2023 Edition Hunting and processing of straight-tusked elephants 125,000 years ago: Implications for Neanderthal behavior (open-access research paper) Neanderthals lived in groups big enough to eat giant elephants Evidence for the earliest structural use of wood at least 476,000 years ago (open-access research paper Early Homo erectus lived at high altitudes and produced both Oldowan and Acheulean tools (open-access research paper) The surprising toolbox of the early Homo erectus Demographic and hormonal evidence for menopause in wild chimpanzees (open-access research paper) Wild chimpanzees experience menopause Chimpanzee menopause revealed ft. Melissa Emery Thompson (Lunch Break Science on YouTube) Sponsors and credits Origin Stories is sponsored by Jeanne Newman, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation,  and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.  Origin Stories is produced by Ray Pang. Our editor is Audrey Quinn. Theme music by Henry Nagle. Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Lee Roservere.

    44 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Explore human evolution one story at a time. This award-winning show blends storytelling with science that will change your understanding of who we are.

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