Archived from Thursday, October 29, 2009
NOVA’s “Becoming Human” series unearths how our earliest ancestors have shaped the way we all live today – join the conversation about what makes us human and who’s who in evolution with Paleoanthropologist Rick Potts and filmmaker Graham Townsley.
Archived Chat
Welcome to the PBS Live Chat series. Today we welcome paleoanthropologist Rick Potts and "Becoming Human" filmmaker Graham Townsley. Thank you both for joining us. Let's get started.
Matt, Silver Spring, MD:
How has technology aided your work?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
Great question! Microscopic and medical technologies help scientists look further and deeper into the structure of bones and teeth. This, for example, helps us understand how quickly early humans grew up during their lives. The instruments used by chemists and physicists help us to do more accurate dating of ancient sites and learn about the diet of early humans.
Great question! Microscopic and medical technologies help scientists look further and deeper into the structure of bones and teeth. This, for example, helps us understand how quickly early humans grew up during their lives. The instruments used by chemists and physicists help us to do more accurate dating of ancient sites and learn about the diet of early humans.
Nick, Hernond, VA:
What is the most fulfilling aspect of your work?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
GT: It's a chance to get a crash course in a subject like paleoanthropology.
RP: It's the teamwork. Field research can be tiring, but the cooperation with local people and scientists from all over the world is very fulfilling.
GT: It's a chance to get a crash course in a subject like paleoanthropology.
RP: It's the teamwork. Field research can be tiring, but the cooperation with local people and scientists from all over the world is very fulfilling.
Ken, vestavia hills, AL:
How did scientists become so fixed upon the savannah as the locale for development of bipedalism?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: The savanna idea assumed that because our closest living ape relatives live in forests that maybe the key difference about early humans walking upright was that they did it in open savannas. But most scientists now object to this idea because the evidence shows that the earliest known human ancestors lived in woodlands, or varied habitats.
RP: The savanna idea assumed that because our closest living ape relatives live in forests that maybe the key difference about early humans walking upright was that they did it in open savannas. But most scientists now object to this idea because the evidence shows that the earliest known human ancestors lived in woodlands, or varied habitats.
Lou, Crystal City, VA:
Do you think the evolution vs. creationism debate can ever really be solved? Or will this be an eternal argument?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
GT: There are millions of people who accept the evidence of evolution and have religious beliefs at the same time, and don't feel it's a conflict. So it's not an absolute opposition.
RP: In talking with religious leaders around the country, I have found that there are actually many forms of creationism, some of which are very amenable to embracing the scientific evidence for evolution while other viewpoints present conflicts that are harder to resolve.
RP: In talking with religious leaders around the country, I have found that there are actually many forms of creationism, some of which are very amenable to embracing the scientific evidence for evolution while other viewpoints present conflicts that are harder to resolve.
John B., Fairhope, AL:
Is there evidence that human beings biological adaptation to our environment is slowing down now that we are living in such a technologically advanced society?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP, GT: Evidence suggests that biological evolution in humans is still continuing. A lot of the adaptive challenges humans face today have to do with health and disease, so the evolution of the human immune system is actually quite rapid. Remember, evolution on a grander scale (organs, limbs) takes place over long periods of time.
Lenore Pipes, Philadelphia, PA:
What will we gain from sequencing the Neandertal genome? Do you think it was worth sacrificing the specimens that the DNA came from?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: The Neanderthal genome project is really exciting. Its goal of mapping all Neanderthal genes and comparing them with our species' genome will allow us to look at the uniqueness of our own species at a genetic level. Smaller and smaller samples of the original fossil bones are all that's necessary at this point.
Amy, Washington, DC:
As humans have evolved physically, how have their emotions, like empathy, evolved? *
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: Physical changes and changes in behavior can be very closely related. For example, as our brains increased in size, babies were born at a relatively more immature stage and have a prolonged period of growing up. This required a great deal of care from parents and other adults.
GT: There's evidence from 1.8 million years ago of an old man, clearly toothless for some years, who must have been fed and looked after by his group.
RP: Some scientists consider this the earliest evidence for empathy.
RP: Physical changes and changes in behavior can be very closely related. For example, as our brains increased in size, babies were born at a relatively more immature stage and have a prolonged period of growing up. This required a great deal of care from parents and other adults.
GT: There's evidence from 1.8 million years ago of an old man, clearly toothless for some years, who must have been fed and looked after by his group.
RP: Some scientists consider this the earliest evidence for empathy.
Stephanie, Honolulu, HI:
What new findings are coming out of the latest ape skeleton discovery? Will she be as important as Lucy was to the field?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: The new skeleton, known as "Ardi", is actually part of the human family tree because her species walked upright and had small canine teeth, which reflect the first changes in human evolution. Yet, like Lucy, Ardi's skeleton shows that her species could walk on the ground on two legs and climb trees. Her skeleton differs from Lucy in that her feet had grasping big toes. This shows her transition from a more ape-like common ancestor to the human condition. Having skeletons like Ardi and Lucy really contribute to the field.
Tyler, Tulsa, Oklahoma:
Is there a definitive explanation for why we are the only species left from our genus?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: There are a variety of ideas to explain this. But one thing we know is that our species is very adaptable, and that some early human species lived in more specific environments, like the Neanderthals who were well adapted to cold environments of the Ice Ages. So with climate fluctuations, our species may have been better prepared to adjust culturally and behaviorally to environmental change. This subject is treated in the upcoming NOVA series "Becoming Human".
RP: There are a variety of ideas to explain this. But one thing we know is that our species is very adaptable, and that some early human species lived in more specific environments, like the Neanderthals who were well adapted to cold environments of the Ice Ages. So with climate fluctuations, our species may have been better prepared to adjust culturally and behaviorally to environmental change. This subject is treated in the upcoming NOVA series "Becoming Human".
Ashley, Johnson City TN:
What are your credentials? How do you recommend that someone go about studying to be an archaeologist, anthropologist, historian, etc... *
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: Well first, it's important to have a really strong curiosity about the world. That can give you the motivation to do the long studies all the way to the PhD level. It is important to have such a higher degree to lead research in this area. For me, I loved reading about the subject when I was in high school. There are plenty of opportunities to go on a dig in this country and abroad. Why don't you try it out to see if you like it?
Karen , Gainesville, FL:
What do feel is the primary contribution of your work to modern society?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: A lot of my recent research deals with how humans adapted to past climate change. This seems especially relevant today given how our own activities are interacting with the natural climate dynamics of our planet to create the next challenges to how we will live in the future.
GT: The challenge of presenting science to a wide audience is a really exciting one. I share with NOVA a dedication to presenting the ideas of science and research to a general public.
RP: A lot of my recent research deals with how humans adapted to past climate change. This seems especially relevant today given how our own activities are interacting with the natural climate dynamics of our planet to create the next challenges to how we will live in the future.
GT: The challenge of presenting science to a wide audience is a really exciting one. I share with NOVA a dedication to presenting the ideas of science and research to a general public.
Philip Bromley, Fullerton, CA.:
How do the oldest human remains found compare to the most recent dinosaur remains found? *
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: To start with, the oldest remains of human ancestors go back to about 6 million years, whereas the dinosaurs died out about 65 million years ago. So there was no overlap.
Lenore Pipes, Philadelphia, PA:
Is the Lapedo Child a hybrid between early humans and Neandertals?
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: That was the original claim, but when many scientists responded that it was just a "chunky modern baby", the original team went back to see if they could uncover the skull which could tell us for sure. But natural processes must have destroyed it, it was never found. So far, there is no clear evidence of human-Neanderthal hybrids.
RP: That was the original claim, but when many scientists responded that it was just a "chunky modern baby", the original team went back to see if they could uncover the skull which could tell us for sure. But natural processes must have destroyed it, it was never found. So far, there is no clear evidence of human-Neanderthal hybrids.
Michael Dale, Delaware, Ohio:
What is the earliest known constructed shelter, as opposed to a naturally found cave? *
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
RP: The most compelling evidence of an early built shelter comes from about 400,000 years ago, at the site of Terra Amata in southern France. There are postholes and accumulation of artifacts indicating that it was an enclosed shelter. Both earlier and later in time, some early humans occasionally occupied caves.
Janet, Hicksville, NY:
How difficult is it to put together a film on this topic with such a massive and evolving body of research? *
Rick Potts and Graham Townsley:
GT: There are many difficulties. The first is, as an outsider, to just grasp the field which is huge and evolving - as you say. The second is to condense it into three hours. And the third is to make it a compelling series of films. Since the subject is about our extinct ancestors, we worked with animators and artists to show what the scientists think they looked like and what kinds of environments they lived in based on the fossil evidence. We talked to as many of the central researchers in the field as possible, to make sure the account that we present is true to the latest science. We had film shoots in Africa, central Asia, and Europe, and at universities around the world. So it was a great challenge. One thing that was really helpful was the partnership between NOVA and the Smithsonian.
Thank you for joining us today Rick and Graham. Thanks as well to the audience for participating. You may continue the conversation in the archived chat. Refresh your page now and please join us next time.
Starred (*) questions have been edited by PBS editors for brevity and/or clarity. The original, unedited question can be found to the right under Audience Questions.
Adaptable enough?
I recently watched the NOVA series "Becoming Human" and was challenged by the comment that humans are smarter.
quote: "I think we should actually look to our proud ancestry and how we evolved in East Africa and say, "That's how we survived that. We can survive the future, because we are that creature, because we are that smart."
Whereas I can agree that we are very clever animals, and certainly that we are uniquely adaptable, using the word "smart" connotes a species-bias. By that I mean that you're comparing our species with others by using a yardstick which favours us.
If, however, you step back and look at the survivability of all hominids, you'll have to agree that our species' history is very brief compared to that of other hominids. Neandertals lived in Europe for a far longer period and through many extreme climate fluctuations. Neandertals had larger brains, which suggests that their cognitive skills were substantial.
Using the word "smart" is problematic when you consider the current circumstances facing humanity. How smart is warfare? How smart is it to threaten our entire ecosystem? How smart is our intolerance for those that are different than us? How smart is our inability to overcome addiction, obesity, over-consumerism? The list of our failings goes on and on.
The only real test of our species' success will be our longterm survivability, and that has yet to play out.
Our adaptability is about to face it's severest test ... are we adaptable enough to overcome the consequences of our rapid proliferation?
Cheers
Becoming Human and Brain Size
Enjoying the series Becoming Human.
With regards to the evolution of Larger Brains with regard to Bipedalism. Does anyone know if a correlation of Brain size to Pelvis shape and size has ever been noticed? The reason I ask is that there may be a link according to this interesting theory which can be seen at http://tinyurl.com/6cdno5
ape evolution
I'm wondering since the prevailing wisdom is that humans descended from ape, why there is so much evolution on the human side since the most common ancestor that there doesn't seem like a similar amount of evolution has occurred among ape, gorillas, etc.
Have I missed something?
My thinking is both may have descended from a as-yet-unfound common ancestor but it's looking like the fossil record more and more is ruling out that possibility. Comments please.
Ray Whidden Edmonton Alberta Canada
Becoming Human II
This is a fascinating program, BUT the music background is terrible. Why do you think you need musical sound effectds?
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