2013 Media Coverage | Institute of Human Origins

2013 Featured Science

A Grassy Trend in Human Ancestors

[[{"fid":"2501","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false},"type":"media","field_deltas":{"2":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":false,"field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":false}},"attributes":{"height":"165","width":"846","class":"media-element file-default","data-delta":"2"}}]]

06.03.2013
Most apes eat leaves and fruits from trees and shrubs. Four new studies published simultaneously in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences—two of which include IHO researchers William Kimbel and Kaye Reed—show that human ancestors expanded their menu 3.5 million years ago, adding tropical grasses and sedges to an ape-like diet and setting the stage for our modern diet of grains, grasses, and meat and dairy from grazing animals. In studies of carbon isotopes in fossilized tooth enamel from scores of human ancestors and baboons in Africa from 4 million to 10,000 years ago, a team of two dozen researchers found a surprise increase in the consumption of grasses and sedges—plants that resemble grasses and rushes but have stems and triangular cross sections.

Eurkalert comprehensive press release
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/uou-agt052913.php

John Reader image

PNAS articles

Diet of Australopithecus afarensis from the Pliocene Hadar Formation, Ethiopia
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/05/31/1222559110.abstract?sid=727c8f58-f919-41d2-a0b4-2d54ca352dbc

Isotopic evidence of early hominin diets
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/05/31/1222579110.abstract?sid=57f5d41e-ef19-4c1b-9541-30d72868e972

ASU News (top)

ASU Secures Top Funding in Earth Sciences
09.13.2013
https://asunews.asu.edu/09132013-NSF-FESD
ASU News [Now] (Daily)

Ancient Human Ancestor’s Teeth Reveals Diverse Diet
06.03.2013
https://asunews.asu.edu/20130603_dietadaptations
ASU Homepage 06.03–06.2013
ASU News homepage 06.03–06.2013
ASU News [Now] (Daily) 06.05.2013
ASU Insight

Doctoral student lives in wild Tanzania for primate research
05.07.2013
https://asunews.asu.edu/20130507_studentgrad_russak

Lucy’s Legacy: Preserving the Search for Human Origins (Video)
The Library Channel
04.23.2013
http://lib.asu.edu/librarychannel/2013/04/23/lucy_panel/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheLibraryChannel+%28The+Library+Channel%29

Donald Johanson, Finder of Lucy fossil puts evolution on display
Institute for Humanities Research
04.02.2013
https://ihr.asu.edu/news-events/news/finder-lucy-fossil-puts-evolution-display

Preserving the search for human origins
03.21.2013
http://asuevents.asu.edu/preserving-search-human-origins
https://ihr.asu.edu/news-events/events/preserving-search-human-origins

Core questions about human evolution
02.05.2013
http://researchmatters.asu.edu/stories/core-questions-about-human-evolution-2516

External Media (top)

Rare 6-million-year-old skull of juvenile ape discovered
LiveScience.com
09.10.2013
http://www.livescience.com/39532-rare-fossil-ape-skull-discovered.html?cid=51463611797634

A rare find: Skull of juvenile ape 6-million-years old unearthed
NBCNews.com
09.10.2013
http://www.nbcnews.com/science/rare-find-skull-juvenile-ape-6-million-years-old-unearthed-8C11122570

Researchers discover rare fossil ape cranium in China
Eurkalert!
09.06.2013
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-09/ps-rdr090513.php

Signs of Stone Age arms race
Sunday Times (Johannesburg, SA)
07.07.2013
Print edition (p. 13)
Sunday Times: http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes (subscription required to read full article)

Ancient human ancestor’s teeth reveals diverse diet
Phys.org
06.04.2013
http://phys.org/wire-news/131792498/ancient-human-ancestors-teeth-reveals-diverse-diet.html

A grassy trend in human ancestors
EurekAlert
06.03.2013
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/uou-agt052913.php

How Ethiopian scientist unearthed the ‘world’s oldest child’
CNN.com
05.31.2013
http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/31/world/africa/zeray-alemseged-selam-ethiopia/index.html?c=africa
(featuring Zeray Alemseged)

Efforts underway to turn Pinnacle Point Caves into heritage site
SABC.co.za
05.24.2013
http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/8c6954804fbd6dafbce3fe0b5d39e4bb/Efforts-underway-to-turn-Pinnacle-Point-Caves-into-a-world-heritage-site-20132405

Ardi’s a hominin—But how did she move?
Science (Ann Gibbons)
04.25.2013
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6131/427.full?sid=786192a9-3f5b-4824-8f76-92542b24dd69

Ardi’s kind had a skull fit for a hominid
Science News
04.15.2013
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349661/description/Ardis_kind_had_a_skull_fit_for_a_hominid

Evolution on display (front page of “Valley and State”)
Finder of Lucy fossil puts evolution on display (online version)
The Arizona Republic/azcentral.com
04.01.2013
Story: http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/20130404lucy-fossil-finder-evolution-display.html
Video:
http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/20130328asu-professor-talks-about-lucy-fossil-video.html
Images: http://www.azcentral.com/photo/5789

SA site eyes world heritage status
SouthAfrica.info
01.09.2013
http://www.southafrica.info/news/pinnacle-point-090113.htm#.UPBNPL8eWbJ

Mossel Bay’s Pinnacle Point a step closer to world heritage status
BDLive (Business Day Live)
01.07.2013
http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/science/2013/01/07/mossel-bays-pinnacle-point-a-step-closer-to-world-heritage-status

Noted + Quoted (top)

Ire of Lucy: Can the world’s researchers cooperate on studying history’s famed biped?
Ideastream.org
9.23.2013
http://www.ideastream.org/news/feature/ire-of-lucy-can-the-worlds-researchers-cooperate-on-studying-historys-famed
Coverage of Cleveland Museum symposium on A. Afarensis. Kimbel quoted.

How to really eat like a hunter-gatherer: Why the Paleo diet is half-baked
Scientific American
06.03.2013
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-paleo-diet-half-baked-how-hunter-gatherer-really-eat
(cites Kim Hill and Magdalena Hurtado research)

Interview with Dr. Zeresenay Alemseged and Prof. Donald Johanson
Meet ETV
05.04.2013
http://www.diretube.com/meet-etv/interview-with-dr-zeresenay-alemseged-and-prof-donald-johanson-video_1532c6641.html

‘Lucy’ comes home: Ethiopia celebrates iconic fossil
Times Live
05.02.2013
http://www.timeslive.co.za/africa/2013/05/02/lucy-comes-home-ethiopia-celebrates-iconic-fossil

“Lucy” fossil returns home in Ethiopia
CBS THV11 (video and article)
05.02.2013
http://www.thv11.com/news/article/263179/288/Lucy-fossil-returns-home-in-Ethiopia

Evidence points toward solving evolutionary “missing link”
Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-australopithecus-20130412,0,1589078.story
04.11.2013
(Johanson and Tattersall quoted)

Famous fossil Lucy makes a final stop at Bowers
Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/lucy-496080-human-ethiopia.html
02.15.2013

Academy of Sciences show traces evolution
San Francisco Chronicle
02.07.2013
http://www.sfgate.com/default/article/Academy-of-Sciences-show-traces-evolution-4261348.php
(featuring Zeresany Alemseged and the new exhibition at the California Academy of Sciences)

Grit-filled foods wore down early human’s teeth
Inside Science
01.24.2013
http://www.insidescience.org/content/grit-filled-foods-wore-down-early-humans-teeth/918
(Schwartz quoted)

101 Objects That Changed the World
History Channel 2
http://www.history.ca/h2/101objectsthatchangedtheworld
First aired 01.12.2013
“Lucy” is one of the “objects.” Don Johanson and Bill Kimbel were interviewed at the IHO offices for this History Channel feature.

Interactive Media (top)

Curtis Marean: Scientific significance of Pinnacle Point
The Scientific Significance of Pinnacle Point (39:50 min)
05.31.2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P84nUL3oMU

"Lucy" fossil returns home in Ethiopia
CBS THV11 (video and article)
05.02.2013
http://www.thv11.com/news/article/263179/288/Lucy-fossil-returns-home-in-Ethiopia

Finder of Lucy fossil puts evolution on display
azcentral.com
04.01.2013
Story: http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/20130404lucy-fossil-finder-evolution-display.html
Video:
http://www.azcentral.com/community/tempe/articles/20130328asu-professor-talks-about-lucy-fossil-video.html
Images: http://www.azcentral.com/photo/5789

Donald Johanson interview with Pavlina 2013 Rollins College
YouTube.com
02.24.2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSbVMVl51hA&list=UU2F1FfvXoEa1t8_F1t0NO6Q&index=2

Donald Johanson on our responsibility to the natural world
Explore the meaning and joy of life with 100 fellow & famous atheists in this book of photos and commentary
YouTube.com
02.17.2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fz8a32taLcM

101 Objects That Changed the World

History Channel 2
http://www.history.ca/h2/101objectsthatchangedtheworld
First aired 01.12.2013
“Lucy” is one of the “objects.” Don Johanson and Bill Kimbel were interviewed at the IHO offices for this History Channel feature.

Popular Media (top)

Sir David Attenborough and Professor Donald Johanson are invited speakers at international conference in London featuring Gibraltar Caves
Vox: Gilbraltor
05.13.2013
http://vox.gi/local/7206-sir-david-attenborough-and-professor-donald-johanson-are-invited-speakers-at-international-conference-in-london-featuring-gibraltar-caves.html

Donald Johanson interview with Pavlina 2013 Rollins College
YouTube.com
02.24.2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSbVMVl51hA&list=UU2F1FfvXoEa1t8_F1t0NO6Q&index=2

Donald Johanson Redraws Humanity’s Family Tree
Rollins.edu
02.0.2013
http://r-net.rollins.edu/news/2013/02/donald-johanson-redraws-humanitys-family-tree.html

“Lucy” paleoanthropologist Dr. Donald Johanson presents lecture at Rollins College
Orlando Weekly
01.30.2013
http://blogs.orlandoweekly.com/index.php/2013/01/lucy-paleoanthropologist-dr-donald-johanson-presents-lecture-at-rollins-college/

Rollins College Events
01.29–30.2013
http://www.rollins.edu/wpi/events/2012-2013/johanson.html
(Johanson lecture)