John Hawks
@johnhawks.net
Paleoanthropologist | Chair and Professor of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin–Madison 🧪🏺💀https://www.johnhawks.net
Reposted by John Hawks
What would a stone tool look like after it was used to scrape/shape a lot of bamboo? A lot like this one in the new Bianfu Cave Denisovan report.
Basing this on my work replicating the uses of Homo floresiensis (hobbit) tools from Liang Bua, after I found bamboo fibres on them in a residue study 🏺🧪
Basing this on my work replicating the uses of Homo floresiensis (hobbit) tools from Liang Bua, after I found bamboo fibres on them in a residue study 🏺🧪
September 11, 2026 at 2:15 PM
What would a stone tool look like after it was used to scrape/shape a lot of bamboo? A lot like this one in the new Bianfu Cave Denisovan report.
Basing this on my work replicating the uses of Homo floresiensis (hobbit) tools from Liang Bua, after I found bamboo fibres on them in a residue study 🏺🧪
Basing this on my work replicating the uses of Homo floresiensis (hobbit) tools from Liang Bua, after I found bamboo fibres on them in a residue study 🏺🧪
Always happy to add new Denisovans. This is quite a record now from ancient proteins, five sites that span a geographic area encompassing all of China. These people had remarkable stories we are starting to understand how to tell.
www.johnhawks.net/p/new-deniso...
www.johnhawks.net/p/new-deniso...
New Denisovans from China’s southwest
The site of Bianfu Cave provides evidence that this group spanned all of China during the later Middle Pleistocene.
www.johnhawks.net
September 9, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Always happy to add new Denisovans. This is quite a record now from ancient proteins, five sites that span a geographic area encompassing all of China. These people had remarkable stories we are starting to understand how to tell.
www.johnhawks.net/p/new-deniso...
www.johnhawks.net/p/new-deniso...
“In broad strokes, the modern human population evolved from a merger of two ancient groups around 300,000 years ago, roughly 80% from one, and 20% from the other. The uniformity of this signal in all living populations suggests that it was a true formative event.”
www.johnhawks.net/p/modern-hum...
www.johnhawks.net/p/modern-hum...
Modern humans evolved from an 80-20 mixture of two deep streams
Genome models are converging on a scenario in which two stem lineages separated 1.5 million years ago, and merged together 300,000 years ago.
www.johnhawks.net
August 25, 2026 at 10:13 PM
“In broad strokes, the modern human population evolved from a merger of two ancient groups around 300,000 years ago, roughly 80% from one, and 20% from the other. The uniformity of this signal in all living populations suggests that it was a true formative event.”
www.johnhawks.net/p/modern-hum...
www.johnhawks.net/p/modern-hum...
Reposted by John Hawks
"Anthropology Needs to Be in Better Conversations with the World" from Devi Snively, Laura McLauchlan, and me as part of the awesome @wennergrenorg.bsky.social "On The Futre of Public Anthropology" wennergren.org/forum/public...
On the Future of Public Anthropology
Anthropologists from around the world contribute to a discussion of what public anthropology will be in the years to come.
wennergren.org
August 24, 2026 at 8:31 PM
"Anthropology Needs to Be in Better Conversations with the World" from Devi Snively, Laura McLauchlan, and me as part of the awesome @wennergrenorg.bsky.social "On The Futre of Public Anthropology" wennergren.org/forum/public...
Reposted by John Hawks
An oldie but goody for #fossilfriday, KMN-ER 406. This skull of Paranthropus boisei is one of my all-time favorites! It's one solid mass: dense and heavy. Now curated beautifully by Tom Mukhuyu at National Museums of Kenya.
August 21, 2026 at 12:44 PM
An oldie but goody for #fossilfriday, KMN-ER 406. This skull of Paranthropus boisei is one of my all-time favorites! It's one solid mass: dense and heavy. Now curated beautifully by Tom Mukhuyu at National Museums of Kenya.
I wrote about the impending end of U.S. federal funding for archaeology and anthropology in April. August numbers (reported in Nature www.nature.com/articles/d41...) show that no new grants have been awarded this year.
www.johnhawks.net/p/us-federal...
www.johnhawks.net/p/us-federal...
U.S. federal support for human origins research may be over
The field is generating more new discoveries than ever, but significant setbacks for students and many researchers.
www.johnhawks.net
August 20, 2026 at 9:35 PM
I wrote about the impending end of U.S. federal funding for archaeology and anthropology in April. August numbers (reported in Nature www.nature.com/articles/d41...) show that no new grants have been awarded this year.
www.johnhawks.net/p/us-federal...
www.johnhawks.net/p/us-federal...
Reposted by John Hawks
Lovely write up on Visby 1361 project as presented at #PPA2026 from @killgrove.bsky.social. This is serious archaeological science with an amazing team all working in a transdisciplinary way. Huge shout out to @uucampusgotland.bsky.social MA student Ronja Bågling who kicked off the entire project...
A team headed by bioanth @kabweprq.bsky.social is working to reconstruct medieval combat using everything from macroscopic bone analysis to 4D motion capture. Here's a short piece on their identification of a spiked club as the coup-de-grâce blow at the 1361 Battle of Visby. 🧪🏺
'Full-on berserker mode': Archaeologists solve mystery of medieval soldiers with gruesome square holes in their skull
A new analysis of skulls from a 14th-century battle in Sweden reveals a spiked club inflicted the death blow.
www.livescience.com
August 14, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Lovely write up on Visby 1361 project as presented at #PPA2026 from @killgrove.bsky.social. This is serious archaeological science with an amazing team all working in a transdisciplinary way. Huge shout out to @uucampusgotland.bsky.social MA student Ronja Bågling who kicked off the entire project...
Two new Denisovan fossils have emerged from the seafloor of the Penghu Strait, near Taiwan. I look at what these tell us about the survival of Denisovans into the time frame of the “classic” Neanderthals.
www.johnhawks.net/p/legs-of-th...
www.johnhawks.net/p/legs-of-th...
Legs of the last Denisovans
Two bones from the floor of the Penghu Strait reveal some of the latest evidence of Denisovan survival.
www.johnhawks.net
August 8, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Two new Denisovan fossils have emerged from the seafloor of the Penghu Strait, near Taiwan. I look at what these tell us about the survival of Denisovans into the time frame of the “classic” Neanderthals.
www.johnhawks.net/p/legs-of-th...
www.johnhawks.net/p/legs-of-th...
Had a great email question on superarchaic gene flow this morning and the possible implications of human chromosome fusion. I did address in this post on the fusion of chromosome 2: Introgression and gene flow often happens despite differences in karyotype.
www.johnhawks.net/p/when-did-h...
www.johnhawks.net/p/when-did-h...
When did human chromosome 2 fuse?
More and more, it looks like this event happened shortly before a million years ago, in the common ancestors of Neandertal, Denisovan, and African ancestral humans.
www.johnhawks.net
August 8, 2026 at 3:58 PM
Had a great email question on superarchaic gene flow this morning and the possible implications of human chromosome fusion. I did address in this post on the fusion of chromosome 2: Introgression and gene flow often happens despite differences in karyotype.
www.johnhawks.net/p/when-did-h...
www.johnhawks.net/p/when-did-h...
“An average effect size of 285 grams per copy means that around 200,000 metric tons of human muscle can be attributed to this Neanderthal inheritance. That’s two aircraft carriers worth of mass.”
www.johnhawks.net/p/how-neande...
www.johnhawks.net/p/how-neande...
How Neanderthal ancestry affects growth and muscle
Study of a Neanderthal-derived haplotype of GHR show effects on height and lean body mass
www.johnhawks.net
August 6, 2026 at 12:29 AM
“An average effect size of 285 grams per copy means that around 200,000 metric tons of human muscle can be attributed to this Neanderthal inheritance. That’s two aircraft carriers worth of mass.”
www.johnhawks.net/p/how-neande...
www.johnhawks.net/p/how-neande...
The story of “The petite bodies of the robust australopithecines” is changing in light of the last 15 years of evidence, and footprints are leading the way.
www.johnhawks.net/p/the-big-fe...
www.johnhawks.net/p/the-big-fe...
The big feet of Paranthropus boisei
New analysis of footprint trackways suggest a larger body size than previously thought for this Early Pleistocene human relative.
www.johnhawks.net
August 2, 2026 at 7:02 PM
The story of “The petite bodies of the robust australopithecines” is changing in light of the last 15 years of evidence, and footprints are leading the way.
www.johnhawks.net/p/the-big-fe...
www.johnhawks.net/p/the-big-fe...
Interesting twist in a new paper: Introgression deserts aren't actually deserted. “Our findings suggest that ghost ancestry is often present in previously defined archaic deserts, providing additional context to putative Homo sapiens–specific selection.”
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Recovering signatures of archaic hominin introgression using ancestral recombination graphs
Admixture between modern humans and extinct hominins has shaped the genomes of present-day individuals, but reconstructing this history has been constrained by the scarcity of archaic samples and unad...
www.science.org
July 30, 2026 at 7:12 PM
Interesting twist in a new paper: Introgression deserts aren't actually deserted. “Our findings suggest that ghost ancestry is often present in previously defined archaic deserts, providing additional context to putative Homo sapiens–specific selection.”
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
I’m fascinated today reading a recent article about insect-eating and ancient dental calculus. In brief, Neanderthals have as much insect DNA in their dental calculus as western chimpanzees, while ancient European modern people have a lot less.
www.johnhawks.net/p/traces-of-...
www.johnhawks.net/p/traces-of-...
Traces of insect DNA in dental calculus may reveal bug-eating past
A study finds that Neanderthals had comparable insect trace evidence as gorillas and western chimpanzees.
www.johnhawks.net
July 18, 2026 at 4:27 PM
I’m fascinated today reading a recent article about insect-eating and ancient dental calculus. In brief, Neanderthals have as much insect DNA in their dental calculus as western chimpanzees, while ancient European modern people have a lot less.
www.johnhawks.net/p/traces-of-...
www.johnhawks.net/p/traces-of-...
The face-stabbing community was old, but the leopards-eating-faces community still older
This Fossil Might Be the Earliest Known Case of Face-Stabbing in Human History gizmodo.com/this-early-h...
This Fossil Might Be the Earliest Known Case of Face-Stabbing in Human History
If the researchers' hypothesis is correct, the fossil represents the earliest known instance of an injury caused by something sharp.
gizmodo.com
July 10, 2026 at 7:49 PM
The face-stabbing community was old, but the leopards-eating-faces community still older
Just reading this article and realizing it's ten years and nothing has changed.
www.nature.com/articles/537...
www.nature.com/articles/537...
Print your own 3D Lucy to work out how the famous hominin died - Nature
Digital scans will help researchers test whether she fell out of a tree.
www.nature.com
July 5, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Just reading this article and realizing it's ten years and nothing has changed.
www.nature.com/articles/537...
www.nature.com/articles/537...
Reposted by John Hawks
Open access opens the skull of Homo naledi
lawnchairanthropology.com/2026/07/02/o...
lawnchairanthropology.com/2026/07/02/o...
Open access opens the skull of Homo naledi
Open access article and data provide new evidence about the brain of Homo naledi.
lawnchairanthropology.com
July 2, 2026 at 7:50 PM
Open access opens the skull of Homo naledi
lawnchairanthropology.com/2026/07/02/o...
lawnchairanthropology.com/2026/07/02/o...
The funniest thing to me is that nobody knows when hominins lost the baculum, and I've spent a lot of time carefully examining odd bone fragments thinking that I had a better chance of finding one from Rising Star than anyone's ever had anywhere else.
June 24, 2026 at 10:39 PM
The funniest thing to me is that nobody knows when hominins lost the baculum, and I've spent a lot of time carefully examining odd bone fragments thinking that I had a better chance of finding one from Rising Star than anyone's ever had anywhere else.
The first molecular evidence of Homo naledi from at least 20 individuals shows that none are male. I've taken a deep dive into how the paleoproteomics works, what it says about naledi relationships, and why this result is less surprising than it sounds.
www.johnhawks.net/p/the-first-...
www.johnhawks.net/p/the-first-...
The first molecular data from Homo naledi
Protein data from the Rising Star cave system show the known sample of this species is entirely female.
www.johnhawks.net
June 24, 2026 at 10:17 PM
The first molecular evidence of Homo naledi from at least 20 individuals shows that none are male. I've taken a deep dive into how the paleoproteomics works, what it says about naledi relationships, and why this result is less surprising than it sounds.
www.johnhawks.net/p/the-first-...
www.johnhawks.net/p/the-first-...
Reposted by John Hawks
Nice summary of our recent paper on the brain of Homo naledi
www.iflscience.com/homo-naledis...
www.iflscience.com/homo-naledis...
Did This Small-Brained Hominin Have The Neural Wiring For Burying Its Dead?
A reconstruction of the hominin's skull reveals an enlarged region linked to language and tool use, though what that means for its alleged funerary practices remains an open question.
www.iflscience.com
June 23, 2026 at 8:52 AM
Nice summary of our recent paper on the brain of Homo naledi
www.iflscience.com/homo-naledis...
www.iflscience.com/homo-naledis...
Reposted by John Hawks
excited about this one: using longitudinal movement data and dyadic models, we show that orangutan moms adjust their ranging patterns so their kids can play with age-mates independent of kinship, at personal costs.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
June 23, 2026 at 8:52 AM
excited about this one: using longitudinal movement data and dyadic models, we show that orangutan moms adjust their ranging patterns so their kids can play with age-mates independent of kinship, at personal costs.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
It's a tough question: How many groups of Denisovans were there, and which were ancestors of living people? Recent studies had me thinking we might be approaching an answer, but after looking at the details I'm not so sure.
www.johnhawks.net/p/how-many-d...
www.johnhawks.net/p/how-many-d...
How many Denisovan ancestors?
New studies magnify the observation that three groups of Denisovans may have contributed to many living people's genomes, but I find some unanswered questions.
www.johnhawks.net
June 19, 2026 at 10:56 PM
It's a tough question: How many groups of Denisovans were there, and which were ancestors of living people? Recent studies had me thinking we might be approaching an answer, but after looking at the details I'm not so sure.
www.johnhawks.net/p/how-many-d...
www.johnhawks.net/p/how-many-d...
Reposted by John Hawks
What does the most complete endocast of Homo naledi tell us about the brain and behavior of this most unexpected, recently extinct human species? #FossilFriday link.springer.com/article/10.1...
June 18, 2026 at 5:41 PM
What does the most complete endocast of Homo naledi tell us about the brain and behavior of this most unexpected, recently extinct human species? #FossilFriday link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by John Hawks
8/ we have objectively, empirically *improved knowledge* in a very anthropological way: by showing that reductionism misdescribes reality. That, I think, is what makes these critics uncomfortable; they like certainty and universal dicta, and anthropology says “it depends”.
June 13, 2026 at 4:35 PM
8/ we have objectively, empirically *improved knowledge* in a very anthropological way: by showing that reductionism misdescribes reality. That, I think, is what makes these critics uncomfortable; they like certainty and universal dicta, and anthropology says “it depends”.
It is a very challenging position that @neilshubin.bsky.social walks into as leader of @nasonline.org with partisan division over many areas of scientific work. Illuminating interview with @carlzimmer.com as he takes office.
www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/s...
www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/s...
Neil Shubin on Trusted Science in a ‘Deeply Partisan Age’
www.nytimes.com
June 12, 2026 at 5:17 PM
It is a very challenging position that @neilshubin.bsky.social walks into as leader of @nasonline.org with partisan division over many areas of scientific work. Illuminating interview with @carlzimmer.com as he takes office.
www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/s...
www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/s...
Reposted by John Hawks
Academia is not a zero-sum game. You can do rigorous scientific work AND care about the problems of other people. Wild, I know.
Not that I expect the authors of the vanderbilt report to have ever helped anyone with their scholarship.
Not that I expect the authors of the vanderbilt report to have ever helped anyone with their scholarship.
Vanderbilt University commissioned a report on the state of humanities scholarship. Now some of the scholars accused of producing work driven by political ideology rather than the pursuit of truth are fighting back. @emmawhitford.bsky.social has the scoop. www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...
Professors Say Vanderbilt Report Misrepresents Their Work
The report on the state of humanities scholarship has generated a lot of debate in academic circles and received backlash from the leading anthropology association.
www.insidehighered.com
June 11, 2026 at 6:00 AM
Academia is not a zero-sum game. You can do rigorous scientific work AND care about the problems of other people. Wild, I know.
Not that I expect the authors of the vanderbilt report to have ever helped anyone with their scholarship.
Not that I expect the authors of the vanderbilt report to have ever helped anyone with their scholarship.