Archive - John Hawks

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.

Jun 24 • John Hawks

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…

Jun 19 • John Hawks

The ancient mixture in cave lion genomes

Introgression is widespread among lineages of big cats. Our ancestors encountered one of the biggest products.

Jun 6 • John Hawks

May 2026

Rethinking Homo erectus and Denisovans with ancient proteins

Mixture demonstrated for old fossil teeth hints that anthropologists may have mixed ideas.

May 15 • John Hawks

A new age for ‘Ubeidiya

The earliest Acheulean artifacts in Eurasia may be closely connected to their development in Africa.

May 9 • John Hawks

April 2026

How human evolution has been speeding up

Providing some of the missing background for new research on natural selection from ancient DNA

Apr 20 • John Hawks

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.

Apr 10 • John Hawks

March 2026

Ancient handaxes made from geodes

New work describes exceptional artifacts from the Sakhnin valley of Israel.

Mar 31 • John Hawks

Looking into a Neanderthal gallery at La Roche-Cotard

An enigmatic “mask” comes from outside a cave filled with Neanderthal markings.

Mar 21 • John Hawks

Did Levallois tools make Neanderthals human?

Evaluating a recent hypothesis from the geneticist David Reich, focusing on range expansion from Africa.

Mar 15 • John Hawks

A look at the Neanderthal deep cave structures from Bruniquel

Ten years after describing the site, new work details ancient access to the cave.

Mar 9 • John Hawks

Genomes from tombs of the Golden Horde, and the Y chromosome of Genghis Khan

Research led by my PhD student looks at the connections of medieval mausoleums in Kazakhstan.

Mar 6 • John Hawks