Natural History Museum - What makes us human?

It's an exciting time to be examining human evolution. New fossils and techniques are transforming what we know. Museum scientists are at the forefront of research on our early human relatives, and the origin and cultural development of our own species. Earlier this month, their groundbreaking ancient DNA research revealed the face of 10,000-year-old Cheddar Man, the oldest complete skeleton of our species ever found in Britain. Explore your origins >

How humans evolved

How did we become human? We explain the features that make us human and when they appeared.

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Out of Africa A newly discovered fossil jawbone reveals our species had already left Africa 180,000 years ago. Read the news > The story of humans in Britain First Britons Cheddar Man's tribe was one of the first groups of people to move into Britain at the end of the last Ice Age. But Britain's human story stretches back much further. Find out about the other humans who have lived here, from Neanderthals to the first pioneers. A million-year story >