American Library Association – Smithsonian Human Origins Program Workshop
March 19-20, 2015
“Exploring Human Origins: What does it mean to be human?”
Key Content Messages
1. The origin of the distinctive features of our species did not occur all at once.
Human Characteristics – http://humanorigins.si.edu/human-characteristics
2. There is abundant evidence for the accumulation of adaptations over time: related
to how we walk, how our brains work, how we interact with our surroundings, how
our social behavior became so elaborate, etc.
Behavior – http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/behavior
3D collection of fossils/artifacts – http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/3d-collection
3. Human ancestors evolved in dramatically changing surroundings  survival
challenges
- Climate and Human Evolution – http://humanorigins.si.edu/research/climate-research
- Climate Change and Human Evolution video –
http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/multimedia/videos/climate-change-andhuman-evolution
- Survivors of Changing Environment video –
http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/multimedia/videos/survivors-changingenvironment
- PBS NOVA ‘Becoming Human’ audio podcast –
http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/multimedia/audio/audio/rick-potts-podcast-novasbecoming-human-series
4. The benefits of adaptations came at a cost (one of the hallmarks of evolution).
Human Characteristics – http://humanorigins.si.edu/human-characteristics
(Walking Upright, New Food and Tools, Brains, Symbols and Language,
Humans Change the World – all have sections on costs/benefits)
5. There is continuity in the evolved characteristics of humans with those of our
primate relatives.
Primate videos – http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/behavior/primate
Human Characteristics (transitions and continuity from more apelike to more humanlike)
– http://humanorigins.si.edu/human-characteristics
6. The human family tree is branching and diverse (like the family trees of virtually all
other living things).
Family tree interactive, Species – http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils
Fossils in 3D – http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/3d-collection/fossil
Mystery Skull Interactive – http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-fossils/mysteryskull-interactive
7. New discoveries (motivated by new questions) continually refine …
- age of fossils & artifacts (thus the timing of key evolutionary milestones) –
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/dating
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-evolution-timeline-interactive
- fossil and archeological discoveries that expand what we know
Field blog: http://humanorigins.si.edu/research/east-african-research/olorgesailiefield-blog
Adventures in the Rift Valley: http://humanorigins.si.edu/research/east-africanresearch/adventures-rift-valley-interactive
- the technologies at our disposal for… e.g., recovering DNA from fossils; examining
microscopic structures related to growth of teeth & bones; measuring chemical
composition of teeth & bones relevant to diet; estimating ever-refined ages of
sediments & objects…
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/genetics/ancient-dna-and-neanderthals
http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/multimedia/videos/new-technology-oldfossils
- the differences & similarities between humans and other great apes (e.g., eye-tracking
in babies; primate tool kits)
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/behavior/primate
- many others… What’s Hot in Human Origins –
http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/whats-hot/news
The above areas of the web site help to illustrate that science is about investigation
(inquiry-based learning).
8. Scientific discoveries pertaining to human evolution uncover changes in many of
the defining qualities of our species (H. sapiens)… yet public usage of the word
‘human’ can be substantially broader than what science and evolution deal with.
People’s answers to ‘What does it mean to be human?’ –
Home page: http://humanorigins.si.edu/
All answers: http://humanorigins.si.edu/about/involvement/being-human
Resources on the interface between science and religion (Broader Social Impact team) –
http://humanorigins.si.edu/about/bsic
Other website resources available to explore these core concepts:
- Timeline Interactive – http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-evolution-timelineinteractive
- How Do We Know? – http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/How-Do-We-Know
- 3D collection of fossils/artifacts – http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/3d-collection
- Video resources – http://humanorigins.si.edu/resources/multimedia/videos
ALA – Smithsonian Human Origins Traveling Exhibit Content Plan
Humans Change the World
Interactive
Kiosk
Costs & Benefits of Evolution
Species
Reconstructions
6 Million Years of Human Evolution
What's Hot in
Human Origins?
First Steps
Video
Interactive
Panel
Introduction
Language: Creating
a World of Symbols
Climate, Primates,
Making Tools, Dispersal
What Does It Mean
To Be Human?
Entrance
Social Life, Fire,
Life History
Humans Evolved
In a Changing World
Neanderthal Statue
Our Primate Heritage
Interactive
Kiosk
Technology (Dawn,
Explosion)
Early Human Skulls
Walking Upright
Adapting to
Diverse Climates
Complex Brains
Climate, Primates,
Making Tools,
Dispersal
Video
Interactive
Kiosk
Body Size and Shape
An important thread:
How do we know?
40 ft.
30 ft.
Human Evolution
Interactive