Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

Human evolution

Human evolution is the evolutionary process within the history of primates that led to the emergence of Homo sapiens as a distinct species of the hominid family, which includes the great apes. This process involved the gradual development of traits such as human bipedalism and language, as well as interbreeding with other hominins, which indicate that human evolution was not linear but a web.The study of human evolution involves several scientific disciplines, including physical anthropology, evolutionary anthropology, primatology, archaeology, paleontology, neurobiology, ethology, linguistics, evolutionary psychology, embryology and genetics.

3 episodes

Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:

  1. Darwin: On the Origins of Charles Darwin

    Melvyn Bragg presents a series about the life and work of Charles Darwin. Darwin's early life and time at Cambridge, where his interests shifted from religion to natural science.

    5 January 2009

    listen ↗

    Featuring: Jim Moore, Steve Jones, David Norman, Colin Higgins

     
  2. Human Evolution

    Melvyn Bragg discusses the story of human evolution, a tale not of one species, but of many – some of whom walked the Earth at the same time.

    16 February 2006

    listen ↗

    Featuring: Steve Jones, Fred Spoor, Margaret Clegg

     
  3. Progress

    Melvyn Bragg examines whether while mankind has grown in years and knowledge, it has also progressed in terms of happiness and a truer understanding of the human condition.

    18 November 1999

    listen ↗

    Featuring: Anthony O'Hear, Adam Phillips