This month's Origin Stories podcast episode features two stories from the Science Podcast. First, Science writer Ann Gibbons tells the story of three ancient hominin species that lived side-by-side in South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind. Then, anthropologist Melanie Beasley discusses her new study on why chemical signals in Neanderthal teeth and bones make them look like hypercarnivores.

This month’s Origin Stories episode takes you inside the world of archaeology students at Boomplaas Cave field school in South Africa.

Explore the fascinating tale of the Hobbit, an unexpected fossil find that shook the world’s understanding of human evolution. Join Leakey Foundation grantee Matt Tocheri as he shares how this tiny hominin revolutionized the human story and transformed his life. 

This month, Origin Stories podcast explores the mysterious tale of the largest primate that ever lived. Gigantopithecus blacki is an extinct relative of orangutans that lived in Southeast Asia and stood around 10 feet tall.