Faces of Human Ancestors

March 4, 2013 1:30 PM

To put a human face on our ancestors, scientists from the Senckenberg Research Institute used sophisticated methods to form 27 model heads based on tiny bone fragments, teeth and skulls collected from across the globe. Here is a video showing those different models morphing into one another. Original article here. [via]

The Discovery article has descriptions of the various models and sources and stuff in the caption bar.

posted by lazaruslong (12 comments total)

If you want to see what these models look like underneath, efossils is a pretty amazing resource. For example, here's Sahelanthropus tchadensis.
posted by ChuraChura at 1:42 PM on March 4, 2013 [2 favorites]

So - about 20-35 seconds is the period when the Annunaki aliens were splicing their genes with earth-apes to make mining slaves eh? Because dear god, that's pretty fugly.
posted by symbioid at 2:00 PM on March 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

Obviously, the invention of the modern nose represented a huge leap forward for humanity.
posted by fredludd at 2:06 PM on March 4, 2013 [6 favorites]

I saw Pete Postlethwaite, Patrick Stewart and my Granny.
posted by runincircles at 2:24 PM on March 4, 2013

Obviously, the invention of the modern nose represented a huge leap forward for humanity.

Then, given my schnozz, I must be, thus far, the epitome of human evolution on this planet.
posted by Danf at 2:49 PM on March 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

The linked video is part of an SEO company's YouTube channel. They just ripped off the images and applied a morph transformation. I recommend not giving them the hits and enjoying the slideshow on the original article.
posted by jedicus at 3:11 PM on March 4, 2013

i see that just like mckayla maroney, some of our ancestors were not impressed
posted by pyramid termite at 4:23 PM on March 4, 2013

Yeah, right around the 35s mark triggered my grey-alien phobia in the worst way... Yikes.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:40 PM on March 4, 2013

Now I wanna see a female one. I wonder at what point the facial features will tell my brain "female." I guess pretty far along around when my brain was told "possible human."
posted by cmoj at 6:51 PM on March 4, 2013

Worth pointing out that Paranthropus boisei and Australopithecus robustus are almost definitely not our direct ancestors. The robust australopithecines are a weird, side branch of closely related guys who got crazy adaptations for hard-object feeding.
posted by ChuraChura at 8:11 PM on March 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

jedicus: "The linked video is part of an SEO company's YouTube channel. They just ripped off the images and applied a morph transformation. I recommend not giving them the hits and enjoying the slideshow on the original article."

Yeah I hear you. When I saw it on Kottke, I looked at the YouTube video and noticed that too. I had to hunt down the discovery article to get the source slides. I dunno, 'ripping off' some slides from discovery from an exhibition in Germany by some scientists seems...niche, and not really the kinda thing you do if you you're looking to make mad dough, ya know? Maybe sometimes people that work for SEO companies do cool stuff too.
posted by lazaruslong at 9:02 PM on March 4, 2013

I wanted it to keep going. But I guess I'll have to wait.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:24 AM on March 5, 2013