Hall of Human Origins April 17, 2009

The story of Homo sapiens is the topic of this hall, which explores human biology and anatomy, traces the path of human evolution and examines the origins of human creativity. It is the only major exhibit in the country to present an in-depth investigation of the mysteries of human evolution. The hall features four life-size dioramas of human predecessors Australopithecus afarensis, Homo ergaster, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, showing each species in its habitat and demonstrating the behaviors and capabilities that scientists believe it had. Also displayed are full-sized casts of important fossils, such as the four-million-year-old "Lucy" skeleton and the 1.7-million-year-old "Turkana Boy" and Homo erectus specimens including a cast of "Peking Man." In addition, the hall features replicas of striking Ice Age art found in the Dordogne region of southwestern France. These beautiful limestone carvings of horses were made nearly 26,000 years ago and represent what is believed to be the earliest artistic expression of humans.