Discovering Us – Details, episodes & analysis

There are only five kinds of great apes alive today. Chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, orangutans, and us. Among the non-human apes, orangutans are unique. Orangutans live only in Asia - in the forests of Sumatra and Borneo. They’re intelligent, solitary animals that feed mostly on fruit. There is a lot we can learn from them - but it’s not an easy job.

Further learning

• Cheryl Knott's orangutan research
• Erin Vogel's orangutan research 
• Lunch Break Science episode on how orangutans learn
• Origin Stories podcast with Biruté Mary Galdikas

About The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. The Foundation was established in 1968 to fund work at the forefront of fossil and primate studies and provide opportunities for a global community of scientists. Learn more at leakeyfoundation.org.

Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins

In 50 lively and up-to-the-minute essays illustrated with full-color photographs, Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins presents stories of the most exciting and groundbreaking surprises revealed by human origins research.

Prepared in consultation with leading experts and written by Evan Hadingham, senior science editor for NOVA, Discovering Us features stunning photographs, some taken at the actual moment that groundbreaking discoveries were made. The book presents a highly accessible account of the latest scientific insights into the ultimate question of humanity’s origins. Discovering Us was published by Signature Books.

Find Discovering Us at your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com.

Show Credits:

• Narrated by Ashley Judd
• Hosted by Meredith Johnson
• Written by Evan Hadingham
• Script edits by Sharal Camisa Smith and Meredith Johnson
• Recorded and mixed by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Recording
• Host recording by Kerry Fogarty
• Trailer produced by Ray Pang
• Cover art by Élisabeth Daynes
• Cover design by Jason Francis, Signature Books
• Music “Ode to Seven” by Our Many Stars licensed from Marmoset Music

Discovering Us was made possible by generous support from Camilla and George Smith, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.

One of the enduring mysteries in human evolution is the question of how and when humans evolved our unusually large brains. Another mystery is how and why we started moving around on two legs. This episode of Discovering Us explores both of these questions by exploring the human ability to run over long distances.

Further reading

About The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. The Foundation was established in 1968 to fund work at the forefront of fossil and primate studies and provide opportunities for a global community of scientists. Learn more at leakeyfoundation.org.

Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins

In 50 lively and up-to-the-minute essays illustrated with full-color photographs, Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins presents stories of the most exciting and groundbreaking surprises revealed by human origins research.

Prepared in consultation with leading experts and written by Evan Hadingham, senior science editor for NOVA, Discovering Us features stunning photographs, some taken at the actual moment that groundbreaking discoveries were made. The book presents a highly accessible account of the latest scientific insights into the ultimate question of humanity’s origins. Discovering Us was published by Signature Books.

Find Discovering Us at your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com.

Show Credits:

• Narrated by Ashley Judd
• Hosted by Meredith Johnson
• Written by Evan Hadingham
• Script edits by Sharal Camisa Smith and Meredith Johnson
• Recorded and mixed by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Recording
• Host recording by Kerry Fogarty
• Trailer produced by Ray Pang
• Cover art by Élisabeth Daynes
• Cover design by Jason Francis, Signature Books
• Music “Ode to Seven” by Our Many Stars licensed from Marmoset Music

Discovering Us was made possible by generous support from Camilla and George Smith, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.

This installment of Discovering Us tells the story of an unusual group of chimpanzees that live on the grassy plains of Fongoli, Senegal where temperatures reach over 110 degrees. Water is scarce, and wildfires sweep through every year - burning the leaves from the trees and baking the soil. These chimpanzees have adapted to their environment in surprising ways that can shed light on the evolution of our own species. 

Further reading:

• Fongoli Savanna Chimpanzee Project
• Open-access research paper on tool-assisted hunting in chimpanzees

About The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. The Foundation was established in 1968 to fund work at the forefront of fossil and primate studies and provide opportunities for a global community of scientists. Learn more at leakeyfoundation.org.

Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins

In 50 lively and up-to-the-minute essays illustrated with full-color photographs, Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins presents stories of the most exciting and groundbreaking surprises revealed by human origins research.

Prepared in consultation with leading experts and written by Evan Hadingham, senior science editor for NOVA, Discovering Us features stunning photographs, some taken at the actual moment that groundbreaking discoveries were made. The book presents a highly accessible account of the latest scientific insights into the ultimate question of humanity’s origins. Discovering Us was published by Signature Books.

Find Discovering Us at your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com.

Show Credits:

• Narrated by Ashley Judd
• Hosted by Meredith Johnson
• Written by Evan Hadingham
• Script edits by Sharal Camisa Smith and Meredith Johnson
• Recorded and mixed by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Recording
• Host recording by Kerry Fogarty
• Trailer produced by Ray Pang
• Cover art by Élisabeth Daynes
• Cover design by Jason Francis, Signature Books
• Music “Ode to Seven” by Our Many Stars licensed from Marmoset Music

Discovering Us was made possible by generous support from Camilla and George Smith, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.

Bonobos are close cousins of humans, known for their highly active sex lives and peaceful female-centered social structure. In this episode, Ashley Judd shares how researchers studying bonobos are unlocking the secrets of female friendship.

Further reading:

• Dr. Liza Moscovice - Leakey Foundation Grantee Spotlight
• Open-access research on bonobo interactions
• Rare bonobo behavior photographed at LuiKotale

About The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. The Foundation was established in 1968 to fund work at the forefront of fossil and primate studies and provide opportunities for a global community of scientists. Learn more at leakeyfoundation.org.

Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins

In 50 lively and up-to-the-minute essays illustrated with full-color photographs, Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins presents stories of the most exciting and groundbreaking surprises revealed by human origins research.

Prepared in consultation with leading experts and written by Evan Hadingham, senior science editor for NOVA, Discovering Us features stunning photographs, some taken at the actual moment that groundbreaking discoveries were made. The book presents a highly accessible account of the latest scientific insights into the ultimate question of humanity’s origins. Discovering Us was published by Signature Books.

Find Discovering Us at your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com.

Show Credits:

• Narrated by Ashley Judd
• Hosted by Meredith Johnson
• Written by Evan Hadingham
• Script edits by Sharal Camisa Smith and Meredith Johnson
• Recorded and mixed by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Recording
• Host recording by Kerry Fogarty
• Trailer produced by Ray Pang
• Cover art by Élisabeth Daynes
• Cover design by Jason Francis, Signature Books
• Music “Ode to Seven” by Our Many Stars licensed from Marmoset Music

Discovering Us was made possible by generous support from Camilla and George Smith, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.

In this series, actor Ashley Judd tells the stories behind some of the most important human origins discoveries of the past 50 years. This prologue explores the fossil find that launched the scientific saga of the Leakey family and the quest to uncover humanity’s origins.

About The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. The Foundation was established in 1968 to fund work at the forefront of fossil and primate studies and provide opportunities for a global community of scientists. Learn more at leakeyfoundation.org.

Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins

In 50 lively and up-to-the-minute essays illustrated with full-color photographs, Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins presents stories of the most exciting and groundbreaking surprises revealed by human origins research.

Prepared in consultation with leading experts and written by Evan Hadingham, senior science editor for NOVA, Discovering Us features stunning photographs, some taken at the actual moment that groundbreaking discoveries were made. The book presents a highly accessible account of the latest scientific insights into the ultimate question of humanity’s origins. Discovering Us was published by Signature Books.

Find Discovering Us at your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com.

Show Credits:

• Narrated by Ashley Judd
• Hosted by Meredith Johnson
• Written by Evan Hadingham
• Script edits by Sharal Camisa Smith and Meredith Johnson
• Recorded and mixed by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Recording
• Host recording by Kerry Fogarty
• Trailer produced by Ray Pang
• Cover art by Élisabeth Daynes
• Cover design by Jason Francis, Signature Books
• Music “Ode to Seven” by Our Many Stars licensed from Marmoset Music

Discovering Us was made possible by generous support from Camilla and George Smith, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.

In the past fifty years, researchers have made extraordinary discoveries that have helped us understand who we are, where we come from, and what makes us human. In Discovering Us, Ashley Judd brings our shared history to life, exploring the human story from our evolutionary roots to our uncertain future. This short series celebrates science, exploration, and the search for what it means to be human.

Discovering Us is an audio companion to the book Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins, written for The Leakey Foundation by Evan Hadingham, Senior Science Editor for the award-winning PBS series NOVA.

Every episode of Discovering Us will be available on September 26, 2022.

In this episode, Ashley Judd tells the story of a startling discovery on the island of Flores. Deep inside a remote, limestone cave with a high, arched ceiling, researchers uncovered fossils of an ancient human species unlike any other. This discovery added a new member to the human family tree and shook up our understanding of human evolution.

Further reading:

• Homo floresiensis - Smithsonian
• Making sense of the small-bodied fossils from Flores

About The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. The Foundation was established in 1968 to fund work at the forefront of fossil and primate studies and provide opportunities for a global community of scientists. Learn more at leakeyfoundation.org.

Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins

In 50 lively and up-to-the-minute essays illustrated with full-color photographs, Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins presents stories of the most exciting and groundbreaking surprises revealed by human origins research.

Prepared in consultation with leading experts and written by Evan Hadingham, senior science editor for NOVA, Discovering Us features stunning photographs, some taken at the actual moment that groundbreaking discoveries were made. The book presents a highly accessible account of the latest scientific insights into the ultimate question of humanity’s origins. Discovering Us was published by Signature Books.

Find Discovering Us at your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com.

Show Credits:

• Narrated by Ashley Judd
• Hosted by Meredith Johnson
• Written by Evan Hadingham
• Script edits by Sharal Camisa Smith and Meredith Johnson
• Recorded and mixed by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Recording
• Host recording by Kerry Fogarty
• Trailer produced by Ray Pang
• Cover art by Élisabeth Daynes
• Cover design by Jason Francis, Signature Books
• Music “Ode to Seven” by Our Many Stars licensed from Marmoset Music

Discovering Us was made possible by generous support from Camilla and George Smith, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.

It takes a special kind of detective work to figure out the story of how we became human. This episode takes us to a unique fossil site in Spain where scientists go back through time - finding clues in a rich fossil record that stretches over hundreds and thousands of years. They are uncovering a story with twists and turns that are more dramatic and mysterious than an Agatha Christie novel.

Further reading (and listening)

• Origin Stories: Detective of the Dead
• Atapuerca, UNESCO World Heritage Site

About The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. The Foundation was established in 1968 to fund work at the forefront of fossil and primate studies and provide opportunities for a global community of scientists. Learn more at leakeyfoundation.org.

Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins

In 50 lively and up-to-the-minute essays illustrated with full-color photographs, Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins presents stories of the most exciting and groundbreaking surprises revealed by human origins research.

Prepared in consultation with leading experts and written by Evan Hadingham, senior science editor for NOVA, Discovering Us features stunning photographs, some taken at the actual moment that groundbreaking discoveries were made. The book presents a highly accessible account of the latest scientific insights into the ultimate question of humanity’s origins. Discovering Us was published by Signature Books.

Find Discovering Us at your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com.

Show Credits:

• Narrated by Ashley Judd
• Hosted by Meredith Johnson
• Written by Evan Hadingham
• Script edits by Sharal Camisa Smith and Meredith Johnson
• Recorded and mixed by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Recording
• Host recording by Kerry Fogarty
• Trailer produced by Ray Pang
• Cover art by Élisabeth Daynes
• Cover design by Jason Francis, Signature Books
• Music “Ode to Seven” by Our Many Stars licensed from Marmoset Music

Discovering Us was made possible by generous support from Camilla and George Smith, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.

In this episode, Ashley Judd tells the story of the discovery of a fascinating fossil of a female that lived 4.4-million-years ago. This unexpected find opened up a new window into the very early evolution of the human species.

Further reading

• Ardipithecus ramidus - Smithsonian
• Ardipithecus ramidus - Science 

About The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. The Foundation was established in 1968 to fund work at the forefront of fossil and primate studies and provide opportunities for a global community of scientists. Learn more at leakeyfoundation.org.

Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins

In 50 lively and up-to-the-minute essays illustrated with full-color photographs, Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins presents stories of the most exciting and groundbreaking surprises revealed by human origins research.

Prepared in consultation with leading experts and written by Evan Hadingham, senior science editor for NOVA, Discovering Us features stunning photographs, some taken at the actual moment that groundbreaking discoveries were made. The book presents a highly accessible account of the latest scientific insights into the ultimate question of humanity’s origins. Discovering Us was published by Signature Books.

Find Discovering Us at your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com.

Show Credits:

• Narrated by Ashley Judd
• Hosted by Meredith Johnson
• Written by Evan Hadingham
• Script edits by Sharal Camisa Smith and Meredith Johnson
• Recorded and mixed by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Recording
• Host recording by Kerry Fogarty
• Trailer produced by Ray Pang
• Cover art by Élisabeth Daynes
• Cover design by Jason Francis, Signature Books
• Music “Ode to Seven” by Our Many Stars licensed from Marmoset Music

Discovering Us was made possible by generous support from Camilla and George Smith, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.

There are some mysteries about human evolution that can’t be answered by looking at fossils or our closest living primate relatives. In this episode, you’ll learn how scientists used genetic research to explain how humans came to be the only mammals who continue to drink milk - even after we’re grown.

Further reading

• Milk tolerance evolved more than once

About The Leakey Foundation

The Leakey Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. The Foundation was established in 1968 to fund work at the forefront of fossil and primate studies and provide opportunities for a global community of scientists. Learn more at leakeyfoundation.org.

Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins

In 50 lively and up-to-the-minute essays illustrated with full-color photographs, Discovering Us: 50 Great Discoveries in Human Origins presents stories of the most exciting and groundbreaking surprises revealed by human origins research.

Prepared in consultation with leading experts and written by Evan Hadingham, senior science editor for NOVA, Discovering Us features stunning photographs, some taken at the actual moment that groundbreaking discoveries were made. The book presents a highly accessible account of the latest scientific insights into the ultimate question of humanity’s origins. Discovering Us was published by Signature Books.

Find Discovering Us at your local library, bookstore, or amazon.com.

Show Credits:

• Narrated by Ashley Judd
• Hosted by Meredith Johnson
• Written by Evan Hadingham
• Script edits by Sharal Camisa Smith and Meredith Johnson
• Recorded and mixed by Dave Hagen, Dark Horse Recording
• Host recording by Kerry Fogarty
• Trailer produced by Ray Pang
• Cover art by Élisabeth Daynes
• Cover design by Jason Francis, Signature Books
• Music “Ode to Seven” by Our Many Stars licensed from Marmoset Music

Discovering Us was made possible by generous support from Camilla and George Smith, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, and the Joan and Arnold Travis Education Fund.