Great Transitions: The Origin of Humans

Which traits distinguish humans from other primates? When and where did these traits evolve? Discover the latest findings on hominid evolution in this classroom-ready biology video. Paleontologists have studied the fossil record of human evolution just like they have done for other major transitions, including the evolution of tetrapods from fish and the evolution of birds from dinosaurs. In this film, part of the Great Transitions trilogy, Sean Carroll and Tim White focus on the evolution of three traits: larger brains, tool use, and bipedality. For more educational resources on evolution, visit the BioInteractive website at