Prehistoric Autopsy
Prehistoric Autopsy is a BBC documentary series presented by Professor Alice Roberts and Dr. George McGavin, taking us on an evolutionary journey to meet three of our ancient ancestors - Neanderthals, Homo Erectus, and Lucy. The series consists of three episodes, each of which follows the rebuilding of one of our most iconic ancient ancestors from the bones up, with the help of a team of international experts. To make the reconstructions as accurate as possible, Alice Roberts and George McGavin have travelled the globe, gathering evidence from the world's leading scientists. Through the reconstructions, the series shows how the ancestors looked, how they lived and how they compared to us today.
| Episode 1 - Neanderthal |
Episode 1 - Neanderthal
A team of experts reconstruct our closest prehistoric relative - a Neanderthal. The team reveal the latest research that is casting a new light on Neanderthals - not just in the way they may have hunted, clothed their families and even painted jewellery, but also what they may have sounded like.
Episode 2 - Homo Erectus
A team of experts reconstruct one of the earliest humans, Homo erectus. They walked the earth far longer than any other human species and were the first ancestors to look a lot like we do today.
Episode 3 - Lucy
A team of experts reconstruct Lucy from the species Australopithecus afarensis. Lucy's species had traded life in the trees for life on the ground, but this ability to routinely walk upright came at a price and it is one we are still paying today.
| Related Links |
| Ancient DNA and Human Evolution Ancient DNA data have provided unprecedented insights into the recent history of our species. In particular, methodological improvements and innovations over the last ten years have advanced our ability to recover small fragments, target specific sequences, identify damage patterns, and obtain genome scale data. |
| Becoming Human: Unearthing Our Earliest Ancestors This is a three-part NOVA's documentary series investigating the recent discoveries transforming our understanding of our human origins. |
| Walking with Cavemen This is a four-part BBC documentary series narrated by Robert Winston, about the story of human evolution from Australopithecus afarensis to Homo sapiens. |
| Ape to Man This is a History Channel documentary that tells the story of the quest to find the origins of humanity - a quest that spanned more than 150 years of obsessive searching. |
| Origins of Us: Human Anatomy and Evolution We are all members of a very special species. Whilst our anatomy and physiology is undoubtedly that of an ape, we have done things that no other ape can do, and become the most successful ape on the planet. |
| Origins of Us This is a BBC documentary series presented by Dr. Alice Roberts, showing how we evolved away from our ape cousins to become the adaptable, successful species we are today. |