The Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian is dedicated to understanding the biological and cultural foundations of human life. Our two objectives follow the fundamental goals of the Smithsonian Institution: to advance scientific knowledge through continuing cutting-edge research, and to create the opportunity for public access to this knowledge.

We are committed to furthering scientific knowledge about the evolutionary origin of human beings, including our species' relationship and interactions with the natural world. Our ongoing fieldwork and new projects in Africa, Asia, and Europe investigate clues and accumulate precise data about early human adaptation, evolution, and environmental change. Click here to learn more about our field research programs.

The Human Origins Program strives to develop public awareness about human origins and evolutionary history. The dissemination of new research and new ideas in the field of paleoanthropology is central to our mission. Click here to learn more about the public outreach programs we are supporting.

The National Science Foundation has recently awarded the Human Origins Program one of the largest awards in the study of human origins to explore the question of adaptability in human evolution. To learn more about the concept of adaptability and the research we are conducting, click here.

If you'd like to know who is part of the Human Origins Team at the Smithsonian, click here. If you are interested in learning more about the day-to-day experience of working on an archaeological excavation, visit our "Dispatches from the Field" - a daily journal of life in the field at Olorgesailie.