Ancient human discoveries dominated 2021. Here's what we learned

The human story -- where we come from and how we evolved -- got a new chapter in 2021. Thanks to new fossil finds and analysis of ancient DNA preserved in teeth, bones and cave dirt, scientists have unearthed startling revelations about our Homo sapien forebears, and other humans that existed before -- and in some cases, alongside us.

Here are six of this year's most ground-breaking discoveries in human prehistory that are shaping the family tree in fascinating and unexpected ways.

1. The first Americans
... footprints pressed into the ground between 21,000 to 23,000 years ago

2. Dragon man
Dragon man is the latest addition to the human family tree.

3. Cave dirt
new techniques to capture DNA preserved in cave sediment

4. Earliest fashion
62 bone tools used to process and smooth animal skins found in a cave in Morocco may be some of the earliest proxy evidence for clothing in the archaeological record.

5. Neanderthal brains
Neanderthal-ized brain organoids look very different than modern human brain organoids

6. The oldest story ever told
the oldest known figurative rock art created by humans

Full article and pictures at:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/22/world/year-of-ancient-human-discoveries-scn/index.html