Locate and read a recently published (past ~30 years) journal or magazine article, announcing a
new discovery about a group of fossil Hominins, which are the early humans including genera
Homo, Australopithecus, Ardipithecus, and more. It can be a pop-science magazine article (e.g.
National Geographic) or a scholarly journal article.
Write a short paper (1000 words; about 3 pages) addressing the following points:
• Who wrote this article, what is its title, and where (ie: what journal/magazine) and when
was it published? Is the author a scientist involved in the study, or a journalist reporting
on science? (If there are multiple authors, just focus on the first author)
• Write a summary of the discovery being presented.
• Does this article contribute to our understanding of human origins? If so, how?
• Remember the definition of science. Does the study seem to have followed the scientific
method? Does it qualify as a science or a pseudoscience? Why?
• What else do we need to know? What should be the next steps for these researchers’
scientific investigation?
• In your opinion, what is the most important point made in this article? Why is it so
important?
Sample Solution
