New research has identified a persistent problem that has hindered studies of the origins and patterns of human evolution. Specifically, there seems to be a mismatch between the spots where most ancient human fossils have been collected and the locations where most human ancestors lived in the greatest numbers. In a new paper just published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution, researchers W. Andrew Barr and Bernard Wood from the Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology at George Washington University lay out the case that our understanding of human evolution is more limited than many scientists imagine. A problem they identify as ‘spacial sampling bias’ in the collection of fossils from eastern Africa is the source of the distortion, and they argue it has real consequences for those seeking a detailed and accurate picture of humanity’s true origins. Denizens of South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind: The First Walking Apes Modern Human Ancestry Won’t Be Traced to a Single Point Read moreSection: NewsEvolution & Human OriginsRead Later