Discovering Us

Secrets of the Orangutan Cycle

There are only five kinds of great apes alive today. Chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, orangutans, and us. Among the non-human apes, orangutans are unique. Orangutans live

Born and Evolved to Run

One of the enduring mysteries in human evolution is the question of how and when humans evolved our unusually large brains. Another mystery is how and why we started movi

The Hobbit

In this episode, Ashley Judd tells the story of a startling discovery on the island of Flores. Deep inside a remote, limestone cave with a high, arched ceiling, researche

The Pit of Bones

It takes a special kind of detective work to figure out the story of how we became human. This episode takes us to a unique fossil site in Spain where scientists go back

Unexpected Ardi

In this episode, Ashley Judd tells the story of the discovery of a fascinating fossil of a female that lived 4.4-million-years ago. This unexpected find opened up a new w

The African Milk Trail

There are some mysteries about human evolution that can’t be answered by looking at fossils or our closest living primate relatives. In this episode, you’ll learn how sci

Ambush at the Lake

In this episode of Discovering Us, Ashley Judd takes you to Ice Age Europe, where a stunning discovery paints a picture of how early humans survived in a harsh and highly

The Lion Man

One thing that’s special about humans is the way we express ourselves through art and music. Ancient humans were no different. The art they left on cave walls and carved

The People of the Rock

Neanderthals lived from around 400,000 years ago to around 40,000 years ago. Scientists are still working to understand how and why Neanderthals went extinct. This episod

Inside Baboon Minds

Why are humans such social creatures? In this episode, Ashley Judd explores the origins of social behavior by taking you inside the minds of a troop of baboons living in

Chimpanzee Hunting

This installment of Discovering Us tells the story of an unusual group of chimpanzees that live on the grassy plains of Fongoli, Senegal where temperatures reach over 110

Bonobos' Powerful Sisterhood

Bonobos are close cousins of humans, known for their highly active sex lives and peaceful female-centered social structure. In this episode, Ashley Judd shares how resear

Prologue

In this series, actor Ashley Judd tells the stories behind some of the most important human origins discoveries of the past 50 years. This prologue explores the fossil fi

Introducing Discovering Us

In the past fifty years, researchers have made extraordinary discoveries that have helped us understand who we are, where we come from, and what makes us human. In Discov