Wheredidwecomefrom?Whatmakesushuman?Anexplosionofrecentdiscoveriesshedslightonthesequestions,andNOVA'scomprehensive,three-partspecial,"BecomingHuman,"examineswhatthelatestscientificresearchrevealsaboutourhominidrelatives.
Part1,"FirstSteps,"examinesthefactorsthatcausedustosplitfromtheothergreatapes.Theprogramexploresthefossilof"Selam,"alsoknownas"Lucy'sChild."PaleoanthropologistZerayAlemsegedspentfiveyearscarefullyexcavatingthesandstone-embeddedfossil.NOVA'scamerasaretheretocapturetheunveilingoftheface,spine,andshoulderbladesofthis3.3million-year-oldfossilchild.AndNOVAtakesviewers"insidetheskull"toshowhowourancestors'brainshadbeguntochangefromthoseoftheapes.
Whydidleapsinhumanevolutiontakeplace?"FirstSteps"exploresaprovocative"bigidea"thatsharpswingsofclimatewereakeyfactor.
