Discover Fossils and Explore Our Human Past!

chimpanzee skeleton with people looking at casts

How did we "become human?" The Institute of Human Origins opens its "vault" for you to see and touch skulls and bones (casts) from different phases of human evolution, including the "founding fossil"—Lucy, the 3.2 million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis. Discover why hand shape and human cooperation are important to making and using tools. And step into a timeline of history from the “Big Bang” to the “Tree of Life”! So, put on your best explorer’s hat and discover paleoanthropology!

Location information

Campus: Tempe
Location type: Patio
Room or location: Second floor
Indoors or outdoors: Outdoors

Other details

Zone: Zone D: Tempe

Science

Area of Interest

Science

Target Age Group

All ages

College or Department

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is at the core of success and discovery at Arizona State University. As the academic heart of the university, The College educates and supports the largest and most diverse student population. Here, innovative schools and departments within our humanities, natural sciences and social sciences divisions drive transformative efforts and amplify diverse voices in our community. Students of all ages and backgrounds graduate as socially aware, critical thinkers with the tools and mindset to succeed in their future careers and also in their community and day-to-day life.

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