Becoming Human (2009)

2009 • 2h 20m • Documentary

On September 22, 2026

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Synopsis

NOVA's "Becoming Human" investigates how recent discoveries are reshaping our understanding of early humans. The film explores the origins of modern humans – examining where our abilities for art, innovation, and survival originated, and how we share up to 5% of our DNA with Neanderthals due to our social history. Through interviews with leading scientists, footage from fossil dig sites, and detailed animation, "Becoming Human" vividly portrays early hominids and how they evolved into the adaptable humans we are today. The film delves into key discoveries like Selam, a remarkably complete 3-million-year-old child that offers clues to the split between humans and apes, our transition from trees to upright walking, and Turkana Boy, an important fossil of *Homo erectus*, the first ancestor to leave Africa and spread across the world. The film asks: what drove this pivotal exodus from Africa?