Human Evolution -- A History of Our Thinking about Evolution [45min]

The story of human evolution stretches back over six million years. It is not the story of one species but of several diverse species, some of whom walked the Earth at the same time. From the earliest hominids to the early Homo sapiens, there was nothing inevitable about the course of human evolution. But what conditions created the opportunity for diverse human species to thrive? What environmental factors led to the survival of one human species, but contributed to the extinction of so many others? What can the fossil record and the science of genetics tell us about our ancestors? How does the brain make modern man so unique in the natural world? "In Our Time" treats the big ideas which form the intellectual agenda of our age, illuminated by some of the best minds. Host Melvyn Bragg investigates the history of ideas and debates their application in modern life with his guests Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics in the Galton Laboratory at University College London; Fred Spoor, Professor of Evolutionary Anatomy at University College London; and Margaret Clegg, Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Biological Anthropology at University College London. Baron Bragg -- historian, journalist and novelist -- is Controller of Arts for London Weekend Television.