Prehistoric Autopsy

This episode follows the rebuilding of one of our most iconic ancient ancestors from the bones up - a Neanderthal. To make the reconstructions as accurate as possible, Alice and George have travelled the globe, gathering evidence from the world's leading scientists.

We are going back 1.5 million years to meet one of the earliest humans. They walked the earth far longer than any other human species and were the first ancestors to look a lot like we do today. The species is Homo erectus and the individual being reconstructed is known as Nariokotome Boy.

We meet probably the most famous of all our early ancestors. She is Lucy, from the species Australopithecus afarensis and she lived 3.2 million years ago. Lucy's species traded life in the trees for life on the ground, but walking upright came at a price and it is one we are still paying today.