Paige Madison

@FossilHistory

Science writer, writing a book on hobbits and human origins. Editor @EonsShow, PhD from @ASU.

Bozeman, MT

Joined June 2014

837Following

18KFollowers

Pinned

Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Feb 19

Imagine finding a tiny fragment of a pinky bone… and realizing it belonged to an entirely new species of human. That’s how Denisovans were discovered over a decade ago. Just a bone, a tooth, and some ancient DNA. It's like science fiction.

FossilHistory's tweet image. Imagine finding a tiny fragment of a pinky bone… and realizing it belonged to an entirely new species of human. That’s how Denisovans were discovered over a decade ago. Just a bone, a tooth, and some ancient DNA. It's like science fiction.

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Jul 14

Spotted in the first episode of the new series, BBC Human: a strange little creature found in a hole in the ground. She appears more in the second episode, but always pleased to see that face!

FossilHistory's tweet image. Spotted in the first episode of the new series, BBC Human: a strange little creature found in a hole in the ground. She appears more in the second episode, but always pleased to see that face!

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Paige Madison Retweeted

Enrico Cappellini@E_Cappellini · May 30

#HumanEvolution discovery! Our new study in @ScienceMagazine uses #paleoproteomics to reveal the biological sex and genetic diversity of 2-million-year-old #Paranthropus robustus from South Africa! Read more: science.org/doi/10.1126/sc… #Paleoanthropology #AncientProteins

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · May 29

Dmanisi skull 5 has been living rent free in my head lately. What do you mean a brain size of 550 cubic centimeters? What do you *mean*?? 📸Rightmire et al 2017

FossilHistory's tweet image. Dmanisi skull 5 has been living rent free in my head lately. What do you mean a brain size of 550 cubic centimeters? What do you *mean*??
📸Rightmire et al 2017

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · May 27

Neanderthal fingerprint alert. theguardian.com/science/2025/m…

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Huw Groucutt@huw_groucutt · May 27

"the study of human prehistory attracts the most ambitious and, as one member of the discipline put it to me, “the most psychotic”, palaeontologists" theguardian.com/science/2025/m…

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · May 26

Padar, Komodo National Park.

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Mar 27

Fieldwork began at Zhoukoudian in China #OnThisDay in 1927. The Peking Man fossils, now Homo erectus, would soon be discovered. 📸 University of Toronto Archives

FossilHistory's tweet image. Fieldwork began at Zhoukoudian in China #OnThisDay in 1927. The Peking Man fossils, now Homo erectus, would soon be discovered. 📸 University of Toronto Archives

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Mar 27

Charles Darwin wrote to Alfred Russel Wallace #OnThisDay in 1869, "I hope you have not murdered too completely your own & my child." He was referring to their joint theory of evolution, upon learning Wallace didn't believe it extended to humans.

FossilHistory's tweet image. Charles Darwin wrote to Alfred Russel Wallace #OnThisDay in 1869, "I hope you have not murdered too completely your own &amp; my child." He was referring to their joint theory of evolution, upon learning Wallace didn't believe it extended to humans.

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Mar 22

Not a glaring reminder that scientists have been arguing that Neanderthals aren’t brutish for more than half a century. 🫠 From a Time-Life book, 1965.

FossilHistory's tweet image. Not a glaring reminder that scientists have been arguing that Neanderthals aren’t brutish for more than half a century. 🫠 From a Time-Life book, 1965.

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Mar 20

A delayed note to say I really enjoyed attending #AABA2025 last week! It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one that my highlights included celebrating 100 years of Australopithecus and the new looks at hobbit postcrania. 📸Jungers et al 2009

FossilHistory's tweet image. A delayed note to say I really enjoyed attending #AABA2025 last week! It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one that my highlights included celebrating 100 years of Australopithecus and the new looks at hobbit postcrania.
📸Jungers et al 2009

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Paige Madison Retweeted

IPHES-CERCA@iphes · Mar 12

😍 Sin palabras… demasiado emocionados para poder hablar. 🥺 📸 Maria D. Guillén / IPHES-CERCA / Elena Santos / CENIEH @Nature @CENIEH @FATAPUERCA @iCERCA

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Paige Madison Retweeted

Ann Gibbons@evolutionscribe · Mar 12

I write about this cool fossil face found in Spanish cave belongs to first known Western European | Science | AAAS science.org/content/articl…

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Mar 3

The Forbes Quarry Neanderthal was presented to the Gibraltar Scientific Society #OnThisDay in 1848. Not yet considered a "Neanderthal," it was discovered eight years before the 'man from the Neander valley' that gave the species its name. 📸 RCS London

FossilHistory's tweet image. The Forbes Quarry Neanderthal was presented to the Gibraltar Scientific Society #OnThisDay in 1848. Not yet considered a "Neanderthal," it was discovered eight years before the 'man from the Neander valley' that gave the species its name. 📸 RCS London

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Feb 27

This infamous Neanderthal sciart was published #OnThisDay in 1909. Drawn by František Kupka, it was based on Marcellin Boule's description of the Old Man from La Chapelle.

FossilHistory's tweet image. This infamous Neanderthal sciart was published #OnThisDay in 1909. Drawn by František Kupka, it was based on Marcellin Boule's description of the Old Man from La Chapelle.

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Paige Madison Retweeted

K@t@- Indonesian Heritage & Prehistory@kallinikos1980 · Feb 24

Homo Floresiensis memang pemanjat pohon, mirip dengan Australopithecus lainnya. Studi yang baru dirilis, yang membandingkan tulang kaki dengan tulang hominid lainnya, menunjukkan bahwa ia beradaptasi dengan baik untuk hidup di pohon. Sangat berbeda dari Erectus yang sepenuhnya…

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Feb 24

Charles Darwin published his book Descent of Man #OnThisDay in 1871. In it he wrote: "It has often been asserted that man’s origin can never be known, but ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge."

FossilHistory's tweet image. Charles Darwin published his book Descent of Man #OnThisDay in 1871. In it he wrote: "It has often been asserted that man’s origin can never be known, but ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge."

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Feb 18

“Hurrah the monkey book has come!” Charles Darwin wrote to Thomas Huxley today in 1863, after receiving his new book, Man's Place in Nature. Huxley called human origins "the question of questions" for humankind, "a problem which underlies all others."

FossilHistory's tweet image. “Hurrah the monkey book has come!” Charles Darwin wrote to Thomas Huxley today in 1863, after receiving his new book, Man's Place in Nature. Huxley called human origins "the question of questions" for humankind, "a problem which underlies all others."

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Feb 16

What do you think it would have been like to meet a Neanderthal?

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Paige Madison@FossilHistory · Feb 12

This year's masterpiece of a Darwin cake is inspired by one of Darwin's moods: "I am tired today & no heart to write & indeed not a word to say. I work a little every day with groans & sighs & am as dull as a pig. It is hopeless & useless." Relateable. Happy Darwin Day. 😂

FossilHistory's tweet image. This year's masterpiece of a Darwin cake is inspired by one of Darwin's moods: "I am tired today &amp; no heart to write &amp; indeed not a word to say. I work a little every day with groans &amp; sighs &amp; am as dull as a pig. It is hopeless &amp; useless." Relateable. Happy Darwin Day. 😂

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