Jul 28, 2026
Humans are the only animals that get dressed every day. Clothing is one of our most important inventions, yet we rarely even think about it as a technology. Nina Jablonski joins us to explore when and why our ancestors started wearing clothes, and what that decision meant for our survival, our migration across the planet, and our sense of self.
Origin Stories is a project of The Leakey Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to funding human origins research and sharing discoveries. Please support our work at leakeyfoundation.org/originstories.
Links to learn more:
Nina
Jablonski's website
Nina Jablonski lecture on "The Evolution
and Meaning of Human Skin Color"
The Oldest Sewn Hide
Origins
of Clothing Lice
Blombos Cave
Awls
Sewing Needles Reveal the Roots of Fashion