#Nameyourancestor: Scientists Turn To Twitter To Name Humanity's Long-Lost Ancestor

This month, Twitter’s good for more than predicting Oscar fan favorites.

Using the hashtag #nameyourancestor, anyone on Twitter can contribute to the crowd-sourced effort to officially name humanity’s newfound furry little ancestor.

A little background: in early February, scientists announced that they’d found our long-lost common ancestor: a tiny, furry creature with a tail that emerged after the dinosaurs disappeared.

It appears that this ancient, rat-sized animal was the grand-mammal of all placentals that came after it. But the scientists that made the discovery did so through data, rather than bones or fossils.

AW+

WORK SMARTER - LEARN, GROW AND BE INSPIRED.

Spring Special

Save 30% Off an ADWEEK Subscription Today!

View Your Options

Already a member? Sign in