- Humans have a chin on the lower jaw.
- Chimpanzees do not have a chin.
- Neanderthals and Denisovans also had no chin.
- The chin is unique to Homo sapiens in fossils.
- A new study looks at why we have a chin.
- The study says the chin may be an accident.
- The chin could be a side effect of skull change.
- Scientists compared skull shapes of apes and humans.
Difficult words
- chin — the lower front part of the face
- jaw — the bones that hold the teethlower jaw
- fossil — an old bone or plant part in rockfossils
- skull — the bones around the head that protect the brain
- accident — something that happens by chance, not planned
- compare — to look at two things and find differencescompared
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Discussion questions
- Do you have a chin?
- Have you ever seen a chimpanzee?
- Do you think a chin is important?
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