“One minute it’s as if you’re in Indiana Jones, and the next you’re using water that has dead rats in it”: Who is palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi?

“One minute it’s as if you’re in Indiana Jones, and the next you’re using water that has dead rats in it”: Who is palaeoanthropologist Ella Al-Shamahi?

You may recognise her from presenting TV shows such as Human and Waterhole – but who is Ella Al-Shamahi?


Who is Ella Al-Shamahi?

Aalaa “Ella” Al-Shamahi is a palaeoanthropologist, presenter, writer and stand-up comedian. She specialises in the study of Neanderthals and in finding fossils from unstable and hostile territories.

Speaking as part of a BBC press pack for Human, she said that “I think expeditions are incredibly exciting – they are often adventures to some of the most remote and interesting parts of the world after all!”

However, she did admit that the challenges of these are significant: “One minute you are on an expedition and you have just got into a situation that could easily be an Indiana Jones script, and the next minute you are trying to wash yourself with water that has dead rats in it and is filled with larvae or you are trying to figure out how you are going to go to the toilet in a basket attached to the side of a ship.”

What is a palaeoanthropologist?

A palaeoanthropologist studies paleontology and anthropology in order to understand the development of early modern humans. This is often done by studying bone fragments, footprints, tools and signs of settlements.

How old is Ella Al-Shamahi?

Ella Al-Shamahi was born in 1983 or 1984.

What has she presented?

Ella presented the 2025 BBC Two series Human, which documents 300,000 years of human evolution. She also presented Neanderthals - Meet Your Ancestors for BBC Two in 2018. Alongside Chris Packham, she presented natural history documentary Waterhole for BBC Two in 2020.

On Radio 4, she presents the programme Why Do We Do That? which investigates the origins of everyday human habits and behaviours.

She has also written The Handshake: A Gripping History which details the common behaviour (found in humans and chimps) from at least seven million years ago to its almost-overnight disappearance in March 2020.

What did Ella Al-Shamahi study?

Ella studied evolutionary biology at university, then went on to study taxonomy and biodiversity at Master's level. She is currently studying a PhD in evolutionary and environmental anthropology.

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Top image: Ella Al-Shamahi holding a cast of the Irhoud 1 skull (the earliest found fossil of Homo sapien) for the BBC TV show Human. Credit: BBC / BBC Studios

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