Ecology of the past

I am delighted to announce that there our session “Mapping Ancient Africa: Climate, Vegetation & Humans” has been accepted for the INQUA congress in Rome (14-20 July 2023).

Abstract: Great uncertainty exists surrounding the link between climate change and hominin evolution, cultural development, and dispersal in and out of Africa. Several hypotheses have been proposed about how environmental conditions in Africa might have driven important developments in human origins over the last 4 million years. These findings link important evolutionary events with environmental change including cooling, drying, and wider climate fluctuations over time. However, key questions remain on the type, speed and driver of climate variability in Africa and how it affected evolution and development, e.g., did changing environment affect resources which consequently lead humans to develop new tools, why did so many early hominin species persist, evolve and/or go extinct, why did our species (Homo sapiens) emerge and survive, and how have we shaped our own environment either intentionally or unintentionally? In this session we look to bring together researchers focused on reconstructing past environments in Africa on the basis of empirical data (palaeoclimatic, palaeoecological, archaeological records) with researchers using modelling approaches (climate, vegetation, dispersal and cultural models). We hope to stimulate research and debate on how past change (climate, ecological, behavioral) shaped modern humans and the role of human niche construction on African environments. This session is linked to the INQUA “Mapping Ancient Africa” project, but we welcome all submissions.

• Session number: 64
• Scientific theme: Geological and climate forcing on ancient societies and feedbacks (3A)
• Deadline for abstract submission: 1 November 2022 (OPEN NOW – click here)
• Funding available from INQUA and though MAA to attend (please see congress web page or get in contact with MAA organizers for details).

Organizers:

• William Gosling (University of Amsterdam)
• Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr (University of Potsdam)
• Rahab Kinyanjui (National Museums of Kenya)
• Lynne Quick (Nelson Mandela University)
• Sarah Ivory (Penn State University)

Session sponsored by the INQUA:

• Palaeoclimate (PALCOM) commission
• Humans and Biosphere (HABCOM) commission