The Human Origins Project is concerned not only with human evolution
itself, and some of the more recent major changes in behaviour - such as the
transition to a settled farming life - but also with the ecological backgrounds
to primate evolution as a whole.
Figure 1. Gibraltar Neanderthal skull (photograph supplied by Robert Kruszynski)
Members of the Project are researching early primate evolution in Europe, between 40-65 million years ago, excavating sites and studying
mammalian faunas associated with the diversification of primates.
Changing climates and ecologies are reconstructed from faunal and floral
data in order to study the interaction between mammalian evolution and
palaeoenvironments.
Figure 2. Gibraltar Neanderthal skull (photograph supplied by Robert Kruszynski).
The varied forms of Miocene (7-26 million years ago) apes in the Old World are another focus of
research. Studies of morphology and palaeoecology are combined with
field work in countries such as Turkey, in order to explain the diversity of
the Miocene apes, and to examine their relationships with the living apes
and humans.
Figure 3. Neolithic upper jaw, c.8,000. Photograph supplied by Theya Molleson
Reconstruction of the early evolution of humans in Europe is centred on the 500,000-year-old site of Boxgrove, in Sussex. The subsequent evolution of modern humans and Neanderthals, and their possible interaction during the last 100,000 years, is being investigated from fossil and archaeological data, including that obtained from new excavations in Gibraltar.
Figure 4. Neolithic lower jaw, c.8,000. Photograph supplied by Theya Molleson
Moving on to the last 10,000 years, skeletal evidence from one of the earliest known towns in western Asia - Catal Huyuk in Turkey - is being studied in order to reconstruct what impact the transition to farming and animal husbandry had on the lifestyles and health of Neolithic people.
This project is part of the Ecological Patterns and Processes Research Theme.
For further information contact:
Robert Kruszynski
Department of Palaeontology
The Natural History Museum
Cromwell Road
London SW7 5BD UK
Tel: +44 (0) 171 938 8711 Fax: +44 (0) 171 938 9277
Email: rgk@nhm.ac.uk
