Conversations in human evolution : Volume 2

Conversations in Human Evolution is an ongoing science communication initiative seeking to explore the breadth and interdisciplinarity of human evolution studies. This volume reports another twenty interviews (referred to as ‘conversations’ as they are informal in style) with scholars at the forefront of human evolution research, covering the broad scientific themes of Palaeolithic archaeology, palaeoanthropology and biological anthropology, earth science and palaeoclimatic change, evolutionary anthropology and primatology, and human disease co-evolution. This project features academics at various different stages in their careers and from all over the world; in this volume alone, researchers are based at institutions in eleven different countries (namely Iran, India, the United Kingdom, Greece, Australia, South Africa, the United States of America, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Israel), covering five continents. Having arisen at the start of the COVID19 pandemic, Conversations in Human Evolution aims to encourage engagement with both human evolutionary studies and the broader socio-political issues that persist within academia, the latter of which is particularly pertinent during this time of global uncertainty. The conversations delve deeply into the study of our species’ evolutionary history through the lens of each sub-discipline, as well as detailing some of the most current advances in research, theory and methods. Overall, Conversations in Human Evolution seeks to bridge the gap between the research and researcher through contextualisation of the science with personal experience and historical reflection. Lucy Timbrell is a PhD researcher in the Archaeology of Human Origins Research Group at the University of Liverpool, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, The Leakey Foundation and the Lithic Studies Society. Broadly, she is interested in the evolution of modern human diversity, with her doctoral research focussing on quantifying the population structure of early Homo sapiens in Late-Middle Pleistocene Africa. Alongside her PhD research, she organises the widely-known University of Liverpool Evolutionary Anthropology seminar series. Cover 1 About Access Archaeology 2 Title Page 3 Copyright Information 4 Contents 5 Conversations in Human Evolution - Lucy Timbrell 7 Part 1: Palaeolithic Archaeology 11 Dr Sonia Shidrang 11 Professor Ravi Korisettar 20 Dr Jennifer French 26 Dr Rebecca Wragg Sykes 33 Professor Nena Galanidou 41 Part 2: Palaeoanthropology and biological anthropology 49 Professor Rainer Grün 49 Dr Briana Pobiner 54 Dr Mirriam Tawane 61 Dr Trish Biers 65 Professor Tanya Smith 71 Professor Rebecca Ackermann 77 Part 3: Earth science and palaeoclimatic change 82 Professor Rick Potts 82 Professor Mark Maslin 88 Dr Yoshi Maezumi 94 Part 4: Evolutionary anthropology and primatology 100 Dr Duncan Stibbard-Hawkes 100 Dr Ammie Kalan 106 Professor Lynne Isbell 113 Part 5: Human disease co-evolution 118 Dr Hila May 118 Dr Simon Underdown 124 Professor Lluis Quintana-Murci 128 Human,Evolution;,Human,Origins;,Primates;,Researchers Human Evolution,Human Origins,Primates,Researchers Conversations in Human Evolution' is an ongoing science communication initiative seeking to explore the breadth and interdisciplinarity of human evolution studies. This volume reports another twenty interviews (referred to as 'conversations' as they are informal in style) with scholars at the forefront of human evolution research, covering the broad scientific themes of Palaeolithic archaeology, palaeoanthropology and biological anthropology, earth science and palaeoclimatic change, evolutionary anthropology and primatology, and human disease co-evolution. This project features academics at various different stages in their careers and from all over the world; in this volume alone, researchers are based at institutions in eleven different countries (namely Iran, India, the United Kingdom, Greece, Australia, South Africa, the United States of America, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Israel), covering five continents.0Having arisen at the start of the COVID19 pandemic, 'Conversations in Human Evolution' aims to encourage engagement with both human evolutionary studies and the broader socio-political issues that persist within academia, the latter of which is particularly pertinent during this time of global uncertainty. The conversations delve deeply into the study of our species' evolutionary history through the lens of each sub-discipline, as well as detailing some of the most current advances in research, theory and methods. Overall, 'Conversations in Human Evolution' seeks to bridge the gap between the research and researcher through contextualisation of the science with personal experience and historical reflection