Fire, Cells, and Circuits: From Homo Erectus to Ice Age Humans

About this event

For this session, we are stepping back into the deep time history of the Pleistocene to explore a fascinating period in evolutionary anthropology. For a significant portion of our history, Homo sapiens were not the only humans on Earth. We shared the globe, and even our genetics, with our evolutionary cousins: the Neanderthals and the Denisovans. Join us as we explore the lives of Ice Age humans. We will discuss: • The environments and cultures of Neanderthals and Denisovans. • The impact of the "cultural ratchet" and how it allowed innovations to accumulate and shape hominin societies over time. • How these different groups interacted, adapted, and survived alongside one another. • What recent genetic and paleoanthropological discoveries tell us about interbreeding. • What it means to be "human" in a world where multiple species of the genus Homo coexisted. Whether you are well versed in hominin lineages or just curious about our ancient past, bring your questions and insights. We look forward to a great discussion! See you there, Tone and the CASHE team