Did climate change make Homo sapiens innovative, and if yes, how? Debated perspectives on the African Pleistocene record

Article

Wilkins, Jayne and Schoville, Benjamin J.. 2024. "Did climate change make Homo sapiens innovative, and if yes, how? Debated perspectives on the African Pleistocene record." Quaternary Science Advances. 14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.qsa.2024.100179
Article Title

Did climate change make Homo sapiens innovative, and if yes, how? Debated perspectives on the African Pleistocene record

ERA Journal ID214031
Article CategoryArticle
AuthorsWilkins, Jayne and Schoville, Benjamin J.
Journal TitleQuaternary Science Advances
Journal Citation14
Article Number100179
Number of Pages11
Year2024
PublisherElsevier
Place of PublicationUnited Kingdom
ISSN2666-0334
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.qsa.2024.100179
Web Address (URL)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666033424000170
AbstractOur enhanced capacity to innovate is a key feature that sets Homo sapiens apart as a species. The Middle Stone Age archaeological record of Pleistocene Africa documents the emergence and elaboration of this capacity, and its relationship to changes in past climate and environments. However, the models and interpretations developed to understand the relationship between early Homo sapiens’ innovativeness and climate change are varied and often contradictory. Here, we review these contrasting interpretations. We contend that while climate change may have influenced early human innovation, it was in an inconsistent and multifaceted way.
KeywordsHomo sapiens origins; Human-environment interaction ; Innovation; Middle Stone Age ; Modern human behavior
Contains Sensitive ContentDoes not contain sensitive content
ANZSRC Field of Research 20203702. Climate change science
Byline AffiliationsGriffith University
Centre for Heritage and Culture
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