Marlize Lombard

STIAS fellows Peter Gärdenfors, Marlize Lombard and Anders Högberg after their seminar on 29 November 2018 Our expanding knowledge of the hominin tree, in combination with the archaeological record of sub-Saharan Africa and the reconstruction of ancient human genomes change our understanding of human cognitive evolution.

We suggest that a useful way to explore the evolution of human cognition between about 300 000 and 50 000 years ago is to think of it in terms of a co-evolutionary feedback loop between aspects of biology, technology, society and ecology.

Cognitive and archaeological aspects of hunter-gatherer fire making The art of making fire was described by Darwin as one of the greatest achievements of humankind.