The Origin Story
In 2010, a simple but powerful observation emerged at CARTA: most graduate training happens inside classrooms and laboratories. At the time, Executive Co-Director Ajit Varki, Associate Director Pascal Gagneux, graduate student Alyssa Crittenden, and anthropologist Jim Moore recognized that students in the Anthropogeny Graduate Specialization deserved something more—direct, hands-on experience with fossils, paleontology, comparative biology, and the ethnography of human foragers.
Tanzania: The Perfect Classroom
When Pascal and Alyssa designed the inaugural 2011 course, they chose Tanzania's Eastern Rift Valley for compelling reasons. The region offered unparalleled access to the ecological contexts where humans evolved. Alyssa's years of dissertation fieldwork with the Hadza foragers provided invaluable local knowledge and connections. Through her, CARTA partnered with Dorobo Safari, a Tanzanian company deeply committed to supporting Hadza land rights while providing ethical access to key sites and communities.
An Extraordinary Itinerary
Olduvai Gorge: Walking Through History
Thanks to Tanzanian paleontologist Jackson Njau, then at Indiana University, students gained access to Olduvai Gorge and the historic Camp Leakey. This is where Louis and Mary Leakey discovered Paranthropus boisei and Homo habilis, alongside some of humanity's earliest stone tools—a profound experience for any student of human origins.
The Hadza: A Living Window to the Past
The partnership with Dorobo Safari enabled students to meet the Hadza community and gain firsthand insight into forager life. This ethnographic component provided a vivid understanding of how humans lived and adapted to the Tanzanian landscape before agriculture and pastoralism transformed our species.
Two Chimpanzee Worlds
Jim Moore's longtime colleague Anthony Collins opened doors at Gombe National Park, where Jane Goodall began her groundbreaking research in the 1960s. Additionally, Jim's graduate student Alex Piel and primatologist Fiona Stewart had recently established a new field site in Issa Valley—a woodland savannah remarkably similar to the reconstructed landscape where Ardipithecus lived over 4 million years ago. By visiting both locations, students gained deep appreciation for the diversity of great ape adaptations.
An Unexpected Ethiopian Bonus
A fortunate 15-hour layover in Addis Ababa in 2011 became an extraordinary opportunity. Pascal arranged with CARTA members Tim White and Berhane Asfaw to visit the National Museum of Ethiopia, where students encountered world-famous fossils including Ardipithecus ramidus (4.4 million years old) and Australopithecus afarensis ("Lucy," 3.2 million years old).
Eleven Years of Evolution and Impact
Since 2011, the Anthropogeny Field Course has enriched the education of 58 UC San Diego graduate students and four faculty and staff members across 11 iterations. While the core itinerary remains strong, the course has adapted thoughtfully:
- Issa Valley has become the primary chimpanzee site, replacing Gombe due to increased tourism. The Issa chimpanzees are now habituated and can be observed at close proximity.
- Spain joined the itinerary in 2022-2023 during temporary civil unrest in Ethiopia. Students explored Atapuerca and the Cantabrian Coast, witnessing active excavations at renowned paleoanthropological sites.
- Dorobo Safari has remained our steadfast partner throughout all 11 courses, with the exceptionally talented Douglas Duncan Simbeye serving as guide, driver, and friend to many participants.
Learning from Leaders in the Field
Participants have had the privilege of studying directly with leading researchers, including CARTA members Yonas Beyene, Sileshi Semaw, Yohannes Haile-Selassie, Zeray Alemseged, Dietrich Stout, and the late Sally McBrearty and Bill Kimbell. These experts have shared not just their knowledge, but their passion for understanding human origins.
Looking Forward
The Anthropogeny Field Course continues to provide a transformative experience that immerses students in the landscapes, methods, and discoveries that illuminate our species' deep history. From fossil analysis to ecosystem exploration, from observing modern foragers to studying our closest relatives, students gain insights impossible to achieve in any classroom.
We look forward to providing this life-changing experience to many more students, ensuring that future generations of scientists can touch, see, and experience the evidence of human evolution firsthand. The journey from classroom to crater—and back again—forever changes how students understand our place in the natural world.
