Anthropogeny Field Course Summer 2025

ANTHROPOGENY FIELD COURSE: PERSPECTIVES ON THE HUMAN PHENOMENON

Held in key sites in human origins throughout Tanzania and Ethiopia, the Anthropogeny Field Course exposes students to the three major approaches anthropologists use to study the origin and adaptations of our species: fossil evidence, comparison with non-humans, and the study of human foragers living in environments similar to those in which we evolved. Underlying all three approaches is an appreciation for the importance of the ecological context of human adaptation. Visits to key sites will be combined with lectures, discussion and at Ugalla, brief training/experience in conducting relevant field research. Most Anthropogeny students will not be focusing their research specifically in these domains, and yet they underlie and inform all understanding of the human phenomenon. This course will provide our students with an unforgettable context for their own specializations.

Requirements and limitations:

• Must be enrolled and in good standing in the Graduate Specialization in Anthropogeny
• Due to the nature of the course, as well as funding, not all Specialization students will be eligible to take this course
• Participation in the Anthropogeny Field Course is not a requirement for graduation from the Graduate Specialization in Anthropogeny

Please contact Pascal Gagneux with inquiries: pgagneux@ucsd.edu