The generalist specialist: Exploring a unique Pleistocene ecological niche for our species

Definitions of our species have tended to focus on fossils,genetics, or its unique capacities for symbolism, language, social networking,technological competence, and cognitive development. More recently, however,attention is increasingly turning towards humans’ ecological plasticity. Inthis talk, Patrick will provide a critical evaluation of existingarchaeological and palaeo-environmental datasets relating to the Pleistocene(300-12 ka) dispersal of our species within and beyond Africa. He will argue,following comparison with the available information for other members of thegenus Homo, that our species developed a new ecological niche, that ofthe ‘generalist specialist’.

Not only did Homo sapiens as a whole occupyand utilise a diversity of Pleistocene environments, across the majority of theplanet's continents, but particular human populations also specialised in theiradaptations to some of these environmental extremes. Understanding thisecological niche provides a hypothetical, testable framework for discussingwhat it means to be human and perhaps how our species became the last survivinghominin on the planet.