Principal speaker
Associate Professor Shixia Yang
Abstract: The evolutionary history of humans and our closely related early ancestors is one of the most important scientific endeavors. Current knowledge about human evolution is mainly based on the fossil and archaeological record in Africa and Europe. Yet, Eastern Asia is known for its long sequences of Quaternary terrestrial deposits, which have supplied detailed information about changes in environments and the history of hominin occupations. However, few systematic and coordinated research efforts have been conducted in Eastern Asia to bridge its climatic history with its rich paleoanthropological records. This talk will introduce a series of new scientific studies focused on the evolutionary history of hominins in Eastern Asia. These studies, covering the entire length of the Paleolithic, are altering our views about the evolution of hominins in Eastern Asia. In contrast to traditional arguments for a homogeneous and continuous record of the Paleolithic in Eastern Asia, the new findings demonstrate the potential complexity of early human adaptions in Eastern Asia, and the close relationship between early human behavior and climatic events. With respect to behavioral adaptions of modern humans in Eastern Asia, recent studies suggest that we should pay close attention to a mosaic of behavioral adaptations and innovations occurring during the worldwide dispersal of our species, rather than simple diffusion and replacement. On-going projects will also be introduced, indicating that a more diverse and complex record is waiting to be explored.
BIO: Shixia YANG is currently an Associate Professor in the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IVPP, CAS). She is trained as an archaeologist (BSc, Sun Yat-Sen University; PhD, IVPP, CAS), with work experience in research institutions in China and abroad. Shixia's research interests include the evolution of Paleolithic populations and the environmental adaptations of early hominins in Eastern Asia. She has been involved in archaeological research covering the earliest records of human activity till to the Neolithic transition in China. Her current research projects mainly focus on adopting the ideas and methods of interdisciplinary cooperation to promote a better understanding of human evolution in Eastern Asia.