Human paleobiologists study the biological and environmental history of our species through scientific research. We search for the roots of human physical traits, culture and behavior, attempting to answer questions like: What makes humans distinct from other animal species? When and why did we begin to walk on two legs? How did our brains, language, art, music and technology develop?
The Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology approaches these questions from a combination of academic perspectives and methods. Our research draws on evidence from the fossil record, as well as the biology and behavior of living primates, including skeletal remains, footprints, stone artifacts, settlement localities, comparative genetics, long-term studies of wild great apes, and more.
