The Roots of Innovation: How Early Stone Tools Transformed Human Survival Millions of Years Ago

In this talk, I will take you through the fascinating journey of early human evolution in East Africa, focusing on how our ancestors used stone tools and adapted to diverse and changing environments. I will discuss my archaeological fieldwork, which involves spending long days in remote landscapes, carefully searching for and documenting ancient tools and fossils that reveal how these early tools transformed human behavior, enabling our ancestors millions of years ago to hunt, scavenge, and access new food sources in a way that was unprecedented for that time. We will explore how these tools—some of the earliest known—represent the dawn of a technology-driven lifestyle that eventually led to the complex societies we see today. I will also highlight what these tools tell us about the lives of different early human species and their remarkable ability to adapt to challenging environments. Through this research, we are gaining new insights into the evolutionary pressures that shaped our lineage and how early humans navigated a world full of challenges and opportunities. Ultimately, this talk will show how the development and use of technology by early humans was a critical turning point in our evolutionary history, helping us understand not only where we came from but also what it means to be human.

This program is free of charge. No beach pass is required if you are attending the Fred Elser First Sunday Science. Please let them know at the gate you are attending the Bruce museum seaside center lecture. First Sunday Science programs take place at the Floren Family Environmental Center at Innis Arden Cottage, Greenwich Point Park, Old Greenwich, CT.