Open AccessConnecting Scientific Drilling and Human Evolution: Scientific Drilling for Human Origins: Exploring the Application of Drill Core Records to Understanding Hominin Evolution; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 17–21 November 2008
Author(s) -
Cohen Andrew,
Umer Mohammed
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2009eo140010
Subject(s) - fossil record , drilling , deep time , human evolution , paleontology , paleoclimatology , climate change , scientific drilling , geography , geology , hominidae , earth science , archaeology , biological evolution , oceanography , biology , engineering , mechanical engineering , genetics
How did environmental history, particularly climate, affect the evolution of our hominin ancestors and closely related species? The formulation of testable hypotheses about the climate‐evolution connection is impeded by limited numbers of hominin specimens and the geographic and temporal gaps that characterize their fossil record. Additionally, knowledge of Earth's environmental history close to these fossil finds remains limited. Scientists interested in the problem currently make use of temporally and geographically discontinuous outcrop exposures at the fossil sites, and/or deep‐sea or lake paleoclimate records geographically distant from the hominin fossils, to address the Earth history side of this equation.