Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town

Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town The Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) at UCT. Driving transformative research on human orig

HERI drives African-led research on human evolution at UCT and across the continent. We believe that with diverse teams, we can ask deeper questions and get better answers to our origin story. The result can lead to a better understanding of our past and a greater appreciation of human diversity. Our research focuses on questions of human biological and cultural evolution on many levels and across

a wide time period. Our multidisciplinary teams investigate fossil records, the role of hybridisation in evolution, understanding the origins of modern human behaviour and dating Africa’s fossil and archaeological sites, as well as understanding how changing climates and environments shaped us. We also host leading figures in the palaeosciences at our space on the UCT campus for talks, teas and workshops. We encourage interdisciplinary exchange and cooperation in our research, our collaborations and our communication.

Have you ever wondered why humans have chins? 🤔 Research by HERI’s Lauren Schroeder and colleagues offers new insight in...
17/06/2026

Have you ever wondered why humans have chins? 🤔

Research by HERI’s Lauren Schroeder and colleagues offers new insight into this unique human feature.

The chin likely did not evolve as a direct adaptation. Instead, it is linked to other major changes in human evolution, such as brain growth and a flatter face shape.

👉 In short, the chin may not have evolved on its own but came about as the human face and jaw changed during evolution.

Read more: https://www.heriuct.co.za/news-content/why-do-humans-have-chins-research-by-heris-lauren-schroeder-has-an-answer

10/06/2026

Research led by HERI’s Precious Chiwara is uncovering where ancient humans sourced stone to craft their tools.

Using advanced analytical techniques such as ICP-MS and XRF available at the Department of Geological Sciences, UCT, she is identifying subtle chemical signatures in quartzite tools from Tswalu Kalahari Reserve.

These chemical ‘fingerprints’ help trace the tools back to their geological origins - offering new insights into how early humans selected materials for toolmaking.

🔗Read how these techniques support in :
https://www.heriuct.co.za/news-content/how-icp-ms-and-xrf-methods-help-us-understand-early-human-behaviour

This work is currently supported by BIOGRIP

Do you think podcasting matters in science today? 🤔 We think podcasts can bring research into public conversation, where...
03/06/2026

Do you think podcasting matters in science today? 🤔

We think podcasts can bring research into public conversation, where more voices can be heard. This is especially important for human evolution, or the study of our shared origins.

That’s why we created this podcast with ARC DOCS. It explores the fossil’s discovery, how it reshaped ideas about - and how its story has been told over the past 100 years.

🎧 Listen to all 4 episodes FREE:
https://www.heriuct.co.za/news-content/new-podcast-from-heri-reveals-how-the-taung-child-challenged-science-and-bias-to-centre-human-origns-in-africa

🌍 Artifacts from AfricaOstrich eggshell beads are among the most enduring forms of personal ornamentation in southern Af...
27/05/2026

🌍 Artifacts from Africa

Ostrich eggshell beads are among the most enduring forms of personal ornamentation in southern Africa.

These small but powerful artifacts tell stories - not only about adornment, but about social connections across landscapes.

🔍 Read more from HERI Research Associate Amy Hatton to learn what these beads reveal:

https://www.heriuct.co.za/news-content/beads-reveal-our-ancient-connections-across-africa

This is what pan-African collaboration looks like! Our master’s students, Akira Banwari and Keane Wanza, joined the fiel...
20/05/2026

This is what pan-African collaboration looks like!

Our master’s students, Akira Banwari and Keane Wanza, joined the field season in Laetoli, , gaining hands-on experience at sites famous for early hominin footprints, fossils, and stone tools.

The field exchange was made possible through the PANACHE Training Network. Bringing together African institutions and scholars from across the continent and the diaspora, PANACHE puts African researchers at the centre of research on Africa’s deep past.

Read more: https://www.heriuct.co.za/news-content/heri-supports-pan-african-collaboration-with-the-panache-field-exchange-to-laetoli

Our HERI’s Rivoningo Khosa revisits the landscapes surrounding the fossil in her first first-author paper. Her study s...
13/05/2026

Our HERI’s Rivoningo Khosa revisits the landscapes surrounding the fossil in her first first-author paper.

Her study shows that southern ’s landscapes have been more dynamic and less arid than previously thought.

Using new quantitative methods, she and colleagues developed richer models of landscape evolution. The work highlights how important it is to include diverse, local perspectives in paleoenvironmental studies.

Read the paper: https://sajs.co.za/article/view/18532

06/05/2026

A single fossil. A century of debate.

Unburied Season 2: The traces how a discovery disrupted science and reshaped ideas about human origins.

Created by ARC DOCS in collaboration with HERI at the University of Cape Town, the podcast brings together scientists, historians, and voices from Taung to reflect on how knowledge is produced, who shapes it, and what ethical science can look like today.

🎧 All four episodes are available to listen to now: https://www.heriuct.co.za/news-content/new-podcast-from-heri-reveals-how-the-taung-child-challenged-science-and-bias-to-centre-human-origns-in-africa

We are proud of our HERI PhD student, Georgina Luti, who presented her PhD work today at the European Geosciences Union ...
05/05/2026

We are proud of our HERI PhD student, Georgina Luti, who presented her PhD work today at the European Geosciences Union - EGU 2026 conference in Vienna, Austria 🇦🇹.

Her research explores the preservation of aragonite within calcite speleothems and what this means for the reliability of dating these geological archives. Using samples from the Cradle of Humankind in , she is helping to unpack how mineral changes in cave deposits record past environmental conditions.

A great moment for Georgina and HERI on an international stage.

Leakey Foundation

Did you know? Fossil Australopithecus africanus continues to shed light on early human biology. 🦴A dental enamel fragmen...
29/04/2026

Did you know? Fossil Australopithecus africanus continues to shed light on early human biology. 🦴

A dental enamel fragment from this hominin was part of research recognised with the South African Journal of Science Outstanding Article Award 2025. Even tiny fragments like this can reveal crucial information about evolution and ancient environments.

Learn more about Australopithecus and the study here:
https://www.heriuct.co.za/news-content/new-clues-from-2-million-year-old-tooth-enamel-tell-us-more-about-an-ancient-relative-ofnbsphumans

🌍Have you seen the HUMANITY exhibition yet? Launched in partnership between HERI and Iziko Museums of South Africa, it t...
22/04/2026

🌍Have you seen the HUMANITY exhibition yet?

Launched in partnership between HERI and Iziko Museums of South Africa, it takes visitors on a journey that explores our diversity and how we became who we are today.

More info here: https://bit.ly/4cNAzvI
Open days & hours link: https://bit.ly/4issDRx

Address

University Avenue, Upper Campus
Cape Town
7700

Opening Hours

Monday 08:30 - 16:30
Tuesday 08:30 - 16:30
Wednesday 08:30 - 16:30
Thursday 08:30 - 16:30
Friday 08:30 - 16:30

Telephone

+27 21 650 2353

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