‘The Human Journey’ looks at the origins and evolutionary paths of humans, from our earliest potential ancestors 7 million years ago, to the first occurrence of own species around 300,000 years ago. To do this we examine the fossil, archaeological and behavioural records of our ancestors as well as looking at the climatic and environmental backdrop to our evolution. The subject is built around case studies of pivotal archaeological and fossil sites, including the active research of the teaching staff - who have discovered key early human fossils in Africa. Taking a global outlook, from our earliest origins in Africa, the dispersal of the first human species out of Africa and into Asia and Europe, to the origin and relationship of our own species to our close cousins the Neanderthals and Denisovans.
Taught by La Trobe researchers working at key palaeoanthopological and archaeological sites such as Drimolen and Amanzi Springs in South Africa, the subject presents upon their active fieldwork and research within a historical context to understand our evolution, and to explore how views of our human ancestry have changed through time - highlighting the shared ancestry of all humans alive today and the epic journey that our ancestors took to becoming us.
