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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

A proud moment for HERI. 🏆 Last month, HERI was honoured with the NRF 2026 Science Team Award. This video gives a snapshot of the research, collaboration, and people behind this achievement. 🎥Watch the video: youtu.be/8ONCtA44fyk

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HERI at UCT receives NRF 2026 Science Team Award

The Human Evolution Research Institute (HERI) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has been honoured with the prestigious National Research Foundation (NRF) Science Team Award, celebrating its…

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Microliths from Pomongwe Cave, #Zimbabwe, reveal remarkable human innovation during the late Holocene. Carefully shaped into geometric forms, they reflect the skill, adaptability, and innovation of late Holocene hunter-gatherer communities in Southern #Africa. 🔗 journals.uj.ac.za/index.php/sa...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Happy Heritage Day! Today, 24 September, entry to the Iziko South African Museum is FREE. If you’re in Cape Town, visit the beautiful Humanity exhibition, curated by the HERI team, and explore the story of human evolution. Learn more: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

🦴It’s been over 30 years since the last synthesis on Paranthropus. The new volume, The Palaeobiology of Paranthropus, changes that. With key contributions from HERI experts, it presents new discoveries and still-unanswered questions on the ancient hominin. www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Ever wondered how archaeologists excavate? ⛏️ In the Kalahari, uncovering stone tools takes careful excavation, keen observation, and plenty of patience. Working through hard diatomite sediments, every layer removed reveals new clues about life thousands of years ago.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

From the NRF stage to the field! 🪨🔎 Our team is back in the field, keeping all eyes on South African palaeoscience. 🇿🇦 From celebrating our research to getting our boots on the ground, we’re uncovering new insights into South Africa’s deep past.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

🎓 Congratulations to our HERI #AdvancingWomxn Fellow, Dr Rivoningo Khosa, on graduating with her PhD! This achievement reflects years of dedication, perseverance, and academic excellence. We are proud to celebrate this milestone with Rivoningo and wish her all the best for the journey ahead. 🎉

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

🏆 HERI is proud to last night receive the NRF Science Team Award! It recognises contributions to research excellence and key members @pickeringrobyn.bsky.social, Rebecca Ackermann, @drpeechiwara.bsky.social, Wendy Black, Lauren Schroder & Palesa Madupe. 🎉 www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Our #HERIspotlight shines on MSc student Keane Wanza, working with palaeoproteomics to explore early human evolution 🧬 His research focuses on fossil material from Hadar & Omo in #Ethiopia, advancing new ways of understanding the past through biomolecular evidence www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

🦴 Fossils from Africa This 2-million-year-old Homo erectus skull was discovered in #SouthAfrica. Findings like this remind us that #Africa is at the heart of our shared human origins, with every new fossil shedding more light on where we came from. Read more: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

📚 Whose voices shape our past? Drawing on her SAJS review of the book The Untold History and Prehistory of African Indigenous Palaeontology, @drpeechiwara.bsky.social reflects on representation, Indigenous knowledge, and the stories we tell about Africa's past. 🔗 www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Our @pickeringrobyn.bsky.social was the second woman ever to deliver the Alex du Toit Memorial Lecture. Presented across 6 cities in #SouthAfrica, her lecture explores how uranium-series dating transformed our understanding of early human evolution. 🎥 Watch: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Our podcast is a model of what it looks like to place African voices at the centre of the #TaungChild fossil discovery, says Justin Pargeter in this SAJS review. 📖 Read the review & listen to all episodes of HERI's Unburied Season 2 FREE here: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

📢 New in the latest SAJS! Two contributions connected to HERI: 🎙️ Justin Pargeter reviews the Taung podcast 📚 Precious Chiwara reviews "The Untold History and Prehistory of African Indigenous Palaeontology." sajs.co.za/index.php/sa... sajs.co.za/index.php/sa... More details coming soon!

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

The future of palaeoscience in #Africa is African🌍 Read this reflection from HERI master’s students Kelly-Anne Shaw & Kirsten Van Der Heyden - who travelled to Kanapoi and Chesowanja in #Kenya as part of a field exchange organised by the PANACHE initiative. www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

The 2026 Tswalu archaeological field season is underway! Led by HERI Research Associate Ben Schoville, excavations have been underway here since 2018. Artefacts recovered - like these 1.3 million-year-old handaxes - reflect the skill and technological abilities of hominins that lived in #Africa.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

From the heart of Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, HERI researchers Marang Keebine and @drpeechiwara.bsky.social are helping uncover new evidence of early human behaviour in the #Kalahari. Every discovery adds another piece to our shared human story.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Only 4% of lead authors in the Journal Human Evolution are from Africa & South America - despite #Africa’s central role in the human fossil record. 🤝 Read why we think stronger collaboration and shared leadership can help rebalance this: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

Our HERI Co-Director, @pickeringrobyn.bsky.social, and HERI's @drpeechiwara.bsky.social presented two HERI talks at this week's #ASAPA conference on the Taung Podcast and HERI's All-Women Fieldwork Camp. It was great to hear that these conversations were so well received and considered much needed.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Our #HERIspotlight shines brightly on @Dr Wendy Black. A founding member of HERI, Wendy helped shape our direction and impact. As she turns to a new role at @Iziko, we celebrate her contributions and say THANK YOU! Read more: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content/herispotlight-wendy-black

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

5 HERI researchers are heading to the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists Conference this weekend! Explore the full programme here - with sessions from our @drpeechiwara.bsky.social and @bschov.bsky.social, among others. 👉 asapa2026.co.za/documents/AS... #ASAPA2026

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

🚨First-ever protein study of Homo Naledi teeth led by HERI’s Dr @palaeoprotpalesa.bsky.social finds zero male markers in 23 samples - suggesting all individuals analysed were female. A major step forward in studying sex differences in extinct species. 🔗 www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Fossils from #Africa 🌍 Dr Charles Musiba explores the 3.6 million-year-old Laetoli footprints in a Lunch Break Science talk by the @leakeyfoundation.org Listen here as he unpacks who made them & what they reveal about early human movement and behaviour. ▶️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=df7x...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Ever wondered why humans have chins? 🤔 New research by HERI’s Lauren Schroeder suggests chins aren’t a direct adaptation. They are linked to other changes like brain growth and a flatter face. In short, chins may be a byproduct of how our faces evolved. 🔗 www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Research by HERI’s @drpeechiwara.bsky.social uses ICP-MS & XRF to trace ancient tools from Tswalu to their geological sources, revealing new insights into early human raw material selection. 🔗https://www.heriuct.co.za/news-content/how-icp-ms-and-xrf-methods-help-us-understand-early-human-behaviour

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Podcasting can bring #humanevolution research into public conversation - where more voices can be heard. Our podcast on the #TaungChild explores how the Taung fossil reshaped ideas about human origins in #Africa. 🎧 Listen to all 4 episodes FREE: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

🌍 Artifacts from Africa Ostrich eggshell beads are among the most enduring forms of personal ornamentation in southern Africa - small artifacts that reveal ancient traditions and social connections. 🔍 Learn what these beads reveal from HERI's Amy Hatton: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 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, #Tanzania, to gain hands-on experience at sites famous for early hominin footprints, fossils, and stone tools. Read more: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

Our HERI’s Rivoningo Khosa revisits the landscapes around the #TaungChild fossil. Her study shows southern Africa was more dynamic and less dry than previously thought, using new quantitative methods to create richer models of landscape evolution. Read the paper: sajs.co.za/article/view...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

A single fossil. A century of debate. Unburied Season 2: The #TaungChild traces how a #SouthAfrican discovery disrupted science and reshaped ideas about human origins. Created by ARC with HERI at UCT. 🎧 All episodes out now: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

We are proud of our HERI PhD student, Georgina Luti, who presented her work today at EGU 2026 🇦🇹. Her research explores aragonite preservation in calcite speleothems and what it reveals about the reliability of dating these cave deposits, using samples from #SouthAfrica’s Cradle of Humankind.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Did you know? 🦴 A dental enamel fragment from the Australopithecus africanus fossil continues to shed light on early human biology—and was part of research that won the @sajournalofscience.bsky.social Outstanding Article Award 2025. Read more: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

🌍Have you seen the HUMANITY exhibition yet? Launched in partnership between HERI and Iziko Museum, it takes visitors on a journey that explores our diversity and how we became who we are today. More info here: bit.ly/4cNAzvI Open days & hours link: bit.ly/4issDRx

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

🐝Pollen can reveal ecosystem changes over time. Research led by HERI’s Dr. Tsilavo Razafimanantsoa uses modern pollen rain in #Madagascar to shed light on ancient pollen records - so we can better understand the origins of open ecosystems on the island. nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Since 2019, HERI has run women-focused field camps for archaeology & geology students. Female-led and hands-on, they provide field skills, mentorship, and safe spaces—building confident, resilient researchers ready to study #Africa’s rich heritage.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

How do you explain human evolution to a 12-year-old? A Frontiers for Young Minds article by HERI researchers, including its Co-Director Rebecca Ackermann, explains what a human & a Neanderthal child might look like. It's science made easy for young readers kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10....

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

🌍 Artifacts from Africa These are Early Stone Age Acheulean handaxes, remarkable tools that show the ingenuity and skill of early humans. View them on display at the HUMANITY exhibition at @Iziko Museum, curated by HERI researchers.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Reminder: The GSSA Western Cape Branch Alex du Toit Lecture is coming up. Presented by HERI’s Associate Professor @pickeringrobyn.bsky.social on early humans and hydrology in southern Africa. RSVP by 25 March 2026.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

HERI-led research wins the SAJS (sajournalofscience.bsky.social) Outstanding Article Award 2025. Congratulations 🎉 to @palaeoprotpalesa.bsky.social and co-authors for receiving the award for their Australopithecus africanus palaeoproteomics paper. Read more: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Congratulations to our @palaeoprotpalesa.bsky.social and colleagues on winning the 2025 Outstanding Article Award! We are proud to see HERI research making such a significant contribution to South African palaeoanthropology.

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Today it's a desert. 105,000 years ago, it held waterfalls & modern homo sapiens The @dailymaverick.co.za looks at work from an all-women team of HERI researchers who challenged theories of #humanevolution to show our ancestors lived in a water-rich Kalahari www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

🎧 Unburied Season 2: The Taung Child The story of a 2-million-year-old fossil that challenged scientific authority, exposed colonial bias, and reshaped human origins. Produced by @ARC with HERI at the @University of Cape Town 🎙️ Listen to all 4 episodes NOW: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

In 2025, 12 ground-breaking publications by women of colour at HERI (UCT) reshaped debates across palaeoanthropology, archaeology, geochronology, and planetary geology, marking a significant change in who is leading palaeoscience research. Learn more: www.heriuct.co.za/news-content...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

Historic moment! A/Prof @pickeringrobyn.bsky.social, HERI Co-director, will deliver the 2026 Alex du Toit Lecture Series, the first female to do so since 1969. The series honours Alexander du Toit, a South African geology pioneer and early champion of continental drift theory. Dates on the flyer

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Last year, HERI contributed to the @SAJS special issue marking 100 years of the #TaungChild. With abstracts in #Setswana, the issue gave multilingual insights into science, colonialism & exclusion. Read more reflections from the SAJS Editor-in-Chief: mailchi.mp/assaf/gknccq...

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

HERI Co-Directors Rebecca Ackermann and Robyn Pickering invite contributions to the symposium “New Directions in Palaeoanthropological Research in Southern Africa” at IPC7. To submit an abstract, please email the convenors. Details and information on all 29 symposia are available at: www.ipc7.site

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

🎉 Big congratulations to our HERI MSc student, Marang Keebine, for receiving the Best Student Poster Award at the BIOGRIP 2026 conference (UCT, 28–30 January)! Wishing her continued success in her research journey!

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Human Evolution Research Institute at University of Cape Town @heriuct.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

#WomeninScience in #SouthAfrica ⚒️ HERI Master’s student Marang Keebine studies past #climate & environmental change using sediments from an ancient lake in the Karoo. Her work sheds light on how dry landscapes responded to drought and rainfall – and how we can respond today.

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