Unique international workshop explores evolution of coastal modern humans

International anthropologists specializing in the evolution of modern humans in South and North Africa gathered for an inaugural workshop this spring at the University of Colorado Denver. Scientists explored one of the most fundamental questions of our species: Where-and how-did Homo sapiens emerge?

The event, "Comparing the Archaeological Records of Northwest Morocco and the Cape of South Africa," was organized by anthropologists at CU Denver and Arizona State University.

The two-day workshop brought Indigenous and international scholars together to exchange data, refine hypotheses and strengthen collaborative ties. Faculty, students and researchers from partner institutions across Africa, Europe, CU Denver and ASU participated.

"One of the greatest achievements of modern science is the documentation that modern humans evolved in Africa and spread out to inhabit the rest of the world," said Curtis Marean, research scientist at the Institute of Human Origins and professor at the School of Human Evolution and Social Change at Arizona State University.

"But that's only the beginning. We're now asking: Did this happen in a single place in Africa or simultaneously across regions?"

Marean, who co-organized the event, has spent decades researching South Africa's southern Cape and its role in early human behavior.

South Africa and Morocco were selected for strategic reasons: both are geographically distant yet share key ecological features-especially their proximity to rich coastlines that hosted some of the earliest known uses of marine resources by Homo sapiens.

First-of-its-kind collaboration

"It's probably the first time these two regions are being compared on such a scale," said Zeljko Rezek, a senior researcher at Collège de France and workshop participant. "That's because we finally have enough standardized data, collected using consistent excavation and analysis methods, to do so."

The goal? To apply comparable models and analytical techniques to separate regional records, then evaluate similarities and differences in tool use, environmental adaptation, mobility and more-insights that can ultimately inform whether Homo sapiens evolved in one core location or in a pan-African pattern.

"I'm really proud that CU Denver was able to host this," said Jamie Hodgkins, associate professor at CU Denver and co-organizer. "We provided the location where everyone could sit, talk and figure out the next plans. We've had support across the board for doing this."

Hodgkins has collaborated with Marean on several projects, including co-leading educational research initiatives that engage students in international fieldwork.

Students add a layer of meaning

While the workshop's scientific goals were ambitious, its impact on early-career scholars and students was also powerful. For South African-born CU Denver anthropology student Desiree Erasmus, the gathering wasn't just intellectually engaging, it was deeply personal.

"Whenever they spoke about the fauna and flora, I knew exactly what they were talking about," said Erasmus.

"I've lived from the earth in those places. I could picture the fynbos, the rhino bush, the river systems. They know them in their heads, I know them in my heart."

Arizona State University anthropology graduate students, John Murray, Jayde Hirniak and Patrick Fahey also participated.

HOMER: A gateway for student involvement

While not the central focus of the workshop, the HOMER (Human Origins, Migration & Evolutionary Research) program provided a key pathway for student involvement.

Co-founded by Hodgkins and Marean, along with colleagues from Yale University, New York University and the University of Texas Arlington, the program offers funded field and lab research opportunities in international archaeology, often at the very sites discussed during the workshop

The program also emphasizes cross-cultural exchange. As Marean pointed out during the workshop, collaborative science trains not just U.S. students but also uplifts Moroccan and South African scholars through knowledge-sharing and capacity-building.

"Everybody benefits," said Marean. "That's the real promise of programs like HOMER and the workshop we are hosting."

The work continues. Future subgroups will tackle specific themes-pyrotechnology, subsistence strategies, ecological modeling-each feeding into the larger question of how modern humans came to be.

Article adapted from The University of Colorado Denver, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.