Workshop: Integrating Approaches To Diet Reconstruction Among Early Hominins

Workshop: Integrating Approaches To Diet Reconstruction Among Early Hominins Workshop: Integrating Approaches To Diet Reconstruction Among Early Hominins We propose to convene a workshop of experts conducting research on the evolution of diet and feeding behavior among hominins of the African Plio-Pleistocene. The recent development of rich sets of dietary isotope data, comprehensive sampling of primate occlusal microwear, and newly emerging experimental approaches bearing on the interpretation of craniofacial functional anatomy has created a strongly partitioned perspective on early hominin feeding behavior characterized by different questions, methodologies, and scales of temporal and spatial resolution. As a result, there is a pressing need to integrate these diverse approaches, while including other fields such as paleohabitat reconstruction and feeding behavior/ecology among extant wild primates, to produce a comprehensive picture of early hominin feeding behavior and ecology. We propose to invite approximately 15-17 scientists for a three-day workshop that will consist of informal reporting of the latest data, articulation of pressing questions at the disciplinary interfaces of the diverse methodologies, and construction of an integrated agenda for future research. We anticipate creating a jointly authored review/prospectus for a broadly read journal such as Evolutionary Anthropology.