Climate Change Shaped Human Evolution, Driving Migration and Cultural Adaptation Across Ancient Landscapes

New insights into how climate shifts sparked the migration and survival of early humans, revealing the crucial role of environmental adaptation in our evolutionary history

Human evolution, as it turns out, has been profoundly shaped by climatic changes. A recent review published in the Nature Reviews Earth & Environment¹ journal explores how fluctuations in climate and vegetation were pivotal forces in the evolutionary journey of early humans. The review delves deep into the evolution of the hominins—members of the subfamily Homininae, which includes modern humans—during the Pleistocene epoch, a time marked by critical environmental transitions across Eurasia and Africa. These climatic shifts not only influenced migration patterns but also spurred cultural and biological adaptations necessary for survival.