Darwinian theory explicitly relies on understanding selective pressures based on environmental and ecological factors. Thus, explanations of primate and hominin evolutionary change require evidence on past environments and ecology. Methods of reconstructing past environments and paleoecology are essential in providing this evidence for the context of primate and hominin evolution. By focusing on the latest advances in paleoecology, a group of top researchers will convene for three days this autumn with the goal of sharing their work and helping to develop a more integrated science of paleoecology leading to advances in understanding hominin and primate evolution.
