Climate and Life - A Human Retrospective

Explore the intricate relationship between climate and human evolution in this 53-minute AGU Fall Meeting lecture. Delve into the legacy of Cesare Emiliani, the father of paleoceanography, and examine key milestones in early human evolution. Investigate the impact of orbital precession on monsoons, paleo-Nile runoff, and East African paleoclimate. Analyze the expansion of C4 grasslands and its influence on hominin diets. Discover the role of fossil plant wax molecules and soil carbonate in reconstructing ancient environments. Examine Holocene population dynamics, including the depopulation of the Sahara around 5,000 years ago. Gain valuable insights into how climate has shaped human history and consider the lessons we can learn from prehistory for our current climate challenges.