Rice University students recently participated in a new summer field course in Tanzania led by archaeologist Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo and bioscientist Scott Solomon. The program’s goal was to combine modern ecology with paleoanthropology — to give students a sense of how the changing environment not only affects African wildlife but also the evolution of hominins, as well as today’s humans. Students began with preparatory studies on wildlife, climate, and evolution before embarking on a two-week expedition to northern Tanzania. The trip included visits to UNESCO World Heritage sites like Ngorongoro Crater and an active dig at Olduvai Gorge. Domínguez-Rodrigo emphasized the course’s multidisciplinary approach.
“The idea is to draw lessons from the past to understand the present — to bring together multiple disciplines across chemistry, physics, ecology, biology and sociology to put our evolutionary trajectory in perspective.”- Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo, Visiting Professor, Department of Anthropology.
Students described the experience as transformative, bringing their academic studies to life in a vivid, hands-on environment.
Click here to read the full article in Rice Magazine.