Prof Chris Stringer

Prof Chris Stringer

Research Leader - Human Evolution

ORCID: 0000-0002-9183-7337
Department: Earth Sciences
Division: ES Vertebrates and Anthropology Palaeobiology
Specialisms: Human Origins, Palaeoanthropology

Summary

I first worked at the Museum in 1969-1970, but joined the permanent staff in 1973, where I'm now a Research Leader in Human Origins. My early research was on the relationship of Neanderthals and early modern humans in Europe, but through my work on the Recent African Origin model for modern human origins, I now collaborate with archaeologists, dating specialists, and geneticists in attempting to reconstruct the evolution of modern humans globally. I've excavated at sites in Britain and abroad, and I directed the Ancient Human Occupation of Britain project from 2001 until it finished in 2013. Now I'm co-director of the follow-up Pathways to Ancient Britain project, as part of our funding from the Calleva Foundation, which has also contributed to the foundation of our new Centre for Human Evolution Research. As well as many scientific papers, I've also written a number of books, most recently Britain: one million years of the human story (2014, with Rob Dinnis) and Our Human Story (2018, with Louise Humphrey). I'm active on Twitter @ChrisStringer65.

Qualifications

Degrees

  • PhD, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
  • D.Sc, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
  • B.Sc., University College London, United Kingdom

Employment history

Academic

  • Visiting Professor, University College London, Archaeology, United Kingdom, 2015 - 2020
  • Visiting Professor, Royal Holloway, Geography, United Kingdom, 2005 - 2020

Highlighted publications

  • Slimak L, Zanolli C, Higham T, Frouin M, Schwenninger J-L, Arnold LJ, Demuro M, Douka K, Mercier N, Guérin G, Valladas H, Yvorra P, Giraud Y, Seguin-Orlando A, Orlando L, Lewis JE, Muth X, Camus H, Vandevelde S, Buckley M, Mallol C, Stringer C, Metz L (2022) Modern human incursion into Neanderthal territories 54,000 years ago at Mandrin, France. Science Advances, (6) American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abj9496
  • Stringer C, Crete L (2022) Mapping Interactions of H. neanderthalensis and Homo sapiens from the Fossil and Genetic Records. Paleoanthropology Society & European Society for the study of Human Evolutiondoi: 10.48738/2022.iss2.130
  • Bergström A, Stringer C, Hajdinjak M, Scerri EML, Skoglund P (2021) Origins of modern human ancestry. Nature, (7845) Springer Science and Business Media LLC : 229 - 237. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03244-5
  • Ni X, Ji Q, Wu W, Shao Q, Ji Y, Zhang C, Liang L, Ge J, Guo Z, Li J, Li Q, Grün R, Stringer C (2021) Massive cranium from Harbin in northeastern China establishes a new Middle Pleistocene human lineage. The Innovation, (3) Elsevier BV : 100130 - 100130. doi: 10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100130
  • Grün R, Pike A, McDermott F, Eggins S, Mortimer G, Aubert M, Kinsley L, Joannes-Boyau R, Rumsey M, Denys C, Brink J, Clark T, Stringer C (2020) Dating the skull from Broken Hill, Zambia, and its position in human evolution. Nature, (7803) Springer Science and Business Media LLC : 372 - 375. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2165-4
  • Galway‐Witham J, Cole J, Stringer C (2019) Aspects of human physical and behavioural evolution during the last 1 million years. Journal of Quaternary Science, (6) Wiley : 355 - 378. doi: 10.1002/jqs.3137
  • Harvati K, Röding C, Bosman AM, Karakostis FA, Grün R, Stringer C, Karkanas P, Thompson NC, Koutoulidis V, Moulopoulos LA, Gorgoulis VG, Kouloukoussa M (2019) Apidima Cave fossils provide earliest evidence of Homo sapiens in Eurasia. Nature, (7766) Springer Science and Business Media LLC : 500 - 504. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1376-z
  • Humphrey L, Stringer C (2018) Our Human Story. Natural History Museum, London
  • Scerri EML, Thomas MG, Manica A, Gunz P, Stock JT, Stringer C, Grove M, Groucutt HS, Timmermann A, Rightmire GP, D’Errico F, Tryon CA, Drake NA, Brooks AS, Dennell RW, Durbin R, Henn BM, Lee-Thorp J, DeMenocal P, Petraglia MD, Thompson JC, Scally A, Chikhi L (2018) Did Our Species Evolve in Subdivided Populations across Africa, and Why Does It Matter?. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, (8) Elsevier BV : 582 - 594. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.05.005
  • Stringer C (2016) The origin and evolution ofHomo sapiens. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, (1698) The Royal Society : 20150237 - 20150237. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0237
  • Stringer C (2014) Why we are not all multiregionalists now. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, (5) Elsevier BV : 248 - 251. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2014.03.001
  • Stringer C (2011) The origin of our species. Penguin UK : null - null.

Accept cookies?

We use cookies to give you the best online experience. We use them to improve our website and content, and to tailor our digital advertising on third-party platforms. You can change your preferences at any time.

Manage my preferences