On the afternoon of August 26, the 261st academic lecture of the "Lanzhou University Centennial Distinguished Lecture Series" was held in Room 502, Qilian Hall, Chengguan Campus (West Section). Academician Jean-Jacques Hublin, Member of the French Academy of Sciences and Prof. at the Collège de France, was invited to deliver a lecture entitled "How Did We Become Human?" Academician Chen Fahu, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, attended the event. The lecture was hosted by Prof. Zhang Dongju from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Center for Environmental Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Science, Lanzhou University. Also in attendance were relevant administrators from the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, the Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental Systems (Ministry of Education), and the Center for Environmental Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Science, along with faculty and students from various departments across the university.
In his lecture, Prof. Hublin began by discussing the evolutionary relationships between humans and other primates, outlining the basic trajectory of human evolution over the past seven million years. He pointed out that human evolution is not a linear process in which one species successively replaces another; rather, different hominins coexisted over long periods of evolutionary history, developing distinct biological characteristics and adaptive strategies. He particularly emphasized that the increasing degree of cooperation and the growing capacity to modify the environment are two extremely important changes in human evolution. As cooperative behaviors developed, humans gradually acquired the ability to exploit resources and alter their environment through tools, fire, and other means, leading to a series of behavioral and biological traits that distinguish them from other primates.
Prof. Hublin then focused on the theme of energy constraints, further discussing the energy demands associated with human brain evolution. He noted that the brain is one of the most energy‑consuming organs in the human body; although it accounts for only a small fraction of body weight, it requires a continuous and substantial supply of energy. As the human brain increased in size, how to obtain more stable energy supplies and improve energy efficiency became a critical issue in the evolutionary process. In response, humans gradually increased their consumption of high‑energy foods such as meat and fat, and enhanced food utilization efficiency through stone tools, food processing, and the use of fire. Cooking not only made food easier to chew and digest but also reduced the energy expenditure involved in chewing and digestion. Meanwhile, bipedal locomotion improved movement efficiency and reduced energy costs during activity. These interrelated changes in diet, technology, and locomotion provided essential conditions for the development of the human brain and cognitive abilities.
Prof. Hublin further pointed out that brain evolution has also profoundly influenced human growth, development, and social life. Compared with other primates, human children have a longer growth period and require prolonged dependence on adults for nourishment and care, which gradually led to the emergence of food sharing, cooperative child-rearing, and broader group collaboration. Long-term, close social cooperation, in turn, further promoted the development of human cognitive abilities and social relationships. He emphasized that human biological evolution and cultural development have always been interconnected; factors such as diet, technology, reproduction, child-rearing, and social cooperation collectively shaped the unique evolutionary trajectory of humans.
During the Q&A session, faculty and students enthusiastically raised questions on topics including the divergence between Neanderthals and Denisovans, human brain evolution, and the relationship between lithic technology and ancient human populations. Prof. Hublin responded to each question by integrating evidence from ancient DNA, fossil morphology, and archaeological materials. He noted that understanding human evolutionary history requires the integration of multiple lines of evidence—molecular evidence must be considered alongside fossils and archaeological remains, and in particular, caution should be exercised when making direct correlations between stone tool types and specific ancient hominin populations. He also emphasized that human cognitive abilities are not unidimensional; technology, language, and social cognition together constitute the multidimensional cognitive capacities of humans.
This lecture explored the trajectory of human evolution from the perspectives of paleoanthropology, archaeology, and biology, systematically elucidating the interconnections between brain evolution, food acquisition, technological development, and social cooperation. It deepened the audience's understanding of human evolution and cultural development, while offering new insights and perspectives for research in related fields.
