Anthropology of Extreme Environments

Since the origins of our species some 300,000 years ago, humans have spread globally, including to some of Earth's most extreme environments: mountains miles above sea level, polar regions, and remote islands. Through biological and sociocultural adaptations, Homo sapiens managed to settle and thrive in these places where no primate, nor any human ancestors or relatives, had ventured before. Reviewing past and present-day societies, this course examines the human migrations, adaptations, diets, and technologies that allow people to live nearly everywhere on Earth—and sometimes in space. We draw on archaeological, biological, and ethnographic evidence to uncover the breadth and limits of the human niche.