IPHES-CERCA participates in ESHE 2026 with 44 scientific contributions on human evolution
A total of 64 researchers from the centre are involved in the studies presented at the meeting, which takes place in Burgos from 17 to 19 September
The participation includes 5 oral presentations, 4 Pecha Kucha presentations and 35 posters, with a strong presence of research carried out at the Atapuerca sites
IPHES-CERCA will have a strong scientific presence at the 16th Annual Meeting of the European Society for the Study of Human Evolution (ESHE), to be held in Burgos from 17 to 19 September 2026. A total of 64 IPHES-CERCA researchers are authors or co-authors of 44 scientific contributions, comprising 5 oral presentations, 4 Pecha Kucha presentations and 35 posters.
IPHES-CERCA’s participation reflects the diversity of the research lines developed at the centre and its involvement in numerous international projects and teams dedicated to the study of human evolution. The contributions address issues related to the biological and cultural evolution of human populations, technology, subsistence, taphonomy and zooarchaeology, palaeoecology, chronology, conservation of the fossil record, and the application of new methodologies to the study of the past.
Broad and diverse participation
The five oral presentations involving IPHES-CERCA researchers include several studies focusing on major archaeological sites and key current questions in human evolution research.
The Sierra de Atapuerca has a particularly strong presence. One presentation provides an overview of research conducted at Sima del Elefante, a key site for studying the earliest human occupations of Western Europe. Another reviews new archaeological and behavioural evidence concerning Homo antecessor from level TD6 at Gran Dolina, with extensive participation by IPHES-CERCA researchers.
The oral presentations also include a study of the Ruidera hominins in Castilla-La Mancha, providing new evidence on the diversity of European human populations during the Middle Pleistocene. These studies are complemented by research on Middle Pleistocene palaeoclimatic dynamics and the emergence of funerary behaviours during the Palaeolithic.
The programme also includes four Pecha Kucha presentations addressing the cranial morphology of Homo antecessor, the relationship between climate change and early Homo sapiens populations, climatic and environmental dynamics in the Sierra de Atapuerca, and other methodological approaches to the study of Pleistocene human populations.
Atapuerca, Neanderthals and human evolution
The 35 posters considerably broaden the thematic diversity of IPHES-CERCA’s participation. They include research on lithic technology and tool function, taphonomy and zooarchaeology, palaeoanthropology, palaeontology, chronology, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, spatial archaeology, Palaeolithic art, conservation and heritage digitisation.
A significant proportion of this research is related to sites in the Sierra de Atapuerca. New results from Gran Dolina, Sima del Elefante and Sima de los Huesos range from dating and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction to the study of human fossils, faunal remains, technology and subsistence strategies. These studies include new dates for the upper levels of Sima del Elefante and conservation work carried out on the ATE7-1 facial fossil.
Neanderthal populations represent another major focus of IPHES-CERCA’s participation. Contributions include research on sites in the Iberian Peninsula, France, Italy and Portugal, addressing aspects related to subsistence, resource exploitation, technology, anatomy and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.
Among these studies is a contribution on Abric Romaní focusing on woodworking and the role of this technology in Neanderthal domestic contexts, with extensive participation by IPHES-CERCA researchers. Research will also be presented on the Neanderthal remains from Abri Suard in France and on the occupations of Gruta da Companheira in southern Portugal.
Research with a strong international dimension
The thematic diversity of the contributions is matched by their broad geographical scope. In addition to research conducted at Atapuerca and other sites across the Iberian Peninsula, contributions involving IPHES-CERCA include studies carried out in France, Portugal, Italy, Germany and Ethiopia, among other contexts.
This broad geographical range reflects the centre’s involvement in international research networks that study human evolution from an interdisciplinary perspective, addressing questions such as the dispersal and adaptation of human populations, environmental change, subsistence strategies and technological evolution.
In this context, the ESHE Annual Meeting is one of the main international forums for presenting and discussing the latest advances in the study of human evolution and for strengthening collaboration between research teams and institutions.
New methodologies and open science
IPHES-CERCA’s participation also highlights the growing importance of new methodologies in human evolution research. The studies presented include the application of 3D geometric morphometrics, luminescence and ESR dating, isotopic analyses, dental microwear analysis, virtual reconstructions and experimental approaches.
Also noteworthy in this context is the presentation of Esqueletos en Línea (COR-IPHES), a digital infrastructure developed to provide open access to IPHES-CERCA’s comparative osteological collection through the digitisation and publication of 3D models. The project broadens access to these collections for research and teaching and reinforces the institute’s commitment to open science.
The number of contributions, the thematic and geographical diversity of the research, and the broad participation of its researchers reflect IPHES-CERCA’s international profile at one of the leading international meetings specifically dedicated to the study of human evolution.