Africa, Europe and Asia experienced major environmental transformations such as aridification, monsoonal shifts and volcanic eruptions that significantly influenced ecological systems and shaped patterns of human habitation. Recent interdisciplinary research highlights the complex relationship between palaeoenvironments and humans, revealing demographic and technological shifts during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. Despite these developments, the major causes of hominin dispersals and cultural transitions during the Pleistocene remain subject to discussion.

This session invites papers that examine the impact of Pleistocene environmental dynamics on cultural and technological responses among early and modern humans. We also welcome contributions that apply geoarchaeological methods, spatial modelling and palaeoclimatic reconstructions to examine how environmental variability influenced hominin movements out of Africa and their subsequent adaptations in diverse ecological zones across Asia and Europe.