2026 News from the MPI of Geoanthropology

“Even when NATO is under threat, we must save the oceans, the soil, and insects” more

A new paper in Earth’s Future documents procedural flaws in the rejection of the Anthropocene as a new geological epoch and calls for transparency and an independent review of the decision  more

The SusMax network of the Max Planck Society met recently for their second annual workshop in the Harnack Haus in Berlin. more

A new study reveals how livestock may have reshaped Madagascar’s ecosystems and contributed to the decline of megafauna. By tracing cattle diets and movements, researchers link the spread of pastoralism to expanding grasslands and forest fragmentation, offering a more complex picture of megafaunal extinction than hunting alone. more

Article by the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft in the category International - „Post from...“ more

Examining the Ethics of Laser Scanning in Tropical Forests more

The discovery that remote Mediterranean islands were colonized before the invention of agriculture has upended long-standing views about the maritime capabilities of Europe’s last hunter-gatherers. New evidence from Malta now shows that these hunter-gatherers were engaging in repeated long-distance sea journeys of at least 100 kilometers (km), likely between Sicily and Malta for at least a millennium.  more

New study helps resolve one of South American archaeology's longest-running debates: the role of maize in precolonial societies. Evidence reveals that large villages in central Brazil were supported by polyculture maize farming while neighboring societies maintained diversified food production strategies.  more

The Otto Hahn Medal is awarded in recognition of outstanding achievements of young scientists more

New study highlights the need to connect research into the uniqueness of cities with research on their similarities  more