How studying plants can help us thrive

Dr. Bongekile Zwane

The relationship between humans and plants goes back millions of years. Early humans used plants, among other resources, to gain a competitive advantage over other living things. During the Stone Age, humans used plants in practical ways that we have mostly discarded but can still recover through archaeological investigations. Plants' long evolutionary history is also crucial because it provides a direct climate record of our planet. Can we learn something from studying plants to help us adapt to our ever-changing world? Bongekile believes that the answer is yes.

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Bongekile Zwane is a postdoctoral fellow at the African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience, Nelson Mandela University. She completed her studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, where she trained in the methods of archaeology. She specialises in analysing wood charcoal from archaeological sites to answer questions on plant use, climate changes, and vegetation transformation. She is fascinated by how the interaction of the three affected human biological and cultural evolution from prehistory to historical times. 

Web: genus.africa

Twitter: @bongie_zwane