Jean-Jacques Hublin

Jean-Jacques Hublin is a Professor at the Collège de France where he holds the Chair in Paleoanthropology of the Homo Genus. He has been associated with the Collège de France since 2014, initially as a guest chair and then as an international chair, before the formal creation of the Paleoanthropology Chair in 2021. His research group is housed at the Centre de recherche interdisciplinaire en biologie.

Hublin's research takes a resolutely bio-cultural perspective examining all facets of Hominin evolution from at least seven million years ago to the recent replacement of Neandertals by Homo sapiens. His work spans speciation and extinction processes, evolution of brain shape and neurocranium, patterns of bone growth and dental development, paleodemography and human mobility, evolution of technology and cultural transmission, adaptation strategies, subsistence patterns, landscape use and responses to environmental change.

His methodological approach combines traditional field research with cutting-edge laboratory techniques, notably the analysis of organic molecules extracted from fossils. Through extensive external collaborations, his research bridges anthropology and archaeology with other natural and social sciences to study how biology, culture and ecology of Hominins interacted during evolutionary processes. He conceptualizes recent human evolution as a form of 'niche construction' where increasingly complex technical behaviors and social organization have allowed humans to shape their environment on ever-larger scales.

Hublin is currently active with a lecture series scheduled for January-February 2026 titled 'Sapiens replaces Neandertal' consisting of six sessions, plus a symposium in June 2026 on the same topic. His upcoming guest lectures include collaborations with Daniel Lieberman on evolutionary medicine topics in October 2025.