Ancient Heritage: Africa’s Fossils Hold The Ultimate Blueprint For Human Unity And Dignity
PAST Reminds South Africa: Our Shared Origin in Africa is Science Worth Celebrating This Human Rights Month
As South Africa observes Heritage Month, the Palaeontological Scientific Trust (PAST) is calling on people living in South Africa to look to the origin sciences as a unifying force for social cohesion. Palaeontology and palaeoanthropology are the sciences of extinct organisms from the past, ranging from humans and our ancestors, all the way back to dinosaurs and the simplest single celled organisms. These two branches of study form part of what we at PAST call the origin sciences. Through its flagship initiative, All From One, the organisation is highlighting how scientific evidence shows that every person on Earth shares a common ancient heritage rooted in Africa.
At a time of high tension in South Africa – and globally – due to lingering and harmful “othering” of people from different countries, PAST’s All From One campaign brings a powerful scientific truth to the fore: every person shares 99.9% of their genetic makeup with others, leaving no basis for the marginalisation of any group.
“Over three billion years before recorded human history, a single common ancestor laid the foundation for all living things. Humanity evolved in Africa 300,000 years ago and spread out across the world. This means that universal human rights are embedded in our biological reality; our shared origins in Africa demonstrate that diversity is our strength, not a dividing line. By celebrating the science of where we come from, we give ourselves a tangible reason to respect one another and embrace our shared humanity,” says Dianne van der Tuin, CEO of PAST.
Origin sciences are incredibly important, not only to South Africa and Africa, but to the world. The core mission of PAST is to grow and nurture African leadership in research, to contribute to our understanding of our common origins from a scientific perspective, and to use the findings to broadcast that we are far more similar than we are different.
PAST works to internalize these findings across society through impactful public understanding and educational initiatives. This Heritage Month, PAST invites communities, schools, and corporate leaders across South Africa to celebrate the origin sciences as a catalyst for social change. By recognizing that we are All from One, we can build a more cohesive, inclusive, and environmentally conscious nation. We can and should use that information of our common origins in Africa to provide a basis for which people can build tolerance, unity, collaboration, and conservation, the key pillars of our All from One campaign.
To learn more about the campaign, to request a workshop for your school, or to support our work, please visit www.past.org.za
About PAST (Palaeontological Scientific Trust)
PAST (Palaeontological Scientific Trust) is the largest independent funder of palaeosciences in Africa. Dedicated to supporting those unearthing and exploring Africa’s rich fossil heritage and advancing origin sciences, PAST harnesses the lessons of deep time, the multi-million-year timeline of Earth’s biological and geological history, to inform answers to modern challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and social division.
Through our research grants, academic bursaries, and technical support, PAST actively builds scientific capacity across the continent. By bridging ancient scientific insight with public engagement and education, PAST celebrates Africa’s importance as a global archive of life’s origins and a keystone in the fight for a resilient, sustainable and just future.
Learn more or support Africa’s origin sciences at www.past.org.za.