Immediate Priorities for Action

During the INQUA Congress in 2003, the Commission established an initial set of priorities for action, including the creation of:

1. A comprehensive email list, to contain interested individuals and other INQUA commissions;
2. An updated and expanded webpage to ensure transparency through dissemination of information about the commission's formation and membership;
3. A directory of interests to be used as a database of available experts, and to advertise the fields of expertise;
4. An inventory of existing work in each area of interest:

•  Terrestrial vertebrates

•  Terrestrial invertebrates

•  Botany

•  Human Biology/ Palaeoanthropology

•  Cultural processes

•  Modern proxies and databases

•  Ecosystem dynamics

•  Geoarchaeology

•  Marine palaeoecology

Information on INQUA projects past and present (and application details for new projects is available to download HERE

A report on the ongoing PAHE Project 0403 is available to download HERE

The report for 2007 from the President of the Commission on PAHE is available to download here

The Role of the Commission

The Commission facilitates problem-oriented study of the affects of Quaternary climates and environmental changes on organisms at the level of the individual, the community, and the taxon. The Commission promotes innovative cross-disciplinary research and communication, notably by helping to bring together specialists in all subfields of both palaeoecology and human evolution, including those who study cultural processes. The Commission also promotes interchange among specialists from any and all nations of the world, and attempts to involve young scientists and those from developing countries.

Emphases for the Inter-Congress Period

Two major integrative themes were identified for Working Groups or Sub-commissions to explore during the inter-Congress period (2003-7):

Future focus areas

The Commission hopes to eventually link with specialists in:

• IGBP PAGES Focus 5 HITE
• DNA and genetics
• Former working groups that had been part of other INQUA commissions, and which may wish to continue as participants in the PAHE Commission.