Chris Stringer, who has just received a CBE for his work on human evolution, tells how his remarkable quest as a young researcher transformed understanding of our species
As with so many other careers, chance played a major role in my pursuit of science. After a childhood in which I displayed a disquieting interest in skulls and stories about Neanderthals, I was – after a challenging stint as a supply teacher in east London in 1966 – about to train as a doctor at London Hospital medical college when I discovered there was actually a university subject called “anthropology”.
The course included archaeology as well as studies of fossils. My parents were unsure but in the end backed my switch away from medicine. I started a course – at University College London – that included behind-the-scenes visits to London’s Natural History Museum.
