The ‘CHRONOS’ project, an independent research fellowship based at the University of York funded by the Natural Environment Research Council, is transforming how we date some of the world’s most important human fossils from South Africa’s Cradle of Humankind, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. By applying amino acid dating directly to fossil teeth, the project tackles long-standing uncertainties in the age of key fossils spanning ~3.6–0.8 million years ago, particularly specimens from historic museum collections that may lack detailed excavation records.  This will build a more precise timeline for major evolutionary events, including the emergence of upright walking, dietary change, and the transition from Australopithecus to Paranthropus and early Homo.

By developing innovative lab-on-a-chip microfluidic technology, the CHRONOS project delivers robust, high-resolution age estimates while strengthening research capacity within South Africa. Portable and efficient microfluidic systems are designed to enable amino acid dating to be carried out in-country, reducing reliance on overseas laboratories and facilitating greater analytical collaboration within facilities closer to the fossil sites and collections.