Yves Coppens, born in Vannes in 1934, has been fascinated by prehistory since childhood, and began his research career with a number of excavations and prospecting projects in Brittany during his secondary school and university years (advanced studies in natural sciences at Rennes, doctoral studies in paleontology at Paris-Sorbonne).
After joining the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in 1956, he turned his attention to ancient periods and distant lands, in this case the limits of the Tertiary and Quaternary periods in the tropical regions of the Old World. From 1960 onwards, he mounted major expeditions, first alone in Chad, then in international collaboration in Ethiopia (Omo Valley and Afar Basin), as well as numerous missions to Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, South Africa, Indonesia, the Philippines, China, Siberia and Mongolia. The results of these campaigns are significant : tens of tons of fossils, including over a thousand Hominid remains ; the results of their study will be fascinating. The history of the last ten million years is becoming clearer ; one hypothesis proposes an environmental explanation for the Hominidae Panidae separation 8 million years ago (Coppens, 1983), another, an explanation for the first deployment of Australopithecines 4 million years ago (Coppens, 1999), another, an explanation for the emergence of the Homo genus 3 million years ago (Coppens 1975) ; these 3 stages follow one another in cymes or spikes, in veritable bouquets, each at the origin of the next, but nevertheless developing its own lineage in an original and independent way (Coppens, 1975). Finally, Yves Coppens has shown, on the basis of differential rates of evolution in biology and technology, how the acquired gradually prevailed over the innate, giving Man his freedom and responsibility, and why, over the last 100 000 years, the evolution of Man has slowed down and then stopped (Coppens 1982, 1988). Associated with the most recent Paleoanthropology discoveries (Chad, Kenya), Yves Coppens is now co-author of 6 new Hominidae (an original world record !)
During these years, Yves Coppens rose through the ranks of the CNRS, before being called, in 1969, to the deputy directorate of the Musée de l'Homme (first professorship), and in 1979, to its director. Appointed Professor of Anthropology at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in 1980, he held this new post for only three years, being elected to the Paleoanthropology and Prehistory Chair at the Collège de France in 1983. Yves Coppens is a member of numerous national and international bodies managing the disciplines in his field, and has directed a laboratory, numerous research programs in Africa and Asia, and two CNRS book collections. He authored over a thousand articles and books in his field.
Yves Coppens died on 22 June 2022.
