The society promotes the broad field of research which investigates how humans evolved both biologically and culturally. It aims to stimulate communication and scientific cooperation between scientists, and to improve public understanding of human evolution. Contributing scientific disciplines typically include hominin palaeontology and genetics; comparative and functional studies of extant primates; palaeolithic archaeology; archaeological sciences, palaeoecology and palaeogeography, as well as any other field of science addressing biological or cultural evolution of hominins prior to the emergence of agriculture.