Anthropology

Anthropology, through its subdisciplines of archaeological, biological, and sociocultural anthropology, seeks to understand the entire range of human adaptation and diversity. The anthropology major may be taken as part of a general liberal arts education or as preprofessional training leading to gradual work. Students majoring in anthropology are expected to take a wide range of courses in the humanities and in the social, behavioral, and natural sciences. Course programs are planned by students and their advisers to meet students' interests.

Faculty Experts:

Showing Anthropology Experts 1 through 5 of 28.  - Show More

D. Tab Rasmussen Professor of Anthropology in Arts and Sciences Rasmussen studies primate evolution by drawing on two major lines of evidence: the fossil record and the comparative study of living primates. One goal of this research is to trace the actual course of primate evolution. More importantly, detailed studies of primate evolution can provide insight into ... Expertise: primate evolution, fossil record, evolutionary transitions, primate origins, anthropoid origins, prosimian primates, paleontology, … Media assistance: (314) 935-5235 / nschoenherr@wustl.edu

Bradley P. Stoner Associate Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology in Arts and Sciences Dr. Stoner, who joined the Infectious Disease division in 1995, holds a joint appointment as Associate Professor of Anthropology in Arts & Sciences. He studied anthropology at Harvard University and McGill University, and received the M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Indiana University. He completed residency ... Expertise: anthropology, public health, medicine, sexually transmitted diseases, biomedicine, medical anthropology, anthropology of public health, … Direct contact: (314) 935-5673 / bstoner@wustl.edu

Lois Beck Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology in Arts and Sciences Expertise: Qashqa'i nomadic pastoralists, Iran, Islam, political anthropology, history, tribe-state relations, gender, … Direct contact: (314) 935-5290

Margaret Brown Assistant Professor of Sociocultural Anthropology in Arts and Sciences Expertise: equality and hierarchy, kinship and social organization, economic and political development, Madagascar, Indian Ocean Direct contact: (314) 935-8279 / mbrown@wustl.edu

Pedro Cavalcanti Professor of Social Anthropology in Arts and Sciences Expertise: social theories, social thought, world views and iedologies, historical, political, and cultural changes, Latin America, … Direct contact: (314) 935-5870 / pcucaval@wustl.edu

Showing Anthropology Experts 1 through 5 of 28.  - Show More

News Stories & Tip Sheets:

Showing Anthropology Stories 1 through 3 of 34.  - Show More

Where's the beef? Ancient cave bears as omnivorous as modern bears, research suggests Jan. 8, 2008 -- Rather than being gentle giants, new research reveals that Pleistocene cave bears ate both plants and animals and competed for food with the other contemporary large carnivores of the time. Rather than being gentle giants, new research conducted in part by Erik Trinkaus, Ph.D., professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, reveals that Pleistocene cave bears ate both plants and animals and competed for food with the other contemporary large carnivores of the time: hyaenas, lions, wolves and our own human ancestors.

'She represented the hope of a fresh break' Anthropologist who lived in Pakistan comments on Benazir Bhutto's death Dec. 27, 2007 -- The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is not only a great loss to Pakistan, but also a great loss to the world says a sociocultural anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis who lived in Pakistan for six months and whose research focuses on Islamic movements in that country and in Afghanistan.

What lies beneath Imaging technology ignites career of anthropologist, anatomist Nov. 9, 2007 -- Glenn Conroy and Jane Phillips-Conroy with their awards for outstanding teaching His modest demeanor provides little hint of neither his brilliant career nor the ivy-paved path that serendipitously led him to Washington University in St. Louis more than 20 years ago. A renowned anthropologist, Glenn Conroy, Ph.D., has been gathering valuable fossil remains of humans and non-human primates for more than 30 years. Some of his best work is on display through January in the Farrell Learning and Teaching Center (See it now).

Showing Anthropology Stories 1 through 3 of 34.  - Show More

Related News Clips:

Showing Anthropology Clips 1 through 5 of 34.  - Show More

Show More Anthropology Clips

Dental work claim challenges antiquity of hobbit skeleton Scientific American online April 23, 2008 -- Most paleoanthropologists believe that the 18,000 year old Flores, Indonesia hobbit belongs to a new species of human, But now comes word that the specimen used to define the species appears to have had some dental work. If so, it would mean that the hobbit was just a modern human with a growth disorder, which is what critics have argued all along. Paleoanthropologist and WUSTL radiology professor Charles Hildebolt examined the CT scans and said that it is unlikely that any type of filling material is in the tooth.

Computer 'Recreates' Neanderthal Speech FoxNews.com April 17, 2008 -- No one is really sure what Neanderthals sounded like, or even if they could speak. But one Florida researcher thinks he can guess, by using ancient skeletons to reconstruct an approximation of the Neanderthal vocal tract -- and then having a computer recreate the sounds it would make. Neanderthals' inability to produce these vowels would have severely limited their ability to form and understand a complex language, McCarthy argues, though WUSTL anthropologist Erik Trinkaus, one of the world's leading experts on Neanderthals, disagrees. "Ultimately what is important is not the anatomy of the mouth, but the neuronal control of it," Trinkaus.

Neanderthals speak out after 30,000 years New Scientist (UK) and FoxNews.com April 16, 2008 -- An anthropologist has used new reconstructions of Neanderthal vocal tracts to simulate the voice. He says the ancient human's speech lacked the "quantal vowel" sounds that underlie modern speech. WUSTL anthropologist Erik Trinkaus comments.

Study: Neanderthals Not Doomed by Skull Shape FoxNews.com and 1 others March 25, 2008 -- WUSTL's Erik Trinkaus comments on a study that tries to refute the idea that natural selection caused skull differences between Neanderthals and modern humans.

Wild ass tamed, buried with Egyptian king MSNBC.com and 14 others March 11, 2008 -- One of the earliest Egyptian kings carried his "beasts of burden" into the afterlife. Paleoscientists discovered the skeletons of 10 donkeys nestled in three mud graves dating back 5,000 years ago when Egypt was just forming a state. WUSTL anthropologist Fiona Marshall comments. The new findings are reported online in the March 10 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

First shoes are 40,000 years old The Sun (UK) and 13 others Jan. 23, 2008 -- The first shoes were designed at least 40,000 years ago. Scientists made the toe-curling discovery while examining bones from the feet of a 40,000-year-old skeleton found in a cave near Beijing in China. The study by WUSTL's Erik Trinkaus professor of anthropology and research scientist Hong Shang was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Ancient cave bears were as omnivorous as modern bears DailyIndia.com (FL) and 6 others Jan. 8, 2008 -- An International team of researchers has suggested that Pleistocene cave bears from the Carpathian region in Europe, were as omnivorous as modern bears. For the past 30 years, studies of their bones and teeth, and especially the nitrogen isotopes in their bone protein, had led to the conclusion that these ancient bears were largely vegetarian. Erik Trinkaus, WUSTL professor of anthropology, was part of this study.

Dwarf Gene Discovery: Explanation for Hobbit Species? ABC News Jan. 4, 2008 -- In a discovery that could help boost understanding of a rare type of dwarfism, researchers announced today that they have found a genetic culprit for the condition. WUSTL genetics professor Anne Bowcock and WUSTL radiology professor Charles Hildebolt comment.

Neanderthals hard-wired to talk ABC Science Online (Australia) Oct. 19, 2007 -- A new study of Neanderthal DNA, suggests Neanderthals had the ability to create language. The finding hinges upon a single, yet critical, gene called FOXP2, which prior studies have linked to language and speech. WUSTL anthropology professor Erik Trinkaus wrote a commentary on the new research. In it, Trinkaus says there is no "silver bullet" like language, "which identifies us as 'human' and which can be used to identify past human forms as more or less 'human'."

Neanderthals roamed as far as Siberia NewScientist.com (UK) Oct. 1, 2007 -- Researchers say the genetic sequence of an adolescent Neanderthal found in southern Siberia closely matches that of Neanderthals found in western Europe, suggesting that this close relative of modern humans migrated very long distances. The study may not settle the debate over Neanderthal's range definitively, though. WUSTL anthropology professor Eric Trinkaus questions whether it definitively proves the Okladnikov bones to be those of Neanderthals.

Ancient nomads offer insights to modern crises The New York Times and 1 others Aug. 8, 2007 -- Every summer for the past eight years, WUSTL anthropologist Michael Frachetti has come to the desert steppe that rolls like endless yellow waves across this expansive Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan searching for evidence of a vast, connected nomadic society. His work concerns Bronze Age nomads, and his scholarship is aimed purely at a historical understanding of how a preliterate society functioned more than 3,000 years ago. But his work coincides with a geopolitical reality that has important implications for American foreign policy makers: many of the countries that most trouble the West -- like Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia -- have government institutions that reflect a nomadic past.

Were Neanderthals our enemies or lovers? Telegraph.co.uk (UK) July 31, 2007 -- Roger Highfield writes about new evidence that modern humans not only lived among Neanderthals but may also have interbred with them. Article features the work of Chris Stringer, author of Homo Britannicus: The Incredible Story of Human Life in Britain and WUSTL anthropologist Erik Trinkaus, among others.

When it comes to walking, we've got the jump on chimps Los Angeles Times and 18 others July 17, 2007 -- A new study has found that walking on two legs is 75% easier for you than it is for a chimpanzee. David Raichlen and Herman Pontzer, professors at the University of Arizona and WUSTL, respectively, investigated the costs of walking upright and on all fours in chimps and humans.

Ancient human unearthed in China BBCNews.com (UK) and 19 others April 3, 2007 -- The remains of one of the earliest modern humans to inhabit eastern Asia have been unearthed in a cave in China. The find could shed light on how our ancestors colonised the East, a movement that is only poorly understood by anthropologists. Details of the discovery appear in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. WUSTL anthropologist and co-author Erik Trinkaus comments.

A leg up on efficiency Los Angeles Times and 3 others March 19, 2007 -- THAT leggy friend who looks better than you in shorts also burns fuel more efficiently while walking or running, a researcher has found. WUSTL biological anthropologist Herman Pontzer made this discovery while testing a mathematical model for calculating energy costs for locomotion. His study is published in the February issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology.

Modern Technology Reveals Mummy's Past Associated Press Online and 86 others March 19, 2007 -- A baby mummy from the Roman Empire period will go on display at the St. Louis Science Center. It sat in a museum warehouse until Al Wiman joined the Science Center as vice president two years ago and suggested that modern medical technology could unlock its secrets. He spearheaded efforts to get medical, science and art institutions in St. Louis, the U.S., and Egypt to discover the mummy's past. WUSTL radiologist Charles Hildebolt and WUSTL geneticist Anne Bowcock comment.

Darwin's God The New York Times Magazine March 13, 2007 -- A New York Times Magazine cover story examines controversial theories about the existence of God and what some call the scientific assault on religion that has been garnering attention recently. But lost in the hullabaloo over the neo-atheists is a quieter and potentially more illuminating debate. It is taking place not between science and religion but within science itself, specifically among the scientists studying the evolution of religion. One of the scientists mentioned is WUSTL anthropology professor Pascal Boyer.

Skull suggests possible humans-Neanderthals interbreeding Associated Press and 146 others Jan. 16, 2007 -- A skull found in a cave in Romania includes features of both modern humans and Neanderthals, possibly suggesting that the two may have interbred thousands of years ago. Neanderthals were replaced by early modern humans. Researchers have long debated whether the two groups mixed together, though most doubt it. The skull bearing both older and modern characteristics is discussed in a paper by WUSTL anthropologist Erik Trinkaus. The report appears in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Genomic "time machine" may pinpoint divergence of human and Neandertal Scientific American Nov. 16, 2006 -- Article reports on two research teams who say they have rebuilt, or sequenced, long segments of Neanderthal DNA using the 38,000-year-old remains of a 38-year-old male, found in a Croatian cave. The technique is not only yielding new insights into Neanderthals, reported in Nature and Science, it's also likely to prove an important tool in teasing out secrets about how plants and animals evolved. WUSTL anthropologist Erik Trinkaus says he sees problems with how the two teams interpret some of their information.

Digging for the Truth The History Channel Sept. 22, 2006 -- WUSTL anthropology and archaeology professors Tristram Kidder and John Kelly were featured in a History Channel show on the people who lived in Cahokia.

News Features:

Chimpanzees with little or no human contact found in remote African rainforest

[St. Louis, Mo., March 2003] - It's been called "The Last Place on Earth" by National Geographic magazine, and Time describes it as the "Last Eden." The Goualougo Triangle, nestled between two rivers in a Central African rain forest, is so remote that primate researchers who traveled 34 miles, mostly by foot, from the nearest village through dense forests and swampland to get there, have discovered a rare find: chimpanzees that have had very little or no contact at all with humans. More info

Humans may not be as aggressive and competitive as thought

[St. Louis, Mo., 3-1-02] - Is it human nature to be competitive? Aggressive? Violent? Popular and scientific literature says yes. An anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis who studies primate behavior says no. Robert W. Sussman, Ph.D., professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, and a colleague found that affiliative behavior -- or friendly behavior like grooming and playing -- is probably a hundred times more frequent than aggressive behavior in primates, and that aggressive behavior constitutes less than 1 percent of primates' activities. More info

Washington People: John Bowen's pioneering research reveals intricacies of Gayo culture -- and broader lessons as well

In the highlands of Sumatra, Indonesia, known for its coffee plantations, rice fields and spectacular vistas, John R. Bowen, Ph.D., professor of anthropology in Arts and Sciences, has documented a rich and complex tapestry of cultural change among the Gayo, who inhabit the area. More info

Quick Summary: Faculty Expertise, Department of Anthropology (2002-03)

• Lois C Beck (Prof; Sociocultural) -- Political anthropology, history, tribe-state relations, Nomadic Pastoralism, Islam, Gender; Iran, the Middle East.
• John R Bowen (Dunbar Van Cleve Prof; Sociocultural) -- Religion and ritual, Islam, social theory, kinship and social organization, historical studies, culture and political change; Sumatra, Indonesia, Europe.
• Pascal Boyer (Luce Prof; Sociocultural and Psychology) -- Cognitive processes, cultural transmission, cognitive development, evolutionary psychology, cross-cultural psychology, religion.
• David L Browman (Prof; Archaeology) -- North and Latin American archaeology; origins of agricultural economies; development of complex societies; pastoralism; historical archaeology.
• Margaret L Brown (Asst Prof; Sociocultural) -- Equality and Hierarchy, kinship and social organization, economic and political development, Madagascar, Indian Ocean. On leave 2002-03.
• Robert L Canfield (Prof; Sociocultural) -- Political anthropology, peasant society, ethnicity and symbolism, historical anthropology; Afghanistan, Central Asia and Eastern Islamic World.
• Pedro Cavalcanti (Prof; Sociocultural) -- Social theories, social thought, worldviews and ideologies, historical, political, and cultural changes; Latin America, Europe.
• James Cheverud (Prof; Physical Anth and Anatomy) -- Quantitative genetics, evolutionary theory, human genetics, human and nonhuman primate biology.
• Geoff Childs (Asst Prof; Sociocultural) -- Anthropological demography, historical demography, fertility, ageing, family systems, research methodology; Tibet, Nepal.
• Glenn Conroy (Prof; Physical Anth and Anatomy) -- Primate evolution and comparative anatomy, human evolution; Southern Africa.
• Darla Dale (Lecturer; Archaeology) -- Archaeology; hunter-gatherers; socioeconomic inequality; East Africa.
• Patrick Eisenlohr (Asst Prof; Linguistic Anthropology) -- Linguistic anthropology, diasporas, nationalism, creolization, ethnicization of language, South Asia, Mauritius.
• Sara L. Friedman (Asst Prof; Sociocultural) -- Gender and sexuality, marriage and kinship, socialism, cultural and political change, subjectivity, gender and labor politics, ethnicity, China, Taiwan.
• Gayle J Fritz (Assoc Prof; Archaeology) -- Paleoethnobotany; development of agricultural systems; plant domestication; subsistence and culture change; North American prehistory.
• Bret Gustafson (Asst Prof; Sociocultural) -- Anthropology of the state, social movements, and development flows; vernacular literacy and education; natural resource exploitation and territoriality; Latin America, Bolivia.
• John Kelly (Lecturer; Archaeology) -- Archeology of eastern North America, Mississippian emergence and decline; North America.
• Rebecca Lester (Asst Prof; Sociocultural) -- Medical anthropology, gender, embodiment, religion and ritual, psychological anthropology, cross-cultural psychiatry; Mexico, United States.
• Fiona B Marshall (Prof; Archaeology) -- Old World Prehistory, African Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Zooarchaeology, Early food production, the archaeology of human origins.
• G Edward Montgomery (Assoc Prof; Sociocultural) -- Anthropology of America; postethnicity; culture & alternative medicine; food & culture; life cycles & life's stages.
• Shanti Parikh (Asst. Prof; Sociocultural) -- Sexuality and HIV/AIDS, social change, globalization, gender, popular culture, East Africa.
• Jane Phillips-Conroy (Prof; Physical Anth and Anatomy) -- Behavior and ecology, primate biology; East Africa, South America.
• D Tab Rasmussen (Prof; Physical Anth) -- Primate evolution, paleontology.
• Richard J Smith (Morrow Disting. Univ Prof; Physical Anth) -- Primate comparative and functional morphology, quantitative methods, biomechanics, Miocene hominids. On leave Spring 2003.
• Glenn D Stone (Assoc Prof; Sociocultural and Env Studies) -- Political ecology; agricultural change and intensification; biotechnology; settlement patterns; quantitative and computer methods; ethnoarchaeology; subSaharan Africa, India, prehistoric US Southwest.
• Bradley P Stoner (Assoc. Prof; Sociocultural and Internal Medicine) -- Medical anthropology, epidemiology, anthropology of public health, sexually transmitted diseases; Peru, urban North America.
• Robert W Sussman (Prof; Physical Anth) -- Primate ecology, behavior and evolution. Models of early human behavior. Conservation. Madagascar, Mauritius, Costa Rica, Guyana.
• Erik Trinkaus (Hemenway Prof; Physical Anth; Dept Chair) -- Human paleontology; skeletal biology; functional anatomy, Paleolithic archaeology.
• Patty Jo Watson (Mallinckrodt Disting. Univ Prof; Archaeology) -- Archaeological theory and method, archaeological ethnography, origins of food production, cave archaeology; Western Asia, Eastern Woodlands of North America.