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:

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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

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News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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Working up a sweat Dinosaurs were warm-blooded, new study says Nov. 11, 2009 -- Were dinosaurs "warm-blooded" like present-day mammals and birds, or "cold-blooded" like present day lizards? The implications of this simple-sounding question go beyond deciding whether or not you'd snuggle up to a dinosaur on a cold winter's evening. In a study published this week in the journal PLoS ONE, a team of researchers, including Herman Pontzer, Ph.D., assistant professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, has found strong evidence that many dinosaur species were probably warm-blooded.

Tools of the trade Chimpanzees develop specialized tool kits to catch army ants, finds WUSTL expert Sept. 4, 2009 -- Juvenile male chimpanzee in the Goualougo Triangle, Republic of Congo. Download Chimpanzees in the Congo have developed specialized "tool kits" to forage for army ants, reveals new research published Sept. 3 in the American Journal of Primatology. This not only provides the first direct evidence of multiple tool use in this context, but suggests that chimpanzees have developed a sustainable way of harvesting food. A team from the Goualougo Triangle Ape Project, led by Crickette Sanz, Ph.D., assistant professor of Anthropology in Arts & Sciences, studied several communities of chimpanzee throughout the Nouabalé-Ndoki national park in the Republic of Congo.

Fishy science First direct evidence of substantial fish consumption by early modern humans in China July 9, 2009 -- Freshwater fish are an important part of the diet of many peoples around the world, but it has been unclear when fish became an essential part of the year-round diet for early humans. A new study by an international team of researchers, including Erik Trinkaus, Ph.D., the Mary Tileston Hemenway Professor of Anthropology in Arts & Sciences, shows it may have happened in China as far back as 40,000 years ago.

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Related News Clips:

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Show More Anthropology Clips

Chimps use 'tool kits' to gather army ants United Press International and 3 others Sept. 10, 2009 -- Researchers led by WUSTL anthropology professor Crickette Sanz in the Republic of Congo's Nouabale-Ndoki National Park said they have discovered chimpanzees that have developed specialized "tool sets" to forage for army ants.

Burqa Furor Scrambles French Politics The New York Times and 2 others Sept. 1, 2009 -- In France, a parliamentary commission will soon meet to investigate whether to ban any cloak that covers most of the face. WUSTL anthropology professor John Bowen, who wrote "Why the French Don't Like Headscarves: Islam, the State and Public Space," has been asked to testify by the parliamentary commission.

(Un)wired For God Newsweek Aug. 13, 2009 -- Sharon Begley reports on new data in the debate on neurobiology and whether we are wired to believe in God. In a paper last month in the online journal Evolutionary Psychology, Gregory Paul posits that, rather than being wired into the brain, religion is a way to cope with stress in a dysfunctional society -- the opium-of-the-people argument. She mentions research by WUSTL anthropology professor Pascal Boyer.

Early human European diets studied United Press International and 4 others Aug. 12, 2009 -- U.S. and Canadian scientists say data from human fossils suggest a shift in animal resource exploitation as humans spread into Europe 40,000 years ago. There is little evidence for the regular eating of fish by the Neanderthals, but early humans consistently consumed fish, supplementing their diet. This study by WUSTL anthropology professor Erik Trinkaus a Canadian colleague was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The Susan Boyle phenomenon: redefining beauty, grace, and success? The Christian Science Monitor April 22, 2009 -- A video clip from the TV show Britain's Got Talent of Scot Susan Boyle winning over skeptical judges and a cynical crowd has been viewed more than 40 million times, making it one of the most popular YouTube videos ever posted. WUSTL anthropology professor Robert Canfield comments on a deeper meaning in the singer's YouTube popularity.

Modern life's pressures may be hastening human evolution Miami Herald online and 23 others April 13, 2009 -- Even today, scientists say that human beings are continuing to evolve as our genes respond to rapid changes in the world around us. WUSTL anthropology professor Robert Sussman comments.

Late Neandertals and Modern Human Contact in Southeastern Iberia ScienceDaily.com and 2 others Dec. 10, 2008 -- New research, published Dec. 8 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is now shedding some light on what were probably the last Neanderthals. The research is based on a study of human fossils found during the past decade in Spain by Michael Walker, professor at Universidad de Murcia, and colleagues, and published by Walker, WUSTL anthropology professor Erik Trinkaus, and colleagues.

Were Neanderthals stoned to death by modern humans? New Scientist (UK) Nov. 20, 2008 -- New research suggests human aerial bombardments might have pushed Neanderthals to extinction. However, WUSTL paleoanthropologist Erik Trinkaus doubts that projectile weapons played a major role in human culture before about 25,000 years ago and the extinction of Neanderthals.

Last of the Neanderthals National Geographic Sept. 25, 2008 -- Discussion on the fossilized remains of a group of Neanderthals who lived approximately 43,000 years ago. Many mutually contradictory interpretations have been made about these bones. WUSTL's Eric Trinkaus is one of the experts commenting and debating.

Cavemen vs. Us: Who'd Win the Evolution Olympics? FoxNews.com and 2 others Aug. 19, 2008 -- Olympic athletes may benefit from today's sports drinks and high-tech training, but their gymnastics or wrestling performance probably pales in comparison to what early human ancestors could have pulled off. WUSTL physical anthropologist Erik Trinkaus comments.

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.

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.