• Professor, Anthropology

Trinkaus

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• B.A. in Art History at University of Wisconsin
• M.A. in Anthropology at University of Pennsylvania
• Ph.D. in Anthropology at University of Pennsylvania

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Early human European diets studied 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. References: Aug. 11, 2009 — Early human European diets studied in the United Press International and 4 others.

Late Neandertals and Modern Human Contact in Southeastern Iberia 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. References: Dec. 8, 2008 — Late Neandertals and Modern Human Contact in Southeastern Iberia in the ScienceDaily.com and 2 others.

Were Neanderthals stoned to death by modern humans? 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. References: Nov. 20, 2008 — Were Neanderthals stoned to death by modern humans? in the New Scientist (UK)

Last of the Neanderthals Erik Trinkaus comments and debates on "the last of the Neanderthals." 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. References: Oct. 1, 2008 — Last of the Neanderthals in the National Geographic

Cavemen vs. Us: Who'd Win the Evolution Olympics? 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. References: Aug. 6, 2008 — Cavemen vs. Us: Who'd Win the Evolution Olympics? in the FoxNews.com and 2 others.

Computer 'Recreates' Neanderthal Speech 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. References: April 17, 2008 — Computer 'Recreates' Neanderthal Speech in the FoxNews.com

Neanderthals speak out after 30,000 years Neandertal expert Trinkaus comments on new technology that may let us hear Neandertal speech. 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. References: April 15, 2008 — Neanderthals speak out after 30,000 years in the New Scientist (UK) April 17, 2008 — Computer 'Recreates' Neanderthal Speech in the FoxNews.com

Study: Neanderthals Not Doomed by Skull Shape 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. References: March 25, 2008 — Study: Neanderthals Not Doomed by Skull Shape in the FoxNews.com and 1 others.

First shoes are 40,000 years old 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. References: Jan. 23, 2008 — First shoes are 40,000 years old in the The Sun (UK) and 13 others.

Ancient cave bears were as omnivorous as modern bears 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. References: Jan. 8, 2008 — Ancient cave bears were as omnivorous as modern bears in the DailyIndia.com (FL) and 6 others.

Neanderthals hard-wired to talk A study of Neanderthal DNA suggests Neanderthals created language. Expert Erik Trinkaus comments on the study. 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'." References: Oct. 19, 2007 — Neanderthals hard-wired to talk in the ABC Science Online (Australia)

Neanderthals roamed as far as Siberia DNA extracted from skeletal remains shows Neanderthals roamed much farther east than previously thought. 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. References: Sept. 30, 2007 — Neanderthals roamed as far as Siberia in the NewScientist.com (UK)

Were Neanderthals our enemies or lovers? New evidence shows that Neandertals and humans were often friends - and sometimes lovers. 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. References: July 31, 2007 — Were Neanderthals our enemies or lovers? in the Telegraph.co.uk (UK)

Ancient human unearthed in China Erik Trinkaus, professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, comments on the recent discovery of early human remains in China. 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. References: April 2, 2007 — Ancient human unearthed in China in the BBCNews.com (UK) and 19 others.

Skull suggests possible humans-Neanderthals interbreeding 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. References: Jan. 15, 2007 — Skull suggests possible humans-Neanderthals interbreeding in the Associated Press and 146 others.

Genomic "time machine" may pinpoint divergence of human and Neandertal Erik Trinkaus of anthropology in Arts & Sciences, explains the questions of Neandertal genes. 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. References: Nov. 15, 2006 — Genomic "time machine" may pinpoint divergence of human and Neandertal in the Scientific American

Researchers offer a new date for Neanderthals' last stand Anthropologist Erik Trinkaus says the new dates offered for the end of the Neanderthals may not be precise. An international team of scientists thinks it has solved the ultimate mystery of the Neanderthals: where and when they made their last stand before extinction. It was at Gibraltar 28,000 years ago, the scientists say, about 2,000 years more recently than previously thought. Erik Trinkaus, a Neanderthal specialist at Washington University in St. Louis who was not a member of the discovery team, expressed reservations about the accuracy of the date of 28,000 years ago, noting that it was based on analysis of tiny pieces of charcoal, which often move from one layer to another in sediments. References: Sept. 14, 2006 — Researchers offer a new date for Neanderthals' last stand in the The New York Times

Researchers find ancient shoes Though humans may have wrapped their feet in skins earlier, Erik Trinkaus, an anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis, says sturdy shoes originated between 40,000 and 26,000 years ago. Trinkaus studied the foot bones of Neandertals living 100,000 to 40,000 years ago, compared them with the more delicate foot bones of our ancestors living 26,000 years ago, and concludes that shoe wearers developed weaker toes because of the reduced stress and increased support footwear allows. From there, shoes evolved like stone tools and art, with other advances in human culture. References: Sept. 1, 2006 — Sandal in the National Geographic

Skull details suggest Neanderthals were not humans Ever since their discovery in the 19th century, Neanderthals have been like the uncomfortably odd relatives who show up at a family reunion. Should they be seated with the closest kin, sent to the back of the room with the distant cousins or tossed out as rank interlopers, despite a family resemblance? In short, were the now-extinct Neanderthals of Europe full members of the modern human species, a subspecies or an entirely different species? The answer has implications for the ancestry of modern Europeans: whether some Neanderthal blood could flow in their veins. Eric Trinkaus, the Mary Tileston Hemenway professor of physical anthropology at WUSTL, comments on the most recent findings about Neandertals and the current research he conducts aobut the "origins of modern humans" debate. References: March 10, 2004 — Skull details suggest Neandertals were not humans in the The New York Times and 30 others.

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This research includes considerations of the "origins of modern humans" debate, the interpretation of the archeological record, and patterns of recent human anatomical variations. However, it has been principally through the analysis of human fossil remains that he has sought to shed light on these issues.

This research involves the analysis of the functional anatomy, life history patterns, and lesions of these prehistoric humans to assess differential levels and patterns of activities and stress. As such, this work has involved diverse areas of research, including biomechanics, bone biology, taphonomy, demography, pathology and recent human skeletal biology, in addition to traditional aspects of human paleontological analysis.

Until recently, most of these analyses have been concerned with the Neandertals, employing them as generally indicative of late archaic humans and as a mirror against which to see the emergence of modern human biology. As a result, we now know more about the paleobiology of the Neandertals than we do about earlier Pleistocene hominids or early modern humans. His research has therefore expanded to focus on the complex patterns of human evolutionary change through the Early and especially Middle Pleistocene, and on the paleobiology and behavior of early modern humans.

The latter includes analyses of early modern humans from Africa and East Asia but focuses on those from the Middle Paleolithic of the Near East (Qafzeh and Skhul) and the European early Upper Paleolithic. He is co-organizing and participating in an international team of specialists to describe and analyze the largest known sample of early modern human remains, those from Dolni Vestonice and Pavlov in southern Moravia, Czech Republic (appendicular remains and data).

A fossil catalogue with measurements of the remains has appeared (The People of the Pavlovian) and additional descriptions are in process. He is also the principal human paleontologist studying the early Upper Paleolithic (ca.25,000 B.P.) child's skeleton from the Abrido do Lagar Velho, Portugal, a specimen which indicates some degree of admixture between the Neandertals and early modern humans in Iberia (see the Instituto Português de Arquelogia Web site).

Trinkaus' contributions to his field were recognized in 1996 when he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. Prolific in his writings, his research papers quickly become the raw material for textbooks. His publications include six books, three of them edited volumes, and more than 140 articles, chapters and reviews. He has organized and/or participated in nearly 40 national and international symposia, he serves on the advisory panel or editorial board of six journals, and is frequently quoted in the popular media.

Trinkaus is also an excellent and demanding teacher. His courses include classes on human paleontology, human functional anatomy, Paleolithic archeology and human biological variation.

Courses

Human paleontology, Human Functional Anatomy, Paleobiological analysis of skeletal remains, Paleoanthropology, Human Variation, The Neandertal Legacy

Selected Publications

Sladek, V., Trinkaus, E., Hillson, S.W. & Holliday, T.W.

2000 The People of the Pavlovian: Skeletal Catalogue and Osteometrics of the Gravettian Fossil Hominids from Dolni Vestonice and Pavlov. Dolni Vestonice Studies 5. Brno: Akademie ved Ceske republicky. pp. 244.

Trinkaus, E., Svoboda, J., West, D.L., Sladek, V., Hillson, S.W., Drozdova, E. & Fisakova, M.

2000 Human remains from the Moravian Gravettian: Morphology and taphonomy of isolated elements from the Dolni Vestonice II site. Journal of Archaeological Science. 27, 1115-1132. COMPLETE TEXT IN RTF FORMAT

Duarte, C., Maurício, J., Pettitt, P.B., Souto, P., Trinkaus, E., van der Plicht, H., & Zilhão, J.

1999 The early Upper Paleolithic human skeleton from the Abrigo do Lagar Velho (Portugal) and modern human emergence in Iberia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (USA) 96: 7604-7609.

Trinkaus, E. & Ruff, C.B.

1999 Diaphyseal cross-sectional geometry of Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic humans: The femur. Journal of Archaeological Science 26: 409-424.

Trinkaus, E. & Churchill, S.E.

1999 Diaphyseal cross-sectional geometry of Near Eastern Middle Paleolithic humans: The humerus. Journal of Archaeological Science 26: 173- 184.

Trinkaus, E., Ruff, C.B., Churchill, S.E., & Vandermeersch, B.

1998 Locomotion and body proportions of the Saint-Césaire 1 Châtelperronian Neandertal. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 95: 5836-5840.

Trinkaus, E.

1995 Neanderthal mortality patterns. Journal of Archaeological Science 22: 121-142.

Trinkaus, E., & Shipman, P.

1993 The Neandertals: Changing the Image of Mankind. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Pub.

Trinkaus, E.

1983 The Shanidar Neandertals. New York: Academic Press.