Evolution and Ecology

Faculty in this specialization use methods and theory from ecology and evolution to study the behavior and adaptations of primates and humans, past and present, in their environmental context.

This includes field studies on primate and human behavioral ecology (Konner), describing genetic and cultural adaptations, population history, and ecological context of past human populations through the use of ancient DNA and archeology (Lindo, Stout), as well as using the comparative method to identify shared and unique traits of humans and our closest living relatives, as in the realm of neuroanatomy and brain function (Rilling, Stout) or social behavior.

Faculty also apply evolutionary theory and logic to better understand population health and wellbeing. By covering a wide range of study populations and methods, unified by evolutionary theory, faculty in this specialization provide a highly comprehensive approach to evolutionary anthropology.