Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast AnthroBiology Podcast
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| Keri Porter – What can head trauma tell us about violence in an emerging Bronze Age city? Plus: How to apply for grad school | 31 Dec 2025 | 01:08:01 | |
Keri Porter, a PhD candidate at Notre Dame University, joins the show to discuss their research on patterns of violence in a Bronze Age urban center in the Southern Levant. They focus on cranial trauma and what it can reveal about humans attempting to live together along with what it might reveal about who suffers violence. They also share some excellent recommendations for how to think about grad school, whether or not to go, and tips for applying. Recommendations
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| Dr. Maria Nieves-Colón and Jaime Zolik, MA – Working with Ancient DNA and descendent communities in Peru | 03 Dec 2025 | 00:57:37 | |
Dr. Maria Nieves-Cólon and Jamie Zolik join the show to discuss their ancient DNA research in San Luis de Cañete and what it can reveal about the historical population of the town specifically and the African diaspora in South America generally. They share some of the exciting ways they've forged a partnership with the community in order to carry out the work as ethically as possible. Recommendations
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| Dr. Rebecca Gilmour - Roman bioarchaeology | 26 Feb 2025 | 00:53:33 | |
Dr. Rebecca Gilmour of Mount Royal University talks about bones, their mechanics, and how we can use both to understand humans' lives in the past -- especially around her main focus of disability and care in ancient Rome. Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode + helpful sites and articles:
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| Dr. Jesse Goliath - Forensic anthropology | 15 Jan 2025 | 00:55:44 | |
Dr. Jesse Goliath of Mississippi State University joins the show to talk about forensic anthropology, including how he ended up in forensic anthropology and how he developed the Mississippi Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons. We also talk about the complicated relationship between race and forensic anthropology, along with the importance of bringing diverse perspectives to the field. Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode + helpful sites and articles:
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| Dr. Christine Drea – Mechanisms of female dominance (hyenas, lemurs, meerkats) | 04 Dec 2024 | 00:54:46 | |
Dr. Christine Drea of Duke University joined the show to talk about mechanisms of female dominance, which is when females of a species are more dominant in groups than males. Dr. Drea looks at how genetics, hormones, and social dynamics interact with each other to result in female dominance in hyenas, meerkats, and lemurs.
Content warning: We talk about animal genitalia and hyenas' traumatic birthing process. Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode + helpful sites and articles:
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| Dr. Lauren Butaric - Sinuses | 16 Oct 2024 | 00:48:58 | |
Dr. Lauren Butaric of University of Florida joined the show to talk about sinuses - what they are, why we have them, how they can be used in forensic contexts, and what they can tell us about people. I personally love these anatomy-based discussions. It's just so exciting to do a deep dive into these dark cavities.
Here are some of the articles I found helpful while prepping for this episode:
Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode + helpful sites:
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| Dr. Gwen Robbins Schug - Bioarchaeology + anthropology in policymaking | 01 Aug 2024 | 00:50:43 | |
Dr. Gwen Robbins Schug from the University of North Carolina - Greebsboro discusses some of the projects her lab is working on, including skeletal and dental pathology in past populations and istopic analysis of human remains. She also touches on the importance of integrating biological anthropology into climate change and global health policies. These two articles are great examples of how bio anthro could inform policymaking:
Honestly, we probably could have done an entire show on just one article. And I might do that in the future. For now, I encourage you to read the articles. They illustrate how answering questions about our past can help us build a better future. Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode:
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| Dr. Sabrina Sholts - The Human Disease: How We Create Pandemics, from Our Bodies to Our Beliefs | 13 Jun 2024 | 00:56:07 | |
Dr. Sholts of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History joins the show to discuss her new book, The Human Disease: How We Create Pandemics, from Our Bodies to Our Beliefs. Dr. Sholts uses an anthropological lens to understand epidemics. She touches on One Health, historical and current epidemics, the role misinformation plays in the spread of disease, and science communication. Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode:
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| Dr. Mark Griffin - Teeth in pre-contact Native American groups | 03 Jun 2024 | 01:03:41 | |
Dr. Griffin of San Francisco State University joins the show to discuss dental caries and toothwear in pre-contact Native American groups. Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode:
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| Dr. Danny Wescott - Body Farm at Texas State | 23 May 2024 | 00:43:41 | |
Dr. Wescott of Texas State University joins the show to discuss the Texas State body farm (Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State - FACTS) and the forensic research carried out there. Books, articles, and selected people mentioned in this episode:
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| Dr. Caroline Goodson & Dr. Trent Trombley - Medieval Teeth, Part 2 | 25 Apr 2024 | 00:56:30 | |
Dr. Goodson (Cambridge University) and Dr. Trombley (Augustana University) join forces on the show to discuss their bioarchaeological-historical collaboration to understand the Medieval mouth. Books, articles, and selected people mentioned in this episode:
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| Dr. Trent Trombley - Medieval Teeth, Part 1 | 25 Mar 2024 | 01:16:51 | |
Dr. Trent Trombley of Augustana University joins the show to talk about his research at Villamagna, a medieval settlement outside of Rome. He uses macroscopic analysis of teeth along with a few other methods to understand life in the past. Links mentioned in the show: | |||
| Dr. Eric Shattuck – How do humans act when we get sick and why? | 29 Oct 2025 | 00:52:27 | |
Dr. Eric Shattuck of Florida State University joins the show to discuss his research on sickness behavior. He wants to know how humans tend to act when they get sick and why they act that way. Recommendations
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| Dr. Clark Spencer Larsen - Using Bioarchaeology to Understand Health | 24 Feb 2024 | 00:40:58 | |
Dr. Clark Spencer Larsen of Ohio State joins the show to discuss his history in the field, bioarchaeology, and how we can use biological anthropology to understand human health in the past. Links mentioned in the show:
Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. Dan Benyshek - Placentophagy | 03 Jan 2024 | 01:09:49 | |
Dr. Daniel Benyshek of UNLV joins the show to discuss plancentophagy. Check out his lab page for more info on placentophagy. Note: There is a special addition at the end of this episode. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. Jeremy DeSilva - Bipedalism | 22 Jul 2023 | 00:43:55 | |
Dr. Jeremy DeSilva of Dartmouth joins the show to discuss bipedalism -- why anthropologists are obsessed with it and how it might have come to be. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Ms. Rhianna Drummond-Clarke - Chimpanzees + Bipedalism | 24 Mar 2023 | 00:49:23 | |
Rhianna Drummond-Clarke, PhD candidate at the Max Planck Institute (Dept. of Human Origins), joins the show to discuss her most recent article examining how environments affect chimp locomotion. She also chat about her time in the field. See her article here: https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/sciadv.add9752 Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. Kirsty Graham - Bonobos + Gestural Communication | 30 Jan 2023 | 00:48:08 | |
Dr. Kirsty Graham from the University of St. Andrews discusses how bonobos use gestures to communicate, which winds into a chat about what that means for ape communication generally -- especially humans. They also have some insights into field research. Check out the article about humans understanding nonhuman ape gestures here: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001939 Listener discretion advised: Bonobo behavior is discussed in this episode, which includes sexual habits. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. James Cole - Stone Tools & Cognition | 21 Dec 2022 | 01:05:35 | |
Dr. James Cole from the University of Brighton joins the show to talk about how studying stone tools can reveal insights about the evolution of cognition in humans. Along the way, we touch on brain size, theory of mind, and social groups. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Mr. Rick Coste - Evolution Talk | 28 Nov 2022 | 00:44:25 | |
Rick Coste, host of the Evolution Talk podcast, talks about his new book (Evolution Talk) and how he became interested in science. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. King & Dr. Fuentes - Research Animal Welfare | 01 Nov 2022 | 00:52:30 | |
Dr. Agustin Fuentes of Princeton and Dr. Barbara King joined the show to discuss the scientific community's responsibility for animals used in research. Should it be done? Is it possible to carry out ethical research involving animals? Want to learn more? Read the article the episode is based on: "Towards an Anti-Maleficent Research Agenda" Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Christian Crowder - Forensic Anthropology | 23 Sep 2022 | 01:11:43 | |
Dr. Christian Crowder from the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office joins the show to talk about his experiences in forensic anthropology, using histology for forensic cases, and how anthropologists are a crucial component of the response team for mass fatality events. Dr. Crowder also talks about his work on the editorial boards of peer-reviewed publications like the Journal of Forensic Anthropology. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. John Lindo - Ancient DNA & Pre-Contact Groups | 20 Jul 2022 | 00:37:00 | |
Dr. John Lindo of Emory talks about ancient DNA -- how it works, what you can understand from it, and why it's important. He explains how he's using ancient DNA to understand the biological diversity of pre-contact indigenous groups in the Americas. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. Erin Blankenship-Sefczek – How does developmental stress affect dental morphology? | 25 Sep 2025 | 00:50:12 | |
Summary Dr. Erin Blankenship-Sefczek of Creighton University joins the show to discuss her research examining the connection between developmental stress and accessory cusps in teeth. Her work focuses on the placement and appearance of extra cusps that occur with greater frequency among individuals who have suffered stress during key developmental periods in their lives. Recommendations
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| Dr. Nicole Iturriaga - Exhuming Violent Histories | 16 Jun 2022 | 01:00:58 | |
Dr. Nicole Iturriaga of UC - Irvine joined the show to talk about her book: Exhuming Violent Histories: Forensics, Memory, and Rewriting Spain's Past. In this episode, we discuss the history of the Spanish Civil War, how forensics can help change perceptions and heal communities, and how the general public perceives forensic anthropology. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. Julia Boughner - Teeth | 18 May 2022 | 00:43:34 | |
Dr. Julia Boughner of the University of Saskatchewan talks about the evolution of human teeth. Why do adults have ~32 teeth? Are our jaws shrinking? What's the deal with wisdom teeth? Does modern dentistry change our evolutionary path? Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Ms. Selina Carlhoff - Archaeogenetics | 20 Apr 2022 | 00:45:31 | |
Ms. Selina Carlhoff, PhD candidate at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, talks about the basics of DNA, what you should know about ancient DNA, and some of the ethical complexities that come with studying prehistoric populations. She also fills us in on her article in Nature, "Genome of a middle Holocene hunter-gatherer from Wallacea." Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. David Braun - Tool Use, Environmental Change, and Niche Construction | 25 Mar 2022 | 00:39:56 | |
Dr. David Braun of George Washington University's Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology in the Anthropology Department chats about the cycles of tool use and niche construction. We talk about how one affects the other and vice versa in cycles, plus the interplay of greater environmental and climate change. Dr. Braun also discusses how we can look into the near and deep past to figure out environmental change. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. Jonathan Marks - Creationism | 23 Feb 2022 | 00:44:43 | |
Dr. Jonathan Marks of the University of North Carolina - Charlotte joins the show to talk about his book, Why Are There Still Creationists? Human Evolution and the Ancestors. We chat about one of the toughest conversations everyone who deals with evolution faces: Speaking with creationists. In the episode, Marks talks about theology and the surprising history between scientists and creationists. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Email the host at gaby.lapera@anthrobiology.com. | |||
| Dr. Bill Schutt - Pump: A Natural History of the Heart | 11 Nov 2021 | 00:35:13 | |
Dr. Bill Schutt, zoologist and author, joins the show to talk about his latest book, Pump: A Natural History of the Heart. We chat about the evolution of hearts, how people learned about how hearts work, and science writing. Check out his book here. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Robert Anemone - Geospatial Paleoanthropology | 28 Oct 2021 | 00:43:41 | |
Dr. Robert Anemone of the University of North Carolina - Greensboro joins the show to talk about how advances in geospatial tech can help paleoanthropologists find productive sites, along with how he's used it in his real life field work in the Great Divide Basin of Wyoming. Helpful background: Fossil GPS, Scientific American, May 2014, Anemone & Emerson Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology.
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| Dr. Sarah Kindschuh - DPAA & Forensics | 23 Sep 2021 | 00:57:15 | |
Dr. Sarah Kindschuh of the DPAA discusses what it's like to work for federal government to recover and identify members of the U.S. armed services. We also chatted about advice for undergraduates interested in pursuing work as anthropologists. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Christopher D. Lynn - Tattoos & Immunity | 08 Sep 2021 | 00:57:01 | |
Dr. Christopher D. Lynn of the University of Alabama joins the show to talk about tattoos and what they can tell us about immune function, health signaling, and cultural meanings. Plus, we talk about sci comm! Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. Check out Dr. Lynn's website here: https://cdlynn.people.ua.edu/ | |||
| Ms. Stine Carlsson - PhD Candidate, Queens University Belfast | 26 Aug 2021 | 00:58:23 | |
Stine Carlsson is a PhD candidate at Queens University Belfast in Northern Ireland. We discuss strategies for finding a good grad program, dealing with toxic academic environments, choosing a path, and skeletal stress indicators. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Samantha Yaussy - What can frailty in skeletons from medieval London teach us about health? | 28 Aug 2025 | 01:02:04 | |
Dr. Samantha Yaussy of James Madison University joins the show to discuss her research on the how sex, socioeconomic status, and developmental stress and the intersectionality therein might interact to affect health outcomes in the past via the lens of frailty in skeletal remains primarily from medieval London.
In this episode, we talked about the skeletal markers of frailty in human remains, understanding bias in research and samples, and intersectionality. As part of this, Dr. Yaussy highlighted the morbidity-mortality paradox -- women in modern contexts typically have worse health but longer lifespans than men. However, this doesn't seem to hold true in the populations she studies, which means the past may hold clues for improving health today. ------ Note: I feel pretty bad about dunking on The Pumpkin Spice Cafe. It was fine for what it was. I normally love "junk food" books, but this one just didn't do it for me, and that's ok. If you liked it, more power to you! Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode + helpful sites and articles:
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| Dr. Robert Mann - Forensic Anthropology | 11 Aug 2021 | 01:04:03 | |
Dr. Robert Mann of the University of Hawaii talks about his winding path in biological anthropology. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. DiGangi & Dr. Bethard - Ancestry in Forensic Anthropology | 11 May 2021 | 01:10:44 | |
Dr. DiGangi from SUNY-Binghamton and Dr. Bethard from the University of South Florida joined the show to discuss their position papers on the use of ancestry in forensic sciences and in the justice system. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Tara Cepon-Robins - Worms | 22 Apr 2021 | 00:50:36 | |
Dr. Tara Cepon-Robins of the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs joined me to talk about worms. She talks about humans' evolutionary arms race with parasites, measuring disgust, and her work among the Shuar people and in the rural southern United States. Check out Dr. Cepon-Robins' site. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Herman Pontzer - Burn | 09 Apr 2021 | 00:42:23 | |
Dr. Herman Pontzer of Duke is on the show this week to talk about human metabolism and his new book, Burn. He helps answer questions like: How much energy can a person burn in one day? Does exercise help you lose weight? Do people with different subsistence strategies have different metabolisms? We also talk about his work with the Hadza. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Cara Ocobock - Energetics and Science Communication | 24 Mar 2021 | 00:41:06 | |
Dr. Cara Ocobock of Notre Dame joins the show to discuss human energetics in high-latitude populations, and the potential downstream health consequences of a changing environment. (Learn why reindeer herders are rad!) She also shares insights on science communication and how we can do it better. (Learn how to talk to your science-averse relatives today!) If you want to find out more, visit Dr. Ocobock's website at sites.nd.edu/cara-ocobock/. | |||
| Dr. Janna Andronowski - Bone Histology | 10 Mar 2021 | 00:38:50 | |
Dr. Janna Andronowski of Memorial University of Newfoundland talks about bone histology. We're bringing it back to basics with how bones grow, how they "know" what shape they should be, and how bones regulate themselves. Also, we discuss what a cellular examination of bone can tell you about a person. Visit the Andronowski Lab to learn more about her work. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Nathan Young - Evo-Devo Perspectives | 24 Feb 2021 | 00:35:51 | |
Dr. Nathan Young of UCSF discuss evolutionary developmental biology using the limb as a model to understand the perspective. We talk about the importance of marrying all three disciplines to discover insights that otherwise wouldn't be within the purview of a single field. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Eric Bartelink - Diet and Migration via Stable Isotope Analysis | 11 Feb 2021 | 00:41:20 | |
Dr. Eric Bartelink of CSU - Chico guides us through an intro to stable isotope analysis, and how it can be used in forensic and historic or ancient contexts to understand how people migrated and what their diets were like. Dr. Bartelink highlights the importance of embracing a multi-disciplinary approach to advancing anthropology. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Sean Tallman - Sex Estimation & Diversity | 28 Jan 2021 | 00:56:27 | |
Dr. Sean Tallman talks about crafting new sex estimation methods for modern populations and the importance of DEI in forensics and anthropology. How can diversity shift how research is done? What are some ways to make the field more inclusive? Listen to Dr. Tallman's take on all of it in this episode. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Barbara J. King - Animal Cognition & Emotion | 17 Oct 2020 | 00:48:21 | |
Dr. Barbara J. King joins us in this week's episode to discuss animal cognition and emotion. Along the way, we hear about her start in biological anthropology studying baboons and how her career shifted several times to focus on animal cognition more broadly, followed by a turn towards advocacy and science communication. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Habiba Chirchir - Why did humans evolve to have less robust skeletons? | 31 Jul 2025 | 00:40:08 | |
Dr. Habiba Chirchir of the Ohio State University joins the show to discuss her research into the skeletal gracilization of modern humans. She's trying to understand when and why our skeletons became less robust, and whether self-domestication may have played a role.
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Note: Apparently I got Dmitry Belyayev confused with Nikolai Vavilov. Both geneticists worked in the Soviet Union, but Dr. Belyayev wasn't persecuted to the same extent as Vavilov.
Vavilov, who based his work on Mendelian genetics, ultimately died in prison for daring to go against Stalin's favored genetic model created by Trofim Lysenko and based on Lamarckism.
Also worth noting: The contributions of Lyudmila Trut who worked with Dr. Belyayev and continued running the study after his death. Books, articles, and media mentioned in this episode + helpful sites and articles:
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| Mr. Chris Aris - PhD Candidate, University of Kent | 30 Sep 2020 | 00:57:35 | |
Chris Aris is a PhD candidate at the University of Kent in the UK. In this week's episode, we discuss grad school survival strategies, mental health, the differences between the US and UK grad school systems, choosing the right path for you, and some of the things we wish we'd known before we went to grad school. Plus, teeth! Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Ms. Jill McCormick - Historic Preservation Officer, Yuma Quechan Tribe | 23 Aug 2020 | 00:39:53 | |
Jill McCormick is a historic preservation officer working for the Quechan Tribe near Yuma, Arizona. This week, she joins the show to discuss what it's like to be an archaeologist trying to preserve Tribal history, Tribal perspectives on working with CRM archaeology firms, and how folks can get involved if they're interested. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Mr. Chris Webster - CRM Archaeology | 06 Aug 2020 | 00:31:43 | |
Meet Chris Webster, a CRM archaeologist, anthropology podcast mogul, and all-around hustler. He joins the show to give a different perspective on making a career out of anthropology and what it's like to work in commercial settings as a cultural resource management archaeologist. Webster also discusses what it's like working with biological anthropologists and tribal monitors. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology. | |||
| Dr. Tanya Smith - Teeth | 23 Jul 2020 | 00:49:22 | |
Dr. Tanya Smith of Griffith University talks about teeth -- everything from individual development to using teeth to understand past environments and lifestyles. She also discusses some of the cultural practices surrounding teeth. Find links to articles, books, and pics at AnthroBiology.com. Find the show on Instagram and Twitter @AnthroBiology | |||