Overview
I am a human paleontologist studying morphological and behavioral adaptation in the genus Homo. Through comparative functional-morphological analysis of human fossil remains, coupled with investigation of the archeological record of prehistoric human behavior, my students and I conduct research in the following inter-related areas:
1) The ecology, energetics and adaptive strategies of premodern members of the genus Homo (especially the Neandertals [Homo neanderthalensis] of Europe and western Asia and Middle Pleistocene archaic humans of Africa [variously attributed to H. heidelbergensis, H. rhodesiensis or H. helmei] ) and early members of our own species [H. sapiens] in Africa, the Near East and Europe.
2) Adaptive evolution during the emergence of the genus Homo, focusing on the functional morphology of Australopithecus sediba, H. naledi, and H. erectus.
3) The evolution of human subsistence strategies across the Middle and Late Pleistocene, with an emphasis on the nature of the hunting methods employed by various groups.
4) The evolution of subsistence technology, especially the origins of true long-range projectile weaponry.
5) The community ecology of humans and large-bodied carnivores in Pleistocene Europe and Africa.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Recent Publications
Long legs and small joints: The locomotor capabilities of Homo naledi.
Journal Article Journal of anatomy · June 2025 The lower limb of Homo naledi presents a suite of primitive, derived and unique morphological features that pose interesting questions about the nature of bipedal movement in this species. The exceptional representation of all skeletal elements in H. naled ... Full text CitePhalangeal cortical bone distribution reveals different dexterous and climbing behaviors in <i>Australopithecus sediba</i> and <i>Homo naledi</i>.
Journal Article Science advances · May 2025 The evolution of the human hand is marked by a transition from a hand primarily used for locomotion to one primarily used for dexterous manipulation. The hand skeletons of Plio-Pleistocene hominins have different mosaics of human-like features associated w ... Full text CiteLong legs and small joints: a 3D reconstruction and comparative analysis of the lower limb of Homo naledi
Conference AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY · 2025 CiteRecent Grants
Biomechanics of the Homo pelvis using finite element analysis.
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by L.S.B. Leakey Foundation · 2023 - 2024Doctoral Dissertation Research: The evolutionary significance of skeletal variation in Homo naledi
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2020 - 2022Dissertation Research: Determinants of Form in the Pubis of Middle-to-Late Pleistocene Homo
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2001 - 2004View All Grants