Our Program
Duke evolutionary anthropologists are working to determine exactly what it is that makes us similar and different from our primate relatives. We apply our knowledge to understand how our body, brain and mind came to be and how our biology both enables and constrains us in our lives. By studying primate and human anatomy, endocrinology, genetics, behavioral ecology, and cognition we can inform discussions on many of today's most vexing societal problems. We are biologists dedicated to studying our past to serve our future.
Our students go on into careers in the sciences, health professions, advocates for science and evolution in the schools, or other natural science related fields.
Signature Research Collections and Resources
Spring 2015
Location: 013 Bio Sci (11:45am -12:45pm)
January 30 Noah Snyder-Mackler, Postdoc, Duke EvAnth Topic: Chronic Social Stress and the Genome
February 6 Dr. Julie Teichroeb, Visiting Assistant Professor, Duke EvAnth Topic: The Role of Competition on Individual Routing Decisions: Lessons from Foraging Experiments on Wild Vervets
February 13 Angel Zeininger, Postdoctoral Associate, Duke EvAnth Topic: Development of Heel-strike in Humans and African apes: Implications for Reconstructing Foot Posture in Fossil Hominins
February 20 Dr. Rob Boyd, Professor, Arizona State Anthropology Topic: The Puzzles of Human Cooperation
February 27 Dr. Andreas Koenig, Professor, SUNY-Stony Brook Anthropology Topic: Agonism and dominance hierarchies among female primates: implications for socio-ecological models
March 6 Caroline Rusk, Graduate Student Duke EvAnth Topic: Behavior and Parasite Infection Risk in Red-Fronted Lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons)
March 20 Ken Glander, Professor, Duke EvAnth Topic: Light and Temperature Levels in The Forest Canopy
April 3 Beth Shapiro, Associate Professor, University of California Santa Cruz Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Topic: TBD
In the News
Dr. Jenny Tung featured in Science Magazine. Click here to read a great overview of the Amboseli Baboon Project.
Dr. Schmitt and the Duke Lemur Center featured in "Going Deep with David Rees" on the National Geographic Channel. Also featured is Duke Alum, Dr. Jandy Hanna. See clips here: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/going-deep-with-david-rees/videos/how-to-climb-a-tree/
First aired August 2014
Research Center
Article (Published January 3, 2014): Reconstructing the New World Monkey Family Tree
Article (Published November 2013): Lemurs; neck bling tracks siestas, insomia
Dr. Churchll & The Rising Star Expedition in the Cradle of Mankind, South Africa.
News Coverage of the expedition: http://www.nbcnews.com/science/dig-hominid-bones-begins-deep-cradle-humankind-2D11577467
and a live blog at National Geographic:
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/11/14/video-how-do-you-recognize-hominid-bones/