Duke UniversityEvolutionary Anthropology

Our Mission:

In Evolutionary Anthropology we aim to empower students with knowledge of our species’ place in nature, including a solid understanding of evolutionary processes and how they have shaped the history of the human lineage.

We seek to train students to be critical thinkers (an important skill in a discipline where the base knowledge changes with every new fossil discovery), independent learners and collaborative problem solvers. 

We seek to develop life-long learners who can apply the techniques and knowledge of evolutionary anthropology to the ever-changing landscape of evolutionary theory, human evolution and the broader scope of the natural sciences.

What is Evolutionary Anthropology?

Evolutionary anthropology is the study of humankind's place in nature. The central questions of this unique discipline revolve around how humans arose from our primate ancestors, how our distinctive attributes - such as enhanced cognitive abilities, striding bipedal locomotion, and our extraordinary connections with culture and technology - came to be, and why, from an evolutionary perspective, we behave the way we do. Our focus on these questions connects us with our colleagues in the other natural and social sciences and in the humanities - with everyone who is working at some level on what it means to be human. To address questions of human nature and human evolution, biological anthropology focuses on morphology, physiology, behavior and cognition of humans and non-human primates, as viewed from an evolutionary perspective. Central areas of research include the phylogenetic relationships among living and extinct groups of primates, the functional and adaptive significance of morphological variation in primates and humans, and the socioecological underpinnings of behavioral variation in humans and other animals.  

Students in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy or Evolutionary Anthropology can choose whether they would like a broad exposure to the discipline or, after an initial exposure to the two major areas (paleontology/anatomy and behavior/ecology) they can concentrate on a subdiscipline of their choice.  Students are encouraged to develop an inter-disciplinary fluency by using approved electives from a number of natural science, social science and humanities departments as a part of their study. All students receive hands-on laboratory experiences and will investigate and critically review the techniques used in the study of evolutionary theory, paleontology, functional morphology and behavior. All students will also apply their knowledge in at least two advanced-level capstone courses.  There are two majors within Evolutionary Anthropology: the Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and the Bachelor of the Arts (A.B.). Students seeking a B.S. degree will acquire a strong knowledge of the basic sciences (math, chemistry, physics, and biology) in addition to core knowledge in BAA in preparation for a career in the sciences. Students seeking an A.B. degree in BAA will gain strong core knowledge in the discipline as a whole in preparation for a variety of possible careers within or outside the sciences.

Students graduating with a degree in Evolutionary Anthropology  will be well prepared to pursue careers in the sciences (including advanced degrees in anthropology), health professions, advocates for science and evolution in the schools, or other natural science related fields