Herman Pontzer
Overview
How did the human body evolve, and how does our species' deep past shape our health and physiology today? Through lab and field research, I investigate the physiology of humans and apes to understand how ecology, lifestyle, diet, and evolutionary history affect metabolism and health. I'm also interested in how ecology and evolution influence musculoskeletal design and physical activity. Field projects focus on small-scale societies, including hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers, in Africa and South America. Lab research focuses on energetics and metabolism, including respirometry and doubly labeled water methods.
Selected Grants
CNH2-S: Long Term Perspectives on Water Security, Food Security, and Land Management Among Daasanach Pastoralists of East Turkana, Northern Kenya awarded by (Principal Investigator). 2019 to 2023
The Cost of Living: Development & Implementation of a large Global Database of Human Metabolic Physiology awarded by National Science Foundation (Principal Investigator). 2018 to 2021
Raichlen, D. A., et al. “The evolution of the human endurance phenotype.” Routledge Handbook of Sport and Exercise Systems Genetics, 2019, pp. 135–47. Scopus, doi:10.4324/9781315146287-11. Full Text
Horiuchi, Masahiro, et al. “Sex differences in respiratory and circulatory cost during hypoxic walking: potential impact on oxygen saturation.” Scientific Reports, vol. 9, no. 1, July 2019, p. 9550. Epmc, doi:10.1038/s41598-019-44844-6. Full Text
Pontzer, H. “Step on it.” New Scientist, vol. 242, no. 3234, June 2019, pp. 34–37. Scopus, doi:10.1016/S0262-4079(19)31086-3. Full Text
Thurber, Caitlin, et al. “Extreme events reveal an alimentary limit on sustained maximal human energy expenditure.” Science Advances, vol. 5, no. 6, June 2019, p. eaaw0341. Epmc, doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaw0341. Full Text Open Access Copy
Gurven, Michael, et al. “Methodological differences cannot explain associations between health, anthropometrics, and excess resting metabolic rate.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 169, no. 1, May 2019, pp. 197–98. Epmc, doi:10.1002/ajpa.23811. Full Text
Rosinger, Asher Y., et al. “Age-related decline in urine concentration may not be universal: Comparative study from the U.S. and two small-scale societies.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 168, no. 4, Apr. 2019, pp. 705–16. Epmc, doi:10.1002/ajpa.23788. Full Text
Christopher, Lauren, et al. “High energy requirements and water throughput of adult Shuar forager-horticulturalists of Amazonian Ecuador.” American Journal of Human Biology : The Official Journal of the Human Biology Council, Feb. 2019, p. e23223. Epmc, doi:10.1002/ajhb.23223. Full Text
Pontzer, Herman. “Method and rationale for recalculating dilution spaces to a single, common time point in doubly labeled water studies.” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 72, no. 12, Dec. 2018, pp. 1620–24. Epmc, doi:10.1038/s41430-018-0361-1. Full Text
Pontzer, H., et al. “Hunter-gatherers as models in public health.” Obesity Reviews : An Official Journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, vol. 19 Suppl 1, Dec. 2018, pp. 24–35. Epmc, doi:10.1111/obr.12785. Full Text
Pontzer, Herman. “Energy Constraint as a Novel Mechanism Linking Exercise and Health.” Physiology (Bethesda, Md.), vol. 33, no. 6, Nov. 2018, pp. 384–93. Epmc, doi:10.1152/physiol.00027.2018. Full Text
Pontzer, Herman. “Alternative Energy Physiological evolution in the human lineage.” Natural History, vol. 126, no. 8, NATURAL HISTORY MAGAZINE, Sept. 2018, pp. 37–39.
Pages
Horiuchi, Masahiro, et al. “Sex Differences In Respiratory And Circulatory Cost And Arterial Oxygen Saturation During Hypoxic Walking.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 51, no. Supplement, Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2019, pp. 458–458. Crossref, doi:10.1249/01.mss.0000561874.25337.90. Full Text
Ocobock, Cara, et al. “Sustained high levels of physical activity lead to improved performance among "Race Across the USA" athletes.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 168, no. 4, 2019, pp. 789–94. Epmc, doi:10.1002/ajpa.23781. Full Text
Hora, Martin, et al. “Persistence hunting in Levant: Both Neandertals and modern humans could run down a horse.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 168, WILEY, 2019, pp. 107–107.
Kozma, Elaine E., et al. “Arboreal Positional Behavior in Humans, Chimpanzees, and Gorillas.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 168, WILEY, 2019, pp. 131–131.
Swanson, Zane S., et al. “The effect of the alpha-actinin 3 (ACTN3) R577X polymorphism and mtDNA on energy expenditure in modern humans.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 168, WILEY, 2019, pp. 242–43.
Sayre, M. Katherine, et al. “Influence of physical activity on aging and frailty in human foragers.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 168, WILEY, 2019, pp. 217–217.
Wood, Brian M., et al. “Hadza Hunter-Gatherers Exhibit Gender Differences in Space Use and Spatial Cognition Consistent with the Ecology of Male and Female Targeted Foods.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 168, WILEY, 2019, pp. 273–74.
Pontzer, H., et al. “Water throughput in humans and apes.” American Journal of Human Biology, vol. 31, no. 2, WILEY, 2019.
Urlacher, S. S., et al. “The energetic ecology of childhood: Tradeoffs in energy allocation and the impact of market integration on ontogeny and health.” American Journal of Human Biology, vol. 31, no. 2, WILEY, 2019.
Levy, S. B., et al. “An assessment of urinary triiodothyronine (T3) levels as a biomarker of thyroid hormone action: preliminary data from the Shuar Health and Life History Project.” American Journal of Human Biology, vol. 31, no. 2, WILEY, 2019.