Where Are All The Panins?

Where Are All The Panins? Over the past few decades palaeoanthropologists have uncovered hundreds of fossil fragments that belong to our hominin ancestors.  These fossils have allowed scientists to piece together our evolutionary history and better understand the pressures that led to our species unique characteristics.  However, there has been only two fossils of panins … Continue reading Where Are All The Panins?

Welcome to the South

Welcome to the South ​ During a research trip in the south I encountered a culture I had read and heard about, but had never directly experienced.  As a result I did experience a degree of culture shock.  Throughout the experience I spoke with a few different people about some sensitive issues and had to … Continue reading Welcome to the South

Among African Apes

Among African Apes What is it like to be a primatologist?  There are several misconceptions and many people are interested in our closest relatives, but few people know exactly what it's like to conduct a primate field survey.  Among African Apes transports you into the researchers world and introduces you to several important aspects of … Continue reading Among African Apes

Prometheus Fails

Prometheus Fails Science fiction in the media is often judged based on how scientifically accurate or plausible the story is.  Prometheus tells the story of humanity visiting another habitable planet for the first time.  During this trip they encounter another intelligent civilization.  How realistic was this story?  Did it depict a plausible scenario? Full Article: … Continue reading Prometheus Fails

Evolution and the Public

Evolution and the Public Evolution is frequently discussed in major media outlets like TV, newspaper and online.  However, the people who write about evolutionary news and research are frequently unqualified to do so.  This leads to the public becoming more and more misinformed about what evolution is and what is factual.  In the future, major … Continue reading Evolution and the Public

The “Othering” Process

The "Othering" Process It is a natural tendency for humans to 'other' i.e. to believe that the group (race, religion, ethnicity, culture, gender, country, sexual orientation, species etc.) that they are a part of is inherently the ‘right’ way to be human or to exist.  For important evolutionary reasons this tendency is still ubiquitous today.  However, … Continue reading The “Othering” Process

Sharing A Divided World

Sharing A Divided World During my undergraduate career I was fully immersed in a four-field approach to anthropological learning.  During this experience I found that there is severe division between the four fields that is detrimental to the subject as a whole.  In the future anthropologists need to be open to greater collaboration and integration. … Continue reading Sharing A Divided World

A Plea For Our Sister Species

A Plea For Our Sister Species Why is the human species seven billion strong while our closest relatives are on the brink of extinction?  In order to understand this survival discrepancy, we must first understand our shared evolutionary history. Full Article: A Plea For Our Sister Species on The Advanced Apes