Physical Anthropology Graduate Program

Physical anthropology focuses on understanding human biology and behavior within the framework of evolution and examines the interface between biology and culture. Research in this area addresses such questions as: What were the evolutionary, environmental, and cultural forces that resolved a diversity of hominin species into one? How diverse (biologically) are modern humans and primates, and how have they adapted to the environments in which they live? How have various diseases coevolved with humans and other primates? How do cultural changes and biological relationships among people affect patterns of disease transmission? What are the genetic and environmental susceptibility factors of various diseases? At ASU, 15 faculty members and over 40 graduate students are actively engaged in examining these questions.

ASU faculty are at the vanguard internationally for research in physical anthropology. Our research intersects with other disciplines and spans a broad range of topics. Among these, two major research foci are human origins, and health and disease. Our interdisciplinary approach includes research in the laboratory and in the field, engaging students in a variety of learning environments. Because much of our research is field based, we also link to communities around the globe and work to develop conservation policies, understanding of disease, and training with these indigenous peoples. In addition, at ASU, we have extensive collections of primate and hominin fossil casts, modern human skeletal remains, the largest extant collection of dental casts, and the Ragsdale Pathology Collection.

Human Origins Focus: A synthetic approach to human evolution that includes phylogenetic systematics, paleoecology, primate and human functional morphology and behavior, developmental biology, human and primate genetics, archaeology, other biological sciences, and geology to provide biobehavioral integration of the study of our ancestors. The Institute of Human Origins (IHO) and the Human Origins, Evolution, and Diversity theme have their major emphasis in this arena.

Health and Disease Focus: The biological and biocultural bases for understanding health and disease in the past and present include bioarchaeology, paleopathology, epidemiology, and demography. Genetics and functional morphology are also associated with this research area. This focus enables information gleaned from the past to be used in decision-making for current and future health issues. The Center for Bioarchaeological Research (CBR) and the Biological, Social, and Cultural Dimensions of Human Health theme provide the research focus for this arena.

Current Regional Strengths: North and South America, Africa (Egypt, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Niger, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania), Europe (Ireland, Spain), the Middle East (Cyprus), and Sri Lanka.

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Physical Anthropology Graduate Program