¹û¶³Ó°Ôº

Evolutionary Anthropology is the study of the evolution and ecology of humans and other primates, grounded in an understanding of evolutionary theory. Environmental Anthropology focuses on the relations between people and environments, and extends the study of human ecology to applied subjects such as conservation and development. These sub-disciplines are united by their interest in how humans influence and have been influenced by their environments, and by theirÌýquantitative and mixed methods research approaches.

¹û¶³Ó°Ôº Anthropology's Evolutionary and Environmental Anthropology section is one of the largest groups of academics in Europe that focuses on these subjects.ÌýWe conduct research on several related themes that also form the core of our teaching programmes and weeklyÌýseminar series.

Evolutionary Anthropology

The Evolutionary Anthropology research cluster researches the evolution of physiology, behaviour and culture of humans and non-human primates. There is a particular focus on human and primate behavioural ecology and the evolution of social systems, evolutionary medicine and public health, primate conservation, and the evolution of human cultural norms and cultural evolution in general.

Staff interests include:

• Primate ecology, behaviourÌýand conservation, with current fieldwork focused on the Greater Mahale Ecosystem Research and Conservation Project in Tanzania (Alex Piel) and the Tsaobis Baboon Project in Namibia (Alecia Carter)
• Origin of human adaptations, modern human skeletal and genetic diversity, evolution of human pelvic shape, climate and human adaptation/dispersal (Lia Betti)
• Childrearing systems in developed populations, consequences of alloparenting, social support, applied evolutionary anthropology and public health (Emily Emmott)
• Palaeoanthropology, Pleistocene hominins, dental anthropology, human brain evolution andÌýquantitative approaches to the study of human evolution at macro- and microevolutionary scales (Aida Gómez-Robles)
• Human evolutionary ecologyÌýincluding life history, cultural evolution and kinship, currently focused in Africa, central Asia and China (Ruth Mace)
• Evolutionary approaches to human behaviour and health: social learning and cultural evolution,Ìýsocial networks, childrearing practices, dietary patterns and physical activity levels in Congo hunter-gatherers and implications on the diseases of modernity (Gul Deniz Salali)
• Origins and evolution of primate radiationsÌýincluding evolutionary anatomy and the interaction of primate evolution with environmental change (Christophe Soligo)

Ìý

Environmental Anthropology

Environmental Anthropology's research cluster,ÌýHuman Ecology Research Group (HERG), focusesÌýonÌýthe impact of resource policy and management on people’s livelihoods, health and wellbeing and the impacts of changing resource use on the environment and biodiversity.

Staff interests include:

• Sustainability of socio-ecological systems, with a focus on conservation social sciences and applied research in the Latin America (e.g. Amazon forest andÌýPantanal wetland) (Rafael Chiaravalloti)
• TheÌýinteractionÌýbetweenÌýconservationÌýandÌýhumanÌýdevelopment,ÌýandÌýrangelandÌýuseÌýinÌýsub-SaharanÌýAfricaÌý(KatherineÌýHomewood)
• HumanÌýecologyÌýandÌýaquaticÌýresourceÌýuseÌýinÌýAsia,ÌýwithÌýapplicationÌýtoÌýtheÌýmanagementÌýofÌýnaturalÌýresourcesÌý(CarolineÌýGaraway)
• TheÌýsocialÌýdimensionsÌýofÌýhuman-environmentÌýrelationships,ÌýimpactsÌýofÌýconservationÌýonÌýwell-beingÌýandÌýtheÌýgovernanceÌýofÌýpastoralistÌýsystemsÌý(EmilyÌýWoodhouse)