Evolution and Ecology
The Evolution and Ecology theme engages both biological anthropologists and archaeologists in research that addresses topics including the evolution of human behavior, cognition, and morphology, primate origins, human evolutionary ecology, adaptation to the Pleistocene-Holocene transition, and primate behavioral ecology.
Given wide-ranging interest in these issues, this theme engages anthropology faculty and students with other departments and schools of the university and with the broader public.
Take a look at the ongoing reseach page for more information on current research projects related to this theme.
Recent publications
- 2022. Kubicka, Anna Maria, Wragg-Sykes, Rebecca, Nowell, April, and Nelson, Emma. Neanderthal Sexual Behaviour. In The Cambridge Handbook of Evolutionary Perspectives on Sexual Psychology, Volume 4, edited by Todd K. Shackelford. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- 2022. French, Jennifer and Nowell, April. Growing up Gravettian: Bioarchaeological perspectives on adolescence in the European Mid-Upper Paleolithic. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2022.101430
- 2021. Nowell, April, Kurki, Helen and Mitchell, Lisa M. Conceiving reproduction in archaeology. In Routledge Handbook on Anthropology and Reproduction, edited by Sallie Han and Cecelia Tomori. London: Routledge, pp. 68-84.
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2022 - Gustas, R. H., I. McKechnie, Q. Mackie, and C. T. Darimont. 2022. Estimating Coastal Shell Midden Site Volumes Using Geometric Solids: An Example from Tseshaht Territory, Western Vancouver Island, British Columbia Canada. Advances in Archaeological Practice 10:200–214. https://doi.org/10.1017/aap.2022.9
- 2022 - Hillis, D., R. Gustas, D. Pauly, W. W. L. Cheung, A. K. Salomon, and I. McKechnie. 2022. A Paleothermometer of Ancient Indigenous Fisheries Reveals Increases in Mean Temperature of the Catch Over Five Millennia. Environmental Biology of Fishes https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-022-01243-7
- 2022 - Reeder-Myers, L. A., T. J. Braje, C. A. Hofman, E. A. Elliot Smith, C. Garland, M. A. Grone, C. Hadden, M. Hatch, T. Hunt, A. Kelley, M. J. LeFebvre, I. McKechnie, I. J. McNiven, B. Newsom, T. Pluckhahn, G. M. Sanchez, M. Schwadron, K. Y. Smith, T. Smith, A. Spiess, G. Tayac, T. Vollman, E. M. Weitzel, and T. C. Rick. 2022. Indigenous oyster fisheries persisted for millennia and should inform future management. Nature Communications 13:2383 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29818-z
- 2022 – Duffield, S. J. Walkus, E. White, I. McKechnie, Q. Mackie, D. McLaren. Documenting 6,000 Years of Indigenous fisheries and settlement as Seen through vibracore sampling on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. American Antiquity 87(1):168-183 https://doi.org/10.1017/aaq.2021.113
- 2022– Slade, E., I. McKechnie, A.K. Salomon Archaeological and contemporary evidence indicates low sea otter prevalence along the Pacific Northwest Coast during the late Holocene. Ecosystems 25:548–566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-021-00671-3
- 2021 – Henson, L.H., N. Balkenhol, R. Gustas, M. Adams, J. Walkus, W.G. Housty, A. Vik Stronen, J. Moody, C. Service, D. Reece, B. VonHoldt, I. McKechnie, B.F. Koop, C.T. Darimont. Convergent geographic patterns between grizzly bear population genetic structure and Indigenous language groups in coastal British Columbia. Ecology and Society 26.(3). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-12443-260307
- 2021. Riede, Felix, Walsh, Matthew J., Nowell, April, Langley, Michelle and Johannsen, Niels N. Constructing the niches of and for innovation. Play objects and object play from a niche construction perspective. Evolutionary Human Sciences 2. https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2021.7
- 2020 – Hillis, D., I. McKechnie, E. Guiry, D. St. Claire, & C. T. Darimont. Ancient Dog Diets on the Pacific Northwest Coast: Zooarchaeological and Stable Isotope Modelling Evidence from Tseshaht Territory and Beyond. Scientific Reports 10:15630. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71574-x
- 2020 – McKechnie, I., M. L. Moss, and S. J. Crockford. 2020. Domestic Dogs and Wild Canids of the Northwest Coast of North America: Animal Husbandry in a Region without Agriculture? Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 60:101209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2020.101209
- 2020 - Nowell, April and French, Jennifer. Adolescence and Innovation in the European Upper Palaeolithic. Evolutionary Human Sciences 2 (e36): 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2020.37
- 2020 - Nowell, April. Reconsidering the personhood of infants in the Gravettian. Journal of Anthropological Research 76(2): 232-250. https://doi/10.1086/70839
- 2020 - Nowell, April and Kurki, Helen. Moving beyond the obstetrical dilemma hypothesis: Birth, weaning and infant care in the Plio-Pleistocene. In The Mother-Infant Nexus in Anthropology: Small beginnings, significant outcomes, edited by Sian Halcrow and Rebecca Gowland. New York: Springer, pp. 173-190.
- In Review- Longman D, Murray A, Roberts R, Oakley S, Stock JT, Wells J. Energetics as a driver of human morphological thermal adaptation; evidence from female ultra-endurance athletes. Proc Royal Soc B.
- 2020 - Murray AA, Stock JT. Muscle force interacts with stature to influence functionally-related polar second moments of area in the lower limb among adult women. Am J Phys Anthropol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.24097
- 2020 - Longman DP, Macintosh Murray AA, Roberts R, Oakley S, Wells JCK, Stock JT. Ultra-endurance athletic performance suggests energetics drive human morphological thermal adaptation. Evol Hum Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2019.13
- 2019 - Macintosh AA, Stock JT. Intra-limb variation in lower limb bone functional adaptation to loading among living women: Implications for identifying locomotor variation in the past. Am J Phys Anthropol 168:566-581. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23773
- 2018 - Fedje, D., D. McLaren, T.S. James, Q. Mackie, N.F. Smith, J.R. Southon, and A.P. Mackie, "A Revised Sea Level History for the Northern Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada.” Quaternary Science Reviews 192:300–316.
- 2018 - Macintosh AA, Wells JCK, Stock JT. Maternal investment, maturational rate of the offspring, and mechanical competence of the adult female skeleton. Evol Med Public Health 2018:167-189. https://doi.org/10.1093/emph/eoy015
- 2018 - Payne S, Kumar BC, Rajendra, Pomeroy E, Macintosh AA, Stock JT. Thrifty phenotype vs cold adaptation: Trade-offs in upper limb proportions of Himalayan populations of Nepal. Royal Soc Open Sci 5:172174. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.172174
- 2018 - Payne S, Macintosh AA, Stock JT. The influence of digit proportions on dexterity during cold exposure. Am J Phys Anthropol 166:875-883. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23486
- 2018 - Payne S, Macintosh AA, Stock JT. The thermoregulatory function of the human hand: How do palm and digit proportions affect heat loss? Am J Phys Anthropol 166:803-811. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23469
- 2018 - Payne S, Macintosh AA, Stock JT. Body size and body composition effects on heat loss from the hands during severe cold exposure. Am J Phys Anthropol 166:313-322. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23432
- 2018 - Pomeroy E, Macintosh AA, Wells JCK, Cole TJ, Stock JT. Relationship between body mass, lean mass, fat mass, and limb bone cross-sectional geometry: Implications for estimating body mass and physique from the skeleton. Am J Phys Anthropol 166:56-69. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.23398
- 2018 - Mackie, Quentin, Daryl Fedje, and Duncan McLaren. "Archaeology and Sea Level Change on the British Columbia Coast.” Canadian Journal of Archaeology/Journal Canadien d’Archéologie 42:74–91.
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2018 - Rodrigues, AT; Iain McKechnie, & DY Yang, Ancient DNA analysis of Indigenous rockfish use on the Pacific Coast: Implications for marine conservation areas and fisheries management. PLoS ONE 13 (2), e0192716.
- 2018 - McLaren, D., D. Fedje, A. Dyck, Q. Mackie, A. Gauvreau, and J. Cohen, "Terminal Pleistocene Epoch Human Footprints from thePacific Coast of Canada." PLOS One 13:e0193522. DOI:10.1371/journal. pone.0193522
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2018 - Assefa, Z., A. Asrat, E. Hovers, Y. Lam, O. Pearson, and D. Pleurdeau. "Engraved Ostrich Eggshell from the Middle Stone Age contexts of Goda Buticha, Ethiopia."Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 17: 723-729.