Associate Professor and PI Paleoecology Laboratory

Ph.D.  Anthropology, Harvard University 

B.S.    Biology and Biological Anthropology and Anatomy,              Duke University 

 

My research focuses on the interaction of climatic, vegetation, and faunal changes in the fossil record, particularly with respect to ape and hominin paleoecologies.  I use stable isotopic and dental microwear analyses to reconstruct paleohabitats, climates, and diets. To better reconstruct the past, I also work with modern ecosystems, including a modern chimpanzee site.  My goal is to have a direct comparison between fossil and modern data to better interpret fossil ape and hominin adaptations.  I am particularly interested in the ecological requirements for fueling increasing body size, brain size, and maternal investment that mark the evolution of apes and humans. 

 

 

 

Contact: 

Department of Anthropology

University of New Mexico

MSC01-1040

Albuquerque, NM  87131

 

(505) 990-4528

 

svnelson@unm.edu