Café Scientifique / Science Cafe — Orlando

Neandertals have long fascinated both scientists and the general public. Due to their close evolutionary relationship to modern humans, they captivate our imagination because they are us, but not us, and therefore have stood as a guidepost for defining ourselves. Changing perspectives on Neandertal biology and behavior are partial reflections of both advances in scientific research and of our own preconceptions about humanity, our identity, and our place in the world. This talk will introduce both current anthropological evidence for Neandertal lifeways and paleobiology, but also evaluate how the cultural and social lens through which the scientific community views the fossil record filters and shapes scientific knowledge.

Dr. Cowgill is an assistant professor of anthropology specializing in biological anthropology. Her primary research focus includes late Pleistocene human evolution, human growth and development, human variation, and functional morphology. In particular, she is interested in understanding how childhood activity patterns affect the developing skeleton during growth, and how these forces shape the adult skeleton. She received her B.A. in anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley in 2001 and a M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis in 2001 and 2008. Dr. Cowgill has done extensive field research in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the United States.