The year that was: Bioanthropology in 2011

I really love the annual "year-in-review" issue American Anthropologist publishes in June. It's a wonderful snapshot of the diversity of events, perspectives, and developments in our field at large. This year's essay on biological anthropology is written by Dr. Kristi Lewton of Harvard University. In Complexity in Biological Anthropology in 2011: Species, Reproduction, and Sociality, Dr. Lewton "demonstrates the natural extension of our scholarly research to modern social networks and illustrates how they may act as a platform by which to increase intradisciplinary engagement and to highlight the complex, wide-reaching, and innovative research that our field contributes to society." It's a fascinating, well-written read.

Track the evolution of our field over the last several years:
2010: Libby Cowgill
2009: Julienne Rutherford
2008: Nick Malone

American Anthropologist: 2010 in Review (aka Libby Cowgill is awesome!)

American Anthropologist produces an annual Year in Review issue, with essays contributed by representatives of multiple subdisciplines. The 2010 review of biological anthropology was written by Libby Cowgill of the University of Missouri, and she has put forth a stellar contribution:

One Year in Biological Anthropology: Species, Integration, and Boundaries in 2010
ABSTRACT  The year 2010 in biological anthropology has been marked by continuing questions regarding temporal and geographical species boundaries and by queries into what it means to be human. The lines of evidence we use to reconstruct our biosocial past often exist in a state of dynamic tension; however, opportunities for integration do occur, and these collaborative endeavors were notable in 2010. Here I focus on boundaries and integration in four separate areas. First, I discuss recent genetic advances in our understanding of human evolution. Second, I review a virtual issue of the American Journal of Physical Anthropology that emphasized bioarchaeology in Asia. Third, I highlight several articles in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that focus on speciation, human genetics, and the evolution of unique human characteristics. Last, I address the recent controversy over the language used in the American Anthropological Association's Long-Range Plan.

It is wonderful to see our discipline so ably represented by a rising scholar in the field. Speaking from experience, these AA reviews are a challenge to compose and Dr. Cowgill has done an outstanding job. Libby, you are truly awesome!

I hope the BANDIT community will check out the other annual reviews:
Archaeology, Elizabeth Arkush
Explaining the Past in 2010

Linguistic Anthropology, Leila Monaghan
The Expanding Boundaries of Linguistic Anthropology: 2010 in Perspective

Practicing Anthropology, Paul R. Mullins
Practicing Anthropology and the Politics of Engagement: 2010 Year in Review

Sociocultural Anthropology, Jennifer A Hamilton and Aimee J. Placas
Anthropology Becoming … ? The 2010 Sociocultural Anthropology Year in Review

BANDITs dominate this month's issue of AJPA!

Wow, three articles in the latest issue of AJPA are by BANDIT members. You know what that is? That is awesome! (As is this.)

We already sent out the early view alerts for these articles by Libby Cowgill (Asst. Professor, University of Missouri)& Herman Pontzer (Washington University) et al., Dan Eisenberg (PhD student, Northwestern University) et al., and Gwen Robbins (Asst. Professor, Appalachian State University)et al., but it's so cool to see all three in a single issue. The whippersnappers are kicking ass!

Cowgill et al.: Waddling and toddling: The biomechanic effects of an immature gait

Eisenberg et al.: Worldwide allele frequencies of the human apolipoprotein E gene: Climate, local adaptations, and evolutionary history

Robbins et al.: Estimating body mass in subadult human skeletons

Waddling and Toddling: Dr. Libby Cowgill wins the prize for my favorite article title

Dr. Libby Cowgill of University of Central Florida (second year on the tenure track) has two new articles this year, both in AJPA. One is an empirical survey of the postcranial skeletal robusticity in Neandertals and modern humans, which was the focus of Libby's dissertation work (Washington University, 2008) and the other is a collaborative study (with Anna Warrener, Herman Pontzer, and Cara Ocobock) of the biomechanics of young children who, you know, waddle and toddle.

The Ontogeny of Holocene and Late Pleistocene Human Postcranial Strength

Waddling and Toddling: The Biomechanical Effects of an Immature Gait