Laboratory of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy
The Laboratory of Biological Anthropology and Anatomy undertakes field and laboratory research related to understanding human structure and function in evolutionary biological context. Specific research modalities may vary from histological testing of bone strength in the human skull, to genetic testing of human populations in order to understand their historical origins and adaptations through time, to the clinical anatomy of bladder surgery. Ongoing research projects include solidification of organs in the soft-embalmed cadaver, the structure and function of the umbilical vein, comparative anatomy of the male reproductive system, and the the evolution of cranial pachyostosis (thickened cranial bone) in the extinct species Homo erectus.