Chris Kirk
Professor — Ph.D., Duke University

Contact
- E-mail: eckirk -at- austin.utexas.edu
- Phone: 512-471-0056
- Office: WCP 5.154
Interests
Primate evolution, primate sensory systems, evolutionary and functional anatomy of the head and neck, sensory ecology
Biography
I am a biological anthropologist who studies primate adaptations and evolution. I completed my Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy at Duke University in 2003. I am currently a Professor in the Department of Anthropology, a Research Associate of the Jackson School Museum of Earth History, and a member of the Center for Perceptual Systems.
Public Lectures through ESI’s “Hot Science Cool Talks” Series:
2016 - “Some Like It Hot, Hot, Hot: When Primates Roamed Texas’ Rainforests”
Google Scholar Page: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uySqy-gAAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9439-3041
Research Interests:
I have a broad array of research interests in biological anthropology, including primate evolution, sensory ecology, and functional morphology.
Dr. Kirk holding a sedated Verreaux's sifaka at Kirindy Mitea National Park, Madagascar.
One major part of my research focuses on the evolution of primate sensory systems. This research is important to biological anthropology because many of the major adaptive shifts that occurred during the course of primate evolution involved key changes in sensory anatomy and ecology. For example, primate origins involved a major reorganization of the visual system, including the evolution of larger eyes, convergent optic axes, and a broader field of binocular vision. All of these features are probably related to the need for acute and sensitive vision in the context of nocturnal visual predation. Similarly, the origin of haplorhine primates (tarsiers, monkeys, apes, and humans) was associated with the evolution of features supporting very high visual acuity (e.g., a retinal fovea, macula lutea, postorbital plate, small corneas relative to eye size, etc.) and a simultaneous reduction in the size and complexity of the nasal fossa. There are many other examples of major adaptive shifts in primate sensory system evolution, including the parallel evolution of trichromatic color vision in some lemurs and anthropoids, the complete loss of color vision in lorisiforms, and the loss of the vomeronasal organ in catarrhines.
Comparison of a tarsier cranium (left) with a tarsier eyeball (right). Image courtesy of History Channel series "Evolve".
A second major part of my research focuses on the evolution of primates in North America during the Eocene Epoch (about 56 to 34 million years ago). Since 2004, I have conducted paleontological research in the Big Bend region of Texas. This fieldwork has yielded a large sample of Eocene vertebrates that are currently under study, including at least 3 species of fossil primates that are unique to West Texas.
Dr. Kirk working to remove an Eocene perissodactyl jaw from a sandstone boulder. Images courtesy of Sarah Wilson.
Courses
ANT 301 • Biological Anthropology
32100-32165 • Fall 2021
Meets TTH 12:30PM-1:30PM ART 1.102
N1
ANT 301 • Biol Anthropology-Honors-Wb
31760 • Spring 2021
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM
Internet; Synchronous
N1
ANT 350C • Primate Sensory Ecology-Wb
32150 • Spring 2021
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM
Internet; Synchronous
ANT 301 • Bio Anthropology-Honors-Wb
30825 • Fall 2020
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM
Internet; Synchronous
N1
ANT 348K • Evol Anatomy Of Head Neck-Wb
31175 • Fall 2020
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM
Internet; Synchronous
ANT 350C • Primate Sensory Ecology
31750 • Spring 2020
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM WCP 5.172
ANT 366 • Anat And Bio Of Human Skeleton
31765 • Spring 2020
Meets TTH 12:30PM-1:00PM WCP 5.172
II
ANT 301 • Biological Anthropology
30780-30845 • Fall 2019
Meets TTH 2:00PM-3:00PM ART 1.102
N2
T C 310 • Modes Of Reasoning
41330 • Fall 2019
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM RLP 2.606
QR
ANT 350C • Primate Sensory Ecology
31745 • Spring 2019
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM SAC 5.172
ANT 366 • Anat And Bio Of Human Skeleton
31755 • Spring 2019
Meets TTH 12:30PM-1:00PM SAC 5.172
ANT 301 • Biological Anthropology-Honors
31470 • Fall 2018
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM SAC 5.172
N2
ANT 301 • Bio/Phys Anthropology-Honors
30530 • Spring 2018
Meets TTH 9:30AM-11:00AM SAC 5.172
N2
ANT 366 • Anat And Bio Of Human Skeleton
30925 • Spring 2018
Meets TTH 12:30PM-1:00PM SAC 5.172
ANT 301 • Bio/Phys Anthropology
31115-31180 • Fall 2017
Meets MW 11:00AM-12:00PM FAC 21
N2
ANT 350C • Primate Sensory Ecology
31545 • Fall 2017
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM SAC 5.172
ANT 301 • Bio/Phys Anthropology
30885-30950 • Fall 2016
Meets MW 11:00AM-12:00PM JES A121A
N2
ANT 392L • Phys Anthro: Morph/Evolution
31455 • Fall 2016
Meets T 1:00PM-4:00PM SAC 5.124
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology-Honors
30150 • Spring 2016
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM SAC 5.172
ANT 366 • Anat And Bio Of Human Skeleton
30515 • Spring 2016
Meets TTH 10:00AM-12:30PM SAC 5.172
ANT 392L • Phys Anthro: Morph/Evolution
30685 • Fall 2015
Meets M 2:00PM-5:00PM SAC 5.118
ANT 366 • Anat And Bio Of Human Skeleton
30745 • Spring 2015
Meets TTH 10:00AM-12:30PM SAC 5.172
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
31190-31240 • Fall 2014
Meets MW 1:00PM-2:00PM JES A121A
N2
ANT 350C • Primate Sensory Ecology
31585 • Fall 2014
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM SAC 5.172
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
31350-31400 • Spring 2014
Meets MW 10:00AM-11:00AM FAC 21
N2
ANT 350C • Primate Sensory Ecology
31780 • Spring 2014
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM SAC 5.172
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology-Honors
31090 • Fall 2013
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:30PM SAC 5.172
N2
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
30975-31025 • Spring 2013
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:00PM WEL 1.316
SB
ANT 350C • Primate Sensory Ecology
31255 • Fall 2012
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM SAC 5.172
ANT 398T • Supv Teaching In Anthropology
31450 • Fall 2012
Meets TH 2:00PM-5:00PM SAC 4.120
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology-Honors
31090 • Spring 2012
Meets TTH 12:30PM-2:00PM SAC 5.172
SB
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
30805-30855 • Fall 2011
Meets MW 11:00AM-12:00PM SAC 1.402
SB
ANT 398T • Supv Teaching In Anthropology
31265 • Fall 2011
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
29830-29885 • Fall 2010
Meets MW 1:00PM-2:00PM JES A121A
SB
ANT S301 • Physical Anthropology
81525 • Summer 2010
Meets MTWTHF 2:30PM-4:00PM EPS 2.136
SB
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
30015-30065 • Spring 2010
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:00PM JES A121A
SB
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
29565-29615 • Spring 2009
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:00PM JES A121A
SB
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
30670-30720 • Fall 2007
Meets TTH 11:00AM-12:00PM JES A121A
SB
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
28340-28390 • Fall 2005
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:00PM JES A121A
SB
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
27435-27485 • Spring 2005
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:00PM JES A121A
SB
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
28095-28145 • Fall 2004
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:00PM JES A121A
SB
ANT 301 • Physical Anthropology
26620-26670 • Fall 2003
Meets MW 2:00PM-3:00PM JES A121A
SB
Publications
CLICK ON LINK TO DOWNLOAD PDF
2020 Hoffmann, S., Kirk, E. C. Inner ear morphology of Adalatherium hui (Mammalia, Gondwanatheria) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. pp. 67–80 in D. W. Krause and S. Hoffmann (eds), Adalatherium hui (Mammalia, Gondwanatheria) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Memoir 21. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 40 (2, Supplement). https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2020.1800719
2020 Krause, D. W., Hoffmann, S., Rossie, J. B., Hu, Y., Wible, J. R., Rougier, W., Kirk, E. C., & Groenke, J. R. Craniofacial morphology of Adalatherium hui (Mammalia, Gondwanatheria) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. pp. 19–66 in D. W. Krause and S. Hoffmann (editors), Adalatherium hui (Mammalia, Gondwanatheria) from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Memoir 21. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 40 (2, Supplement). https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2020.1808665
2020 Krause, D. W., Hoffmann, S., Hu, Y., Wible, J. R., Rougier, G. W., Kirk, E. C., Groenke, J. R., Rogers, R. R., Rossie, J. B., Schultz, J. A., Evans, A. R., von Koenigswald, W., & Rahantarisoa, L. J. Skeleton of a Cretaceous mammal from Madagascar reflects long-term insularity. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2234-8
2020 Kirk, E. C., & Lundeen, I. K. Journal of Human Evolution - Online Supplement
2014 Kirk, E. C., Daghighi, P., Macrini, T. E., Bhullar, B.-A. S., & Rowe, T. B. Cranial anatomy of the Duchesnean primate Rooneyia viejaensis: New insights from high resolution computed tomography. Journal of Human Evolution. 74:82-95.
Rooneyia digital files available on DigiMorph (For CT scans click "About the Scan"; For virtual endocast click "Additional Imagery"): http://digimorph.org/specimens/Rooneyia_viejaensis/
2013 Kirk, E. C. Characteristics of crown crimates. Nature Education Knowledge 4(8):3.
2011 Kirk, E. C. & Williams, B. A. New adapiform primate of Old World affinities from the Devil’s Graveyard Formation of Texas. Journal of Human Evolution. 61: 156-168. ** 2018 Corrigendum
2006 Kirk, E. C. Visual influences on primate encephalization. Journal of Human Evolution 51: 76-90.
2005 Smith, D. W., Kirk, E. C., & Buss, E. The function(s) of the medial olivocochlear efferent system in hearing. In: D. Pressnitzer, A. De Cheveigné, S. McAdams, & L. Collet (eds.) Auditory Signal Processing: Physiology, Psychoacoustics, and Models. Springer-Verlag, New York. p. 75-83.
2004 Kirk, E. C. Comparative morphology of the eye in primates. Anatomical Record 281A: 1095-1103.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9439-3041
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=uySqy-gAAAAJ&hl=en
Graduate Students
CURRENT GRADUATE STUDENTS
_____________________________________________________
Ben Rodwell
Ben completed his BA in Anthropology at Colorado State University in 2018. His undergraduate honors thesis examined dietary niche partitioning in omomyoids from the early Eocene of North America. Ben has extensive experience with field paleontology and geology in the Bighorn Basin of Wyoming, and is currently studying omomyoid diets and phylogeny for his MA thesis project.
_____________________________________________________
Ingrid Lundeen
Ingrid completed her BS in Anthropology and Paleontology at the University of Michigan in 2015. She worked for several years in the University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology Fossil Preparation Lab, and completed an honors thesis on the functional anatomy of the primate sacroiliac joint. Ingrid's MA thesis focused on turbinal morphology in extant euarchontans and the Eocene primate Rooneyia viejaensis. Her current Ph.D. thesis research examines (1) the effects of altitude and latitude on Eocene mammalian communities in North America, and (2) nasal turbinal morphology in Euarchontoglires.
FORMER GRADUATE STUDENTS
_____________________________________________________
Dr. Addison Kemp
Ph.D. (2019)
Thesis Title: Morphology and Adaptive Significance of the Primate Binocular Field: Tests of Primate Origins Hypotheses
Addie is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
_____________________________________________________
Amy Atwater
M.A. (2017)
Thesis Title: New Middle Eocene Omomyines (Primates, Haplorhini) from the Friars Formation of San Diego County, Southern California
Amy is currently the Paleontology Collections Manager at the Museum of the Rockies
_____________________________________________________
Dr. Carrie Veilleux
Ph.D. (2012)
Dissertation Title: Effects of Light Environments on the Evolution of Primate Visual Systems
Carrie is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anatomy at Midwestern University Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine. View Carrie's Home Page
_____________________________________________________
Dr. Laura Alport Hancock
Ph.D. (2009)
Dissertation Title: Fungiform Papillae and the Evolution of the Primate Gustatory System
_____________________________________________________
Dr. Magda Muchlinski
Ph.D. (2008)
Dissertation Title: Ecological and Morphological Correlates of Infraorbital Foramen Size and its Paleoecological Implications
Magda is currently an Associate Professor at Oregon Health and Science University.
View Magda's Departmental Page: https://www.unthsc.edu/academic-affairs/academic-and-institutional-resources-and-technology/center-for-anatomical-sciences/magdalena-muchlinski/
_____________________________________________________
Academic Genealogy
Chris Kirk's advisor:
Richard Frederick Kay (Ph.D. Yale University, 1973)
Rich Kay's advisor:
Elwyn LaVerne Simons (Ph.D. Princeton University, 1956; D.Phil. University Of Oxford,1959)
Elwyn Simons' advisor (Oxford):
Sir Wilfrid Le Gros Clark (1895-1971; M.D., D.Sc.)
Elwyn Simons' advisor (Princeton):
Glenn Lowell Jepsen (1903-1974; Ph.D. Princeton University, 1930)
Glenn Jepsen's advisor (1):
William Berryman Scott (1858-1947; Ph.D. University of Heidelberg, 1880)
Glenn Jepsen's advisor (2):
William John Sinclair (1877-1935; Ph.D. UC Berkeley, 1904)
William Berryman Scott's advisor:
Carl Gegenbaur (1826-1903; University of Jena, 1855–1873; University of Heidelberg, 1873–1901)
William John Sinclair's advisor:
John C. Merriam (1869-1945; Ph.D. University of Münich)
John C. Merriam's advisor:
Karl Alfred von Zittel (1839-1904; University of Münich, Paläontologisches Museum München)
Info for Prospective Students
Interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology at UT Austin?
All of the biological anthropology faculty here at UT mentor graduate students. The strongest applicants to our graduate program typically have:
- High GRE scores
- A high undergraduate GPA
- Strong letters of recommendation based on personal knowledge of the applicant
- Research interests that are complementary to those of their chosen advisor
- A personal statement that describes a clear research agenda and professional goals
- Some prior research experience
Students accepted for graduate study in Anthropology at UT are typically offered a minimum of five years of funding in the form of TAships. [My advice: never accept an offer of admission from a graduate program in anthropology that does not provide funding in some form.] Students take 2 years of graduate coursework, although they are welcome to take or audit relevant courses after they have finished their course requirements. We typically expect a student to have completed his or her MA by the end of 2 to 2.5 years. Once students have completed their MA and advanced to Ph.D. candidacy, they are encouraged to complete their Ph.D. theses within 2-4 years. The amount of time required to complete a Ph.D. thesis is strongly influenced by (1) the amount of time required to secure funding for the thesis project and (2) the amount of time required to collect data (including fieldwork).
One important piece of information for all prospective graduate students to keep in mind is that NSF offers generous Graduate Research Fellowships. These fellowships offer more money than most TAships, free you from teaching responsibilities for 3 years, greatly increase your chances of being accepted to graduate school, and are very prestigious. The bottom line: if you are applying for graduate school in physical anthropology, you should also be applying for an NSF GRF.
According to the National Science Foundation, the average time to complete a Ph.D. in 2006 and 2008 across all graduate programs varied by area as follows:
6.9 years in Engineering and Life Sciences
7.8 years in Social Sciences
9.0 years in Humanities
For more information, see:
UT Biological Anthropology Program Page
UT Biological Anthropology Faculty
Eocene Fieldwork
Since 2004, I have been collecting vertebrate fossils at the Dalquest Desert Research Site (DDRS). Located in the Big Bend region of southwest Texas, the DDRS is a 1200 ha. scientific field station owned and managed by Midwestern State University. The DDRS includes extensive exposures of the Eocene Devil´s Graveyard Formation, and collecting trips have yielded one of the best-preserved late Uintan faunas known from North America. The Uintan fauna from the DDRS includes a diverse array of mammalian taxa, such as rhinos, tapirs, brontotheres, artiodactyls, carnivores, creodonts, mesonychids, condylarths, rodents, and insectivores. Several genera of fossil primates are also known from the DDRS, including the adapiforms Mescalerolemur and Mahgarita and the omomyiforms Diablomomys and Mytonius.
More recently, I have expanded my area of study to include other exposures of the Devil's Graveyard Formation and sediments of similar age in Big Bend National Park. Taken as a whole, West Texas vertebrate faunas collected in and around Big Bend National Park, the Devil's Graveyard, and the Sierra Vieja provide a record of North American vertebrate evolution spanning the entire Eocene (Wasatchian - Chadronian).
Research collaborators include Chris Campisano (ASU), who is revising the sedimentary stratigraphy of the Devil´s Graveyard Formation and working to provide Ar-Ar radiometric dates for key fossil localities. Michelle Stocker (Virginia Tech) is conducting research on the herpetofauna from the DDRS, and is currently describing a new crocodilian genus. Beth Townsend (Midwestern University) is describing new rodent fossils from the Devil's Graveyard Formation. Meaghan Emery (Central Washington University) is heading a group characterizing the paleosols of the Devil's Graveyard.
Fossils collected in the course of this research are prepared and curated at the Jackson School Museum of Earth History Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory. Part of the Texas Memorial Museum until 2014, this institution is a key paleontological repository and resource for the region. Its collections include Eocene terrestrial vertebrates from the Devil's Graveyard Formation, Sierra Vieja, Big Bend National Park, and Lake Casa Blanca.
More information on Eocene primates:
Click on these links to download 3-D PDF files of Mescalerolemur horneri specimens:
Holotype - TMM 41672-232 - left maxilla (2.5 MB) and right maxilla (2.1 MB) (2 files)
TMM 41672-233 - right mandible (2.1 MB)
TMM 41672-230 - mandibular fragment with m3 (2.5 MB)
Big Bend Photos:
Sunrise in the Big Bend
Devil's Graveyard Badlands
Canoe Formation Badlands
Breakfast on a cold morning (with Blythe Williams, Andrew Barr, Krister Smith, Rachel Dunn, and Tak Makino)
Morning hike to the outcrop
Adam Gordon (SUNY Albany) prospecting
Sam Wilson (UT Austin) prospecting
Ashley Latimer (University of Zürich) prospecting
Rachel Dunn (Des Moines University) excavates a rhino skull
Teeth of the Eocene rhino Amynodon
Michelle Stocker (Virginia Tech) quarrying.
Chris Kirk (left) and Gabby Yearwood (right, University of Pittsburgh) with a crocodile cranium
Kathleen Muldoon (Midwestern University) examines a rodent jaw
Primate mandible
Field Crew Jan 2010 (from left: Rob Burroughs, Matt Chimera, Krista Church, Elissa Ludeman, Jaime Mata-Miguez, Parham Daghighi, Gabrielle Russo)
Field Crew Jan 2011 (from left: Laura Stroik, Kari Allen, Katie Criswell, Gabrielle Russo, Rachel Simon, Lauren Gonzales, Elissa Ludeman, Andrew Barr, Rob Burroughs, Travis Wicks, Adam Gordon)
Field Crew Jan 2012 (from left: Michelle Stocker, Sterling Nesbitt, Matt Brown, Chris Sagebiel)
Field Crew Jan 2013 (from left: Chris Campisano, Lillian Spencer, Matt Brown, Addie Kemp, Sarah Wilson, Beth Townsend, Margaret Lewis) Image courtesy of Sarah Wilson
Field Crew Jan 2014 (top from left: Blythe Williams, Ashley Latimer, Jackson Spradley, Katie Ortiz, Kenzie Stewart, Charlie Withnell, Chris Campisano, Chris Kirk; bottom from left: Kristin Phillips, Sarah Wilson, Lauren Gonzales) Image courtesy of Sarah Wilson
Field Crew Dec 2014 (top from left: Kristin Phillips, Paul Viola, Sebastian Egberts, Chris Kirk, Sarah Wilson, Kenny Bader; bottom from left: Addie Kemp, Amy Atwater, Lina Valencia) Image courtesy of Sarah Wilson
Field Crew March 2015 (from left: Meaghan Emery, Amy Atwater, Phoebe Fairbairn, Nicole Shusterman, Sebastian Egberts, Lauren Berry, Sarah Wilson)
Field Crew December 2015 (from left: Logan Wetherell, Meaghan Emery, Ingrid Lundeen, Chris Kirk, Sebastian Egberts, Amy Atwater)
Field Crew December 2016 - part 1 (from left: Beth Townsend, Chris Campisano, Sarah Wilson, Sebastian Egberts)
Field Crew December 2016 - part 2 (from left: Cassidy Malone, Allison McNamara, Ingrid Lundeen, Sebastian Egberts)
Field Crew December 2017 (from left: Sarah Wilson, Nick Salome, Selby Olson, Sebastian Egberts, Chris Kirk) Image courtesy of Sarah Wilson
Field Crew January 2019 (from left, Sarah Knight, Sarah Wilson, Ingrid Lundeen, Emma Giacomello, Ben Rodwell, Sophia Luongo, Kajsa Lundeen)
Escape from the Devil's Graveyard! (2019, with Emma Giacomello, Sophia Luongo, Ben Rodwell, Sarah Knight, and Justina Gil)
On top of Dalquest Peak, January 2019
Relaxing after a long day (with Adam Gordon, Marie Butcher, and Carrie Cunningham)
Courses Offered
Not an Anthropology major but interested in Anthropology? Check out our new Transcript-Recognized Minors in Anthropology, Primatology, and Evolutionary & Functional Anatomy:
http://liberalarts.utexas.edu/anthropology/undergraduate/minors-in-anthropology.php
Dr. Kirk's Undergraduate Courses:
ANT 301 - Introduction to Physical Anthropology
Physical anthropology is the study of the behavior, ecology, and evolution of primates (including humans). ANT 301 provides an introduction to the field of physical anthropology and an overview of its subdisciplines. We typically begin with a survey of living primates. The remaining lecture material is divided between 1) primate behavior and ecology, 2) macroevolution, and 3) primate and human evolution. Students in ANT 301 attend labs that (a) expand on concepts presented in lectures and (b) provide an opportunity for hands-on exploration of skeletal and fossil materials.
NOTE: ANT 301 is a required prerequisite for most upper division physical anthropology courses.
An smaller format honors version of ANT 301 is also offered for participants in the Liberal Arts Honors program.
ANT 350C - Primate Sensory Ecology
Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with their environment. Sensory ecology is the study of how organisms acquire and respond to information about their environment.
Primate Sensory Ecology is a course designed for advanced undergraduates in physical anthropology and the biological sciences. This course provides an opportunity for detailed study of primate sensory systems from an ecological and comparative perspective.
The core topics covered in this course are the special senses of vision, hearing, and smell, with a particular emphasis on the adaptive and ecological significance of primate sensory adaptations. For each of these senses, lectures and readings will review all or some of the following concepts: 1) general and comparative anatomy and physiology, 2) evolutionary history, 3) development, 4) neural pathways and central processing, 5) psychophysics, and 6) behavioral ecology.
In studying each sensory system, the relationship between morphological variation and behavioral capabilities is highlighted. This dual focus on morphology and behavioral ecology provides students with an explicit understanding of the effect that the functional anatomy of a sensory system has on an organism's niche. All information is presented within a comparative phylogenetic framework, so that evolutionary novelties can be understood in terms of the macro-evolutionary processes responsible for the novel feature's appearance.
ANT 366 - Anatomy And Biology Of The Human Skeleton
Anatomy And Biology Of The Human Skeleton is an intensive lab-based course in human osteology. Weekly lectures comprise a portion of the course, but the majority of each class day is spent directly interacting with skeletal remains. Topics that are covered include basic skeletal anatomy, identification of fragmentary remains, bone biology and development, skeletal pathology and remodeling, and the use of osteological remains to reconstruct individual characteristics (e.g., sex, age, etc.). The subject material covered in this course is intended to provide a foundation in human skeletal anatomy for students interested in pursuing graduate study and/or careers in biological anthropology, archaeology, medicine, and forensic science. Detailed knowledge of the human skeleton is also highly relevant for a range of other courses in biological anthropology, such as Human Evolution, Primate Anatomy, and Primate Evolution.
ANT 348K - Evolutionary Anatomy of the Head and Neck
Evolutionary Anatomy of the Head and Neck is a course designed for upper division undergraduates in physical anthropology, paleontology, and the biological sciences. The objective of this course is to provide a detailed overview of the comparative and functional anatomy of the head, with particular attention to the teeth and cranium. The taxonomic focus of this course is foremost on humans, followed by other primates, other mammals, and other vertebrates. In addition to learning the gross anatomy of the head, an emphasis is placed on understanding the functional and phylogenetic significance of macroevolutionary transformations of cephalic structures through time. The format of the course includes lecture, discussions, and in-class laboratory components.
ANT 379 - Topics in Anthropology
Individual instruction & readings - topics vary according to student interests.
ANT 679H - Honors Tutorial
Individual instruction & readings - required for an undergraduate honors thesis.
Links to Other Web Pages
Chris Kirk - Web / popular media news, press, commentary:
2021
Marfa Public Radio, Nature Notes: https://marfapublicradio.org/blog/nature-notes/west-texas-croc-fossil-find-illumines-a-dynamic-epoch-in-earths-history/
Chinatichampsus wilsonorum: Virginia Tech Press Release
2019
Nature Outlook on the Nocturnal Bottleneck: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-01109-6#ref-CR1
2018
San Diego Eocene Primates: Gunnelltarsius, Ekwiiyemakius, & Brontomomys: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180828143423.htm
San Diego Union-Tribune: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/sd-me-new-primate-20180907-story.html#
ABC - 10News San Diego: https://www.10news.com/news/new-ancient-primate-species-discovered-in-san-diego
Inverse: https://www.inverse.com/article/48639-ancient-primates-species-discovered-san-diego-california
Sci Show: https://youtu.be/ovy2yYvD5W8
Thinking in Public: https://thinkinginpublic.org/story/what-on-earth-were-these-tropical-primates-doing-in-southern-california/
2017
Marfa Public Radio, Nature Notes: http://marfapublicradio.org/blog/nature-notes/ancient-primates-of-the-big-bend/
Tumble Science Podcast For Kids: http://www.sciencepodcastforkids.com/single-post/2017/04/21/The-Skull-of-the-Ancient-Primate-with-Chris-Kirk
Foramen magnum position - https://news.utexas.edu/2017/03/17/human-skull-evolved-along-with-two-legged-walking-study
Sifaka color vision and ecology - Nautilus: http://nautil.us/blog/what-if-only-females-could-see-color
2016
ESI Hot Science Talk "Some Like It Hot, Hot, Hot: When Primates Roamed Texas’ Rainforests": http://www.esi.utexas.edu/talk/primates-roamed-texas/
Solastalla cookei: https://news.utexas.edu/2016/02/22/ancient-lone-star-lizard-lounged-in-lush-tropical-texas
Academy of Distinguished Teachers: https://provost.utexas.edu/news/2016-academy-distinguished-teachers
Sifaka color vision: http://liberalarts.utexas.edu/public-affairs/news/11326
Houston Chronicle story on Big Bend fieldwork: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/A-rain-forest-no-more-Big-Bend-in-Texas-holds-10778499.php#photo-11848555
2014
Vintana sertichi - LiveScience:http://www.livescience.com/48626-ancient-madagascar-mammal.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Livesciencecom+(LiveScience.com+Science+Headline+Feed)
2013
Foramen Magnum and Bipedalism - Laelaps: http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/28/the-way-you-walk-is-tied-to-a-hole-in-your-skull/
Foramen Magnum and Bipedalism - Slate.com: http://www.slate.com/articles/video/video/2013/09/why_we_walk_on_two_legs_evolutionary_link_between_skull_and_bipedalism.html
Foramen Magnum and Bipedalism - Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130926111903.htm
Texas Ten teaching award: http://alcalde.texasexes.org/2013/03/the-texas-10-miguel-ferguson-chris-kirk-and-ruth-buskirk/
Alcalde feature "A University of the First Class": http://alcalde.texasexes.org/2013/04/a-university-of-the-first-class-chris-kirk/
Mammal Eye Shape and the Nocturnal Bottleneck - Academic Minute Podcast:
Leuckart's Law and Eye Size in Mammals - UT Knowledge Matters: https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/knowledge-matters/id543308133
2012
Mammal Eye Shape and the Nocturnal Bottleneck - Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121031161025.htm
Eye Size and Running Speed in Mammals - Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120502112606.htm
Eye Size and Running Speed in Mammals - NBC News: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/47286951/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/bigger-eyes-faster-beast-study-finds/
Tarsier Ultrasound: http://news.discovery.com/animals/tarsier-ultrasound-120207.html
Orbit Size and Latitude: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=bright-sized-skull-study&WT.mc_id=SA_sharetool_StumbleUpon
Scleral Rings - Dinosaur Tracking: http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/dinosaur/2012/02/the-debate-over-dinosaur-sight/
2011
Mescalerolemur horneri - Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516121537.htm
Mescalerolemur horneri - Wired Science: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/05/mescalerolemur-it-came-from-the-devils-graveyard/
UT Life and Letters: http://lifeandletters.la.utexas.edu/2011/11/dig-this/
ESI Hot Science Talk - "Your Eye, My Eye, and the Eye of the Aye-Aye: Evolution of Human Vision from 65 Million Years Ago to the Present": http://www.esi.utexas.edu/talk/aye-aye/
Commander Ben Interview: http://commanderben.com/2011/11/29/all-eyes-on-dr-chris-kirks-hot-science-cool-talks-presentation-pre-talk-video-interviews/
2010
Darwinius Critique - Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100302131719.htm
Darwinius Critique - Wired Science: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/03/new-study-confirms-that-ida-is-not-our-great-great-great-great-etc-grandmother/
Friar Centennial Teaching Fellowship: http://www.utexas.edu/know/2010/04/14/friar_fellowship_kirk/
Diablomomys dalquesti: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081014111401.htm
Biological Anthropology Links:
American Association of Physical Anthropology: http://www.physanth.org/
American Society of Primatologists: http://www.asp.org/
AAPA Job Listings: http://www.physanth.org/job-postings
Primate Lit Database: http://primatelit.library.wisc.edu/
Primate Info Net: http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/
Vertebrate Paleontology Links:
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology: http://www.vertpaleo.org/
UT Jackson School of Geosciences Vertebrate Paleontology Program: http://www.geo.utexas.edu/grad/programs/paleontology.html
Bridger Basin Project: http://www.rockymountainpaleontology.com/bridger/
Paleobiology Database - Fossil Taxonomy Reference: http://paleodb.org/?a=home
American Association of Anatomists: http://www.anatomy.org/
eSkeletons Primate Comparative Anatomy: http://www.eskeletons.org/
eLucy Digital Atlas of A. afarensis AL-288: http://www.elucy.org/
Digimorph CT Scan Archive: http://www.digimorph.org/
Paleoview 3D Digital Fossil Archive: http://paleoview3d.marshall.edu
Woods Hole Computerized Scanning and Imaging Facility: http://csi.whoi.edu/
Digital Morphology Museum, Kyoto University Primate Research Institute:
http://dmm.pri.kyoto-u.ac.jp/dmm/WebGallery/index.html
Idaho State University Virtualization Laboratory: http://ivl.imnh.isu.edu/index.htm
Animal Diversity Web: http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
Mammalian Crania Photo Archive: http://macro.dokkyomed.ac.jp/mammal/en/mammal.html
Comparative Mammalian Brain Images: http://brainmuseum.org/
Mouse Lemur Brain Atlas: http://atlasserv.caltech.edu/Lemur/Start_lemur.html
Webvision; Organization of the Retina and Visual System: http://webvision.med.utah.edu
Promenade Round the Cochlea: http://www.neuroreille.com/promenade/english/start_gb.htm
Heffner Lab Behavioral Audiograms: http://psychology.utoledo.edu/showpage.asp?name=mammal_hearing
Field Schools:
Primate Behavior & Tropical Ecology Field Schools
Madagascar: Stony Brook / Centre Val Bio - http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/centre-valbio/education/studyabroad.html
Kenya: Rutgers - http://primate.rutgers.edu/overview.html
Costa Rica and Nicaragua: Maderas Rainforest Conservancy (La Suerte and Ometepe) - http://maderasrfc.org/courses
Costa Rica: DANTA - http://danta.info/field-courses/schedule-fees.php
Panama: Bocas Del Toro - http://www.itec-edu.org/
Rwanda: University of Arizona - http://primatefieldschool.arizona.edu/
Human Evolution Field Schools
Ethiopia: Hadar (ASU) - http://www.public.asu.edu/~kreed/Classes.htm
Kenya: Koobi Fora (GWU) - https://cashp.columbian.gwu.edu/koobi-fora-field-school
Kenya: Turkana Basin (Stony Brook) - http://www.turkanabasin.org/fieldschool/
Archaeology Field Schools
UT - Belize - https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/cats/pfbap/overview.php
Museum Collections Databases:
Carnegie Museum of Natural History Vert Paleo: https://www.idigbio.org/portal/recordsets/71b8ffab-444e-43f9-9a9c-5c42b0eaa5eb
Jackson School Museum of Earth History Vertebrate Paleontology Collections: currently unavailable
National Museum of Natural History, Paleontology: http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/paleo/
National Museum of Natural History, Mammalogy: http://collections.mnh.si.edu/search/mammals/
Field Museum of Natural History, Mammalogy: http://emuweb.fieldmuseum.org/mammals/Query.php
American Museum of Natural History, Mammalogy: http://www.amnh.org/our-research/vertebrate-zoology/mammalogy/database/
American Museum of Natural History, Paleontology: http://research.amnh.org/paleontology/search.php
University of California Museum of Paleontology: http://ucmpdb.berkeley.edu
Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History Paleontology: http://peabody.yale.edu/collections/search-collections?vp
Science News / Blogs:
Laelaps: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/laelaps/
Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/
Research Funding For UT Austin Students:
Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Awards: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/student-affairs/Programs/scholarships-hidden/Undergraduate-Research-Awards.php
Liberal Arts Research/Conference Travel Graduate Fellowships: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/student-affairs/Programs/scholarships-hidden/Liberal-Arts-ResearchConference-Travel-Graduate-Fellowships.php
Biological Anthropology Graduate Programs
Biological / Evolutionary / Physical Anthropology Graduate Programs By State:
(Number of faculty, areas of specialization, and degrees offered vary by program)
Interested in MA, MS, Ph.D. and certificate programs in FORENSIC ANTHROPOLOGY? Have a look at these web sites:
American Board of Forensic Anthropology: http://theabfa.org/
American Academy of Forensic Sciences student info
Also have a look at the forensic or bioarchaeology graduate programs at: Texas State, U. Tennessee, U. Nevada Reno, Cal State Chico, U. South Florida, U. Binghamtom, NC State, Michigan State, U. Arizona, George Mason, Arizona State
ARIZONA
Arizona State University: https://shesc.asu.edu/
---See also ASU Institute for Human Origins: http://iho.asu.edu/
University of Arizona: http://anthropology.arizona.edu/
ARKANSAS
University of Arkansas: http://anthropology.uark.edu
CALIFORNIA
University of California Berkeley: http://anthropology.berkeley.edu
University of California Davis: http://anthropology.ucdavis.edu/
---See also faculty affiliates of California National Primate Research Center: http://www.cnprc.ucdavis.edu/
University of Southern California: https://dornsife.usc.edu/cf/anth/anth_faculty_roster.cfm
---See also USC Jane Goodall Research Center: http://dornsife.usc.edu/labs/janegoodall
University of California Los Angeles: http://www.anthro.ucla.edu/
CONNECTICUT
Yale University: http://www.yale.edu/anthro/anthropology/Dept_news/Dept_news.html
University of Connecticut: https://anthropology.uconn.edu/
COLORADO
University of Colorado: http://www.colorado.edu/Anthropology/
Colorado State University (MA only): http://anthropology.colostate.edu
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
George Washington University: http://anthropology.columbian.gwu.edu
---See also GWU Hominid Paleobiology: http://cashp.gwu.edu/
FLORIDA
University of Florida: http://anthro.ufl.edu
---See also the C. A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory: http://www.poundlab.org
GEORGIA
Emory University: http://www.anthropology.emory.edu/
---See also faculty affiliates of Yerkes National Primate Research Center:http://www.yerkes.emory.edu/
University of Georgia: http://anthropology.uga.edu/
ILLINOIS
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign: http://www.anthro.illinois.edu/
SIU Carbondale: http://www.anthro.siuc.edu/
INDIANA
Notre Dame: http://anthropology.nd.edu
MASSACHUSSETTS
Boston University: http://www.bu.edu/anthrop/
---See also BU M.S. in Forensic Anthropology: http://www.bu.edu/academics/gms/programs/forensic-anthropology/
Harvard University: http://www.heb.fas.harvard.edu/
UMass Amherst: https://www.umass.edu/anthro/
MICHIGAN
University of Michigan: http://www.lsa.umich.edu/anthro/
---See also University of Michigan Museum of Paleontology: http://www.paleontology.lsa.umich.edu/
Michigan State University: http://anthropology.msu.edu
---See also MSU Forensic Anthropology Laboratory: http://anthropology.msu.edu/msufal/
MISSOURI
Washington University - St. Louis: https://anthropology.wustl.edu/
NEVADA
University of Nevada - Reno: http://www.unr.edu/anthropology
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Dartmouth: https://anthropology.dartmouth.edu/people
NEW JERSEY
Rutgers: http://anthro.rutgers.edu/
NEW MEXICO
University of New Mexico: http://www.unm.edu/~anthro/index.html
NEW YORK
Stony Brook University: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/anthropology/
---See also IDPAS: https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/idpas/
---See also Stony Brook Anatomy Dept: http://www.anat.stonybrook.edu/
NYCEP: http://www.nycep.org/
New York University: http://anthropology.as.nyu.edu/page/home
---See also NYU Center for Human Origins: http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/anthro/programs/csho/
NORTH CAROLINA
Duke University: http://www.evolutionaryanthropology.duke.edu/
---See also Duke Lemur Center: http://lemur.duke.edu/
---See also Duke Division of Fossil Primates: http://www.fossils.duke.edu/
OHIO
Ohio State University: http://anthropology.osu.edu/
University of Cincinnati: https://www.artsci.uc.edu/departments/anthropology.html
Kent State University: http://www.kent.edu/CAS/Anthropology/
OREGON
University of Oregon: https://anthropology.uoregon.edu/
PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania State University: https://anth.la.psu.edu/
University of Pennsylvania: https://www.sas.upenn.edu/anthropology/
TEXAS
University of Texas at Austin: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/anthropology/
Texas A&M: http://anthropology.tamu.edu/
Texas State University: http://www.txstate.edu/anthropology/
---See also Texas State U. Forensic Anthropology Center: http://www.txstate.edu/anthropology/facts/
UT San Antonio: http://colfa.utsa.edu/ant/
TENNESSEE
University of Tennessee: http://web.utk.edu/~anthrop/
---See also U. of Tennessee Forensic Anthropology Center: http://web.utk.edu/%7Efac/
UTAH
University of Utah: http://www.anthro.utah.edu
WISCONSIN
University of Wisconsin Madison: http://www.anthropology.wisc.edu/index.php
---See also faculty affiliates of the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center: http://www.primate.wisc.edu/
WYOMING
University of Wyoming: http://www.uwyo.edu/anthropology/
Related graduate programs in evolutionary morphology:
NEOMED - Anatomy and Neurobiology: http://www.neomed.edu/academics/medicine/departments/anatomyneurobiology/researchfocusgroups
University of Missouri School of Medicine - Integrative Anatomy: http://anatomy.missouri.edu/
Ohio University - Paleontology: http://www.ohio.edu/paleo/faculty.htm
---See also OUCOM Biomedical Sciences: http://www.oucom.ohiou.edu/dbms/
Graduate Programs in Canada:
University of Alberta: http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/anthropology/
University of Calgary: http://anth.ucalgary.ca/
University of Toronto: http://anthropology.utoronto.ca/
Université de Montréal: http://www.anthro.umontreal.ca/