Allison Nesbitt

PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropological Sciences

'Morphological integration between the face and dentition in humans and chimpanzees'

Synopsis: Differences in the size and shape of the face and teeth are often used in biological anthropology to assess the relatedness of species. It is not fully understood whether the face and teeth are two separate units that can evolve independently or if they are tightly correlated or integrated during evolution. This presentation will discuss the evolutionary significance of modularity and morphological integration (or the association between two anatomical parts) and examine the morphological integration between the face and teeth in humans and chimpanzees. In order to assess whether the face and dentition of humans and chimpanzees are highly integrated, other regions of the cranium will be evaluated to establish a baseline of “high” and “low” magnitudes of integration within the human and chimpanzee cranium.

Biography: Allison is a sixth year PhD candidate in the Interdepartmental Doctoral Program in Anthropological Sciences (IDPAS). She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy from Duke University and a master’s degree in Anthropology (with a concentration in Forensic and Biological Anthropology) at Mercyhurst University. Within the Center of Inclusive Education (CIE) at Stony Brook, Allison was a Dr. W. Burghardt Turner Fellow. Allison is currently a scholar in the AGEP T-FRAME program and a mentor in the Community of Student Mentors (CSM).

Tuesday, April 26, 2016 at 12:00 PM