Jenine Marquez

Jenine Marquez's Blog Posts

08.14.15

The Rise of Culture and the Fall of Testosterone

Behind the Science, Education
In a paper published in the journal Current Anthropology, a team of researchers funded by The Leakey Foundation explore the biological basis of the technology boom and expansion of culture that happened 50,000 years ago. DURHAM, N.C. — Modern humans appear in the fossil record about 200,000 years ago, but it was only about 50,000 years ago that making art and advanced tools became widespread. A new… more »
05.05.15

Video: Laurie Santos – The Evolution of Irrationality

Speaker Series
If you missed Laurie Santos’ SciCafe presentation at the American Museum of Natural History, we have a video of her presentation. [youtube id=”v_3fkePAg6U”] The ancestral history of humans and primates is extensive, but can it explain even our financial choices? New experiments in “monkeynomics” demonstrate that monkeys make some of the same silly financial choices… more »
12.01.14

From the Field: Oliver Paine, Cradle Nature Reserve, South Africa

From the Field
Recent studies have suggested that C4 plants played a larger role in early hominin diets than previously believed, thus making a systematic effort to determine the costs and benefits of C4 plants for hominin consumption that much more important in helping to model early hominin dietary behavior. The following is a short update from Leakey Foundation spring 2014 grantee Oliver Paine,University of Colorado… more »
11.25.14

Research Report: Dynamics of population growth by Cebus capucinus in Costa Rica

Research Report
The population of white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) in the Sector Santa Rosa (SSR) of the Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica offers a unique opportunity to model how landscape variability affected selection on early hominins.  This species shows many anatomical and behavioral convergences with great apes and humans, and they thrive in a broad range of environmental… more »
11.19.14

Ta ̈ı chimpanzees anticipate revisiting high-valued fruit trees from further distances

Journal Article, Baldwin Fellows
Baldwin Fellow Simone Dagui Ban is a PhD student from the Félix Houphouët Boigny University in Côte d’Ivoire. Following the 2010-11 election crisis that made studying in her home country impossible, Ban was given the opportunity to study at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology for one year.  She was awarded her first Franklin Mosher Baldwin Memorial Fellowship in the spring of 2013 so… more »
11.17.14

Grantee Spotlight: Philip A. Slater

Grantee Spotlight
In spring of 2013 Philip A. Slater, PhD candidate at the University of Illinois, was awarded a Leakey Foundation research grant for his project entitled “Planning and technological organization in the Kenyan MSA and LSA.”  The following is a short update on his progress. Small and intentionally dug hole that contained about 550 artifacts. The people at the site (~94,000 years ago) appeared… more »
11.14.14

Exploring ‘Ein Qashish, a Middle Paleolithic site in northern Israel

Research Report
Erella Hovers Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Excavation of ‘Ein Qashish Traditionally, studies of Levantine (eastern Mediterranean) Middle Paleolithic sites have focused on caves, and so exploration of the open-air ‘Ein Qashish site presents a novel opportunity to expand our understanding of the behavioral dynamics of Middle Paleolithic hominins (modern humans as well… more »
11.14.14

From the Field: Anne E. Russon, Kutai National Park, Borneo

From the Field
Anne E. Russon and her team have been collecting field data on east Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus morio) at the newly established Bendili study area (northern border of Kutai National Park) since January 2010. Russon has been awarded two grants by The Leakey Foundation for her study of the ranging behavior and diet of this population, which due to the harsh environment is considered to be the extreme… more »
11.12.14

From the Field: Alexandra Uhl at the StEvE Conference, University of Tübingen

From the Field
Leakey Foundation grantee Alexandra Uhl, PhD candidate from the University of Tübingen in Germany, reports from the StEvE Conference. EvE is a semester seminar series at the University of Tübingen with speakers who talk about their research in Evolution and Ecology. The StEvE conference is organized within the EvE for Students… So St(udents) and EvE = StEVE.   Each year StEvE is organized by a different… more »
11.04.14

From the Field: Isaiah Nengo, Lake Turkana Basin, Kenya

From the Field
Leakey Foundation grantee Isaiah Nengo (spring 2014) has recently returned from the field with exciting news! Isaiah Nengo at work in the Lake Turkana Basin Plio-Pleistocene sediments of the Lake Turkana basin have provided numerous fossils key to our current understanding of the origin and evolutionary history of the hominid lineage in Africa.  Scattered within the vast Plio-Pleistocene deposits… more »
11.03.14

Grantee Spotlight: Nathan Thompson

Grantee Spotlight
Nathan Thompson explaining to a kinematic subject how head motion relates to the semicircular canal organs in the inner ear.   Nathan Thompson, PhD candidate from Stony Brook University, was awarded a Leakey Foundation research grant in spring of 2014 for his project entitled “Kinematics and evolution of upper body stability in hominins.” Humans are unique among our primate relatives… more »
10.16.14

Stress in wild female Assamese macaques

Research Report
Julia Ostner University of Göttingen Researchers have been performing daily focal observations and fecal sampling on this study group of habituated Assamese macaques in Thailand’s Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary since October 2006.  For her investigation of ecological, social and reproductive stress in female macaques, Julia Ostner used data collected between September 2007 and February 2009. This… more »
10.02.14

Irven DeVore: 1934-2014

The Leakey Foundation
Irven DeVore. Photo from The Leakey Foundation Archive The world is made less joyful with the recent passing of Dr. Irven DeVore. He passed away on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 from heart failure. Irv joined The Leakey Foundation as a Trustee in 1974 and served until 1978. He became Co-Chair of the Scientific Executive Committee in 1980 and was later honored with the title of SEC Emeritus, joining his colleagues… more »
10.01.14

Research Report: The function(s) of a long-distance signal: the orangutan long call

Research Report
Brigitte Spillmann, PhD Candidate Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich Photo:  Mure Wipfli Brigitte Spillmann was awarded a Leakey Foundation research grant in spring 2010 for her PhD project focusing on the functions of the long call, the long distance signal of the flanged male orangutan. Long distance signaling in widely dispersed, semi-solitary species is often used to … more »
09.03.14

Extracting Ancient Dental DNA: Just Like Pulling Teeth

Behind the Science, Guest Post, Education
by Dr. Anne Stone,  Arizona State University Photo: David Bygott BY-NC-SA 2.0 How hard can it be to extract DNA from the teeth of chimpanzees that died only 30 or 40 years ago? These were my initial thoughts when presented with the opportunity to examine the DNA of the most famous chimpanzees in the world. These individuals, studied by Dr. Jane Goodall at Gombe, included Flo, Madam Bee, Satan, Hugo, and Getty.… more »
08.15.14

Fossil Friday: Daka Homo erectus

Grantee Spotlight
This week’s Fossil Friday is Specimen BOU-VP-2/66. The Daka Calvaria, a million year old Homo erectus skullcap discovered in 1997 by Leakey Foundation grantee Henry Gilbert, who was a Ph.D candidate at the University of California, Berkeley at the time of the discovery. The fossil was discovered in the Middle Awash region of the Afar Rift in eastern Ethiopia, which has been the source of many fossil… more »
08.07.14

Happy Birthday, Louis Leakey!

In the News
Louis Leakey, for whom The Leakey Foundation is named, was born on this day in 1903. To celebrate him and his legacy, we invite you to read on and learn a little more about the jovial man who devoted his life to uncovering our shared past. Louis Leakey showing off a spear at a fundraiser. Los Angeles, 1970. “People frequently ask me why I devote so much time to seeking out facts about man’s past…the past shows… more »
07.02.14

The Director’s Diary: Spain (part two)

Director's Diary
By Sharal Camisa, Executive Director The Leakey Foundation’s Fellows Tour began in Santander, Spain, one of the richest regions in the world for archeological sites from the Upper Paleolithic period, and continued with a visit to Southern Spain and the rock of Gibraltar. Our home base for this two-day extension was Malaga. Malaga’s history spans about 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the… more »
06.04.14

Director’s Diary: Spain

Director's Diary
By Sharal Camisa, Executive Director There are few moments more thought-provoking than standing in a dark, damp cave with your arm outstretched, hovering your hand above a red-ochre hand print made over 20,000 years ago, and wondering about the individual who made that impression.  Eighteen passionate paleo-science enthusiasts had such an opportunity during an incredible journey of Northern Spain… more »
05.06.14

Spring 2014 Granting Session

Grants
On April 26, 2014, the Leakey Foundation Board of Trustees and the Scientific Executive Committee met to discuss the recent grantees for the Spring ’14 grant cycle. Below are some statistics from the Spring 2014 Granting Session:
  • There was a total of 111 applications for research grants and Baldwin Fellowships combined.
  • There were 10 Baldwin Fellowship applications.
  • 33 research grant applications
… more »
05.06.14

Annual Fellows Dinner and Auction

The Leakey Foundation
The Leakey Foundation’s Annual Fellows Dinner and Auction was held on Friday, April 25, 2014 at the historic Chateau Carolands in Hillsborough. The event is a way to acknowledge the Foundation’s patrons whose generous support allows us to continue the mission of our organization, which is to increase scientific knowledge and education. The gathering of 80 guests included scientists in the human… more »
01.09.14

Fall 2013 Granting Session

Grants
In December 2013, the Leakey Foundation Board of Trustees and the Scientific Executive Committee met to discuss the newest grantees for the Fall ’13 grant cycle. Below are some quick facts for the Fall 2013 Granting Session:
  • There were a total of 89 applications
  • 40 applications fell under the category of Behavioral
  • 49 applications fell under the category of Paleoanthropology
  • 11 applications were
… more »
12.23.13

Is Everybody a Big Liar?

Being Human
How much do you think we lie? In the past few years, some compelling research has lead science to conclude that “everybody lies.”
12.18.13

Skullduggery: Is the Identity of the Piltdown Forger and His Methods Close to Full Exposure?

Guest Post
  By Dr. Jerry Drawhorn This year, and 60 years since the last extensive analysis of the remains led to the discovery that the Piltdown skull was a fraud, a team of over 15 analysts – including experts in ancient DNA, radiocarbon dating and isotope studies – have been assembled by Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum in London to re-examine the Piltdown collections using modern analytical… more »
11.21.13

The New Science of Cuffing Season

Being Human
The science of monogamy is not an open and shut case. The debate is still going strong about the specific evolutionary origins of why we form lasting relationships and science is continuing to uncover the precise mechanisms behind partner selection in the brain.
10.29.13

The Evolution of the Mean Girl

Being Human
Did female competition lead to covert aggression? It turns out that women may have evolved to do just that, according to a new article by Tracy Vaillancour.
10.24.13

The Contentious “Skull 5”

In the News
Skull 5, in-situ. Dmanisi, Republic of Georgia. Dr. David Lordkipanidze’s newest evidence to come from Dmanisi has set the stage for a lively debate between thelumpers and splitters. For the past two decades, Lordkipanidze­—a five-time Leakey Foundation grantee (1998-2003)­­—and his colleagues have excavated at Dmanisi, a long-term study site in the Caucasus in the Republic of Georgia,… more »
10.16.13

Thinking about Thinking

Being Human
As far as we know, human beings are the only animal capable of introspection—the ability to examine our own mental processes.
09.06.13

2013 EAAPP conference in Mombasa, Kenya

Uncategorized
by Dr. Kristian Carlson*Senior Researcher at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Research Associate, Department of Anthropology, Indiana University The 4th conference of the East African Association for Paleoanthropology and Paleontology (EAAPP) took place at the Leisure Lodge Resort in Mombasa, Kenya from July 28th through August 1st, 2013. Once again it was an exciting opportunity… more »
07.30.13

The Importance of Charles Darwin

Being Human
Charles Darwin is centrally important in the development of scientific and humanist ideas because he first made people aware of their place in the evolutionary process...
06.05.13

Gordon P. Getty: Celebrating 40 Years of Service on the Foundation’s Board of Trustees

Grants, The Leakey Foundation
In April we celebrated 45 years of funding science. 40 of those years have been graced with the leadership and generous philanthropy of Mr. Gordon P. Getty. To honor this milestone, the Foundation created the Gordon P. Getty Grant. We also celebrated with six events, in four days, held in San Francisco and Healdsburg, CA. On Thursday, April 25th, the events were kicked off by a lecture titled The NeuroEconomics… more »
06.05.13

Scientists discover oldest evidence of split between Old World monkeys and apes

Education
ATHENS, Ohio (May 15, 2013) — Two fossil discoveries from the East African Rift reveal new information about the evolution of primates, according to a study published online in Nature today led by Ohio University scientists. The team’s findings document the oldest fossils of two major groups of primates: the group that today includes apes and humans (hominoids), and the group that includes Old World… more »
05.07.13

Mothering: The Natural Heritage from Deep Time by Dr. Robert Martin

Uncategorized
Image courtesy of Anne-Elise Martin Throughout my career, one of my greatest rewards has come from interacting with generations of students. Their fresh, inquisitive minds have continually kept me on my toes. Countless times, I have been stopped in my tracks by smart, unexpected questions that sent me scurrying back to the drawing-board. But I must admit to feeling some dismay when, several years ago, … more »
05.03.13

The Last Taboo

Being Human
What drives a man to work toward the position of CEO or run for political office? You’d be forgiven if you said it might have something to do with the pursuit of power...
04.03.13

45 Years of Funding Human Origins Science

The Leakey Foundation
This month marks the 45th anniversary of the first board meeting of the L. S. B. Leakey Foundation for Research Related to Man’s Origins. The date was April 8, 1968 and one of the first orders of business was to procure a $12,000 loan. The board meeting minutes state that this money was to be used to fund a “survey and study of the objectives and procedural methods for raising funds by the Foundation.” This study,… more »
03.06.13

A visit with Leakey Grantees at Cambridge

Uncategorized, Grantee Spotlight
University of Cambridge has a rich history of affiliation with many of the great names in scientific research. Since 1978, The Leakey Foundation has funded $188,000 in research grants to individuals associated with this venerable institution. While on a recent trip to England, Managing Director for The Leakey Foundation, Ms. Sharal Camisa visited Cambridge and met with five Leakey Foundation grantees… more »
10.29.12

Monsters Incorporated

Being Human
When was the last time you were stalked and attacked by a hungry mountain lion—or any other large predator for that matter?
10.15.12

The Roots of Human Aggression

Guest Post, Being Human
Humans are more often at peace than at war; we cooperate more than we conflict. In fact, there is mounting evidence that cooperation may be acentral facet in explaining our success as a species.
08.19.12

Lying

Guest Post, Being Human
We like people who don’t lie; we feel they’re trustworthy. But perhaps life is not that simple, not that black and white.
07.17.12

Leakey grantees contribute to Chimpanzee

In the News
Jarman, age 4 Did you know that grantees of The Leakey Foundation, as well as project sites funded by the Foundation, were part of this summer’s Disneynature documentary Chimpanzee? The lead scientific consultant to the movie, Dr. Christophe Boesch, has been studying wild chimps for 30 years. During Boesch’s early years of research, The Leakey Foundation funded his work in Tai National Forest,… more »
06.24.12

Evolution

Being Human
Humans often forget that we really are animals and almost all our behavior—even the most civilized and controlled—is rooted in evolution.
06.24.12

Emotions

Being Human
Why would we have evolved emotional responses? What are emotions really good for?
06.22.12

Culture

Being Human
Culture is the knowledge, beliefs, behavior, outlook, attitudes, values, goals, traditions, and practices shared by a group of people that cannot be attributed to genetics.
06.07.12

In Memoriam: Phillip V. Tobias

Uncategorized
Phillip V. Tobias with the Leakeys It is with great sorrow that The Leakey Foundation shares the news of the passing of Dr. Phillip Vallentine Tobias (b. October 14, 1925). Dr. Tobias was a world-renowned expert in the field of human origins and Professor Emeritus at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He received numerous honors and awards including South Africa’s Order for Meritorious… more »
06.06.12

Question and Answer with Su-Jen Roberts

Uncategorized
  Q: How did you first come to study human origins? A: During my first semester [of college], I participated in a program in which a small group of freshmen took several classes around one interdisciplinary theme. Knowing that I was interested in science, I chose the one science-oriented theme available at the time – evolution. I had learned next-to-nothing about evolution in high school, and was fascinated… more »
05.14.12

2012 Spring Grants Report

Grants
Scientists are turning to The Leakey Foundation for funding now more than ever. During the most recent grants cycle, Spring 2012, we received a record number of applications (the highest number in 44 years). The competition was stiff, and the funding decisions were even more difficult than usual. Here is a breakdown of some statistics for the cycle: We received 111 grant applications, including 3 applications… more »
12.13.11

Dispatches from the Amazon

From the Field, Travel
November, Board President Don Dana, along with Leakey Grantees Nick Toth and Kathy Schick ventured into the dense jungle of the Amazon Rainforest in search of the Huaorani tribe. Their quest… to learn about the Huaorani’s method of hunting with blowguns and poison darts, dipped in curare. Though The Leakey Foundation did not have a hand in funding this amazing trip, we thought you’d … more »
12.13.11

23 Grants Awarded in Fall 2011 Granting Session

Grants
We’re approaching the end of the year and the conclusion of our Fall 2011 Granting Session. Our Scientific Executive Committee (SEC) and outside peers have reviewed all applications, and have made their recommendations for funding distribution. This fall, we received 74 applications for grants in Behavioral and Paleoanthropology categories, of which the reviewers have recommended 20 grants… more »
10.26.11

Leakey Grantees Final Reports Now Available

Grants
Interested in the latest research funded by The Leakey Foundation? Final Reports from our most recent pool of grantees are now available on our website. Whether you’re an avid science enthusiast, or a scientist yourself, our grantees’ Final Reports give you a glimpse at a broad range of the most current research into human origins. View the Final Reports here.… more »
10.05.11

Grant Funding Increases Despite Tough Economy

Grants
In these tough economic times, we work hard to maintain our grant funding for scientific research projects. Despite this challenging environment, we have been able to increase our grant funding over the last two years, adding $85,000 overall to our total annual grants given since 2008. In addition, 80% of our total budget goes to science research and education, making The Leakey Foundation a highly efficient… more »
10.05.11

Grant Funding Increases Despite Tough Economy

Grants
  In these tough economic times, we work hard to maintain our grant funding for scientific research projects. Despite this challenging environment, we have been able to increase our grant funding over the last two years, adding $85,000 overall to our total annual grants given since 2008. In addition, 80% of our total budget goes to science research and education, making The Leakey Foundation a highly… more »
10.04.11

Welcome: John Mitani and Terry Harrison have joined the SEC

The Leakey Foundation
We are pleased to announce the addition of two esteemed scientists as the newest members of our Scientific Executive Committee (SEC): Terry Harrison and John Mitani. We’d like to welcome them to the Committee and thank them for their essential contribution to our mission. The SEC is the heart of the Leakey Foundation’s scientific direction. It consists of a group of scientists chosen to review… more »
08.11.11

Welcome Baby “Pistache”

The Leakey Foundation
During The Leakey Foundation 2011 Annual Auction and Dinner, Foundation Trustee Mrs. Carolyn Farris bid on and won the “naming rights” for the next chimpanzee born at the Fongoli site in Senegal. Fongoli, which is run by Leakey Grantee Jill Pruetz, is home to a unique group of chimpanzees that have adapted to living in a savanna environment, often seen by Pruetz and her team hunting bush babies… more »
07.25.11

Notes from the Field with Jill Pruetz

In the News
Chimps on the savanna in Senegal.

July 2011 at Fongoli:

Predators and Prey

by Jill Pruetz, Leakey Grantee Some exciting events have occurred this month, including quite a bit of predation attempts by the Fongoli chimps as well as an encounter with a potential predator. So far this year, we’ve recorded 37 tool-assisted hunting attempts on galago (or bushbaby) prey. This behavior peaks at the beginning of … more »
07.21.11

Toshisada Nishida: In Memoriam

The Leakey Foundation
Nishida with chimp Toshibo Along with scores of others in the primatology field, The Leakey Foundation mourns the passing of Dr. Toshisada Nishida. Dr. Nishida was a pioneer in the study of chimpanzees in the Mahale Mountains of Tanzania. He first began his field work in 1965; his research, mentoring and encouragement of other primatologists continued until his passing in June of this year. His contributions… more »
06.13.11

Leakey Grantee Publication Alert: Sarah Mathew

Grantee Spotlight
Leakey Foundation Grantee Sarah Mathew was published in today’s PNAS Early Edition. She was awarded a research grant by The Leakey Foundation in 2009. Her dissertation research examines how the Turkana, an acephalous pastoral society in East Africa, solve the collective action problem in warfare. She also examines the scale of cooperation and norms in Turkana warfare, to evaluate the role of … more »
05.02.11

More Q&A with Sosthene Habumuremyi

In the News
This is the fourth in a series of posts about Sosthene Habumuremyi’s dissertation research on the hormonal correlations of socio-sexual behaviors in female mountain gorillas. Sosthene’s research project combines behavioral data collected in the field with hormonal data analyzed in the lab. The results of this study will characterize the specific behavioral patterns around the time … more »
04.29.11

Question and Answer with Sosthene Habumuremyi

Uncategorized
Sosthene’s research project combines behavioral data collected in the field with hormonal data analyzed in the lab. The results of this study will characterize the specific behavioral patterns around the time of ovulation in mountain gorillas; specifically mating behavior, patterns of mating solicitations, and any evidence of coercion (aggression) by the silverbacks directed towards the… more »
04.12.11

Studying Hormonal Stimuli in Mountain Gorillas Yields Many Clues

Grantee Spotlight, From the Field, Behind the Science, Guest Post, Education
By Sosthene Habumuremyi My study has gathered data on mating behavior, solicitations, and any displays/aggression from adult males towards the females. Sexual swellings, which are extremely small in gorillas, are also noted. The plan is to monitor at least 6 nulliparous (never having given birth to offspring) females and 10 cycling parous (given birth to offspring at least once) females for 2 cycles … more »
04.04.11

The hormonal correlations of socio-sexual behaviors in female mountain gorillas

Education

By Sosthene Habumuremyi

The overall goal of this study is to investigate the hormonal correlates of socio-sexual behaviors in female mountain gorillas. Specifically, we want to understand the variation observed in mating strategies and fertility parameters among female mountain gorillas. By using hormonal data, we want to know if this variation is governed by internal stimuli. For a detailed analysis,… more »