Dr. Kay Behrensemeyer (1946- )
Brief biography
Oral history interview recorded December 14, 2022
Interviewer: Bernard Wood
Anna K. (“Kay”) Behrensmeyer has worked in the Department of Paleobiology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History since 1981; she has been a Senior Scientist there since 2009. She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011, a Member of the National Academy of Sciences in 2020, and a Member of the American Philosophical Society in 2021.
Behrensmeyer is a ‘big-picture’ scientist with an over-arching interest in the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems—which in lay terms means understanding how animals interacted with their environment, and with each other, in deep time.
We access information about past terrestrial ecosystems through the fossil record, and it is tempting to think that the fossil record is a faithful, unbiased, representation of all the animals at that location at a particular time in the past. Behrensmeyer’s other major research interest is working out how to identify biases in the fossil record, what factors generate these biases, and how biases can be corrected, so the fossil record can be ‘read’ and interpreted more intelligently and accurately. She has studied taphonomic processes in the modern ecosystem in Amboseli National Park, Kenya, in order to understand how animal populations are represented by the small samples of their remains that survive to become fossils.
Behrensmeyer has undertaken fieldwork at various paleontological sites in the East African Rift Valley System, but her longest and best-known involvement is with research on the east side of Lake Turkana where she discovered what, at the time, was the earliest evidence for the manufacture of stone tools by early hominins.
Kay Behrensmeyer Oral History Videos
Oral History Transcript
The transcript and narrative supplement below are and free to read and download.
Narrative Supplement
This narrative supplement is a version of the transcript that has been edited for clarity by Bernard A. Wood.
Selected Research Publications
Click to expand and see a collection of research publications by Kay Behrensmeyer
Pansani, Thaís R., Bertrand, Loïc, Pobiner, Briana, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Asevedo, Lidiane, Thoury, Mathieu, Araújo-Júnior, Hermínio I., Schöder, Sebastian, King, Andrew, Pacheco, Mírian L. A. F., and Dantas, Mário A. T. 2024. “Anthropogenic modification of a giant ground sloth tooth from Brazil supported by a multi-disciplinary approach.” Scientific Reports, 14, (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-69145-5. 2024
Owen, R. B., Rabideaux, Nathan, Bright, Jordon, Rosca, Carolina, Renaut, Robin W., Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Deino, Alan L., Cohen, Andrew S., Muiruri, Veronica, and Dommain, René. 2024. “Controls on Quaternary geochemical and mineralogical variability in the Koora Basin and South Kenya Rift.” Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2023.111986. 2024
Hatala, Kevin G., Roach, Neil T., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Falkingham, Peter L., Gatesy, Stephen M., Williams-Hatala, Erin, Feibel, Craig S., Dalacha, Ibrae, Kirinya, Martin, Linga, Ezekiel, Loki, Richard, Alkoro, Apolo, Longaye, Malmalo, Lonyericho, Emmanuel, Loyapan, Iyole, Nakudo, Nyiber, Nyete, Cyprian, and Leakey, Louise N. 2024. “Footprint evidence for locomotor diversity and shared habitats among early Pleistocene hominins.” Science, 386, (6725) 1004–1010. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.ado5275. 2024
Negash, Enquye W., Alemseged, Zeresenay, Barr, W. A., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Blumenthal, Scott A., Bobe, René, Carvalho, Susana, Cerling, Thure E., Chritz, Kendra L., McGuire, Elizabeth, Uno, Kevin T., Wood, Bernard, and Wynn, Jonathan G. 2024. “Modern African ecosystems as landscape-scale analogues for reconstructing woody cover and early hominin environments.” Journal of human evolution, 197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2024.103604. 2024
Present, Theodore M., Niespolo, Elizabeth M., Clarke, Catherine E., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Leakey, Louise N., Leakey, Meave G., Mongle, Carrie, Du Plessis, Anton, Northrup, Paul, Tappero, Ryan V., Yang, Deming, Rasbury, E. T., and Grine, Fredrick E. 2024. “Nondestructive geochemical characterization of fossil hominin taphonomy and burial history.” Quaternary Science Reviews, 328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2024.108525. 2024
Hatala, Kevin G., Roach, Neil T., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2023. “Fossil footprints and what they mean for hominin paleobiology.” Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews, 32, (1) 39–53. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.21963. 2023
Villaseñor, Amelia, Uno, Kevin T., Kinyanjui, Rahab N., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bobe, René, Advokaat, Eldert L., Bamford, Marion, Carvalho, Susana C., Hammond, Ashley S., Palcu, Dan V., Sier, Mark J., Ward, Carol V., and Braun, David R. 2023. “Pliocene hominins from East Turkana were associated with mesic environments in a semiarid basin.” Journal of human evolution, 180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2023.103385. 2023
Patterson, David B., Du, Andrew, Faith, J. T., Rowan, John, Uno, Kevin, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Braun, David R., and Wood, Bernard A. 2022. “Did vegetation change drive the extinction of Paranthropus boisei?” Journal of human evolution, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103154. 2022
Fraser, Danielle, Villaseñor, Amelia, Tóth, Anikó B., Balk, Meghan A., Eronen, Jussi T., Barr, W. Andrew, Behrensmeyer, A. K., Davis, Matt, Du, Andrew, Tyler Faith, J., Graves, Gary R., Gotelli, Nicholas J., Jukar, Advait M., Looy, Cindy V., McGill, Brian J., Miller, Joshua H., Pineda-Munoz, Silvia, Potts, Richard, Shupinski, Alex B., Soul, Laura C., and Lyons, S. Kathleen. 2022. “Late quaternary biotic homogenization of North American mammalian faunas.” Nature Communications, 13, (1) 3940. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31595-8. 2022
Cohen, Andrew S., Campisano, Christopher J., Arrowsmith, J. R., Asrat, Asfawossen, Beck, Catherine C., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Deino, Alan L., Feibel, Craig S., Foerster, Verena, Kingston, John D., Lamb, Henry F., Lowenstein, Tim K., Lupien, Rachel L., Muiruri, Veronica, Olago, Daniel O., Owen, R. B., Potts, Richard, Russell, James M., Schaebitz, Frank, Stone, Jeffery R., Trauth, Martin H., and Yost, Chad L. 2022. “Reconstructing the Environmental Context of Human Origins in Eastern Africa Through Scientific Drilling.” Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 50, (1) 451–476. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-earth-031920-081947. 2022
Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Cerling, Thure, Fortelius, Mikael, Gathogo, Patrick, Harmand, Sonia, Martin, Lawrence, Miller, Ellen, Pilbeam, David, Ungar, Peter, and Wood, Bernard A. 2022. “Richard Erskine Frere Leakey (1944–2022).” Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews, 31, (4) 160–165. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.21947. 2022
Fraser, Danielle, Soul, Laura C., Toth, Aniko B., Balk, Meghan A., Eronen, Jussi T., Pineda-Munoz, Silvia, Shupinski, Alexandria B., Villasenor, Amelia, Barr, W. Andrew, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Du, Andrew, Faith, J. Tyler, Gotelli, Nicholas J., Graves, Gary R., Jukar, Advait M., Looy, Cindy V., Miller, Joshua H., Potts, Richard, and Lyons, S. Kathleen. 2021. “Investigating Biotic Interactions in Deep Time.” Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 36, (1) 61–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2020.09.001. 2021
Muiruri, Veronica, Owen, R. B., Potts, Richard, Deino, Alan L., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Riedl, Simon, Rabideaux, Nathan, Beverly, Emily J., Renaut, Robin W., Moerman, Jessica W., Deocampo, Daniel, Faith, J. T., Noren, Anders, Cohen, Andrew S., Shannon, Kristina Brady, and Dommain, René. 2021. “Quaternary diatoms and palaeoenvironments of the Koora Plain, southern Kenya rift.” Quaternary Science Reviews, 267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107106. 2021
Faith, J. Tyler, Du, Andrew, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Davies, Benjamin, Patterson, David B., Rowan, John, and Wood, Bernard A. 2021. “Rethinking the ecological drivers of hominin evolution.” Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 36, (9) 797–807. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2021.04.011. 2021
Buatois, Luis A., Renaut, Robin W., Owen, Richard B., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Scott, Jennifer J. 2020. “Animal bioturbation preserved in Pleistocene magadiite at Lake Magadi, Kenya Rift Valley, and its implications for the depositional environment of bedded magadiite.” Scientific Reports, 10, (1) Article 6794. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-63505-7. 2020
Pineda-Munoz, Silvia, Jukar, Advait M., Toth, Aniko B., Fraser, Danielle, Du, Andrew, Barr, W. Andrew, Amatangelo, Kathryn L., Balk, Meghan A., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Blois, Jessica, Davis, Matt, Eronen, Jussi T., Gotelli, Nicholas J., Looy, Cindy, Miller, Joshua H., Shupinski, Alexandria B., Soul, Laura C., Villasenor, Amelia, Wing, Scott, and Lyons, S. Kathleen. 2020. “Body mass-related changes in mammal community assembly patterns during the late Quaternary of North America.” Ecography, https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.05027. 2020
Potts, Richard, Dommain, René, Moerman, Jessica W., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Deino, Alan L., Riedl, Simon, Beverly, Emily J., Brown, Erik T., Deocampo, Daniel, Kinyanjui, Rahab, Lupien, Rachel, Owen, R. B., Rabideaux, Nathan, Russell, James M., Stockhecke, Mona, deMenocal, Peter, Faith, J. T., Garcin, Yannick, Noren, Anders, Scott, Jennifer J., Western, David, Bright, Jordon, Clark, Jennifer B., Cohen, Andrew S., Keller, C. B. et al. 2020. “Increased ecological resource variability during a critical transition in hominin evolution.” Science Advances, 6, (43). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abc8975. 2020
Bobe, René, Braun, David R., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Harris, John W. K. 2020. “Introduction: Hominin paleobiology in the early Pleistocene Okote Member, Koobi Fora Formation, Kenya.” Journal of human evolution, 145 Article 102811. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102811. 2020
Villaseñor, Amelia, Bobe, René, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2020. “Middle Pliocene hominin distribution patterns in Eastern Africa.” Journal of Human Evolution, 147 Article 102856. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102856. 2020
Richmond, B. G., Green, D. J., Lague, M. R., Chirchir, Habiba, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bobe, R., Bamford, M. K., Griffin, N. L., Gunz, P., Mbua, E., Merritt, S. R., Pobiner, Briana L., Kiura, P., Kibunjia, M., Harris, J. W. K., and Braun, D. R. 2020. “The upper limb of Paranthropus boisei from Ileret, Kenya.” Journal of human evolution, 141 Article 102727. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102727. 2020
Deino, A. L., Dommain, R., Keller, C. B., Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, A. K., Beverly, E. J., King, J., Heil, C. W., Stockhecke, M., Brown, E. T., Moerman, J., deMenocal, P., Deocampo, D., Garcin, Y., Levin, N. E., Lupien, R., Owen, R. B., Rabideaux, N., Russell, J. M., Scott, J., Riedl, S., Brady, K., Bright, J., Clark, J. B., Cohen, A. et al. 2019. “Chronostratigraphic model of a high-resolution drill core record of the past million years from the Koora Basin, south Kenya Rift: Overcoming the difficulties of variable sedimentation rate and hiatuses.” Quaternary Science Reviews, 215 213–231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.05.009. 2019
Patterson, David B., Braun, David R., Allen, Kayla, Barr, W. A., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Biernat, Maryse, Lehmann, Sophie B., Maddox, Tom, Manthi, Fredrick K., Merritt, Stephen R., Morris, Sarah E., O’Brien, Kaedan, Reeves, Jonathan S., Wood, Bernard A., and Bobe, René. 2019. “Comparative isotopic evidence from East Turkana supports a dietary shift within the genus Homo.” Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3 1048–1056. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0916-0. 2019
Close, Roger A., Benson, Roger B. J., Alroy, John, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Benito, Juan, Carrano, Matthew T., Cleary, Terri J., Dunne, Emma M., Mannion, Philip D., Uhen, Mark D., and Butler, Richard J. 2019. “Diversity dynamics of Phanerozoic terrestrial tetrapods at the local-community scale.” Nature Ecology & Evolution, 3, (4) 590–597. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-0811-8. 2019
Toth, Aniko B., Lyons, S. Kathleen, Barr, W. Andrew, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Blois, Jessica L., Bobe, Rene, Davis, Matt, Du, Andrew, Eronen, Jussi T., Faith, J. Tyler, Fraser, Danielle, Gotelli, Nicholas J., Graves, Gary R., Jukar, Advait M., Miller, Joshua H., Pineda-Munoz, Silvia, Soul, Laura C., Villasenor, Amelia, and Alroy, John. 2019. “Reorganization of surviving mammal communities after the end-Pleistocene megafaunal extinction.” Science, 365, (6459) 1305. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aaw1605. 2019
Du, Andrew, Robinson, Joshua R., Rowan, John, Lazagabaster, Ignacio A., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2019. “Stable carbon isotopes from paleosol carbonate and herbivore enamel document differing paleovegetation signals in the eastern African Plio-Pleistocene.” Review of palaeobotany and palynology, 261 41–52. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2018.11.003. 2019
Deino, Alan L., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Brooks, Alison S., Yellen, John E., Sharp, Warren D., and Potts, Richard. 2018. “Chronology of the Acheulean to Middle Stone Age transition in eastern Africa.” Science, 360, (6384) 95–98. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao2216. 2018
Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Faith, J. Tyler, Tryon, Christian A., Brooks, Alison S., Yellen, John E., Deino, Man L., Kinyanjui, Rahab, Clark, Jennifer B., Haradon, Catherine M., Levin, Naomi E., Meijer, Hanneke J. M., Veatch, E. Grace, Owen, R. Bernhart, and Renaut, Robin W. 2018. “Environmental dynamics during the onset of the Middle Stone Age in eastern Africa.” Science, 360, (6384) 86–90. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao2200. 2018
Karp, Allison T., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Freeman, Katherine H. 2018. “Grassland fire ecology has roots in the late Miocene.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115, (48) 12130–12135. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1809758115. 2018
Brooks, Alison S., Yellen, John E., Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Deino, Alan L., Leslie, David E., Ambrose, Stanley H., Ferguson, Jeffrey R., d’Errico, Francesco, Zipkin, Andrew M., Whittaker, Scott, Post, Jeffrey, Veatch, E. Grace, Foecke, Kimberly, and Clark, Jennifer B. 2018. “Long-distance stone transport and pigment use in the earliest Middle Stone Age.” Science, 360, (6384) 90–94. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aao2646. 2018
Roach, Neil T., Du, Andrew, Hatala, Kevin G., Ostrofsky, Kelly R., Reeves, Jonathan S., Braun, David R., Harris, John W. K., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Richmond, Brian G. 2018. “Pleistocene animal communities of a 1.5 million-year-old lake margin grassland and their relationship to Homo erectus paleoecology.” Journal of human evolution, 122 70–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.04.014. 2018
Du, Andrew and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2018. “Spatial, temporal and taxonomic scaling of richness in an eastern African large mammal community.” Global Ecology and Biogeography, 27, (9) 1031–1042. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12762. 2018
Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Potts, Richard, and Deino, Alan. 2018. “The Oltulelei Formation of the southern Kenyan Rift Valley: A chronicle of rapid landscape transformation over the last 500 k.y.” GSA Bulletin, 130, (9/10) 1474–1492. https://doi.org/10.1130/B31853.1. 2018
Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Denys, Christiane, and Brugal, Jean-Philip. 2018. “What is taphonomy and What is not? INTRODUCTION.” Historical Biology, 30, (6) 718–719. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2018.1432919. 2018
Patterson, D. B., Braun, D. R., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Merritt, S., Zliobaite, I., Reeves, J. S., Wood, B. A., Fortelius, M., and Bobe, R. 2017. “Ecosystem evolution and hominin paleobiology at East Turkana, northern Kenya between 2.0 and 1.4 Ma.” Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 481 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.05.001. 2017
Hatala, Kevin G., Roach, Neil T., Ostrofsky, Kelly R., Wunderlich, Roshna E., Dingwall, Heather L., Villmoare, Brian A., Green, David J., Braun, David R., Harris, John W. K., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Richmond, Brian G. 2017. “Hominin track assemblages from Okote Member deposits near Ileret, Kenya, and their implications for understanding fossil hominin paleobiology at 1.5 Ma.” Journal of human evolution, 112 93–104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.08.013. 2017
Patterson, D. B., Braun, D. R., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Lehmann, S. B., Merritt, S. R., Reeves, J. S., Wood, B. A., and Bobe, R. 2017. “Landscape scale heterogeneity in the East Turkana ecosystem during the Okote Member (1.56-1.38 Ma).” Journal of human evolution, 112 148–161. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2017.06.007. 2017
Campisano, Christopher J., Cohen, Andrew S., Arrowsmith, J. Ramon, Asrat, Asfawossen, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Brown, Erik T., Deino, Alan L., Deocampo, Daniel M., Feibel, Craig S., Kingston, John D., Lamb, Henry F., Lowenstein, Tim K., Noren, Anders, Olago, Daniel O., Owen, R. Bernhart, Pelletier, Jon D., Potts, Richard, Reed, Kaye E., Renaut, Robin W., Russell, James M., Russell, Joellen L., Schabitz, Frank, Stone, Jeffrey R., Trauth, Martin H., and Wynn, Jonathan G. 2017. “The Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project: High-Resolution Paleoclimate Records from the East African Rift System and Their Implications for Understanding the Environmental Context of Hominin Evolution.” PaleoAnthropology, 1–43. https://doi.org/10.1130/abs/2017am-295426. 2017
Kinyanjui, R. N., Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Bamford, M. 2016. “Comparing the Quaternary palaeoenvironments of two major Hominin sites: the Olorgesailie and Koobi Fora Basins, Kenya.” Quaternary International, 404 207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2015.08.196. 2016
Zliobaite, Indre, Rinne, Janne, Tóth, Anikó B., Mechenich, Michael, Liu, Liping, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Fortelius, Mikael. 2016. “Herbivore teeth predict climatic limits in Kenyan ecosystems.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113, (45) 12751–12756. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1609409113. 2016
Lyons, S. Kathleen, Amatangelo, Kathryn L., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bercovici, Antoine, Blois, Jessica L., Davis, Matt, DiMichele, William A., Du, Andrew, Eronen, Jussi T., Faith, J. Tyler, Graves, Gary R., Jud, Nathan, Labandeira, Conrad C., Looy, Cindy V., McGill, Brian, Miller, Joshua H., Patterson, David, Pineda-Munoz, Silvia, Potts, Richard, Riddle, Brett, Terry, Rebecca, Tóth, Anikó, Ulrich, Werner, Villaseñor, Amelia, Wing, Scott L. et al. 2016. “Holocene shifts in the assembly of plant and animal communities implicate human impacts.” Nature, (529) 80–83. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature16447. 2016
Lyons, S. Kathleen, Miller, Joshua H., Amatange, Kathryn L., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bercovici, Antoine, Blois, Jessica L., Davis, Matt, DiMichele, William A., Du, Andrew, Eronen, Jussi T., Faith, J. T., Graves, Gary R., Jud, Nathan, Labandeira, Conrad C., Looy, Cindy V., McGill, Brian, Patterson, David, Pineda-Munoz, Silvia, Potts, Richard, Riddle, Brett, Terry, Rebecca, Tóth, Anikó, Ulrich, Werner, Villaseñor, Amelia, Wing, Scott L. et al. 2016. “Lyons et al. reply.” Nature, 538, (7626) E3–E4. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20097. 2016
Roach, Neil T., Hatala, Kevin G., Ostrofsky, Kelly R., Villmoare, Brian, Reeves, Jonathan S., Du, Andrew, Braun, David R., Harris, John W. K., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Richmond, Brian G. 2016. “Pleistocene footprints show intensive use of lake margin habitats by Homo erectus groups.” Scientific Reports, 6 26374. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep26374. 2016
Lyons, S. Kathleen, Miller, Joshua H., Tóth, Anikó, Amatangelo, Kathryn L., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bercovici, Antoine, Blois, Jessica L., Davis, Matt, DiMichele, William A., Du, Andrew, Eronen, Jussi T., Faith, J. T., Graves, Gary R., Jud, Nathan, Labandeira, Conrad C., Looy, Cindy V., McGill, Brian, Patterson, David, Pineda-Munoz, Silvia, Potts, Richard, Riddle, Brett, Terry, Rebecca, Ulrich, Werner, Villaseñor, Amelia, Wing, Scott L. et al. 2016. “Questioning Holocene community shifts Reply.” Nature, 537, (7618) E5–E6. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19111. 2016
Cohen, A., Campisano, C., Arrowsmith, R., Asrat, A., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Deino, A., Feibel, C., Hill, A., Johnson, R., Kingston, J., Lamb, H., Lowenstein, T., Noren, A., Olago, D., Owen, R. B., Potts, Richard, Reed, K., Renaut, R., Schäbitz, F., Tiercelin, J. -J, Trauth, M. H., Wynn, J., Ivory, S., Brady, K., O’Grady, R. et al. 2016. “The Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project: inferring the environmental context of human evolution from eastern African rift lake deposits.” Scientific Drilling, 21 1–16. https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-21-1-2016. 2016
Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2015. “Four million years of African herbivory.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112, (37) 11428–11429. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1514580112. 2015
Tóth, Anikó B., Lyons, Sara K., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2014. “A Century of Change in Kenya’s Mammal Communities: Increased Richness and Decreased Uniqueness in Six Protected Areas.” PLoS ONE, 9, (4) 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093092. 2014
Blois, Jessica L., Gotelli, Nicholas J., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Faith, J. T., Lyons, Sara K., Williams, John W., Amatangelo, Kathryn L., Bercovici, Antoine, Du, Andrew, Eronen, Jussi T., Graves, Gary R., Jud, Nathan, Labandeira, Conrad C., Looy, Cindy V., McGill, Brian, Patterson, David, Potts, Richard, Riddle, Brett, Terry, Rebecca, Tóth, Anikó, Villaseñor, Amelia, and Wing, Scott L. 2014. “A framework for evaluating the influence of climate, dispersal limitation, and biotic interactions using fossil pollen associations across the late Quaternary.” Ecography, 37, (11) 1095–1108. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.00779. 2014
Miller, Joshua H., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Du, Andrew, Lyons, Sara K., Patterson, David, Toth, Aniko, Villasenor, Amelia, Kanga, Erustus, and Reed, Denne. 2014. “Ecological fidelity of functional traits based on species presence-absence in a modern mammalian bone assemblage (Amboseli, Kenya).” Paleobiology, 40, (4) 560–583. https://doi.org/10.1666/13062. 2014
Tóth, Anikó B., Lyons, Sara K., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2014. “Mammals of Kenya’s protected areas from 1888 to 2013: Ecological Archives E095-150.” Ecology, 95, (6) 1711. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-2118.1. 2014
Owen, R. Bernhart, Renaut, Robin W., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Potts, Richard. 2014. “Quaternary geochemical stratigraphy of the Kedong-Olorgesailie section of the southern Kenya Rift valley.” Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 396 194–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.01.011. 2014
Faith, J. Tyler and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2013. “Climate change and faunal turnover: testing the mechanics of the turnover-pulse hypothesis with South African fossil data.” Paleobiology, 39, (4) 609–627. https://doi.org/10.1666/12043. 2013
Lee, Ray K. L., Owen, R. B., Renaut, Robin W., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Potts, Richard, and Sharp, Warren D. 2013. “Facies, geochemistry and diatoms of late Pleistocene Olorgesailie tufas, southern Kenya Rift.” Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 374 197–217. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.01.019. 2013
Wing, Scott L., Stromberg, Caroline A. E., Hickey, Leo J., Tiver, Fleur, Willis, Brian, Burnham, Robyn J., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2012. “Floral and environmental gradients on a Late Cretaceous landscape.” Ecological Monographs, 82, (1) 23–47. https://doi.org/10.1890/11-0870.1. 2012
Kosnik, Matthew A., Alroy, John, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Fursich, Franz T., Gastaldo, Robert A., Kidwell, Susan M., Kowalewski, Michal, Plotnick, Roy E., Rogers, Raymond R., and Wagner, Peter J. 2011. “Changes in shell durability of common marine taxa through the Phanerozoic: evidence for biological rather than taphonomic drivers.” Paleobiology, 37, (2) 303–331. https://doi.org/10.1666/10022.1. 2011
Owen, R. B., Renaut, R. W., Potts, Richard, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2011. “Geochemical trends through time and lateral variability of diatom floras in the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Formation, southern Kenya Rift Valley.” Quaternary Research, 76, (1) 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2011.05.002. 2011
Levin, Naomi E., Brown, Francis H., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bobe, René, and Cerling, Thure E. 2011. “Paleosol carbonates from the Omo Group: Isotopic records of local and regional environmental change in East Africa.” Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 307, (1-4) 75–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.04.026. 2011
Deocampo, Daniel M., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Potts, Richard. 2010. “Ultrafine Clay Minerals of the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Formation, Southern Kenya Rift: Diagenesis and Paleoenvironments of Early Hominins.” Clays and Clay Minerals, 58, (3) 294–310. https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.2010.0580301. 2010
Western, David and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2009. “Bone Assemblages Track Animal Community Structure over 40 Years in an African Savanna Ecosystem.” Science, 324, (5930) 1061–1064. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1171155. 2009
Bennington, J. Bret, DiMichele, William A., Badgley, Catherine, Bambach, Richard K., Barrett, Paul M., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Bobe, Rene, Burnham, Robyn J., Daeschler, Edward B., Van Dam, Jan, Eronen, Jussi T., Erwin, Douglas H., Finnegan, Seth, Holland, Steven M., Hunt, Gene, Jablonski, David, Jackson, Stephen T., Jacobs, Bonnie E., Kidwell, Susan M., Koch, Paul L., Kowalewski, Michal J., Labandeira, Conrad C., Looy, Cindy V., Lyons, Sara K., Novack-Gottshall, Philip M. et al. 2009. “Critical Issues of Scale in Paleoecology.” Palaios, 24, (1-2) 1–4. https://doi.org/10.2110/palo.2009.S01. 2009
Bennett, Matthew R., Harris, John W. K., Richmond, Brian G., Braun, David R., Mbua, Emma, Kiura, Purity, Olago, Daniel, Kibunjia, Mzalendo, Omuombo, Christine, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Huddart, David, and Gonzalez, Silvia. 2009. “Early Hominin Foot Morphology Based on 1.5-Million-Year-Old Footprints from Ileret, Kenya.” Science, 323, (5918) 1197–1201. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1168132. 2009
Morgan, Michele E., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Badgley, Catherine, Barry, John C., Nelson, Sherry, and Pilbeam, David. 2009. “Lateral trends in carbon isotope ratios reveal a Miocene vegetation gradient in the Siwaliks of Pakistan.” Geology, 37, (2) 103–106. https://doi.org/10.1130/G25359A.1. 2009
Owen, R. Bernhart, Potts, Richard, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2009. “Reply to the comment on “Diatomaceous sediments and environmental change in the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Formation, southern Kenya Rift Valley” by R.B. Owen, R. Potts, A.K. Behrensmeyer and P. Ditchfield [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 269 (2008) 17-37].” Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 282, (1-4) 147–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.06.021. 2009
Cohen, A., Arrowsmith, R., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Campisano, C., Feibel, C., Shimeles Fisseha, N. J., Johnson, R., Bedaso, Z. K., Lockwood, C., Olago, D., and Potts, Richard. 2009. “Scientific Drilling for Human Origins: Exploring the Application of Drill Core Records to Understanding Hominin Evolution. Workshop Report for EOS Supplementary On-line materials.” Eos, 90, (14) 122. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009EO140010. 2009
Owen, R. Bernhart, Renaut, Robin W., Scott, Jennifer J., Potts, Richard, and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2009. “Wetland sedimentation and associated diatoms in the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Basin, southern Kenya Rift Valley.” Sedimentary Geology, 222, (1-2) 124–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2009.03.013. 2009
Owen, R. B., Potts, Richard, Behrensmeyer, Anna K., and Ditchfield, P. 2008. “Diatomaceous sediments and environmental change in the Pleistocene Olorgesailie Formation, southern Kenya Rift Valley.” Palaeogeography palaeoclimatology palaeoecology, 269 17–37. 2008
Badgley, Catherine J., Barry, John C., Morgan, Michele E., Nelson, Sherry V., Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Cerling, Thure E., and Pilbeam, David. 2008. “Ecological changes in Miocene mammalian record show impact of prolonged climatic forcing.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 105, (34) 12145–12149. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0805592105. 2008
Faith, J. T., Marean, C. W., and Behrensmeyer, Anna K. 2007. “Carnivore competition, bone destruction, and bone density.” Journal of Archaeological Science, 34 2025–2034. 2007