The next meeting will be held in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 17 and 18 and in conjunction with the SAA meetings at the Memphis Marriott Downtown.

We strongly encourage you to pre-register for the meetings on-line.

The meeting final announcement is posted here.

The program is posted here.

The abstracts formatted for the meeting are posted here.

PaleoAnthropology is published jointly by the Society and the University of Pennsylvania Museum. The journal is accessible free of charge to everyone, including non-members of the Paleoanthropology Society.

In addition to the publication of articles, book reviews, and the abstracts of the annual meetings of the Society, the journal accepts commentaries on articles, summaries of current work in the various fields of paleoanthropology. Articles are fully peer-reviewed and may contain large data files, numerous illustrations and links to visualizations; manuscripts based on dissertation work, up to entire dissertations, may be submitted as appropriate. As always, the journal depends on the contributions of scholars within the field, and the editors would like to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to think of our journal as an outlet for the presentation of your research.

Call for papers and Books to Review

The Society hosts doctoral dissertations (theses) in all areas relevant to our interests. The procedure is to send an abstract of the work and information about its source to the Society so that we may determine that its topic falls within the range of our coverage. A pdf file of the entire work may then be made available for download. To see what is already present or to submit an abstract for consideration, follow this link.

The Society now also hosts additional publications in the field of PaleoAnthropology. These are not publications of the Society but are being made available to the community via our web site. Follow this link to view these publications.

Neandertal Cognition (ANTH 4355/5355-3) with Profs. Thomas Wynn and Frederick L. Coolidge. This course introduces the topic of Neandertal cognition as understood through archaeological and psychological methods. The material covered includes: A history of Neandertal archaeology; anatomy and derived characteristics; the Neandertal brain; hunting and diet; technology and cognition; social life, ornaments, and ochre use; symbolic thinking, burials, and the afterlife; cannibalism; language and humor; sleep and dreams; and Neandertal personality.

Paleoneurology (ANTH 4345/5345-3) with Prof. Emiliano Bruner, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana. This course introduces topics and issues regarding the evolution of both primate and fossil hominid endocranial anatomy. Material covered includes: A history of paleo-neurology and the study of endocranial casts; basic introductions to primatology, human evolution, and neuroanatomy; evolutionary endocranial changes in hominids; paleoneurological changes associated with ontological patterns, brain metabolism, and ecological and behavioral evidence; anatomical variations as interpreted with current neuro-psychological hypotheses and functional brain imaging data; and an overview of computational tools used to reconstruct endocranial anatomy in fossil specimens.

These courses consist of 15 online lectures and exams. Responsive support for the online interface (Blackboard) is included at no additional cost. Students complete 15 multiple-choice tests, one test after each lesson. Tests vary in length, usually 25-35 questions. The cost is $990 for undergraduates, $1250 for graduates (including fees). Sign up through the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences Extended Studies, which extends the resources of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in non-traditional ways by providing high quality educational, training, and professional development opportunities to the community, state, nation, and internationally. Want to enroll now or have questions?

Contact: bglach@uccs.edu (www.uccs.edu/~lases) or twynn@uccs.edu (www.uccs.edu/~cca/)

PhD position in Paleoanthropology, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France

We are currently seeking applicants for a PhD fellowship in Paleoanthropology. We expect the successful candidate to conduct research on "Skull and brain covariation in the genus Homo".

ABSTRACT: Though evolution of the hominid skull is quite well documented, knowledge of endocranial evolution and variation is mainly limited to overall size. Indeed, research on variation and co-variation in shape between the different areas of the brain and cranium is scarce. The successful applicant will conduct collaborative research on skull and endocranial morphologies using various morphometric methods as well as on cranial bone structure. Fossil specimens of the genus Homo (Asian Homo erectus and Neandertals will be favored) will be compared with fossil and extant Homo sapiens and other great apes. The analysis will be performed on the original fossils and physical endocranial casts, as well as on data obtained by x-ray imaging techniques. This project will allow 1 - the exploration and identification of new morphological features 2 - the study of the evolution of co-variation patterns between brain lobes and cranial bones in the genus Homo, 3 - the analysis and implications of these results in the understanding of hominins' cognitive abilities/skills.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION: Deadline for application is June 15, 2012 (see http://www.mnhn.fr/museum/foffice/science/science/Enseignement/ecoleDoctorale/somthese/fiche.xsp?ARTICLE_ARTICLE_ID=9200&idx=4&nav=liste for modalities). Applicants should hold a Master's degree or equivalent in biology, anthropology, or a related field. A good basic knowledge of the hominin fossil record, and of common analytical methods, including imaging methodologies, is expected. The fellowship is limited to 3 years. Starting date: September 2012. The PhD thesis will be supervised by Dominique Grimaud-Hervé (dgherve@mnhn.fr) and Antoine Balzeau (abalzeau@mnhn.fr). Please contact both of us for any information.

The Center for the Advanced Study of Hominid Paleobiology at The George Washington University invites applications for a full-time, benefited position as a postdoctoral associate in Human Evolutionary Anatomy. The successful applicant will conduct collaborative research on human evolutionary anatomy, and participate as a member of the Human Evolutionary Anatomy laboratory. Preference will be given to applicants who have demonstrated their ability to conduct and publish their research, and who have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent degree. Appointment will be for two years or more, and will begin July 1, 2012.

Evaluation of candidates will begin April 23 and continue until the position is filled. The application should include a brief cover letter, and a separate brief statement (<1,000 words) describing your research to date and future research goals. The application should also include a CV and names of three people who can be contacted for letters of reference. Please email applications, and direct any questions about the position, to Dr. Brian Richmond at brich@gwu.edu (202-994-0873).

The George Washington University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

Postdoctoral position, Coevolution of hands and feet in Upper Pleistocene and Holocene hominins, at the MNHN (Paris, France). More information is available here.

Provide some feedback on the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary change.

UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND ARCHAEOLOGICAL/PALAEOANTHROPOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL IN AFRICA

This course (ARCS2060) is a residential field school teaching practical core archaeological skills (survey, excavation, field processing, and public liaison) through participation in an authentic research setting. The 2012 Field School will take place in Karonga, Malawi, attached to the Malawi Earlier-Middle Stone Age Project, which is currently investigating deposits dating to between 280 - 30 thousand years old. After the formal field school period (2-16 July 2012), students may have the opportunity to stay on for up to a month as research volunteers, with food and accommodation covered by the project. International enrollment would occur during Semester 2 at the University of Queensland via each individual institution's study abroad program.

For more information see this and this flier.

The Koobi Fora Field School for Paleoanthropology will be running in 2012. This program is a joint venture by Rutgers University and the National Museums of Kenya, and this year will be the 16th field season (June 15th to July 25th). This year will include expanded instruction with several excavations in key areas planned. In addition to the Koobi Fora Field School, there is also a field school that focuses on Primatology and Wildlife Ecology which runs in August in Kenya. See this flier for more information.

The James Croll Medal for 2012 has been awarded to Professor Chris Stringer. Please see the full announcement.

Paleoanthropology Fieldschool at Swartkrans Cave, South Africa. May 26 - June 22, 2012. This four week program offers students the opportunity to participate in a paleoanthropology fieldschool at the famous fossil hominin locality of Swartkrans, South Africa. Swartkrans, a cave site approximately twenty miles from Johannesburg, is recognized as one of the world's most important archaeological and fossil localities for the study of human evolution. The site's geological deposits span millions of years and sample several important events in human evolution. The oldest finds at the site date between 1.8 and 1.0-million-years-old, a time period during which our immediate ancestor, Homo erectus, shared the landscape with the extinct ape-man species Australopithecus robustus. In addition to fossils of these species, Swartkrans also preserves an abundant archaeological record of their behavior, in the form of stone and bone tools, as well as butchered animal bones, and possible evidence of the control of fire by early hominins.

Fieldschool participants will learn about these fascinating ancestors through a hands-on course that includes instruction in archaeological survey, site mapping, excavation, and field recording, as well as in artifact and fossil analysis (hominin and animal) and laboratory techniques. Fieldwork will be supplemented with occasional lectures, workshops and fossil locality tours with internationally recognized paleoanthropologists working at nearby sites.

The program is directed by Dr. Travis Pickering, Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Over his fifteen years of working in South Africa, Professor Pickering has cultivated strong relationships with other researchers and institutions in the area, ensuring that students on this program will see original fossils and artifacts and receive site tours from the primary researchers in the field. The program is very comprehensive and expands beyond the bounds of simply excavating for four weeks at one site.

Field School in Paleoanthropology at the Drimolen Hominin Site, South Africa.

The joint University of Victoria-University of Johannesburg Field School in Paleoanthropology at the Drimolen fossil hominin site will be held from June 23 - July 14, 2012. The field school is hosted at the fossil hominin site of Drimolen, South Africa and students receive credit for two archaeology courses. We are currently taking applications - deadline February 15, 2012. More information can be found at: http://anthropology.uvic.ca/undergraduate/field_schools.php

The site of Drimolen was discovered in 1992 near Swartkrans and Sterkfontein in the "Cradle of Humankind" World Heritage Site. It is one of the richest fossil hominin sites in southern Africa, having produced over 100 hominin fossils representing Paranthropus robustus and early Homo. The Drimolen fossil site is unique in that has produced some of the youngest infant hominin fossils ever discovered in Africa. The site dates to approximately 1.5 million years ago and is incredibly rich in primate fossils. Fossil hominins have been recovered during most field seasons.

Field school in Paleoanthropology and Paleolithic Archaeology
Credits: 6
Dates: June, 26 - July, 26 2012

The course is available to 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students, and graduate students. The course is offered through The University of Winnipeg. Applications from graduate and upper level undergraduate students from other universities are welcome. Among the applicants from outside The University of Winnipeg, priority is given to students with a career interest in Paleoanthropology, Paleolithic Archaeology and Paleontology.

Students will participate in the survey of the Gorge, excavation of Mala Balanica, Velika Balanica and Pesturina caves, processing of soil samples and artifacts and documentation and basic analysis of the sample. In addition, there will be several formal lectures in different aspects of the project by specialists working on the project and distinguished visitors. Students will be supervised by a team member, each of whom will be responsible for providing instruction and support for four students at any time during the field work.

Lectures and workshops in data recording, lithic technology, human osteology and quaternary paleontology will be held throughout the field season. Spontaneous discussions and expression of individual interests are particularly encouraged.

Excursions to the paleolithic caves in Eastern Serbia, Monastery complex in Manasija, and a free day in Nis are planned for the duration of the Field School.

For more information go to http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/index/anthro-field-school-index or contact m.roksandic@uwinnipeg.ca

Researchers are cordially invited to submit a manuscript for this inaugural special issue of the new on-line, open access, journal, Human Origins Research. The journal focuses on publishing high quality contributions of modest length, with rapid turnaround. All articles are peer-reviewed and the journal is indexed on major databases such as Scopus. Reasonable publishing charges normally apply, but vary depending on individual circumstances, affiliations and geographic location, and include professional language editing.

Further enquiries: please contact Darren Curnoe, d.curnoe@unsw.edu.au or Nadia Moscato, nadia.moscato@pagepress.org

Journal webpage: http://www.humanoriginsresearch.net