PhD in Anthropology - Biological Anthropology in New York United States | New York University

Physical anthropology, also known as biological anthropology, explores every facet of human biology. While rooted in the social sciences as an anthropological subfield, it maintains strong ties with natural sciences like biology, psychology, ethology, and earth sciences. This has led biological anthropologists to adopt a multifaceted approach that combines methodologies from both social and natural sciences. They consider this integrated perspective most effective for addressing the complex theoretical questions surrounding human studies. As the natural sciences have advanced, biological anthropology has similarly evolved, growing beyond the scope of individual generalists and developing specialized subfields. Our department's biological anthropologists (Profs. Antn, Asangba, Bailey, Higham, and Williams) work across these specialties, including primate socioecology, comparative anatomy, molecular anthropology, human evolution studies, fossil primate research, and skeletal analysis. Their work, along with student research, shares fundamental grounding in genetics, evolutionary biology, ecological studies, and behavioral science - core elements of evolutionary primatology, which examines humans and primates through an evolutionary lens. Our approach combines traditional biological anthropology with modern specialized techniques, while maintaining the field's interdisciplinary nature. A distinctive feature of our program is the seamless integration of laboratory and field research. We boast cutting-edge facilities for genetic population studies, molecular classification, hormonal behavior research, human evolution studies, and bone analysis, supporting both research and education. Faculty and students conduct primate and paleoanthropological fieldwork across multiple continents, including sites in the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and Asia. Through these global projects, our department maintains extensive collaborative networks with international researchers and institutions.