BA in Anthropology - Biological Anthropology in La Jolla United States | University of California, San Diego

Biological Anthropology at UC San Diego examines the development of culture-bearing abilities in humans and closely related species through a highly comparative approach. Modern humans have become an exceptionally dominant species. The question of how we achieved this status captivates both public interest and scientific inquiry, though numerous hypotheses about our beginnings have yet to fully account for our evolutionary journey. The challenges extend beyond simple facts to deep philosophical questions, many of which directly relate to contemporary human challenges. Our approach asserts that solutions can only emerge through the kind of multidisciplinary collaborations we foster. Our research focuses on uncovering the roots, structural intricacies, and socioecological dynamics of nonhuman primate communities. We investigate health's evolutionary and biological aspects across multiple scales, from molecular to societal. We analyze connections between socioecology and the neurological foundations of complex primate behaviors. Our work involves reconstructing survival strategies of humans and primates across diverse environments and social structures. We examine how food resources (energy availability) influence energy use and brain organization.