Dr Noreen von Cramon-Taubadel received her initial training in the natural sciences as a B.Sc. (Hons.) Zoology from the National University of Ireland, Galway (2002). Her interest in human evolution led to an M.Sc. in Human Evolution and Behaviour from University College London (2003) and a Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from the University of Cambridge (2008).

Dr von Cramon-Taubadel's research interests encompass a range of topics within Evolutionary Anthropology. She has published on issues such as the analysis of past hominin dispersal, the nature of the transition to agriculture in Europe, comparative anatomy of the hominoids, geometric morphometrics and comparative shape analysis of Palaeolithic stone tools. The major focus of her current research is the microevolutionary analysis of craniometric variation within modern humans and the degree to which individual elements of the human cranium are impacted by neutral and selective evolutionary forces.

Further information about current research projects and funding can be found here.

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Selected Publications:

Eriksson A, Betti L, Friend AD, Lycett SJ, Singarayer JS, von Cramon-Taubadel N, Valdes PJ, Balloux F. & Manica A. (2012). Late Pleistocene climate change and the global expansion of anatomically modern humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 109: 16089-16094.

von Cramon-Taubadel N. & Smith HF. (2012). The relative congruence of cranial and genetic estimates of hominoid taxon relationships: implications for the reconstruction of hominin phylogeny. Journal of Human Evolution 62: 640-653.

Wang W, Lycett SJ, von Cramon-Taubadel N, Jin JJH. & Bae CJ. (2012). Comparison of handaxes from Bose Basin (China) and the western Acheulean indicates convergence of form, not cognitive differences. PLoS ONE 7(4): e35804.

Pinhasi R. & von Cramon-Taubadel N. (2012). A craniometric perspective on the transition to agriculture in Europe. Human Biology 84: 45-66.

von Cramon-Taubadel N. (2011b). Global human mandibular variation reflects differences in agricultural and hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 108 (49): 19546-19551. von Cramon-Taubadel N. & Pinhasi R. (2011). Craniometric data support a mosaic model of demic and cultural Neolithic diffusion to outlying regions of Europe. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 278:2874-2880.

von Cramon-Taubadel N. (2011a). The relative efficacy of functional and developmental cranial modules for reconstructing global human population history. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 146:83-93.

Full Publication List

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Teaching

I am currently teaching on the following modules:

SE302 - Foundations of Biological Anthropology (Convenor)

SE533 - Projects in Anthropological Science

SE567 - Methodology in Anthropological Science

SE570 - Current Issues in Evolutionary Anthropology (Convenor)

SE581 - Biological Anthropology: The Human Animal

SE593 - Evolution of Human Diversity (Convenor)

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Lia Betti (PhD Anthropology 2009-2012) “Out of Africa and what happened next: exploring the origins of human pelvic shape variability.”

Anita Wan (Masters by Research) “Drivers of the demand for the ornamental trade of Amazonian discus fish (genus Symphysodon) between international markets.”

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Links to Media coverage of my research:

Changes in diet and its effect on human mandibular shape

von Cramon-Taubadel N. (2011).  Global human mandibular variation reflects differences in agricultural and hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 108: 19546-19551

Links to printed media: Nature Science  BBC  NewScientist  Telegraph  DailyMail  ABC  NPR  FoxNews  Cosmos  DiscoverMagazine

 

Transition to agriculture in Europe involved both demic and cultural diffusion

von Cramon-Taubadel N. & Pinhasi R. (2011). Craniometric data support a mosaic model of demic and cultural Neolithic diffusion to outlying regions of Europe. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 278 (1720): 2874-2880

Links to printed media: ScienceNews MaxiSciences

 

The influence of climate change on the expansion of modern humans out of Africa

Eriksson A, Betti L, Friend AD, Lycett SJ, Singarayer JS, von Cramon-Taubadel N., Valdes PJ, Balloux F. & Manica A. (in press). Late Pleistocene climate change and the global expansion of anatomically modern humans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.

Links to printed media: NewScientist  Phys.org

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