Anthropology | Penn Today

Penn Museum announces the repatriation of the Morton Cranial Collection

The remains of Black Philadelphians within the Samuel G. Morton Cranial collection will be repatriated or reburied, based on a report that outlined recommendations from the Morton Collection Committee.

Discover Magazine

Don’t count on evolution to save us from toxic chemicals and pollution

PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff spoke about how humans continue to evolve. For example, she said, a genetic variant that enables lactose tolerance didn’t emerge until somewhere between the past several hundred and 2,000 years. “When you’re talking about evolutionary time scales, that’s like a flash.”

Modern dancers with arms outstretched perform in a spotlight as confetti rains

Transcending movement with Philadanco!

In a live virtual performance, principal dancers from Philadanco! performed “Oshun” before sitting down to a conversation on dancing, choreography, and choice.

A close-up of an old chipping door. Blurred in the background is a sign that reads "EVICTION NOTICE" in all capital letters.

Eviction linked to depression risk in young adults

Research from sociologist Courtney Boen and anthropologist Morgan Hoke shows that this issue, compounded by the toll of the pandemic, disproportionately affects low-income households and communities of color.

Science

Africans begin to take the reins of research into their own genomes

PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff spoke about her research sampling the genes of remote populations in various African regions. “Our studies combined are just the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

Science

Humans were drinking milk before they could digest it

PIK Professor Sarah Tishkoff spoke about the anthropological origins of dairy farming and consumption. “If you have cows, you have a source of liquid and proteins and nutrition,” she said. “As long as you can keep your cattle alive, of course.”

Lynn Meskell standing in front of a glass display case at the Penn Museum.

Lynn Meskell appointed Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor

The world-renowned archaeologist has joint appointments in the Department of Anthropology, the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation and the Department of City and Regional Planning, and the Penn Museum as a curator in both the Asian and Near East sections.

Two people looking at documents, with one person explaining them to the other. More people stand in the background.

Uncovered burial ground reveals history of 36 enslaved Africans in 18th-century Charleston

According to the research, many of these individuals originated in sub-Saharan Africa, in line with historical accounts of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. This work, the largest DNA study of its kind to date, was co-led by anthropologist Theodore Schurr and conducted with support from and at the request of the local community.

Smiling person standing arms held down, together and in front, outside of a brick building.

Pizza, a nascent dairy industry, and infant health in the Peruvian highlands

Research from anthropologist Morgan Hoke shows that in homes that produce their own foods, children exhibit better growth rates and mothers report more autonomy and economic control.

‘Living with the Sea’

A student-led exhibition at the Penn Museum features objects from the rarely seen Oceanian collection.

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