Jim Ahern
Associate Professor
Biological Anthropology

B.A. 1991, Beloit College
M.A. 1993, Northern Illinois University
Ph.D. 1998, University of Michigan
jahern@uwyo.edu • (307) 766-4911 • Anthropology Bldg 216

Paleoanthropology Lab Group

The main question that drives Dr. Ahern's research and teaching is: "What do we really know?" In other words, he is interested in tackling long-held assumptions and narrowing the possible explanations that we can derive from the limited dataset that represents the past. Influenced by this philosophy, Jim's research has covered many aspects of human biological and biocultural evolution, ranging from work on the origin of the hominin lineage to the peopling of the Americas. Much of Jim's current research focuses on the complex biocultural dynamics that coincided with the Neandertal modern human transition in Central Europe. Jim teaches a variety of course in biological anthropology. He structures his teaching methods within a larger set of educational goals drawn from a student-centered core philosophy. Dr. Ahern has won many awards for his teaching including the Beatrice Gallatin Beuf Golden Apple of the Hesperides Award for Outstanding Freshman Teaching and the College of Arts and Sciences Extraordinary Merit Award for Teaching.

 

Courses Taught:

ANTH 1100          Introduction to Biological Anthropology pdf
ANTH 4215/5215 Evolution and Hominid Fossils pdf
ANTH 4220          Human Variation
ANTH 5020          Biological Anthropology pdf
ANTH 4020          Seminar: Neandertals pdf
ANTH 4020          Seminar: Primate Adaptation and Evolution pdf
 

Recent/ Selected Publications:

Jankovic I, Karavanic I, Ahern JCM, Smith FH, Brajkovic D, and Lenardic JM. In press. Archaeological, paleontological and genomic perspectives on late European Neandertals at Vindija Cave, Croatia. In S. Condemi (ed.): Neanderthals, Their Antecessors, and Contemporaries. Wiesbaden: Springer-Verlag.

Ahern JCM. 2006. Non-metric variation in recent humans as a model for understanding Neandertal Early Modern Human Differences: Just how "unique" are Neanderthal unique traits? In K. Harvati and T. Harrison (eds.): Neanderthals Revisited: New Approaches and Perspectives. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology book series (Delson E & MacPhee R, Series Eds.) New York: Kluwer. pdf

Ahern JCM, Hawks JD, and Lee S-H. 2005. Neandertal taxonomy reconsidered . . . again: a response to Harvati et al (2004). Journal of Human Evolution. 48: 647-652. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.10.008 pdf

Ahern JCM. 2005. Hominid Fossils: An Interactive Atlas. Wadsworth, Inc. ISBN 0534638414. website

Ahern JCM. 2005. Foramen magnum position variation in Pan troglodytes, Homo sapiens, and Plio-Pleistocene hominids: implications for recognizing the earliest hominids. American Journal of Physical Anthropology. 127: 267-276. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.20082 pdf

Biological Anthropology in the News
 

Research Interests:
Biological Anthropology, Human Evolution, Europe, Africa, Neandertals and Modern Human Origins, Hominin Origins and australopithecines, Human variation, Sexual dimorphism, Small, Fragmentary fossil samples, Systematics, Species Concepts Variation: Inter- and Intra-specific

Press releases:

• 5/12/2005 - UW Mcnair Scholars Present Research Work
• 5/1/2003 - University of Wyoming INSIGHT Schedule
• 9/26/2001 - UW Sets Morning of Courses for Oct. 5
• 2/14/2001 - CTE Incentive Grant Winners Named

OTHER LINKS:

• Making Learning Real
• Web course content for Anth 1100 and Anth 5020 (WyoWeb)