In The News: Department of Anthropology
Anthropology graduate student Lyndsey Craig examines pubic hair removal practices across 72 societies, and how the practices are tied to cultural concerns about hygiene and sexual activity. Whereas most literature on public hair removal practices focus primarily on Western cultures, in particular how women are included in and affected by marketing, pornography, and pop culture, Craig and biological anthropologist Dr. Peter Gray performed historical, cross-cultural research across dozens of non-Western societies. They found that whether and how pubic hair was removed depended on a diverse array of cultural messages about hygiene, fertility, sexuality and beauty.
Dan Saladino looks at the legal and illegal trade in wild meat. Links made between Covid-19 and wild animals has led to calls for a total ban. This could be a mistake Dan explains.
What might bring about that deadly — and economically debilitating — coronavirus comeback?
We all know this whole ordeal is going to change our sex lives. But how, exactly?
Humans are one of the most successful species on the planet: We live on frozen continents and arid deserts, create tools that help us survive and even push the boundaries of our biology. Our ingenuity and adaptability serve as our species' superpowers, but the origins of that power may be found in unexpected places — like the armpit sweat of our closest living relatives.
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, love is in the air for many.
The sight of smooching couples may warm your heart, or turn your stomach.
When Brooke Brumfield wasn't battling morning sickness, she craved nachos. Like many first-time expectant mothers, she was nervous and excited about her pregnancy.
When Brooke Brumfield wasn’t battling morning sickness, she craved nachos.
When Brooke Brumfield wasn’t battling morning sickness, she craved nachos. Like many first-time expectant mothers, she was nervous and excited about her pregnancy.
It was a challenge unlike any other the chef-turned-graduate student had faced: Vayu Maini Rekdal had to create a menu in which every ingredient could be eaten either raw or cooked. No pickling was allowed, nor fermented toppings such as soy sauce or miso. Nothing could be processed, so things such as tofu were out. And the more sweet potatoes he could serve up, the better.
That old joke about the milkman fathering many of a town’s children—it’s far from true, a new study reaffirms.
Scientists have pinpointed the members of society most likely to have children out of wedlock, by mapping the DNA of people in a region of Western Europe over the past 500 years.