Herman Pontzer, Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology and Associate Research Professor of Global Health

How did the human body evolve, and how does our species' deep past shape our health and physiology today? Through lab and field research, I investigate the physiology of humans and apes to understand how ecology, lifestyle, diet, and evolutionary history affect metabolism and health. I'm also interested in how ecology and evolution influence musculoskeletal design and physical activity. Field projects focus on small-scale societies, including hunter-gatherers and subsistence farmers, in Africa and South America. Lab research focuses on energetics and metabolism, including respirometry and doubly labeled water methods.

Contact Info:

Office Location:
Office Phone:	(919) 684-4124
Email Address:

Teaching (Spring 2020):

• EVANTH 570S.01, ENERGETICS ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION Synopsis

  Bio Sci 041, Th 08:30 AM-11:00 AM

Education:

Ph.D.

Harvard University

2006

Keywords:

Exercise • Human evolution • Locomotion • Metabolism • Obesity • Public Health

Recent Publications   (More Publications)   (search)

1. Horiuchi, M; Kirihara, Y; Fukuoka, Y; Pontzer, H, Sex differences in respiratory and circulatory cost during hypoxic walking: potential impact on oxygen saturation., Scientific Reports, vol. 9 no. 1 (July, 2019), pp. 9550 [doi]  [abs]
2. Pontzer, H, Step on it, New Scientist, vol. 242 no. 3234 (June, 2019), pp. 34-37 [doi]  [abs]
3. Thurber, C; Dugas, LR; Ocobock, C; Carlson, B; Speakman, JR; Pontzer, H, Extreme events reveal an alimentary limit on sustained maximal human energy expenditure., Science Advances, vol. 5 no. 6 (June, 2019), pp. eaaw0341 [doi]  [abs]
4. Horiuchi, M; Kirihara, YH; Fukuoka, Y; Pontzer, H, Sex Differences In Respiratory And Circulatory Cost And Arterial Oxygen Saturation During Hypoxic Walking, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 51 no. Supplement (June, 2019), pp. 458-458, Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) [doi]
5. Gurven, M; Trumble, B; Stieglitz, J; Cummings, D; Kaplan, H; Blackwell, AD; Yetish, G; Pontzer, H, Methodological differences cannot explain associations between health, anthropometrics, and excess resting metabolic rate., American Journal of Physical Anthropology, vol. 169 no. 1 (May, 2019), pp. 197-198 [doi]