Joseph M. Plavcan

Joseph M. Plavcan is a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Arkansas and serves as Departmental Vice Chair and Director of Graduate Studies. His work focuses on primate and human evolution, particularly sexual dimorphism and its implications for social behavior in fossil primates and hominins.

• B.A. in Anthropology and Zoology, Duke University (1984)
• Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology and Anatomy, Duke University (1990)

Research highlights include:

• Evolution of sexual dimorphism in primates, linking anatomical and behavioral data
• Pioneering laser scanning for 3D limb bone analysis
• Co-director of the West Turkana Paleontology Project in Kenya (Kanapoi, Lomekwi, Natodomeri sites)
• Leading studies on fossil social behavior inference through dental and craniofacial dimorphism

Notable awards include the University of Arkansas Master Researcher Award (2011) and Fellow of the AAAS (2008).

Teaching spans undergraduate courses on Primate Behavioral Ecology, Human Osteology, and graduate-level Comparative Statistical Methods. He has extensive experience in medical gross anatomy instruction.

Current projects involve collaborations with institutions like the Center for Advanced Spatial Technology and editorial contributions as Editor Emeritus of the Journal of Human Evolution.