Alexandros-Fotios Karakostis

PD Dr. Fotios Alexandros Karakostis is a Senior Lecturer and Researcher in Biological Anthropology at the Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Tübingen. As a Junior Research Group Leader at the DFG Center "Words, Bones, Genes, Tools" (2021–2025), he develops and applies multidisciplinary methodologies such as 3D geometric morphometric techniques and biomechanical musculoskeletal modeling for reconstructing habitual behavior in past humans. His work integrates experimental validation (e.g., V.E.R.A. method) with analyses of fossil hominin and recent human populations.

• Current Affiliations:
  • Senior Academic Lecturer / Researcher, University of Tübingen (2023–present)
  • Leader, Junior Research Group "Co-evolution of Tool Use and Language" (2021–2025)
  • DFG Center "Words, Bones, Genes, Tools", University of Tübingen
• Research Focus:
  • Reconstructing habitual behavior in past humans through functional morphology
  • Development of 3D geometric morphometric and biomechanical modeling techniques
  • Manual dexterity evolution across hominins
  • Analysis of entheses (muscle/tendon insertion sites) in archaeological populations
• Publication Trends:
  • 2021–2023 studies on precision grasping biomechanics and Neandertal behavior
  • 2018 breakthrough on Neandertal manual dexterity
  • 2022–2023 experimental validation of entheses-based activity reconstruction
• Academic Background:
  • Ph.D. in Paleoanthropology, University of Tübingen (2018)
  • Habilitation in Biological Anthropology (2023)

His research bridges paleoanthropology, biomechanics, and archaeological science, emphasizing the co-evolution of tool use and language. As a leader of multidisciplinary teams at the Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, he combines computational modeling with empirical studies of skeletal remains.