Benjamin M. Auerbach

Benjamin M. Auerbach is a Professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Tennessee. His research focuses on quantitative genetics, functional anatomy, and evolutionary modeling of mammalian traits, particularly primates and Australian marsupials. He examines morphological variation in relation to environmental factors like climate, biomechanics, and subsistence, using evolutionary quantitative models to understand trait evolution and developmental impacts.

Education:

• PhD, 2007: Functional Anatomy & Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• BA, 2001: Anthropology (Criminology minor) and Comparative Religion, Miami University

Research Interests:

• Evolving trait complexes through quantitative genetics
• Functional anatomy of skeletal variation
• Morphological integration and evolutionary potential
• Climate and subsistence influences on body form
• History of eugenics in anthropological context

Advising & Grants: Accepts graduate students in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (visit profile page). Active in lab facilities and field schools, though specific grants are not detailed here.

Labs/Teams: Engaged in collaborative research on skeletal morphology and evolutionary biology, possibly affiliated with the Hesler Biology building at UTK.