Habiba Chichir

Habiba Chichir is an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University, specializing in biological anthropology and anatomical research. Her work focuses on the evolution of gracile morphology in modern humans, integrating skeletal structure analysis with behavioral studies across hominins, contemporary populations, and mammals like felids and canids. She employs high-resolution imaging techniques to study trabecular and cortical bone adaptations.

Education:

• PhD (2013), Human Paleobiology, George Washington University
• MA (2008), Anthropology (Skeletal Biology), New York University
• BA (2005), Anthropology, University of Nairobi

Research Themes:

1. Emergence of gracile morphology via trabecular bone analysis in fossils and modern humans.
2. Self-domestication effects on skeletal structure, comparing domesticated vs. wild mammals.
3. Locomotor behavior impacts on bone morphology in hominins and big cats.
4. Plio-Pleistocene fossil recovery in Baringo, Kenya, for microscale paleobiology insights.

Lab & Team: Leads the Skeletal Anatomy Lab (SAL), mentoring current students like Mallory Pajak (Anthropological Science) and Paige Vanderpool (Biology/Anthropology). Past students include Tyler Blake (MS Biology, now at UTEP) and Caroline Cartwright (NASA Fellow).