Kristen Hawkes

Dr. Kristen Hawkes is a distinguished Professor of Anthropology at the University of Utah, affiliated with the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. She is renowned for her groundbreaking work on human evolution, particularly through field studies of hunter-gatherer societies like the Paraguayan Ache and Tanzanian Hazda.

• Education: B.S. in Sociology and Anthropology (Iowa State University), M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology (University of Washington)

Research Focus:
Hawkes' research centers on human life history evolution, with emphasis on grandmothering, male mating strategies, and longevity. Her Grandmother Theory explains how postmenopausal women enhance offspring survival through caregiving, driving natural selection for extended lifespans. She explores pair bonds, sex ratio dynamics, and cognitive evolution in ancestral contexts.

Publication Trends:
Recent work examines fire exploitation in hominin evolution, telomere dynamics, and comparative aging between humans and chimpanzees. Her studies span evolutionary biology, primatology, and ethnoarchaeology, with recurring themes in hunting hypothesis critiques and reproductive senescence.

Awards and Recognition:
Recipient of the Rosenblatt Prize (2002), elected to the National Academy of Sciences (2002), and served on the Leakey Foundation's executive committee. Her contributions have significantly advanced understanding of human evolutionary ecology.