Martin Welker

Martin Welker is a Faculty Member at the Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona. He holds a Ph.D. in Anthropology (2018), M.A. (2015), and B.S. (2013) from The Pennsylvania State University and Utah State University. His research focuses on environmental archaeology, particularly zooarchaeology and biomorphometrics, exploring how domesticated animals reflect human subsistence strategies and adaptation. Key interests include prehistoric mobility via dog-mediated transport, colonial impacts on animal management, and Neolithic transitions in the Mediterranean.

• Education:
  • Ph.D., Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University (2018)
  • M.A., Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University (2015)
  • B.S., Anthropology, Utah State University (2013)

His research investigates the long-term morphological effects of selective pressures on domesticated animals, particularly dogs' roles in transport systems of Indigenous and colonial societies. Projects include analyses of dog shoulder height variation between European and Native American contexts, prehistoric cargo capacity estimates in Intermountain West dogs, and dietary adaptations at French and Indian War forts. Collaborations involve institutions like Laval University, Wake Forest College, and Penn State’s archaeological field schools.

Recent work addresses the health consequences of subsistence shifts, demonstrating that low-intensity farming reduces traumatic injury risk compared to foraging or intensive agriculture. His studies highlight how subsistence strategies shape human and animal interactions across prehistory and colonial contexts.