I work under Dr.
Bethany Usher in the Anthropology department at George Mason University. My
project is about comparing the postnatal development of humans to other
primates. The goal is to determine whether humans develop slower and less
independent than other primates when looking across multiple life history
variables, such as gestation, weaning period, and amount of time it takes to
mature to adulthood. The goal is to find out where on the spectrum do humans
lie compared to other primates and the reasons why this might be. The results
will hopefully be presented at the NCUR 20016 conference.
On a weekly basis, I read and
collect data from scientific journals on primate development. I then organized
this data in an excel spread sheet and apply statistical techniques to test my
hypothesis. I also investigate other related current topics of interest within
the field of anthropology.
This relates to my long term goals
because the field that I am studying which is biology relies heavily on
research. Even though I intend to enter the medical field as a doctor rather
than become a researcher, I believe that it is important to understand the
fundamental ideas that goes into the process.
This opportunity has also provided writing, research, teamwork and
critical thinking skills that I believe can be of use to me in all of my future
ambitions.
This past week I was tasked with
researching ways to obtain dietary data from ancient humans. During my
investigation, I learned that it is possible to determine the diets of ancient
humans by analyzing dental calculi which is hardened dental plaque. Pollen
grains, bacteria, and other environmental samples are trapped in these calculi
over the human lifespan and remain in the teeth post mortem and are easily
extractable for analysis. This is of great interest to me because the great
amount of biology skills that I have learned are used in this technology.
