Department of Human Evolutionary Biology | Department of Human Evolutionary Biology

Welcome!

In both research and teaching, Harvard's Department of Human Evolutionary Biology focuses on a fundamental question: "How did humans evolve to be the way they are?" HEB students and faculty are also interested in the related question: “How are evolutionary perspectives on human biology relevant to contemporary human opportunities and challenges?”

Why do we use the lens of evolution for these questions? The simple answer is because humans weren't designed or engineered. We evolved. It follows that to understand why humans are the way we are in terms of every aspect of our biology, we need to consider that evolutionary history.

Research and teaching in HEB thus encompass a diversity of fields including human and non-human primate paleontology, anatomy, physiology, behavioral ecology, genetics, cultural evolution, developmental biology, and more. As a department, we continue to be committed to using the lens of evolution to further our understanding of the human condition using both experimental and observational methods. We are also committed to using those insights to address the challenges we face.

Our Research Groups

The Skeletal Biology & Biomechanics Lab

Studies how and why the human body is the way it is, focusing on the musculoskeletal system.

The Developmental and Evolutionary Genetics Lab

Focuses on identifying the DNA changes underlying human and non-human primate biological adaptations.

The Evolutionary Neuroscience Lab

Studies brain adaptations resulting from selection pressure on behavior in humans and other species, including domestic dogs.

The Culture, Cognition, and Coevolution Lab

Aims to construct an approach to culture and cultural evolution that synthesizes theory and methods from across the sciences.

The Nutritional and Microbial Ecology Lab

Studies how humans and gut microbes interact to acquire and utilize energy.

The Pan Lab

Studies the behavioral ecology of non-human animals to understand selective forces shaping our own evolutionary past.

The Uno Lab

Studies past changes in climate, ecosystems, and mammalian and human evolution, with a focus on their interconnectedness.

The Song Lab

Aims to identify and characterize the variants that contributed to human-specific traits, with a particular focus on the evolution of the human brain.

The David Reich Lab

Building an Ancient DNA Atlas of Humanity, making ancient DNA accessible to archaeologists, and leveraging ancient DNA to understand human adaptation and population history.

The Kuzawa Lab

Explores developmental influences on adult biology, non-genetic forms of biological inheritance, and the evolution of the human brain, while addressing the misuse of race concepts in anthropology and beyond.