Russell H. Tuttle

Man wearing a black sweater is looking at a fossil

Professor of Anthropology, Evolutionary Biology, History of Science and Medicine and the College

For over 55 years he has mentored countless graduate, undergraduate and medical students, many of whom are leaders in their respective professions. He conducted pioneering functional morphological work on apes via electromyography (EMG) and meticulous dissections, leading to the conclusion (recently supported by fossils) that chimpanzees poorly represent the locomotive pattern that underpinned the evolution of human terrestrial bipedalism. He also provided a functional interpretation of the 3.66 million-year-old hominid footprint trails at Laetoli, Tanzania, which has held up well vis-à-vis challenges of other commentators.

He has conducted field and laboratory studies in Tanzania, Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Japan, and Perú, and in numerous museums in Europe, Asia and North America.

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