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Research by
subdiscipline:

Archaeology
Physical Anthropology
Cultural Anthropology
Linguistic Anthropology
Methodology

Research by subdiscipline: Physical Anthropology     
(since 1990; please see C.V. for full details.)

Articles and Chapters     
(includes selected recent refereed abstracts):

• 2002 The role of occlusal stress and gingival infection in the formation of exostosis on mandible and maxilla from Neolithic China (2nd author with Ekaterina Pechenkina), Homo 53:112-150.
  
  
• 2001 Diet and Health Changes with the Intensification of Millet Agriculture at the End of the Chinese Neolithic (second author with Ekaterina A. Pechenkina and Wang Zhijun), American Journal of Physical Anthropology 116:15-36.
  
  
• 2001 Bootstrap methods for sex determination from the Os coxae using the ID3 algorithm (last author with McBride DG, Dietz MJ, Vennemeyer MT, Meadors SA), Journal of Forensic Sciences 46:427-431.
  
  
• 2001 Multivariate Morphometry: Advantages of Direct Anlysis of 3-Dimensional Coordinates of the Human Skull Referred to Functionally Important Planes (junior author with D. G. McBride), American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 30:223-224. Benfer RA, Furbee NL . 2001;46(3): 427-431. 2000.
  
  
• 2001 Estimating Missing Data: an Iterative Regression Approach (junior author with Brigitte Holt) Journal of Human Evolution, 39: 289-296.
  
  
• 2000 Genetic and Environmental Influence on the Asymmetry of Dermatoglphyic Traits, Pechenkina KA, Benfer RA Jr., Vershoubskaya GG, and Kozlov AI, Amer. J. of Phys. Anthrop. 111:531-543.
  
  
• 2000 Multivariate morphometry: advantages of direct analysis of 3-dimensional coordinates of the human skull referred to functionally important planes (jr. author with D. G. McBride), Amer. J. of Phys. Anthrop. Supplement 30:223-234.
  
  
• 1999 Keeping alive children who are failing to thrive in an Archaic fishing village in Coastal Perú, Amer. J. of Phys. Anthrop. Supplement 2 8:90-91.
  
  
• 1999 A test of methods for sex determination for the os coxae using the ID3 algorithm (jr. author with D.G. McBride, M.T. Vennemeyer, M.J. Dietz, and S.A. Meadors), Amer. J. of Phys.Anthrop. Supplement 24:74.28:194.
  
  
• 1999 The Identification of the Remains of Don Francisco Pizzaro (senior author with Hugo Ludeñ a R.) Forensic Osteological Analysis: A Book of Case Studies, ed by Scott I. Fairgrieve, Charles C Thomas, pp. 107-128.
  
  
• 1997 Evaluating Archaeological Hypotheses of Population Growth and Decline on the Central Coast of Perú, (second author with Joseph A. Vradenburg and Lisa Sattenspiel), In Integrating Archaeological Demography: Multidisciplinary Approaches to Prehistoric Population, ed. by Richard R. Paine, Occasional Paper No. 24, Center for Archaeological Investigations, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, pp. 150-174.
  
  
• 1997 Where stature estimated from regression of limb bone length is inappropriate. Amer. J. of Phys. Anthrop. Supplement 24:74.
  
  
• 1995 Age of Pregnancies and Age of Weaning from Prehistoric Bone: Are Sr and Zn Indicators? American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Supplement 20, 89-90 (refereed abstract of paper presented at Annual Meetings).
  
  
• 1994 Iterative Improvement of Missing Data Estimates (junior author with B. Holt) American Journal of Physical Anthropology Supplement 18, 109-110 (refereed abstract of paper presented at Annual Meetings).
  
  
• 1993 The Effects of Diagenesis on the Paloma Skeletal Material (junior author with Jeremy Edward). In Sanford, Mary K. (ed.); Investigations of Ancient Human Tissue: Chemical Analyses in Anthropology. Philadelphia: Gordon and Breach, pp. 183-268.
  
  
• 1991 The Principal Axis Method for Measuring Rate and Amount of Dental Attrition: Estimating Juvenile or Adult Tooth Wear from Unaged Adult Teeth (senior author with Daniel S. Edwards), Dental Anthropology, ed. by M. Kelly and Clark Larson, Riss, Ch. 18, pp. 325-340.
  
  
• 1990 Effects of Ashing on the Composition of Human and Animal Bone (second author with Jeremy Edward and J. S. Morris) In Biological Trace Element Research 25:219-231.
  
  
• 1990 The Preceramic Period Site of Paloma, Peru: Bioindications of Improving Adaptation to Sedentism, Latin American Antiquity, 1:284-318.
  
  

Field Work      

• May-June, 1999 Northern Chinese Neolithic Project, Xi'an, China.
  
  
• May-June, 1998 Amazonian Origin of a Disease which Led to the Collapse of the Initial Period, Lima and also Ica, Perú, with Michael Dietz.
  
  
• July-August 1998 Neolithic of Northeast China Project, study in Xi'an and Beijing.
  
  
• May-July, 1997 Sican Project continued in Fereñ afe, Perú ; Asia, Huayamarca, Villa Salvador, and Huaca Pucllana skeletal studies, Lima, Perú with Ekaterina Petchenkina.
  
  
• June-July 1996 Sicá n Sacrifices: Base Data on Health, Batan Grande,Perú and PalomaWorld, Chilca Valley, Perú, with Julie Farnum.
  
  
• Jan.-Feb. 1995, Disease and the collapse of initial civilization in coastal Perú , Lima, Perú, with Joseph Vradenburg.
  
  
• June-July 1992, Laboratory Work in Lima; reconnaissance for dental studies in Ilo, Perú.
  

Research Support     

• 2002 Dietary Adjustments and Demographic Responses to environmental deterioration during the 4th millennium BC in China (Co-CPI with Ekaterina Pechenkina), NSF, pending.
  
  
• 1998 The Neolithic of Northeastern China: Skeletal Evidence for the Early Adoption of Agriculture, University of Missouri Research Board, $29,820.
  
  
• 1998 Neolithic of Northeast China Project: Preliminary study of materials from the Xi'an region, University of Missouri Research Council, $ 4,060.
  
  
• 1997 Sican Archaeological Project: Laboratory preparation of samples for Ph.D. dissertation by Julie Farnum, Ekaterina Pechonkina and myself, $2,500, Fereñ afe, Peru.
  
  
• 1997 Oneota Diet in Missouri: the Utz Site with Ekaterina Pechonkina, State of Missouri Department of Natural Resources, $2,000.
  
  
• 1996 Sicán Archaeological Project: Preliminary field work in cooperation with SIU on the study of skeletal remains from Moche sites in northern Perú, Batan Grande, Peru, $1,500.
  
  
• 1996-97 Doctoral Dissertation Research: An Assessment of Mobility in Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic European Humans: Evidence from Postcranial Cross-sectional Geometric Analysis, Robert A. Benfer, Jr., and Brigitte M. Holt 1/96-1/97, NSF, $7,000.
  
  
• 1995-96 An Assessment of Mobility in Upper Paleolithic and Mesolithic European Humans: Evidence from Postcranial Cross-sectional Geometric Analysis, Robert A. Benfer, Jr., and Brigitte M. Holt 4/95-5/96, Leakey Foundation, $5,000.
  
  
• 1994-95 Research Leave, Disease and the Collapse of Early Civilization in Perú, MU Research Council Grant funded 7 person months of research by myself and my graduate student, Joseph Vradenburg.
  
  
• 1991 Postdoctoral Fellowship (Eileen Jackson), C-5-32671, Expert System Simulation of Nursing Home Care, NIH, $21,600.
  
  
• 1991-1992 DBS-9208593, Dietary Evidence from Dental Phytoliths, NSF, $4,300.
  
  
• 1990-1991 Adaptation to Sedentism on the Western Flanks of the Central Andes (PI), NSF, BNS 90-07928, $29,396.