AGES

Archaeological, Geographical & Environmental Sciences

Prof Gabriele Macho

Honorary Professor in Palaeoanthropology

Archaeological Sciences

Room:
Tel:
Email:	G.Macho@Bradford.ac.uk; Gabriele.Macho@icp.cat

Gabriele Macho, currently employed at the Institut Català de Paleontologia (ICP) in Barcelona, joined the University of Bradford in 2007 as a Visiting Professor of Palaeoanthropology.

Professional activities

• External Reviewer for Granting Agencies: Natural Environment Research Council, UK; National Science Foundation, USA; The Leverhulme Trust, UK; The Wellcome Trust, UK; Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, UK, The Royal Society, UK.
• External Reviewer for Journals include, among others, American Journal of Physical Anthropology; Journal of Human Evolution; Archives of Oral Biology; Folia Primatologica; Journal of Anatomy; Biological Journal of the Linnean Society; South African Journal of Science; Acta Biomaterialia; Environmental Archaeology: The Journal of Human Palaeoecology.

Research

Gabriele Macho’s research is firmly rooted within palaeobiology. By applying biological principles and novel analytical techniques she aims to shed light on the processes underlying the evolutionary pathways of hominins and their functional adaptations. Current research themes include (1) the dietary adaptations of Plio-Pleistocene hominins, (2) constraints acting on morphological change, with special reference to the evolution of the hominin hand, and (3) the evolution of life history strategies and their plasticity with regard to climatic fluctuations.

To achieve the overall research objectives Gabriele Macho employs a variety of traditional techniques, e.g. histology and morphometrics, but also expends considerable efforts to exploring and developing new analytical methods, mostly in collaboration with researchers from diverse backgrounds. For example, to test the functional consequences of different tooth and bone morphologies Gabriele Macho employs finite element stress analyses, an engineering tool. Such analyses have provided invaluable insights into the dietary and locomotor adaptations of A. anamensis and are now extended to other Plio-Pleistocene hominins. Currently, she investigates that influence of climate, particularly seasonality, on ontogenetic process in extant and extinct primates.

Current active research collaborations include: The Primate Institute at Inuyama (Japan), The National Museum of Kenya (Kenya), The State University of New York at Stony Brook (USA), Kyoto University (Japan), The University of Nanjing (China), The University of Teesside (UK), The Natural History Museum London (UK), Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales Madrid (Spain), University of Dundee (Scotland), The Wildlife Conservation Society (USA, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo).

Since 2000 Gabriele Macho has been awared external research funding in excess of 1 million pounds.

Publications Since 2000

Macho, G. A. & M. G. Leakey in press (2009). Small-scale environmental fluctuations and their possible effects on cognitive evolution and migration of Homo. Quaternary International

Macho, G. A. & D. Shimizu in press (2009). Dietary niches of South African australopiths: inference from enamel prism attitude. Journal of Human Evolution

Macho, G. A. & M. G. Leakey 2009. Small-scale environmental fluctuations and their possible effects on cognitive evolution and migration of Homo. Quaternary International 204: 95-97

Macho, G.A. & D. Shimizu 2009. . "Journal of Human Evolution" 57(3): 241-247.

Macho, G.A. & D. Shimizu 2009. Kinematic parameters inferred from enamel microstructure: new insights into the diet of Australopithecus anamensis. "Journal of Human Evolution", available online 26 September 2009

Macho, G.A. & D. Shimizu 2009. Dietary niches of South African australopiths: inference from enamel prism attitude. "Journal of Human Evolution" 57(3): 241-247

Macho, G. A. 2008. The fossil evidence of seasonality and environmental change. In H. Schutkowski (ed.) Between Biology and Culture: 129-140. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Shimizu, D. & G. A. Macho 2008. The effect of chemical composition and enamel prism decussation on the biomechanical behaviour of dental tissue: a theoretical approach to determine the loading conditions to which modern human teeth are adapted. The Anatomical Record 291: 175-182

Macho, G. A. 2007. General Principles of Evolutionary Morphology. In W. Henke, H. Rothe and I. Tattersall (eds) Handbook of Palaeoanthropology. Vol. 1: Principles, Methods, and Approaches: 769-785. Mainz: Springer Verlag

Shimizu, D. & G. A. Macho 2007. Functional significance of the micro-structural detail of the primate dentino-enamel junction: a possible example of exaptation. Journal of Human Evolution 52: 103-111

McColl, D. J., R. L. Abel, I. R. Spears & G. A. Macho 2006. An automated method to measure trabecular thickness from micro-computed tomographic scans and its applications. The Anatomical Record 288A: 982-988

Macho, G. A., D. D. Shimizu, Y. Jiang & I. R. Spears 2005. Australopithecus anamensis: A finite element approach to studying functional adaptations in extinct hominins. The Anatomical Record 283A: 310-318

Macho, G. A., R. L. Abel & H. Schutkowski 2005. Age changes in bone microstructure - do they occur uniformly?. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 15: 421-430.

Shimizu, D., G. A. Macho & I. R. Spears 2005. The effect of prism orientation and loading direction on contact stresses in prismatic enamel: Implications for interpreting wear patterns. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 126: 427-434

Macho, G. A. 2004. On the scaling relationship between enamel prism length and enamel thickness in primate molars: a comment. Annals of Anatomy 186: 413-416

Jiang, Y., I.R. Spears & G. A. Macho 2003. An investigation into fractured surfaces of enamel of modern human teeth: a combined SEM and computer visualisation study. Archives of Oral Biology 48: 449-457.

Macho, G. A., Y. Jiang & I. R. Spears 2003. Enamel microstructure - a truly three-dimensional structure. Journal of Human Evolution 45: 821-830

Macho, G. A., M. G. Leakey, D. K. Williamson & Y. Jiang 2003. Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction: evidence for seasonality at Allia Bay, Kenya, at 3.9 million years. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 199: 17-30

Spears, I. R., N. K. Cummins, Z. Benchley, C. Donohue, C. Turnbull, S. Burton & G. A. Macho 2003. The effect of saddle design on stresses in the perineum during cycling: A finite element approach. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 35: 1620-1625

Toussaint, M., G. A. Macho, P. V. Tobias, T. C. Partridge & A. R. Hughes 2003. The third partial skeleton of a late Pliocence hominin (Stw 431) from Sterkfontein, South Africa. South African Journal of Science 99: 215-223

Macho, G. A. & D. K. Williamson 2002. The effects of ecology on life history strategies and metabolic disturbances during development. An example from the African bovids. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 75: 271-279.

Macho, G. A. 2001. Primate molar crown formation times and life history evolution revisited. American Journal of Primatology 55: 189-201